Blue Islands have announced a new partnership with Michelin-starred chef Shaun Rankin to provide a locally sourced menu for the airline’s passengers travelling to London City and mainland Europe from Jersey and Guernsey.
A joint marketing initiative, which will run throughout the 2014 summer season, will allow travellers to sample a taste of Jersey, both inbound and outbound, with freshly baked pastries and made to order sandwiches featuring on a new and enhanced menu selection.
The two brands hold similar values for quality excellence, great service and clear transparency, whether pricing or product.
Jersey inbound passengers will also receive a glass of champagne on the house when dining at Shaun Rankin’s premier restaurant Ormer. Whilst the new packaging on board Blue Islands’ flights will feature Shaun’s newest culinary delight; Don Street Deli.
The fresh menu will include sandwich options from ‘Scottish Smoked Salmon with Crème Fraiche & Rocket in a Granary Roll’, to ‘Milano Salami, Roast Peppers with Goat’s Cheese Pesto on Focaccia’. Whilst the pastries selection will include hand made and freshly baked butter croissants and pain au chocolate.
Commenting on the partnership, Blue Islands Managing Director, Rob Veron said: “We are very proud of this latest partnership and are committed to providing the finest, freshly made in-flight refreshments to our passengers.
“We wanted to reward our travellers with locally sourced produce and are delighted Jersey’s most renowned and accredited chef has come on board with us. There is a great deal of synergy between the two brands and this is a big step in local aviation catering in offering such unique and highly regarded in-flight cuisine.”
Shaun Rankin, Chef Proprietor, added: “I see the partnership with Blue Islands as a positive collaboration of two like minded brands – both are locally conscious, service centred and quality focused.
“Blue Islands offer an exceptional service to customers and by bringing in our handmade product from Don Street Deli we are enhancing the on board experience. We’ll be providing freshly baked pastries each morning and artisan sandwiches for the lunch flights. This represents a real transition for in-flight catering, I have thoroughly researched the market and have identified that people’s palates change at various altitudes. The menu we have developed for Blue Islands’ flights reflects this considered approach and supports my mission to ensure people are eating high quality, fresh, local products.”
Blue Islands have always offered a complimentary inflight catering experience as part of the trademark ‘Welcome Difference’ service on all European and UK services.
Pictured (left to right): Rob Veron and Shaun Rankin