MileOne Group keeps second service hot with Higgidy rolls for British Airways
Higgidy snack rolls in Vegetable Samosa and Cheddar & Caramelized Onion Chutney flavors for British Airways
Higgidy has teamed up with British Airways for an onboard partnership, facilitated by MileOne Group, that took to the skies earlier this month. All BA flights to the U.S. and Caribbean will see passengers in World Traveller and World Traveller Plus cabins served with a Higgidy roll as the second food service.
Ed Pakenham, Managing Director of MileOne Group Ltd, specializing in onboard catering solutions in the travel sector, tells PAX International, “It has been some years since MileOne last partnered with a large, recognized brand such as Higgidy. Many factors have to align for something like this to work and now we envisage this partnership to continue as we enhance the Higgidy airline range for passengers to enjoy in the skies.”
Favorite flavors now flying
Passengers can choose between two hot, ovenable Higgidy jumbo rolls on BA flights. The first of the two flavor options is the Cheddar & Caramelized Onion Chutney Roll that brings together Mature Cheddar and Red Leicester cheeses with a caramelized onion chutney, wrapped in all-butter puff pastry, topped with cheese and crispy onion crumb. The second is a Vegetable Samosa Roll, filled with spiced cauliflower, carrot, chickpeas and a sweet mango chutney, wrapped in a vegan puff pastry and hand-topped with a seed sprinkle.
As Pakenham explains, the flavor profiles were selected by gaining an understanding of the BA passenger profile and the routes on which the rolls would fly.
The Caramelized Onion and Mature Cheddar roll was part of the initial proposal. “This is Higgidy’s top selling SKU in retail,” says Pakenham, “so it made sense to include this as the front runner.”
The Vegetable Samosa flavor was brought onboard to provide a Vegan alternative. Both rolls are served on BA flights at a 95-gram serving size, made specially for the partnership.
Pakenham explains that airlines need to be cost and space-efficient. Once the supplier had both the product and vessel to deliver the snack item to the airline, MileOne made tweaks to ensure it respected both of these aspects in the supply chain. The product fits into a sturdy box, designed by length, width and height for the airline oven.
For MileOne, the greatest challenge of bringing the Higgidy rolls to BA was the logistical elements, specifically, ensuring the packaging was “just right.”
“Higgidy is a premium British brand, and we wanted a premium offering for BA passengers at the high volume World Traveller market,” Pakenham explains. “Therefore, we had to ensure that the product was not only well protected in the supply chain, but also well presented.”
Playing a leading roll
The ovenable box was a critical part of the product development. Pakenham says the material had to be ovenable. Before presenting it to its customers, MileOne conducted a series of independent laboratory tests to ensure the solution worked.
“Glues, inks, laminate and the board itself all had to go through some rigorous testing and be certified before we could be really confident it would work,” he adds. “MileOne board is also always ‘tree free’ so to then make this ovenable was a true test.”
While MileOne focused on delivering ovenable packaging that preserved the premiumness of the Higgidy brand for onboard, Higgidy itself determined the ideal size for the onboard snack rolls and perfected the flavor profiles for British Airways.
“Once we had designed the perfect box to fit the ovens, we then handed the reigns over to Higgidy,” explains Pakenham.
He adds that the onboard cooking time was an essential consideration to ensure the Higgidy pastry maintains its flakiness. The position of the air vents in MileOne’s packaging in combination with the roll size and ingredients were all key considerations in preparing the product for onboard service.
“Working alongside Higgidy QA and Food development teams was a privilege and an insight into the care and attention they put into ensuring each one of their products performs as it should consistently,” says Pakenham.
Elevating second service
“From a product category perspective, a second service hot eat from a recognized retail brand has always been a desire for many airlines over the years,” says Pakenham. “We are proud to have made it happen not only for Higgidy but also for BA and their passengers.”
He adds that with a positive response to the product, plans for expansion to additional routes are already underway.
“We have only been flying now for 30 days and the product feedback from passengers and crew has been excellent. We look forward to working on further opportunities going forward.”
