Air France recruits Michelin two-star chef to revamp long-haul business class menus

Chef Viannay develops more than 20 warm dishes

Collaboration continues with Adamski, Lallement and Simonin

Michelin two-star chef Mathieu Viannay presents new Air France business class in-flight meals. [Air France]

Air France announced Tuesday that it has brought on Michelin two-star chef Mathieu Viannay to elevate its in-flight dining experience. New menus developed by Viannay will be introduced in business class on long-haul routes, including the Paris–Incheon service.

The airline said it aims to give passengers departing Paris the chance to enjoy cuisine from authentic French Michelin-starred chefs. Working with Servair, a long-standing leader in airline catering, Air France said it will use fresh, seasonal ingredients alongside meat, eggs, dairy products and fish produced through sustainable methods.

Viannay, chef at the Michelin two-star restaurant La Mère Brazier in Lyon, is heading the business class menu for long-haul routes. He has developed more than 20 warm dishes to be served across the first and second meal services over the coming months. Standout offerings include a creamy fregola pasta with mimolette cheese and arugula, served with roasted butternut squash and preserved lemon, as well as glazed grilled salmon with soy butter sauce and Le Puy green lentils. The menus combine French regional specialties with refined flavors.

New business class in-flight meals developed by chef Mathieu Viannay. [Air France]

Breakfast and brunch menus are handled by François Adamski, executive chef at Servair, a Meilleur Ouvrier de France honoree and Bocuse d'Or winner. His offerings blend simplicity with tradition, including a Cîmes-style stuffed egg with truffle béchamel sauce and mushroom polenta. Desserts fall to Nina Métayer, named World's Best Pastry Chef in 2023, who has collaborated with Air France since 2024. New additions include "Instant Poire-Chocolat," a creation pairing pear and chocolate.

Air France is also continuing its existing chef partnerships. For La Première, its top cabin, the airline has again teamed up with Arnaud Lallement, the Michelin three-star chef behind L'Assiette Champenoise in Reims. The signature dish this time is a lobster poached in court-bouillon with paprika sauce and smooth potatoes — a tribute to his father and a reflection of childhood memories. Desserts for La Première are being developed with Claire Heitzler, named Pastry Chef of the Year by Gault & Millau in 2013, with four new dessert menus set to roll out over the coming months.

New La Première in-flight dishes by chef Arnaud Lallement and new dessert menus by chef Claire Heitzler. [Air France]

The premium economy cabin menu continues under Michelin one-star chef Frédéric Simonin, who earned his star at his eponymous restaurant. Passengers can choose from two regularly rotating warm main courses, including a vegetarian option. Current selections include conchiglie pasta with chanterelle mushrooms and herb cream, and a tomato-prawn dish served with squid ink rice.

"For Air France, I developed dishes rooted in French regional ingredients — above all, dishes that bring the full pleasure of gastronomy," Viannay said.

To help reduce food waste, Air France also offers business class passengers a pre-order service for in-flight meals, allowing them to select their warm main course between 15 days and 24 hours before departure.

Meanwhile, Air France is expanding its Train+Air intermodal service, operated jointly with French national rail operator SNCF, to cover all routes on Ouigo, the low-cost high-speed rail service connecting to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. The move follows a 43 percent increase in usage of the service in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year.

eyre@heraldcorp.com