CATERING EQUIPMENT
Cool trolleys
Following the successful launch of the Hybrite S product range in 2015, Zodiac Aerospace will present its new Zodiac Cool trolley at WTCE 2016. The trolley has been designed to enable airlines to keep meals chilled for the return leg of a flight, and a smart thermodynamic design uses the maximum potential of dry ice, keeping the trolley’s contents cool for up to 14 hours, between 0-8°C. The thermal insulation properties of the trolley allow for significant cooling improvements, even with other cooling sources than dry ice.
The Cool Trolley is fully insulated, has sealed doors and flaps, and no thermal bridges to the outside. There are no electrical systems and no batteries; no tray positions or content space lost; no additional inserts or loose parts.
The design is based on the Hybrite S standard trolley platform, maintaining its full loading capacity and ease of use. Moreover, due to the optimal insulation of the trolley, the outer parts do not freeze, resulting in a very crew-friendly application of dry ice cooling.
Zodiac will also be showing its Smart lock, an intelligent lock and seal solution that provides a simple and effective way to manage the security of airline cabin equipment such as duty-free trolleys. This innovative system employs touch-key technology to gain access to trolleys, and automatically captures insightful data. Total access control via the Fleetkeeper portal enables airlines to view as well as define when, where and by whom any trolley is accessed. Smart Lock is where Zodiac’s expertise in the cabin equipment industry converges with the expertise of its partner Maple in the field of access control solutions in logistics.
Intelligent inflight catering
Yaos will be showcasing the latest prototype of its LimeFlight software suite, the world’s first inflight catering software based on machine learning technology. The team at Yaos launched their cloud-based LimeFlight software with their first customer, Swiss airline Edelweiss, in 2015, and will shortly begin trials with other major European-based carriers.
LimeFlight automates the inflight planning process by learning from various sources such as analytical data and user interactions. It continuously collects and analyzes data with the use of artificial intelligence and data-mining techniques. This enables the software to gather comprehensive knowledge of the entire inflight catering process and optimize decision-making in a revolutionary way by simply connecting the dots. The result is an intuitive, easy-to-use system that offers new optimization possibilities, and which is able to automate far more complex tasks than traditional software.
Machine learning software such as LimeFlight has potential far beyond galley planning. Other possible fields of application include autonomous planning and forecasting or customized onboard retail offers.
Insulated ice drawer
The Ice Drawer by Icebridge is a thermally insulated drawer for safe and efficient onboard ice handling, with no change to existing catering equipment required. The drawer is suitable for all existing trolleys and container models on the market (seven drawers can be fitted in a half-size trolley, with no loss of space), and also enables safe and hygienic partial trolley cooling.
The drawer can keep 5.5 liters of ice cubes fresh and solid for 12 hours with only a 10% loss, and is also suitable for transporting other temperature-sensitive goods such as caviar and ice cream.
Vote with your feet
Skypro was the first company to develop shoes specifically for aviation crews. The company’s R&D team have seen their first aviation shoe designs certified by the International Organization for Standardization – EN ISO 20347. Skypro shoes offer anti-static and anti-skid properties.
Highlights of WTCE 2016 for Skypro include the launch of new products for airline professionals that include shirts, sweaters, belts, gloves, handbags, and even a line of underwear with special technological features.
AMENITIES
It’s in the bag
Elag is well known in the catering industry for being an efficient producer of bag and pouch products, including airsickness bags, cutlery pouches and snack bag products. The company is introducing a new product line at WTCE: the Ovenbag, a bag that can be used to heat up snacks such as hot sandwiches, paninis or pizzas in an oven or panini grill.
Using the heat resistant (certified to 220°C) and grease-repellent paper pouch means the grill or oven stays clean, the food heats up, the cheese melts and the bread becomes nicely crispy. Any leaking cheese stays in the bag and does not get onto the oven or contact the grill, eliminating the smell of burnt cheese and helping minimize grill cleaning. The Ovenbag can then be taken out of the oven and handed straight to the customer, aiding efficiency and hygiene.
Picnic in the air
Clip, a new design-driven player in the aviation supply industry, has come up with a smart way to present food onboard while minimizing waste. The concept, called Picnic, is inspired by traditional Japanese bento lunch boxes and is primarily intended for meals on medium-haul flights as well as in-between snack service for long-haul flights. With its wooden lid, the box has a warm natural touch.
As passengers are growing more sensitive to ecological issues, Picnic is not only an efficient solution to cut down on the disposable equipment used to deliver food, but is also a nice way to showcase the airline’s commitment toward sustainability.
The fully rotatable box is consistent with ATLAS and KSSU standards and includes a cutlery pack so that the cabin crew can deliver it in one go. Once open, the lid can be used as a small tray or as a coaster for drinks. The box can be customized for airlines and has enough room to fit a two-course meal. Prototypes of the system will be on show at the Clip booth.
Anti-skid trayliners
Lampe Textiles, a first time exhibitor, will be presenting its latest product, which has been specially conceived for onboard service: a disposable, woven trayliner with an anti-skid function.
Lampe Textiles says that its trayliner design offers advantages over the more traditional fitted tablelinens often used in business class. While the traditional linens are in theory reusable, after a number of services they can start to look worn, but by using disposable trayliners, a perfect and fresh look can be ensured every time. The trayliners also offer a cost benefit as they no longer require labor-intensive logistics handling and laundry services.
The anti-skid design means that dishes and cutlery cannot slide across the tray, which provides more security for crew and more comfort for passengers.
The product can be tailored to an airline’s specific requirements for design, size, color and weave. The anti-skid treatment can also be adjusted to the specifics and base material of the supporting tray. Such treatments can be double or single sided, depending on requirements.
Modular packaging
Faerch Plast, a European manufacturer of plastics packaging for the food industry, will be showing its ‘Modular Packaging’ range of lightweight, stackable containers that have been developed to fit into in-flight meal tray sets. The containers can be produced from CPET or APET, depending on the application, and are designed to meet stringent on-board weight and space restrictions.
Being modular in design, this packaging series helps optimize on-board storage using standard sizes that fit exactly into drawers, trolleys and ovens. The containers can be customized for a variety of applications, including salads, snacks and desserts, and branded to reflect the airline’s corporate identity using different materials, colors, shapes, textures and logos.
The stackable feature, combined with removable lids that can be stowed for convenience, helps maximize the footprint of an airline food tray by building upward and giving the otherwise redundant lid a function. The passenger can also benefit, with having a less crowded tray and better overview of the meal.
The range is produced from 70% PCR (polymerase chain reaction) recycled material and meets all EU and FDA food contact regulations.
Try a little Air Tahiti Nui
For its fourth year of attendance, Pier Augé will be showcasing products it has designed specifically for Air Tahiti Nui. The French cosmetic brand has partnered with Watermark Products, one of the leading suppliers to the airline and travel industry, to create the Air Tahiti Nui J Class amenity kits. The collaboration was born from a meeting between the two companies at WTCE 2014.
Passengers traveling in business class with the airline will receive an amenity kit containing Pier Augé’s repairing lip balm, as well as items made from eco-friendly materials such as corn starch and organic cotton, packed into a uniquely designed bag made from paper straw (recycled paper). Pier Augé’s Moisturizing Cream will be also available on request.
Additional refreshing Pier Augé skincare products are available in the business class bathrooms, including face cream, face mist, hand cream and perfumed water. In addition to enhancing the beauty of the skin, these products leave a delicate fragrance of Monoï and orchid.
FOOD & BEVERAGE
Canned cucumber
Qcumber, the premium soft drink, is targeting the travel sector with 250ml slimline cans, which will feature at WTCE 2016. Created from natural cucumber essence and sparkling spring water, Qcumber contains 100% natural ingredients and is free from artificial sweeteners, colors, preservatives and flavorings.
Previously only available in glass bottles, the new 250ml cans make Qcumber more directly relevant to the travel sector. The cans are packed in customer-friendly 12 x 250ml shrink-wrapped trays that are easy to handle and stow.
Graham Carr-Smith, creator of Qcumber states, “Our can is a major step forward and will make the brand relevant to airline operators. Qcumber is great on its own and ideal as a mixer with gin or vodka; this dual usage really benefits airlines as space on board is always limited.”
Italian artisans
The flying public’s love of salted caramel is showing no signs of slowing down, so this popular flavor has now been introduced to Ticco’s brand gelato concept – Solari Luxury Gelato. Perfect for the airlines, the 118ml pots contain an in-lid spoon and come in a variety of flavors.
Ticco will also be answering the public’s enduring love of chocolate with Chocolate Temptation, an indulgent treat with layers of chocolate mousse combined with a crisp base.
For those who want a smaller bite, Dai Dai is a variety of handheld gelato treats covered in chocolate, which are a perfect end to a meal or can be served as a tiny treat with coffee. Or perhaps the passenger would prefer Biscottini, a biscuit ice cream sandwich, which is naughty but nice.
mmmint chocolate
A refreshing combination of sweet and mint in a pot, served complete with a spoon – that is the Dione mint chocolate chip premium ice cream made with natural mint paste and real dark chocolate pieces. The secret of the taste lies in Dione’s unique traditional recipes dating back to the 1950s, using fresh cream and whole milk from happy Lithuanian cows to achieve a pure and creamy ice cream texture. Other flavors of Dione ice cream are also available in the same pot and spoon packaging.
Dark and delicious
Scottish baker Paterson Arran will be launching a new dark chocolate ginger biscuit in a bid to get airlines on board. As part of a new focus on the opportunities in the travel food service sector, the independent foods company is launching a new Belgian dark chocolate ginger biscuit.
Paterson Arran is launching the product in response to demand from the sector to deliver affordable indulgences to travelers. With the increasing pressure on budgets, it is more important than ever before to provide impactful products affordably, to drive efficiencies but also boost overall customer experience.
The company’s Indulgent and Delicious Minipack range will now include the new dark chocolate ginger variety, alongside favorites such as apple and cinnamon, choc chip and orange, shortbread swirl, and choc chip and stem ginger.
Little darlings
Known for its potato chip (crisp) products, at this year’s show, Salty Dog will be launching Little Darlings, delicious mini cookies in handy 20g bags. There are two varieties: chocolate chip cookies and mini shortbread biscuits, both of which have a nine-month shelf life.
The team will also be showing Salty Dog Cheddary Biscuit Bites, which are baked with real cheese and come in 40g and 20g packs, and also have a nine-month shelf life.
Easier travel for the intolerant
UK-based Welsh Hills Bakery is making life easier for travelers with food intolerances and specific dietary requirements with its Lovemore Free From Foods products. The Lovemore range includes shortbreads, cookies, pies, tarts and slices, all produced to taste exactly like the ‘real thing’. Already available in America, Australia, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, the Republic of Ireland, Hungary, the Middle East, Finland, the Netherlands, Malta, France and Germany, manufacturer Welsh Hills Bakery is now targeting the travel industry.
Key account manager for Welsh Hills Bakery, Julian Cruttenden, said, “There is a growing number of people suffering with food intolerances such as coeliac disease, and they need to know what is in their food. Monitoring this while traveling can be particularly difficult and that is why we are making the travel industry a top priority for 2016.”
Travel with taste
To celebrate its fifth year exhibiting at the WTCE, Monty’s Bakehouse will be coming to the show with a refreshed brand, brand-new snacking products, and a wider global reach.
Headlining the company’s new snacks for 2016 are sliders and fries, thaw and serve mezze packs, ambient cakes and ‘snap wrap’ burritos, plus a number of delicious breakfast ideas.
Monty’s is also launching logistics services at WTCE, including distribution to Indonesia on top of its other global destinations of Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, the USA, the Middle East and Europe.
The company’s bakery in Abu Dhabi is also going from strength to strength, with more snacks becoming available, in addition to bakery items including breads, croissants and sweet pastries.
As always Monty’s staff will be baking throughout the show, so stop by for a snack and a chat.
Catering joint venture
MedioImportExport will be announcing a catering joint venture between Italcarrelli, Spinel and its own food, snack and beverages brand, Sekajkara, with a mission to combine quality, technology, tradition and health.
Italcarrelli manufactures tailor-made multifunctional trollies, integrated with innovative material and technologies, while Spinel is an Italian builder of portable espresso machines.
At WTCE 2016 visitors can sample a range of Sekajkara’s Italian regional snacks, displayed on a new and innovative trolley that features a built-in espresso machine, powered by a lithium battery.
Kosher catering
Langerhuize is a Dutch producer of kosher airline meals served worldwide onboard many global airlines, including KLM, Air France and Alitalia, and by caterers such as Gate Gourmet, LSG, DMG, Servair and Newrest.
The company’s airline meals, whether breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner, are produced by hand under the strict regulations of the Rabbinate of Amsterdam and under supervision of Badatz Amsterdam.
At WTCE 2016, Langerhuize will be showing a new and modern look and feel for its meal offers, whether served on a tray or in a fancy, easy-to-use meal box. Meals can be delivered fresh on a daily basis, deep frozen and ambient, with a shelf life of at least six months.
Cheesy listening
As Avery Aames said in her book The Long Quiche Goodbye, “Life is great. Cheese makes it better.”
En Route creates fabulous fresh cheeses for the discerning passenger and now, for the first time, it is developing and distributing individual premium cheeseboards within a chilled cold chain to multiple airports across Europe, to the Middle East and beyond.
Selections of fresh, natural cheeses and garnishes are sourced by En Route and market-leading cheese specialist Bradburys, from a range of award-winning cheese makers. Bespoke, innovative packaging has been developed to protect the product and to seal in its freshness via controlled atmospheric technology, with each cell individually calibrated according to the variety of cheese.
Individual cheeseboards can be created in the aircraft galley by inverting the pack onto slate platters, to give a stylish and contemporary dining style. A separate cheese menu with tasting notes can then be presented to the passenger, to enhance their dining experience.
Fancy a pita?
A new type of savory pita stick, which comes in two flavors, is to be showcased at the show by Nina Bakery, a producer of artisanal pita breads for the restaurant and catering industries for 80 years.
Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, the sticks are baked in stone ovens and come in Wheat Za’atar and wholewheat flavors. Za’atar is a traditional mix of Middle Eastern herbs and spices including wild thyme, sumac and sea salt.
“Slow baked, our pita sticks offer a new and subtle taste sensation that will allow caterers to differentiate their offerings,” said Nina Bakery CEO Pierre Nehmeh.
Nina Bakery’s traditional pitas are made the artisanal way from additive-free, pure ingredients with the minimum quantities of yeast and no added sugar or fat. The slowly baked pitas, which come in a range of sizes (from a 6cm, 18 gram, cocktail size to the 18cm, 200 gram, XL version) are airy, fluffy and moist but also sufficiently firm not to tear. Nina pitas are supplied to the trade frozen, with an 18-month shelf life.
Filled mini crepes
Following their development during 2015, Bertel’s new range of filled mini crepes have been cleared for take off in 2016! Prepared with fresh whole milk delivered daily to its premises in Brittany, whole eggs, pure cane sugar from Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, and a hint of vanilla extract from Madagascar, Bertel’s traditional crepes contain no additives, preservatives or coloring. What they do contain is delicious fillings such as apricot, choco-hazelnut or red berries.
These mini filled crepes can be enjoyed lightly warmed up or at ambient temperature, thus requiring virtually no preparation by crew. Served as a snack with coffee, as part of a mixed dessert plate or at breakfast, these goodies are enjoyable anytime of the day.
New flavors, new sizes
FlyFit will this year launch a variety of innovations all related to sustainability and the passenger experience. The company has created new flavors for its ambient yoghurt range, all with a nine-month shelf life. Cathay Pacific and Dragon Air will launch the new yoghurts on all outbound flights from Hong Kong.
In other news, the company has been cooperating with Tetra Pak to develop a variety of FlyFit mini drink 125ml flavors (making five flavors in total). The FlyFit mini drink is the smallest drink ever made for the travel industry, designed to fit any snack box or tray setting, with minimal waste due to the small size. It is also a perfect size of drink for children.
All these new innovations will be shown at WTCE this year, as well as a new Antioxidant Fruit and Nut Mix, which has just been launched with a US-based airline in business and first class.
Gourmet licorice
Give your guests a new experience with the taste of the world’s first gourmet licorice from Lakrids by Johan Bülow. You can find these Scandinavian specialties from Copenhagen in fine food stores such as Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges, or in dedicated shops in Copenhagen Airport, KaDeWe Berlin, Magasin du nord, and Globus Switzerland.
These individually packed treats are already being placed on pillows in premium hotels and cruise ships, and in first class train carriages in Denmark. The spices are used in the best restaurants around the world, including Noma, Vendome and many more.
Lava cake!
Visitors to Galana’s booth will be introduced to the latest addition to its new lava cake assortment, sold under the Beldessert brand. Well known for its Belgian chocolate, raspberry and pear lava cakes, the latest variety is dark chocolate with a liquid salted caramel center.
The individually packaged cakes are convenient premium products, which can be heated from frozen and ready to serve in less than 40 seconds.
Easy depositing
Portioning depositor supplier Unifiller will be launching Elf 400, a small but useful tool that shouldn’t be missing from any kitchen for the quick, clean and user-friendly depositing of foods such as soups, sauces, deli salads, dips, fillings and ready meals.
With its small footprint, the ELF 400 fits conveniently on any table or counter while meeting hygiene standards due to its solid, stainless-steel construction. The tool can be easily dismantled and cleaned, and all parts are dishwasher safe.
