With the media highlighting how much the Australian government flies Qantas I thought it was an opportune time to review foods in Qantas business class from Canberra to Melbourne. Most of the Qantas flights in the afternoon/evening I was looking to take were on QantasLink and the smaller 717s so I was curious whether this would change the business class food offerings.
Main Meal Service
There were no drinks offered pre-takeoff on this flight. After takeoff cabin crew came down the aisle to serve the main meal service. There was no choice in main meals given with only one meal choice available. It was a hot meal: steak with mushroom sauce served with potatoes, beans and peas. The steak was tender without much gristle which was a surprise as I have had some beef meals on Qantas which were tough. The green peas and beans were also a lovely vibrant green with a nice texture. The potatoes were also cooked really well with a lovely flavour. I was again surprised as some Qantas hot meals I have had the green beans/peas were overcooked and were a khaki green. There was no side of bread served with this meal, only one Lindt ball.
Nutrition Comment
It was disappointing there was no choice of meal on offer. It is important people have a choice so they can help manage their appetites and can be more mindful about what they eat. Some people may like a lighter meal depending on whether they had time to eat in the lounge, (or whether they liked the food in there or not). The lack of choice may have been because of the size of the aircraft or the short flight.
The sauce was complimentary to the meal with just enough to provide a lovely flavour without drowning the meal. Potatoes are a vegetable and so it was good this meal was half vegetables. It had around 2.5 serves of vegetables, where just under 1 serve was green vegetables. It would have been good to have more colourful vegetables in the meal to add more nutrients and antioxidants. While potatoes are a vegetable it is important not just to get serves of vegetables from potatoes which is another reason why a bit more balance in the vegetables would have been great.
Final thoughts on Qantas Business Class food – Canberra to Melbourne.
The food in Qantas business class Canberra to Melbourne was fairly standard Qantas food. This dish I had was tasty and it was nice to see it wasn’t overcooked. I was surprised though that there was no side served with the meal like on other flights – I know this was a shorter flight but Sydney-Melbourne isn’t too much longer so interesting to see they cut the side out. It would be nice to have a choice of meals and hope this is an aircraft size issue, not cost cutting.
If you would like to see more plane food reviews of Qantas business you may be interested in my review of Qantas business class food Melbourne- Sydney return.
NOTE: All pictures of Qantas Business Class food flying on the 717 Canberra to Melbourne, are my own and I review the food from the menu I was given and the food I ordered on my flight. There may be different options available at other times.
