Private jet clients pay up to £600 for just desserts
Courtesy Gama Aviation
Called Wild Kopi Luwak Coffee Coconut and Gold Dessert, it’s made of the world's rarest coffee beans that cost between £1,000 and £32,500 per kilogram.
The coffee beans are from the purveyors of the world's most exclusive coffee, Bespoke Beverages. These rare beans are so expensive and are known as Black Gold because they have been eaten and digested by wild civet cats in Indonesia, which gives the beans their unique qualities. The process of collecting and using these beans goes back 170 years.
The beans are collected, washed, hand roasted and then graded: Emerald grade costs around £1,000 per kg; Ruby grade some £8,000 per kg and Diamond grade around £32,500 per kg.
On Air Dining has developed the recipe for its new dessert using Ruby grade wild kopi luwak coffee, which will cost around £500-600 per serving, a price that includes the exquisite coffee to drink and accompanying petit fours. For those opting for the Emerald grade, the cost is around £360 per serving. As yet, the company has not put a price on the recipe using the Diamond grade of beans as there are only around 100kgs available per year.
New research from Gama Aviation, the global aviation services company that works closely with On Air Dining, has revealed that there is an increasing demand for high-end cuisine in private jets.
Its research reveals that there are now around 1,774 medium to large private jets in Europe. The UK has the biggest fleet with 274, and Germany has the second largest fleet with 202.
Daniel Hulme, Chief Executive, On Air Dining said: “Our business is enjoying strong growth. Our clients don’t want the standard food that is served on commercial airlines, but prefer cuisine that is more akin to what they enjoy at their favourite restaurants. However, it can cost up to £20,000 to develop a dish for business aviation, and they are specifically designed to counter the impact altitude has on food – salt can lose its taste, for example.
“We offer our private jet clients an extensive and growing menu. It includes dishes such as miso-braised cod with sesame bok choy and shiitake broth, filet of beef with horseradish chips and tomato fondue, seared yellowfin tuna niçoise with soft-boiled quail eggs and fennel mayonnaise, rose water poached rhubarb and custard cream and cherry and chocolate mille-feuille.”
Duncan Daines, Group Chief Marketing Officer, Gama Aviation said: “We manage over 145 business aircraft around the world and it is noticeable how fine, restaurant dining, is influencing our clients demands. Partnering with the likes of On Air Dining allows us to mirror this demand and explore new possibilities, such as the Kopi Luwak Coffee Coconut and Gold Dessert.”
London-based On Air Dining launched in May 2010 with the vision of revolutionising business aviation in-flight catering. Using an ingenious preparation system and informative flash cards On Air Dining enables flight attendants to produce restaurant level food and fine dining from the aircraft's galley.
The business has quickly developed an impressive list of aviation clientele including leading players in private jet charter such as Gama Aviation, ExecuJet, and Perfect Aviation. ON Air Dining currently serves most of the London airports for international clients, and has a relationship with US-based firm Tastefully Yours Catering.
