Photo by Toni Osmundson on Unsplash
Catering for large numbers of people is a tricky business in any situation—but taking your catering to the skies adds an even greater challenge. It’s a big job making sure everything that needs to be cold stays chilled, and that everything hot is just the opposite. Not to mention keeping all your items within food-safe temperature ranges.
Whether on the ground or in the sky, you need to have the right tools for your catering business. One of the most critical things you’ll need for airline catering is a refrigerated vehicle. Read on to learn why they’re critical for airline food delivery!
Airline Catering Meals Are Prepared in Advance
Like most catered meals, meals prepared for airlines are made well in advance of when they’ll be consumed. As a general practice, most airline caterers prepare food for flights by fully cooking them. Once the food is cooked, they’re chilled right away and packed away for delivery.
This means that caterers are preparing food approximately eight hours before a flight’s departure time. The airline will then have 72 hours to serve the food.
It is critical for the caterer to make sure that the food is safe for consumption the entire time it is in their possession. That means transporting it at the proper temperatures.
Temperature Matters
Anyone who has ever taken a class in hospitality or food safety knows that there are stringent regulations surrounding food safety. Storage and holding temperatures are incredibly important if you want to ensure that you adhere to those regulations.
It’s easy enough to chill the food to a specific temperature while you’re working in your catering kitchen, but that task becomes much more difficult once you leave to make your delivery. Even short drives are risky when you take into consideration summer temperatures and traffic jams. Every second your product is in a vehicle without temperature control is a risk.
Vehicles with refrigerated delivery capabilities are essential in catering for the airline industry—customers expect their food to be fresh, and caterers must be ready to accommodate schedule changes at short notice.
Plating for Every Class
Don’t forget that different classes have different catering needs. First-class passengers get higher-end food items that aren’t plated until the flight takes off. Economy class passengers get food that’s plated on the ground, typically before leaving the kitchen where it was prepared.
That doesn’t even take into consideration the a la carte menu items that are individually packaged. You’ll find that some items have different holding temperatures. You’ll want to make sure your custom delivery vehicle has the capability to hold all of the foods you deliver.
Are You Interested in Catering the Friendly Skies?
Airline catering is an essential service that will continue to evolve and improve in the coming years. Just as essential is the requirement of following stringent food safety guidelines when you’re delivering food to an airline. A refrigerated truck can help you make sure you’re in compliance with food safety regulations and keep your customers happy, too!
If you think a refrigerated vehicle is just what you need for your in-flight catering business, then you’ve come to the right place. Fill out a free quote request to have one of our representatives help you figure out the best solution for your business.