El Al hires top chef to upgrade in-flight meals

With new chef at the wheel, El Al plans to introduce a new in-flight menu once every two or three months.

By RON FRIEDMAN
311_ Chef Moshe Segev (photo credit: Anatoly Michaelo)
311_ Chef Moshe Segev
(photo credit: Anatoly Michaelo)
El Al announced on Sunday that it had hired celebrity chef Moshe Segev to upgrade the company’s in-flight meals.
Segev, the star of his own cooking show on Channel 2 is already working with El Al kitchen and service staff on creating a new menu, which will be served to passengers on all of El Al’s flights starting December.
According to Yehudit Grisaro, head of El Al’s in-flight services department, the company began its search for a new head chef several months ago and after meeting with a variety of local culinary leaders, decided to hire Segev.
“It was a tough choice and all of the people we met with were good, but I feel we made the right decision. Segev’s connection to the staff has been great and the relationship is blooming,” Grisaro said.
“The choice was part of a strategic initiative to improve in-flight service. Segev is one of Israel’s top chefs and we are very pleased he has joined our service team. We are sure that his talent and rich experience will upgrade the culinary experience of our passengers.”
Grisaro said that to begin with, Segev would be focusing on improving the meals served in economy class, but that the change would also be felt in business and first-class menus.
“El Al flights feature a variety of menus in all class sections, both meat and dairy, and meals that we consider inflight snacks. All of them will be worked on by Moshe and the El Al staff and I’m sure that the passengers will respond favorably,” Grisaro said.
“The passenger’s overall flight experience is very important to us and we are constantly looking for ways to improve it. There are a range of difficulties and limitations in in-flight cuisine, things like weight considerations, kitchen size and equipment and transport issues, but we believe that even with the challenges, we can provide our passengers with an enjoyable culinary experience in the air,” Grisaro said.
Grisaro said that under Segev’s leadership, El Al would introduce a new in-flight menu once every two or three months.
“Until now, we have been revamping the menu in coach every six months or so, but we want returning customers to enjoy new food every time they fly,” he said.
When asked if the new hire was a response to passengers’ complaints about the food, Grisaro said that passengers responded favorably to the meals overall, but that the company was always seeking to improve and that she would be eager to hear the passengers’ responses to the new menus.