Our vegan top notch expertise with British Airways

While lengthy haul journeys in enterprise class have been a daily a part of our world travels lately, for which we’re after all eternally grateful, our latest Singapore to London return flights in top notch have been an additional particular deal with. Sometimes called the ‘tremendous jumbo’, our flights in each instructions with British Airways have been on board certainly one of their A380’s together with 469 fellow passengers. The primary class cabin has solely 12 seats and has a 1-2-1 format, making certain a sure sense of area and exclusivity. Many have written beforehand, and lots of will proceed to put in writing concerning the airline, the plane and the seat, however this text is all concerning the meals, the vegan meals particularly which is globally recognized within the business as a VGML meal. For anybody who has ordered ‘particular meals’ on their flights, the potential for it not being loaded, being loaded incorrectly, or it simply not being as much as normal is at all times a priority, so let’s see how British Airways taken care of us on our two latest flights.

BA First Class Lounge at Singapore Changi

Referred to as ‘The Bar’ and accessed from a personal door inside the Enterprise Class Lounge, this can be a small and discrete place to flee from the seemingly by no means ending hustle and bustle at Changi. Open to British Airways and One World passengers who’re flying in top notch, and elite members of One World alliance companions, it definitely has that sense of exclusivity.

There’s a effectively stocked bar and a small a la carte menu from which we chosen ‘Soy Basmati Biryani’ which was labelled vegan on the menu and filled with flavour. This was accompanied by a ginger beer from Artonic and a packet of Tyrrells sea salt and cider vinegar crisps. Spending your time right here pre flight will most definitely be a quiet and relaxed affair, however we had our eye on one other lounge that we knew would provide a much more thrilling culinary expertise.

Qantas First Class Lounge at Singapore Changi

Pre flight analysis and a considerably nerd like data of worldwide lounge choices, meant that we have been at all times going to spend most of it time and dine right here. Upon entry we have been shocked on the measurement of this Qantas signature lounge, and it didn’t take lengthy earlier than the attentive employees guided us to a desk within the restaurant.

That is no abnormal lounge restaurant, this can be a restaurant that might stand shoulder to shoulder (if not above) a few of the best eating places in cities around the globe. Curated by Australian Chef Neil Perry, the a la carte menu and intensive wine listing actually has one thing for everybody. The vegan choices have been clearly labelled as plant based mostly, and the attentive waiter additionally recommended different dishes that might be tailored to make them vegan. We dined on baked eggplant with miso noodles and a scrumptious vegan noodle soup which have been accompanied by ice chilly glasses of Heineken 0.0 non-alcoholic beer. We have been suitably impressed and would most definitely return if this restaurant had a metropolis centre location.

Our vegan meals from Singapore to London with British Airways

With a late departure and having dined in two of the primary class at Changi we weren’t precisely hungry. However after all for analysis functions we determined to order what had been ready for us earlier than making an attempt to get some a lot wanted sleep on our 13 hour flight. The cabin employees have been wonderful, and defined what our particular meals consisted of, and likewise helped us to navigate the on board menu and counsel different choices. Aside from a vegan model of the signature canapés, the meals was actually not good and doesn’t even warrant a photograph, what we have been served was unimaginative and actually lower than the extent you’ll anticipate when flying First Class. The spotlight was one other can of ice chilly Heineken 0.0 which was served in a calming glass.

Simply earlier than our arrival at London Heathrow, breakfast was served and we loved our vegan breakfast which was simply type of common. While it was thrilling to have scrambled tofu, a vegan sausage or two wouldn’t have gone amiss.

BA First Class Lounge at London Heathrow

Arriving early, we hoped for a first-class expertise awaiting our flight at London Heathrow, and that’s precisely what we bought. Spending our time within the Concorde Room we loved wonderful service and scrumptious meals together with vegan cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches (with their crusts lower off after all), vegan pumpkin risotto and a Shifting Mountains vegan burger. The burger was served with vegan mayo and vegan cheese which made us completely satisfied, and the entire above was clearly labelled on the menu. We walked by means of to Galleries First the place there have been loads of vegan choices on the buffet together with a vegetable curry and an in depth salad bar. Non alcoholic beer and non alcoholic cocktails accomplished our very gratifying expertise within the British Airways Lounges at Heathrow.

Our vegan meals from London to Singapore with British Airways

As soon as on board, the vegan meals that was pre ordered didn’t fairly attain the heights of what we had been served within the lounge, however this was made up for by the crew who have been tremendous pleasant and are a credit score to British Airways. We loved a trio of the signature canapés that everybody is served in First, albeit ours have been completely plant based mostly. This was adopted by a vegetable and lentil salad, on a mattress of roasted eggplant, and this was adopted by a pleasant pesto pasta dish which was full of flavour and was washed down with yet one more Heineken 0.0. After which the seemingly unattainable (based mostly on earlier experiences) occurred, our vegan desert was served and it wasn’t fruit. Not solely was it not fruit, it was a wealthy and moist vegan chocolate cake with contemporary strawberries, we have been in optimistic VGML heaven. After a a lot wanted sleep, we have been woken with a superb breakfast evaluating contemporary juice, oat milk latte, fruit platter and a vegan full English full with scrambled tofu and that elusive vegan sausage that was lacking on our first flight. Fairly merely, if you mix the crew, the service and the meals, this was the perfect expertise we’ve had within the premium cabins on any airline lately.

There have been definitely some ‘highs and lows’ on these latest flights with British Airways in First Class, which after all leaves some room for enchancment. We beloved that we have been in a position to get pleasure from vegan variations of the signature canapés that everybody is served within the premium cabin, while we have been very impressed with the Qantus top notch lounge at Changi and the British Airways top notch lounge at Heathrow. However we have been additionally served a way under par dishes, and as we’ve written earlier than, it wouldn’t take a lot to make sure that passengers who wished to eat vegan meals might get pleasure from ice cream, truffles and different candy treats through the flight. General, it was spectacular, however we are able to solely hope that enhancements are remodeled the approaching years.

Paul Eyers

Paul Eyers is co-founder of Vegan Meals Quest who write about luxurious accommodations and resorts in Southeast Asia with a concentrate on sustainable journey, eco journey and vegan journey. At present based mostly in Malaysia, Paul additionally writes about sporting occasions and a few of the best golf programs all through the area.