TAP Air Portugal is launching a new inflight menu for business class passengers on long-haul flights.
The carrier has collaborated with The Art of Tasting Portugal for this ‘Local Stars‘ initiative, where 12 local chefs will prepare menus highlighting seasonal ingredients and specialties from different Portuguese regions.
Each chef has created a menu with starters, main courses and desserts featuring a “star ingredient” from the region, with the menu rotating every two months until April 2025.
The initiative kicks off this month with a Lisbon-based menu curated by Henrique Sa Pessoa, the Portuguese chef behind ‘Alma’ restaurant in the Portuguese capital. His menu will highlight the grouper fish, commonly caught off the Lisbon coast, with a stew of roast grouper with shrimp and sweet potato. Alongside this will be a starter of octopus salad and a pear, cinnamon and chocolate brownie for dessert.
This will be followed by Azorean chef, Cláudio Pontes, from May-June with a menu promoting the island’s São Jorge cheese.
The months of July and August will then focus on the Algarve, with chef Noélia Jerónimo’s menu featuring a dish of octopus.
Later in the year there will be menus by chefs Júlio Pereira, Diogo Rocha and Óscar Geadeas, representing cuisines from Madeira, Viseu and Bragança respectively.
Long-haul business class customers will also be able to watch videos on TAP’s IFE service, showcasing each region where the seasonal produce is sourced along with footage of the chefs cooking the dishes served onboard.
Silvia Mosquera, TAP chief commercial and revenue officer, said:
“TAP is the largest showcase of Portugal in the world and our aircraft are one of the most powerful vehicles promoting Portugal. The Local Stars project allows TAP to work with some of the most reputable Portuguese chefs in the development of Business Class menus, bringing the gastronomy we serve on board our aircraft to new heights.”
The Art of Tasting Portugal is a platform that aims to promote Portuguese cuisine by mapping the country’s food traditions and offering experiences focused on Portugal’s gastronomy.
The airline’s ‘Local Stars’ initiative is being overseen by Portuguese catering company CateringPor, with support on sustainability methods, integrating produce from local suppliers and helping to promote Portugal’s regional economies.