QF Boxed Dinners

[BD1959]

On the 694 tonight, CSM announced that the main cabin would be served a choice of Fish Bites and Chips or Prosciutto Salad - my first introduction to the new Boxed Dinners.

I opted for the "Fish and Chips" as it was offered by the FA. An Interesting Meal.



Apologies for the quality of the photo.

The Box is served without cutlery and a single paper napkin. Included with the two strips of fish is a piece of lemon. The chips are in fact more of a potato wedge and - in this instance - quite soggy and floppy. No idea what the fish itself is but quite tasty. One of the big draw-backs is the fishy after-smell on the fingers ... after boxes were collected, another run with a lindor ball offered to each passenger.

It's going to be interesting going forward, if the non-cutlery boxes are the norm; would certainly expect this to restrict the types of meals which can be served.

Regards,

BD

 

[Aeolus]

Looks better than the soggy quinoa salad that was served last summer - I sure hope it doesn't make a reappearance this summer...yuck! Interesting about no cutlery, even KFCs provide wet wipes.

 

[eminere]

I am shocked and frankly a little appalled that QF would serve fish and chips without cutlery. Fish is not a food to be eaten with fingers! Beyond the smell left behind, can you just imagine the collective greasy, fish-smelling fingers of hundreds of passengers all over the seats and the state of hygiene of the aircraft as time goes by? The very thought makes me ill.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Agree. Very shocked there was no cutlery

 

[opusman]

They probably assume the scum in economy don't know how to use cutlery

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

They said boxed meals were better, easier to deal with they said, on the fold down tray and collections.
CHEAPER they mean but won't admit.

 

[blackcat20]

Hmmm, not keen on the boxed dinners and this example doesn't help.

 

[TiredOldFlyer]

I remember some years ago when boxed food first appeared it was common to remove the contents and then eat the box !

 

[UP4014]

How delicious! not. I've handed my back after opening it, what a poor performance for a QF meal.

Matt

 

[mannej]

Fish and chips without cutlery - isn't that the norm? Perhaps a refresher towelette would have been appropriate for this kind of meal.

 

[Mr_Orange]

Fish and chips without cutlery - isn't that the norm? Perhaps a refresher towelette would have been appropriate for this kind of meal.

Maybe at home where you can easily go and wash your hands afterwards. But on a plane with a 100 odd other pax in whY and only two toilets, I don't think so. It's very poor form QF.

 

[mannej]

Maybe at home where you can easily go and wash your hands afterwards. But on a plane with a 100 odd other pax in whY and only two toilets, I don't think so. It's very poor form QF.

Most fish and chip restaurants don't provide cutlery either.

A few fresh wipes and I don't think it's an issue.

 

[boomy]

Most fish and chip restaurants don't provide cutlery either.

A few fresh wipes and I don't think it's an issue.

I can't recall ever eating fish and chips using my fingers. Most restaurants offer at least a plastic fork and knife.
The fresh wipes are a good solution after finishing the meal but before touching food everyone should wash their hands, it's basic hygiene. I can't see how every pax in Y can do that just before the meal is served given the limited number of toilets in the cabin.

 

[opusman]

The real question is, will they be introducing on-board seagulls to throw the chips to?

 

[eminere]

I can't recall ever eating fish and chips using my fingers. Most restaurants offer at least a plastic fork and knife.

I have never eaten fish and chips in a restaurant - or a pub or diner, for that matter - without being offered cutlery.

 

[DrA]

I have never eaten fish and chips in a restaurant - or a pub or diner, for that matter - without being offered cutlery.

At a take-away fish and chip shop, sure. Most don't offer cutlery. However most expect you to go eat it at the beach, at a park bench, or take it home to plate it up. Usually all places where there's enough facilities to easily wash your hands afterwards. Very different to on a plane where you've potentially got over 100 people eating the greasy food with their hands, and very limited facilities to wash up afterwards. And even if they did hand out wet wipes to pax, how many do you think would actually use them properly before wiping their hands on the seats (intentionally or not)?

 

[opusman]

Fish & chip shops will always have plastic cutlery on offer, in my experience.

 

[DrA]

Fish & chip shops will always have plastic cutlery on offer, in my experience.

The quality of the fish and chip shops you and I have visited apparently varies?

 

[BD1959]

Hygiene aside (if one can put hygiene aside!) the meal itself was nowhere near as greasy as "normal" fish and chips would be ... otherwise it would have some semblence of crispness.

Obviously heated in the ovens, the wedges (for that's what they are) were ... filling .... and nowhere near as firm as a standard wedge. The fish wasn't as anemic as it appears in the photo, soft "batter".

Not the sort of thing I'd rush to sample again.

As I said in the OP, it will be interesting what they offer - the boxes aren't exactly liquid-tight so the usual sauce based dinners would be doubters to start ... even if the curry did come with a chapatti as a means of cutlery!

Regards,

BD

 

[Red Roo]

Thanks for your feedback BD1959.

The “fish bites and chips” served are part of the new inflight dining experience currently being trialled. While due for official launch on 24 September, your experience has highlighted some errors in the service delivery of this meal. We’ve since been in touch with the crew regarding this particular example to ensure it remains a one off.

To clarify, this meal should have been described as “beer battered flathead fillets with seasoned wedges”, and will most definitely be served with cutlery (knife, fork and napkin).

We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the fish, and have taken on board your comments regarding the wedges. I hope your next inflight experience with us is a more pleasant one.