Working with Qantas has been one of the most exciting projects I have ever been involved in. In 1997 I was asked by Geoff Dixon’s office to be involved in the new Qantas first class. There was major investment in the new sleeper seat, and he wanted the soft product to match this impressive new hard product. For me, being Australian and having grown up with Qantas as the biggest and best Australian ambassador to the world, it was like being asked to pull on a Wallaby jersey; I was incredibly proud and honoured. We have worked together for the last seven years, making sure the food, service and total experience is the best that we can deliver. We work with thirty-three catering centres in Australia and around the world, over four thousand international crew and two thousand five hundred domestic crew. It is a great pleasure working with so many people to try to achieve a great aim. We put together seven hundred recipes a year for first and business class international, and work on product development in other areas as well. The menu development process is difficult but highly rewarding. We need to create food that can be produced by the caterers in different parts of the world, taking on board cultural needs and the strengths and weaknesses of the catering centres. All up, the disciplines learnt have made it easier for me to write this book.
