What’s New in Virgin Atlantic’s Inflight Dining? Say Hi to Winter British Comfort Food
Warming new dishes, botanical drinks, and Clubhouse yoga classes are part of the airline’s wellness push
Photo: Courtesy of Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic is battling colder temperatures with a new comfort food menu, incorporating seasonal ingredients and modern British classics.
The cozy—or, as the Brits say, “cosy“—menu gets airborne on October 2. It will treat passengers in Upper Class (business class) to new dishes such as chicken and mushroom pie, livened up with a hint of truffle oil, pan-roasted cod, and pumpkin girasoli.
Photo: Upper Class menu. Courtesy of Virgin Atlantic
Order your meal ahead of time through Virgin Atlantic’s pre-select service, and you can access exclusive mains such as roasted duck breast with potato gratin.
Brunch will be served on select flights departing from the UK, with a spread that includes smashed avocado and poached egg on sourdough, stacks of red velvet pancakes topped with coconut cream, berry compote and white chocolate granola, and chicken and treacle beer bacon club sandwiches.
Feel-Good Beverages, Onboard Wine Cellar
The carrier has also designed a menu of feel-good beverages for its Upper Class travelers, helping them unwind and refresh. In the bar cart, you’ll find a non-alcoholic “Nightcap” from Three Spirit, a London-based producer of non-alcoholic elixirs made with active botanicals. This drink, combining tree saps and aromatic plants, can be slowly sipped neat or topped with ginger ale.
Photo: Courtesy of Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic’s botanical medicine cabinet also features a raspberry & lemon blend from Lo Bros Kombucha, with millions of live cultures and a fresh taste; TRIP’s Elderflower Mint Mindful Blend, blending magnesium, lion’s mane, ashwagandha, and L-theanine; and Perfect Ted’s Juicy Peach, a healthy energy drink powered by matcha green tea to help travelers focus and boost their immune systems.
The airline has also refreshed its onboard wine cellar with new red and white vintages available for Upper Class travelers.
Hearty Autumnal Meals
Virgin Atlantic incorporated hearty autumnal meals into its economy menu as well. Those in Premium seats will dig into new dishes such as honey and mustard chicken with potato gratin, green beans, and peas; Cumberland sausage with parsley mashed potatoes, root vegetables, and Madeira sauce; and Thai vegetable curry with chili broccolini and vegetable dumplings.
Photo: Premium Economy menu. Courtesy of Virgin Atlantic
Premium travelers are well-fed, with Virgin Atlantic’s signature Mile High afternoon tea, with savory and sweet morsels, and brunch available on some flights, with fresh options including buttermilk-coated chicken with waffles, hot honey and pumpkin seeds and baked egg with shakshuka and polenta chips.
The Uncommon English Bubbly Rosé, a sparkling rosé from the Kent Downs, poured for Premium passengers, offers some fizz.
Photo: Economy class menu. Courtesy of Virgin Atlantic
Meanwhile, travelers in standard economy can choose between sausage and colcannon mashed potato with gravy and braised red cabbage or tomato and mascarpone pasta with pesto and cheddar. They can clink teacups at the Mile High tea and enjoy finger sandwiches and “delightfully warm” scones with jam and clotted cream.
Clubhouse Wellness Initiatives
Continuing the health-conscious theme, Virgin Atlantic is adding a new non-alcoholic beer from Bavarian brewery Lucky Saint to its menu.
Corneel Koster, Chief Customer and Operating Officer at Virgin, said: “It’s always exciting when we unveil a brand-new menu, in our mouth-watering culinary style. By combining seasonality and comfort with premium ingredients, we’re offering our customers an elevated in-flight dining experience to enjoy and indulge, while also recognizing the importance of relaxation during travel.”
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, London Heathrow / Photo: Courtesy of Virgin Atlantic
For select travelers, their journey to wellness starts even earlier, at Virgin Atlantic’s flagship London Heathrow Clubhouse. The airline has partnered with Peloton to host a yoga retreat within the lounge, allowing guests to stretch and clear their minds with a selection of strength and balance equipment.
The Clubhouse will now stock essential oil Roller Balls from Aromatherapy Associates. Customers can take away two, each small enough to fit into a handbag. The Deep Relax Roller Ball helps travelers relax en route to their destination, while the De-Stress Mind Roller Ball promotes focus and calm.
To celebrate the partnership, Aromatherapy Associates therapists will be at the lounge on Thursday, October 3, to provide hand and arm massages with oils infused with bespoke essential oil blends.
The lounge, located in Heathrow’s Terminal 3, is open to:
- Virgin Atlantic Upper Class passengers
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold members traveling with Virgin Atlantic, Delta, or Aeroméxico
- Delta One passengers
- Delta SkyMiles Diamond and Platinum Medallion members traveling with Virgin Atlantic or Delta
- Aeroméxico business class passengers
- Air France passengers connecting to a La Première flight
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue Platinum members traveling with Virgin Atlantic or Delta
- SkyTeam Elite Plus members traveling with Virgin Atlantic, Delta, or Aeroméxico
- Virgin Australia Velocity Club Platinum and Gold members traveling with Virgin Atlantic
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Solitaire PPS Club, PPS Club, and KrisFlyer Gold members, traveling with Virgin Atlantic
- Air New Zealand Elite or Gold members traveling with Virgin Atlantic to San Francisco (SFO)
