From July to October 2023, Air France is continuing to promote fine French dining with a new series of original dishes. On departure from Paris, in the long-haul La Première and Business cabins, the renowned French Michelin-starred chefs Régis Marcon and, for the first time, Thierry Marx, will be working alongside the Meilleur Ouvrier de France pastry chef Philippe Urraca to create delicious dishes for the airline's customers.
To prepare these menus for our customers in these prestigious cabins, the chefs have worked together with Servair, the world leader in in-flight catering, to create dishes that change with the seasons using fresh, local produce. In a responsible approach, the meat, poultry, dairy products and eggs on each menu are sourced in France, and the fish comes from sustainable fisheries. In addition, vegetarian menus are systematically available in each travel cabin on all the airline's flights.
Thierry Marx takes charge of the Business menus
For the first time, Air France is collaborating with Thierry Marx, a renowned chef with two Michelin stars. This Parisian-born chef is one of the most renowned culinary talents of his generation. He has created unique dishes for Air France customers, inspired by the diversity of France's culinary heritage. His dishes focus above all on plant-based ingredients in a flexitarian approach.
"Just like travelling, cuisine brings people together. These are values that I share with Air France for its customers’ pleasure,” said Thierry Marx.
In total, the chef has created eight dishes, available on board over the next 4 months:
- Cream of spelt soup, black olive crumble, sautéed courgettes;
- Cod, prawns, saffron rice, piquillo coulis;
- Guinea fowl, carrot, butternut purée;
- Pork loin, langoustine coulis, cauliflower purée, chanterelles;
- Pasta conchiglie, pear, Fourme d'Ambert cheese and walnuts;
- Prawns, risoni pasta with squid ink, crunchy vegetables;
- Chicken, boulangère potatoes, mushrooms, Jura wine sauce;
- Beef chuck, Bordeaux sauce, celery ravioli.
As part of the fight against food waste, Air France is offering its customers travelling in the Business cabin the option of pre-selecting their hot dish up to 24 hours before their flight. This service combines the guarantee of availability of the customer's choice with fairer consumption on board.
Régis Marcon and Philippe Urraca in the La Première cabin
Air France's La Première cabin offers each customer a gourmet dining experience worthy of the finest restaurants. Voted "World's Best First-Class Onboard Catering" at the latest Skytrax World Airline Awards 2023, it now offers menus signed by renowned triple Michelin-starred chef Régis Marcon. Nature continues to inspire this chef, who draws his inspiration from the Ardèche and Auvergne regions to create his dishes. He has concocted eight dishes to be enjoyed over the coming months:
- Fillet of beef with cherries, mashed potatoes with smoked salt;
- Royale of courgettes with oyster mushrooms and truffle, strawberry tomato coulis;
- Pigeon fillet with apricot sauce, lemon bulgur, mushrooms and butternut;
- Fillet of sea bass and prawns with chanterelle mushrooms, bouillabaisse style;
- Guinea fowl fillet with blueberries, roast potatoes and baby carrots;
- Fillet of sea bream with verbena, sautéed baby spinach and chanterelle mushrooms;
- Braised veal shank, sage sauce, potato gratin with porcini mushrooms;
- Cream of red bean soup with root vegetables.
As for the desserts, pastry chef Philippe Urraca, Meilleur Ouvrier de France and a leading exponent of the French pastry tradition, has devised 4 delicious desserts to choose from on the à la carte menu available on board on a rotating basis:
- Délice du sud;
- Tea, orange and Kalamansi;
- Le méditerranéen;
- Le Moka.
In 2023, Air France is working together with a total of seventeen chefs to promote French culinary excellence. These culinary experts offer exceptional dishes on departure from Paris and certain international destinations in the La Première and Business cabins, as well as in the airport lounges in Paris. The only airline to partner with so many Michelin-starred chefs, Air France is reaffirming more than ever its role as an ambassador for fine French dining and expertise throughout the world.
About Thierry Marx
Born in Paris, Thierry Marx trained with the Compagnons du Tour de France and the best French chefs, including Claude Deligne, Joël Robuchon and Alain Chapel. Awarded two stars by the Michelin Guide® in 1999, he was also recognised as Chef of the Year by Gault&Millau in 2006 and received the distinctive award of "Chef Mentor" during the Michelin Guide 2022 ceremony. It was the TV show Top Chef that brought him to the attention of the general public from 2010 onwards. In 2012, Thierry Marx created the Cuisine Mode d'Emploi(s) school to provide free 11-week training in cookery, baking and restaurant service for people who find it hard to find employment. Since then, a dozen training centres have been set up across France. In early 2023, the Chef opened his new gourmet restaurant "ONOR" at 258 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. There he brings together his commitments and efforts to provide cuisine with a social and environmental impact, as well as integration via vocational training and transmission of skills.
About Régis Marcon
Bocuse d’Or in 1995 and acclaimed with three Michelin stars, Régis Marcon embodies an entire story of fine French dining. More than a style or a period, his cuisine symbolizes his own story. In the department of Ardèche, in the region of Auvergne, between Velay and Vivarais, Régis Marcon found the roots of his cuisine in a familiar and family territory. Since taking over the family-run hotel restaurant in 1979, and never leaving his cocoon in Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid, Régis Marcon became one of the greatest chefs of our time, by highlighting his regional products such as mushrooms and green Puy lentils.
About Philippe Urraca
It was at the age of 19 that Philippe Urraca, following in his father's footsteps, opened his very first bakery. Passionate about his craft and a proud representative of the French pastry-making tradition, he makes sure that each of his creations is a celebration of the skills he has inherited. In 1994, he was awarded the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France in pastry making for his expertise in the field of French culinary arts. From 2003 to 2017, he was elected President of the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France Pâtissiers. He remains a craftsman at heart, a pastry chef who likes to "get his hands dirty" and who doesn't hesitate to share his passion for great French pastry and his knowledge. He takes the initiative, gives advice to encourage innovation and pass on his knowledge to future generations, to promote French culture even further. Since 2011, he has also been technical director of La Compagnie des Desserts, which gives him the opportunity to experiment and deploy his talent in the search for tastes and flavours. His reputation has earned him requests in France and abroad to create pastries for ceremonies and other events. His reputation has earned him many requests in France and abroad to create pastries for ceremonies and events. For some years now, in addition to his various commitments, Philippe has been devoting much of his efforts to revisiting and enhancing traditional French patisserie. He has written a book entitled ‘Pâtisserie leçons en pas à pas’ for adults, which has also been adapted for children.
