British Airways Unveils New Olympics-Inspired Meal

British Airways, who unveiled a special Olympics-inspired menu for First and Club World menus in May, has released its Olympics-inspired offering in economy class which will be served July through September as an alternative to its regular in-flight menus.

Passengers in British Airways' World Traveler cabin can order the meal, which was unveiled at this week's Taste of London in London. Created by Simon Hulstone, the new World Traveler meal consists of a breast of chicken in a shiitake mushroom cream sauce, with cheddar cheese and spring onion mashed potato, accompanied by carrots and green beans.

The Olympics-inspired menus are a creation of Hulstone, who spent the past year being mentored by Michelin-starred Chef Heston Blumenthal as part of British Airways' Great Britons program, which offers a global platform for rising British talent in food, art and film leading up to the Games.

With a nod to Blumenthal's multi-sensory approach, Simon's dishes take inspiration from the airline's menus dating back to 1948, the last time the Olympic Games were held in London.

The Olympics-inspired meals build on British Airways' ongoing Height Cuisine catering initiative. The Height Cuisine initiative includes making dishes that contain ingredients rich in umami, a savory flavor known as the "fifth taste" that occurs naturally in foods, such as seaweed, tomatoes, mackerel, and Parmesan cheese, that retains a robust flavor at high altitudes.