WAM's food for all
This is a special feature from PAX International's April World Travel Catering and Onboard Services Hamburg 2020 edition.
WAM produces gluten-free and dairy-free Lasagna for passengers who eat kosher, halal and vegan
From its assembly warehouse near Orly Airport in Paris to its production facility in Belgium, World And More (WAM), a brand of Food Partners France, is bringing the flavors of many countries to travelers with special dietary and religious requirements.
Travelers from 72 countries are enjoying the meal options in flight. While WAM often works directly with airlines like Iberia and Qatar Airways, its largest customer base are the worlds’ airline caterers, that must have a selection of special meals on hand for quick delivery. And though they require many cuisines, WAM is inspired by the flavors and techniques of the French kitchen.
“With minimalism and simplicity, we aspire to represent the French tradition,” says Alexandre Berger, Head of Development at WAM and Food Partners France. Bringing that tradition to halal, kosher, gluten-free and conventional meals takes the skills of two experienced chefs, Gilles Bosquet, who was voted Best Chef in the Middle East in 2018, and Phillippe Audonnet, a Gault & Millau recognized chef. The two men have developed a selection of meals with an emphasis on high-quality ingredients and a combination of spices to make them tasty and aromatic.
WAM and Food Partners France produces frozen meals (under the sub-brands Heat Me and La Crème de la Crème) and ambient products. The company has a wide selection of Middle Eastern inspired entrees such as chicken with olive tajine, vegan artichoke terrines and a salmon tarma. The company also produces a favorite gluten-free and dairy-free Lasagna for passengers requesting Kosher, Halal or vegan meals.
Producing meals for a diverse group of travelers may involve many cuisines, but Berger says that Italian meals seem to be the one variety that brings the world together. “We have also been requested to produce more Middle Eastern and Arabic food, which are always best sellers,” he adds.
And demand for company products is poised to increase, says Berger. In recent years, he has seen special meal requests grow by 9 percent and are closely following increases in the global airline fleet which is projected to double in the next 15 years.
WAM and Food Partners France produce frozen meals under sub-brands Heat Me and La Creme de la Creme
Supplying special meals in a variety of cuisines is only one of the challenges the company will be handling in the year ahead. Berger says the second challenge will be shifting practices geared to sustainability and environmental initiatives. WAM eliminated plastic trays a year ago and replaced them with pulp products of wood and cardboard. That practice will continue through the year as it phases out aluminum cassolettes and replaces them with the same pulp material. Trays are made in corn-based material and plastic cups have been replaced with cardboard.
The changeover involved a substantial investment in products and tooling, but the company is determined to supply products in all airline classes in material that is biodegradable.
