Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) will be offering new vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free meals from November 1, 2022. This in-flight dining option will feature menus that are a collaboration between THE CONNOISSEURS Chef, Hideki Takayama and the ANA chefs.
Hideki Takayama is a world-renowned French chef who has won the Bocuse d’Or International Culinary Competition in Asia Pacific twice and is the Culinary Director of “Paris 1930 de Hideki Takayama, Landis Taipei,” named a one-star Michelin restaurant by the “Michelin Guide.”
He has a background in creating menus that cater to a wide range of tastes, including healthy and specialized foods. Hideki and the airline’s chefs have worked together to create new menus that take full advantage of his knowledge and expertise.
The ANA vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free meals are for customers who wish to limit their gluten intake and is not intended to be suitable for customers with wheat flour allergies.
Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free meals on ANA Flights
“Providing inclusive meal options is essential to ensuring our customers with the best in-flight experience,” said Tomoji Ishii, Executive Vice President, Customer Experience Management & Planning of ANA. “We look forward to delivering these high-quality menu items and supplying a range of food options for all of our customers.”
Catering to Passengers’ Tastes and Preferences
The new menu options are part of ANA’s efforts to provide passengers with a wide variety of choices to suit their tastes and preferences.
In October 2021, ANA introduced the renewal of four healthy in-flight meals; diabetic, low fat, low-calorie and low-salt meals. In addition, this past March, ANA began offering a healthy rice bowl topped with a plant-based cutlet for business class passengers on select routes.
“We had a particularly difficult time developing a vegan meal, as ANA strictly follows the guidelines set by Quality & Safety Alliance Inflight Services*,” said Hideki Takayama. “Many ingredients such as dairy products, eggs, fish and meat could not be used, and we also developed the menu without root vegetables to accommodate the eating habits of more customers. With these many restrictions, it was difficult to achieve the same level of results as the gastronomic menu, and at the same time, this was the point we focused on.
As we worked on the menu development, we were able to reconfirm the appeal of vegetables, and I believe we have completed an in-flight meal that is unlike any other.”
Reserving the Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten-free Meals on ANA Flights
The meals will be available on all international routes from Japan, all classes of service on ANA-operated flights.
Reservations must be made at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled departure time of the passenger’s flight via the ANA website or by telephone.
More details can be found here.
