Whilst long haul trips in business class have been a regular part of our global travels in recent years, for which we are of course eternally grateful, our recent Singapore to London return flights in first class were an extra special treat. Often referred to as the ‘super jumbo’, our flights in both directions with British Airways were on board one of their A380’s along with 469 fellow passengers. The first class cabin has only 12 seats and has a 1-2-1 format, ensuring a certain sense of space and exclusivity. Many have written previously, and many will continue to write about the airline, the aircraft and the seat, but this article is all about the food, the vegan food in particular which is globally identified in the industry as a VGML meal. For anyone who has ordered ‘special meals’ on their flights, the possibility of it not being loaded, being loaded incorrectly, or it just not being up to standard is always a concern, so let’s see how British Airways looked after us on our two recent flights.
BA First Class Lounge at Singapore Changi
Called ‘The Bar’ and accessed from a private door within the Business Class Lounge, this is a small and discrete place to escape from the seemingly never ending hustle and bustle at Changi. Open to British Airways and One World passengers who are flying in first class, and elite members of One World alliance partners, it certainly has that sense of exclusivity.
There is a well stocked bar and a small a la carte menu from which we selected ‘Soy Basmati Biryani’ which was labelled vegan on the menu and full of flavour. This was accompanied by a ginger beer from Artonic and a packet of Tyrrells sea salt and cider vinegar crisps. Spending your time here pre flight will most certainly be a quiet and relaxed affair, but we had our eye on another lounge that we knew would offer a far more exciting culinary experience.
QANTAS First Class Lounge at Singapore Changi
Pre flight research and a somewhat nerd like knowledge of global lounge options, meant that we were always going to spend most of it time and dine here. Upon entry we were surprised at the size of this QANTAS signature lounge, and it didn’t take long before the attentive staff guided us to a table in the restaurant.
This is no ordinary lounge restaurant, this is a restaurant that would stand shoulder to shoulder (if not above) some of the finest restaurants in cities around the world. Curated by Australian Chef Neil Perry, the a la carte menu and extensive wine list literally has something for everyone. The vegan options were clearly labelled as plant based, and the attentive waiter also suggested other dishes that could be adapted to make them vegan. We dined on baked eggplant with miso noodles and a delicious vegan noodle soup which were accompanied by ice cold glasses of Heineken 0.0 non-alcoholic beer. We were suitably impressed and would most certainly return if this restaurant had a city centre location.
Our vegan food from Singapore to London with British Airways
With a late departure and having dined in two of the first class at Changi we were not exactly hungry. But of course for research purposes we decided to order what had been prepared for us before trying to get some much needed sleep on our 13 hour flight. The cabin staff were excellent, and explained what our special meals consisted of, and also helped us to navigate the on board menu and suggest other options. Other than a vegan version of the signature canapés, the food was really not good and doesn’t even warrant a photo, what we were served was unimaginative and really not up to the level you would expect when flying First Class. The highlight was another can of ice cold Heineken 0.0 which was served in a chilled glass.
Just before our arrival at London Heathrow, breakfast was served and we enjoyed our vegan breakfast which was just kind of average. Whilst it was exciting to have scrambled tofu, a vegan sausage or two wouldn’t have gone amiss.
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BA First Class Lounge at London Heathrow
Arriving early, we hoped for a first class experience awaiting our flight at London Heathrow, and that’s exactly what we got. Spending our time in the Concorde Room we enjoyed excellent service and delicious food including vegan cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches (with their crusts cut off of course), vegan pumpkin risotto and a Moving Mountains vegan burger. The burger was served with vegan mayo and vegan cheese which made us happy, and all of the above was clearly labelled on the menu. We walked through to Galleries First where there were plenty of vegan options on the buffet including a vegetable curry and an extensive salad bar. Non alcoholic beer and non alcoholic cocktails completed our very enjoyable experience in the British Airways Lounges at Heathrow.
Our vegan food from London to Singapore with British Airways
Once on board, the vegan food that was pre ordered didn’t quite reach the heights of what we had been served in the lounge, but this was made up for by the crew who were super friendly and are a credit to British Airways. We enjoyed a trio of the signature canapés that everyone is served in First, albeit ours were perfectly plant based. This was followed by a vegetable and lentil salad, on a bed of roasted eggplant, and this was followed by a delightful pesto pasta dish which was packed with flavour and was washed down with yet another Heineken 0.0. And then the seemingly impossible (based on previous experiences) happened, our vegan desert was served and it wasn’t fruit. Not only was it not fruit, it was a rich and moist vegan chocolate cake with fresh strawberries, we were in positive VGML heaven. After a much needed sleep, we were woken with an excellent breakfast comparing fresh juice, oat milk latte, fruit platter and a vegan full English complete with scrambled tofu and that elusive vegan sausage that was missing on our first flight. Quite simply, when you combine the crew, the service and the food, this was the best experience we’ve had in the premium cabins on any airline in recent years.
There were certainly some ‘highs and lows’ on these recent flights with British Airways in First Class, which of course leaves some room for improvement. We loved that we were able to enjoy vegan versions of the signature canapés that everyone is served in the premium cabin, whilst we were very impressed with the QANTAS first class lounge at Changi and the British Airways first class lounge at Heathrow. But we were also served some way below par dishes, and as we’ve written before, it wouldn’t take much to ensure that passengers who wished to eat vegan food could enjoy ice cream, truffles and other sweet treats during the flight. Overall, it was impressive, but we can only hope that improvements are made over the coming years.
Paul Eyers
Paul Eyers is co-founder of Vegan Food Quest who write about luxury hotels and resorts in Southeast Asia with a focus on sustainable travel, eco travel and vegan travel. Currently based in Malaysia, Paul also writes about sporting events and some of the finest golf courses throughout the region.
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