SWISS opts for Geneva fine dining on autumn flights

In what has now become a tradition, Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is offering customers in its long-haul first, business and premium economy class cabins a ‘SWISS Taste of Switzerland’, an inflight menu featuring cuisine from Switzerland’s various cantons (regions). Since December 2002, and every three months since, a new Michelin-starred and Gault Millau-point chef has been invited to create a menu for the scheme and to create a selection of dishes from their canton, with a focus on regional and seasonal specialities.

The latest menu in the programme (the 81st in the series) comes from Olivier Jean, executive chef at The Woodward, Geneva’s newest five-star hotel. The airline will be offering Jean’s dishes to first and business-class guests on its long-haul services from Switzerland, over the next three months. The dishes have been inspired by the meals Jean creates for the hotel’s L’Atelier Robuchon restaurant, in which he blends French haute cuisine with Asian influences and local specialities. The restaurant is already the holder of a Michelin star and 15 points from the Gault Millau restaurant guide.

Olivier Jean’s restaurant at The Woodward in, Geneva

Olivier Jean

“In Olivier Jean we have secured the services of one of the best culinary ambassadors of Canton Geneva hotel,” said Julia Hillenbrand, SWISS’s head of brand experience. “And as the airline of Switzerland, we are particularly pleased to welcome the ‘Romandie’ back aboard.”

Travellers in business class can enjoy meals such as poached char (a fish closely related to salmon and trout) with lemongrass sauce, sesame sushi rice, sugar snap peas and roasted squash. First-class guests will enjoy dishes such as miso-marinated pike-perch with port wine sauce, baked polenta, shallot confit and pak choi.

Premium Economy customers on services from Switzerland can opt for a three-course meal featuring specialities from the Geneva region, such as a main course of Geneva-style chicken with spätzli and green beans.