Alpha LSG says it will is ‘set new standards in airline catering’ with the launch of its ‘pioneering’ Premium Kitchen facility at London-Heathrow.

 

The £10m complex at Heathrow incorporates separate enhanced production and logistics centres, the airport’s only dedicated Halal kitchen, a Japanese and Asian kitchen, exclusive Customer Lounge and a Culinary Academy.

 

The Premium Kitchen features a 52,000sq ft production centre, together with an adjacent 124,000sq ft Dynamic Logistics Centre with extra wash capacity and dispatch chillers plus additional dispatch and unloading bays.

 

It will commence servicing airline customers from early February with total integration of all its London-Heathrow business scheduled to be completed by April, 2014.

 

[Above: Kitchen presentation area in the Culinary Academy of Alpha LSG’s new Premium Kitchen Facility at LHR.]

 

OVER 40 AIRLINES

Over 40 airlines will be serviced from the new centre, which has a capacity for producing 76,500 meals each day. Around 24,500 flights will be catered from the facility each year.

 

Axel Bilstein, Alpha LSG’s Acting CEO, says: “Our new flagship London-Heathrow facility and Premium Kitchen brand provides strong proof of our strategic aim to become the UK leader in customer satisfaction as well as in cost.”

 

He explains: “While our food innovation process (Culinary Academy), food production process (Premium Kitchen) and our unique Customer Lounge will support our customer’s desire for brand differentiation, choice and flair, we’re able to provide this cutting-edge services at highly competitive cost thanks to efficient, best-in-class processes as well as a culture of continuous improvement.”

 

[Above: Premium Kitchen Customer Lounge.]

 

‘A NEW BENCHMARK FOR AIRLINE CATERING’

Alex Forbes, Alpha LSG’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “Our new state-of-the-art Premium Kitchen is an exciting creation that will set the benchmark for airline catering. To meet the demand for innovative, better quality food while simultaneously supporting our airline customers, who continue to face enormous budgetary pressures in a highly competitive environment, we have increased our focus, efficiency and expertise in our key service areas (Food Production, Food development and Innovation; and Logistics).

 

“We have also changed the way we do things by taking a unique modular approach to service provision while retaining maximum operational flexibility by operating in adjacent facilities on the same estate.”

 

Premium Kitchen Director Marc Warde, a hospitality specialist who has held a number of high-profile positions at leading retail catering and hospitality organisations, will oversee business development, culinary excellence and all food production. Former Royal chef Chris Barber, has been a specialist consultant on the Premium Kitchen programme – spearheading the mentoring and training of Alpha LSG’s chefs’ team.