Air NZ names Michael Meredith as new inflight chef

Michael Meredith will design Business Premier meals alongside Peter Gordon. Photo / Supplied

Air New Zealand has added another renowned chef to its inflight lineup.

Award-winning restaurateur Michael Meredith was named as the airline's newest consultant chef, joining current consultant chef Peter Gordon.

Renowned for his food and degustation menus at Auckland fine dining restaurant Merediths, the Samoan-born chef will take his expertise sky high to design dishes for Air New Zealand's business premier menu.

It's a new and exciting role for the top chef, who was awarded Restaurateur of the Year and Best Fine-Dining Restaurant award by Metro magazine this year.

"It's a huge privilege to be given the chance to showcase my take on New Zealand cuisine to people from all over the world. I have a lot of respect for Peter and to create a menu alongside him is an honour," he said.

"There's a bit of pressure but I'm also really excited to see what we can do together. I think Air New Zealand punches above its weight in all aspects of its inflight experience, including food."

Air New Zealand General Manager Customer Experience Carrie Hurihanganui said the airline offered visitors their first taste of New Zealand's fresh, high quality cuisine and wine.

"We've long held a farm to plane philosophy where menus are crafted around the best seasonal, fresh produce on offer. Michael has a similar ethos at Meredith's and we're excited to see how he translates his expertise from the restaurant to meals served at altitude."

Having worked with the company for more than 20 years, fusion master Peter Gordon said he looked forward to working with Meredith in the unique area of airline cuisine.

"It takes a lot skill and thinking outside the square to work with how the palette changes at 30,000ft, and to prepare fresh ingredients to taste their absolute best on a long-haul flight," he said.

"Michael is extremely talented and I'm so pleased he's coming on board. New Zealand's biodiversity is extraordinary and Air New Zealand is a fabulous platform to show it off to the world."

The airline first formed a relationship with Meredith last year, after it appointed his community iniative Eat My Lunch as a preferred supplier for staff catering.

The lunch delivery business works on a "buy one, give one" model, providing a child in need with a free lunch with every lunch purchased.

- nzherald.co.nz