Emirates embraces World Vegan day with more choices

Emirates has made a significant investment into new vegan options onboard, heralding the forthcoming World Vegan Day on November 1 with a multimillion-dollar response to the growing demand for plant-based cuisine. First and Business Class menus now provide a carefully curated variety of gourmet vegan dishes, while the plant-based product options in Economy Class have also been updated.

To cater to the rapid growth of the global vegan community and general interest in herbivorous diets, Emirates is setting new standards in customer experience with delicious and healthy options for cosmopolitan customers following a vegan lifestyle, or for those who seek a lighter meal choice while travelling. Vegan options are available to order and pre-order onboard, as well as in Emirates Lounges.

Emirates has made investments to create a new vegan menu that will compete with renowned restaurants. The Emirates Flight Catering facility, a sizable operation situated at Dubai International airport, employs 11,000 people and prepares up to 225,000 meals daily. It took a year to establish the vegan menu for First and Business Class. It contains international chefs from 69 different nations and is the largest aircraft catering facility in the world.

The menu was the subject of numerous presentations and tastings, with contributions from a variety of cuisine experts like Chinese, Indian, and Arabic specialty chefs to produce a wide range of flavours and textures. For a more inclusive experience, the tasting panels featured chefs and team members from both vegan and non-vegan backgrounds.

Every month, the vegan menus in Economy Class are also updated, offering a wide selection of dishes to frequent travellers. Pre-ordering is possible for the vegan meals in Economy Class, which have received extremely positive reviews from travellers all over the world.

Vegan meals served on Emirates flights are nutrient-dense and rich in greens, fruits, and vegetables. These meals are provided by a number of UAE-based vendors, who also provide fresh, regionally grown kale, heirloom cherry tomatoes, salad leaves, and herbs from Bustanica. The largest hydroponic vertical farm in the world, Bustanica, is the result of a US$40 million joint partnership with Emirates Flight Catering.