PARIS, Oct 25 — From this November, passengers on the Belgian airline will have the opportunity to savour a meal created by one of the top names in contemporary Belgian gastronomy: triple Michelin-starred chef Geert Van Hecke.

The chef, who has presided over his Bruges restaurant De Karmeliet for over 30 years, has prepared a starter with smoked Damme eel, tarragon yogurt sauce and mashed fennel. This first course will be followed by a dish of “Bruge-style shrimp,” curried sweet potatoes and steamed snow peas. Flemish beer and cheese will accompany the meal.

This menu will be offered to business class passengers on long-haul flights leaving from Brussels for destinations in Africa or the US.

The collaboration with Geert Van Hecke is the first in a series of tie-ups in Brussels Airlines’ “Belgian Star Chefs” initiative. Every four to five months, the company will invite a different celebrity chef to renew its business class menu with gourmet dishes based on seasonal, regional ingredients. Next spring, a chef from the Luxembourg region will pick up the torch.

Michelin-starred chef Geert Van Hecke has created dishes for Brussels Airlines. — AFP pic

Brussels Airlines is not the first carrier to offer the cuisine of star chefs in its business or premium classes. Since early October, Air France passengers in the front cabin have had the privilege of tasting a five-course meal featuring the recipes of Thibaut Ruggeri, winner of the prestigious Bocuse d’Or prize in 2013. Earlier this year, the French airline brought the cuisine of celebrity chefs Michel Roth, Joël Robuchon and Guy Martin on board. Lufthansa launched a similar concept last spring, featuring the cuisine of Alsatian chef Marc Haerbelin.

UAE airline Etihad Airways, meanwhile, known for soliciting some of the world’s leading chefs to contribute to its in-flight experience, won the prize for “Best First Class Catering” in the 2013 Skytrax World Airline Awards. — AFP Relaxnews