SWISS introduces ‘SWISS Taste of Switzerland’ inflight program, featuring gourmet dishes from Canton Vaud’s Franck Giovannini, enhancing long-haul dining experience.
SWISS will be serving its First and Business Class guests culinary creations from Canton Vaud from today in the latest iteration of its ‘SWISS Taste of Switzerland’ inflight food and beverage programme. The select meals have been concocted by top chef Franck Giovannini in the gourmet kitchens of the Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville in the town of Crissier. SWISS’s new Premium Economy Class menu also draws inspiration from the Western Swiss canton, and includes local cheese specialities.
Swiss International Air Lines will be serving Business and First Class customers on its long-haul flights from Switzerland culinary delights from the renowned kitchens of the Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville in Crissier, Canton Vaud for the next three months. The gourmet restaurant is the proud holder of three Michelin stars and 19 Gault-Millau points. Accommodated in Crissier’s former town hall, the restaurant offers outstanding cuisine with strong traditional notes, and is located just a few minutes from Lausanne, the cantonal capital.
Chef de cuisine and general manager of the Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville is Franck Giovannini, who has held the post since 2016. His Vaudois culinary concoctions have earned fame and acclaim far beyond the canton’s borders. And, newly interpreted, some of the classic creations by this starred chef are now being served aboard SWISS flights.
“Franck Giovannini’s cuisine is highly innovative, and is based on seasonal and regional ingredients that are all combined into a truly sophisticated sensual experience,” says SWISS Head of Brand Experience Julia Hillenbrand. “And we’re delighted to be able to familiarize our inflight guests with Canton Vaud in all its gastronomic variety through Franck’s creations.”
“I have been working at the Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville in Crissier for some 29 years now,” adds Franck Giovannini. “I’ve had the great good fortune to cook alongside such outstanding chefs as Frédy Girardet, Philippe Rochat and Benoît Violier. I’m carrying on this exceptional tradition, by preserving my predecessors’ culinary philosophy while further developing it daily. And I am delighted to share the spirit and the heritage of this wonderful establishment with SWISS and its guests.”
Vaudois classics and award-winning cuisine
Airline’s First customers can enjoy a starter of langoustine with tomato mousse, while for their main course Franck Giovannini has created a veal filet mignon served with conchiglioni pasta filled with aubergine caviar. For their main course, SWISS Business travellers can choose between a beef tenderloin served with pesto polenta or a grilled chicken breast accompanied by gnocchetti di Zita pasta. The SWISS Business offering is rounded off with a gourmet-style classic Vaudois dessert: an éclair with raspberries and caramelized pistachios.
The new three-course SWISS Premium Economy Class menu also draws its inspiration from Canton Vaud. Premium Economy travellers can enjoy local speciality cheeses such as Gruyère and Bleu du Village, with a classic apricot tart to round off the experience. The new ‘SWISS Taste of Switzerland’ menus are attached to this release.
Gourmet dining aloft
The airline has been taking its First and Business Class guests on its long-haul services from Switzerland on a journey of culinary discovery through its home country’s various regions since December 2002. The ‘SWISS Taste of Switzerland’ programme was also extended to the new SWISS Premium Economy Class in 2022. Every three months, a new Michelin-starred and Gault-Millau-point top chef is invited to create a varied selection of quality dishes from their ‘home’ canton, with a particular focus on regional and seasonal specialities. The meal creations are also accompanied by wines and cheeses from the region concerned. In its 21-year success story to date, the ‘SWISS Taste of Switzerland’ programme has welcomed aboard 84 guest chefs representing every one of Switzerland’s 26 cantons.
Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s leading air carrier. With one of Europe’s most advanced aircraft fleets, SWISS is a premium airline that provides direct flights from Zurich and Geneva to keep Switzerland connected with Europe and the world. Its Swiss WorldCargo division offers an extensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value, time-critical and care-intensive consignments. SWISS embodies its home country’s traditional values and is dedicated to delivering the highest product and service quality. The company has also set itself ambitious CO2 goals, and plans to halve its 2019 net CO2 emissions by 2030 and make its business and operations entirely carbon-neutral by 2050, particularly by promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuels. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group, and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline network.
