Cathay Pacific brings customers curated plant-forward culinary delights in collaboration with VEDA by Ovolo
Cathay Pacific is bringing customers a new contemporary range of plant-based dishes developed in collaboration with leading Hong Kong-based plant-forward restaurant, VEDA by Ovolo.
This innovative partnership further enhances the wellness dining options available to customers when they fly with Cathay Pacific. Customers travelling in Premium Economy and Economy class on selected long-haul flights departing from Hong Kong can now enjoy a huge variety of tantalising, thoughtfully crafted plant-forward options that focus on nutrition and flavour while celebrating international culinary influences.
The collaboration also aligns with VEDA’s and Ovolo Hotels’ ongoing Plant’d pledge to ethical eating, conscious cuisine and cutting-edge vegetarian, with the group becoming the first hotel brand globally to commit to a vegetarian-led offering.
Cathay Pacific General Manager Customer Experience and Design Vivian Lo said: “It gives us great pleasure to announce this new partnership with VEDA, a Hong Kong restaurant that shares our commitment to providing fantastic cuisine while also being more sustainable.
“For Cathay, the difference is in the detail. We know inflight dining is something that is extremely important to our customers, and we carefully work with partners to bring them memorable experiences by sourcing ingredients, designing menus and preparing dishes with great attention to detail.
“Drawing inspiration from the breadth and variety of VEDA’s dishes, we have collaborated with VEDA and Ovolo Hotels Executive Chef Raul Tronco to develop a reimagined selection of plant-forward creations that reflect our brand values of thoughtful and progressive, and go beyond the norms of airline vegetarian meals.”
Ovolo Hotels Founder and Executive Chairman Girish Jhunjhnuwala said: “VEDA and Ovolo Hotels pride ourselves on being an industry leader. We believe that the world changes, therefore we continue to evolve.
“We want to ensure we are doing our bit to help preserve our environment, promote healthy eating and enhance the image of amazing vegetarian and plant-based dining. Our collaboration with Cathay Pacific aligns perfectly with this mantra and our Plant’d pledge, and our wider ‘Do Good. Feel Good’ sustainability commitment.”
Executive Chef Raul Tronco said: “As a vegetarian, I am very excited to see businesses such as Cathay Pacific embrace wellness and sustainability. When I embarked on this journey, I approached each dish just as I would when creating an item for VEDA.
“Designing a meal to be enjoyed at 30,000 feet comes with its challenges. I had to consider everything from how taste buds are affected at altitude, to cooking techniques. After countless hours of recipe testing, I am really pleased with the result and am confident that the curated VEDA inflight dishes offer travellers variety, vibrancy and incredible flavour.”
As Cathay Pacific moves towards becoming a more sustainable airline, it is constantly improving its operations with sustainable practices to deliver refined dining experiences. By exploring plant-forward alternatives and moving towards more eco-conscious use of resources in its catering equipment, the airline strives to provide customers with a more sustainable dining experience, encouraging them to go greener together. In 2022, the airline removed 56% of its single-use plastic consumption from its 2018 baseline.
The collaboration with VEDA marks the beginning of a series of refreshed experiences for customers, from inflight meals to beverages. Cathay Pacific will be unveiling other exciting inflight dining enhancements in Premium Economy and Economy class in due course.
About Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific is the home airline of Hong Kong with over 75 years of history, and is a founding member of the oneworld global alliance. The Cathay Pacific Group also comprises low-cost carrier HK Express and express all-cargo carrier Air Hong Kong, connecting people and cargo around the world. Cathay Pacific is a member of the Swire Group and is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE).
The airline recently published its 2022 Sustainability Report that addresses its commitment and progress in the areas of environmental, social and governance. Cathay Pacific is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, including targeting 10% sustainable aviation fuel use for its flights by 2030. For more information, please visit www.cathaypacific.com.
About VEDA by Ovolo
VEDA, which originates from the Sanskrit word “vid” meaning “to know”, represents knowledge and wisdom. VEDA is a celebration of the earth and all that comes with it. Crafted by Executive Chef Raul Tronco, the vibrant vegetable champions on our menu are dishes that are minimally processed, rich in flavour, yet simplistic by nature.
From the familiar to the original, our plant-forward menu evolves seasonally and encourages exploration into the complex yet natural world of vegetables. Tasting complex, yet natural flavours should be more of a celebration than a sacrifice. VEDA’s contemporary vegetarian dishes are not centred around the “without”; they are rather focused on the “with” – food with flavour, with texture, with creativity, with thought, with soul.
VEDA is committed to giving back to the earth by minimising waste in our kitchen, using sustainable materials and practices wherever possible. veda.hk
Highlights of the Menu
Cathay Pacific’s Premium Economy and Economy class customers travelling on selected long-haul flights departing from Hong Kong from now until June 2024 can enjoy the new menus with a rotating selection of dishes throughout the year.
Premium Economy
The refreshed dining experience begins with the appetiser, with a selection of dishes including Bombay carrot salad with cashews, raisins and cherry tomatoes, an Indian-inspired slaw that features a fragrant dressing infused with lime juice, coriander powder and ginger, and Hummus with harissa roasted cauliflower and picked red onions, with the North African red chilli paste harissa providing a bold and smoky flavour.
These are followed by a selection of flavour-rich main dishes. The Keralan-style coconut curry with mushrooms, red bell peppers and cumin rice is a comforting, warming dish that is infused with coconut milk, tomatoes and a delicate blend of spices ranging from turmeric and curry leaves to mustard seeds for depth and complexity.
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