After a nationwide search for quintessentially Kiwi snacks, Air New Zealand has revealed the bite-size morsels that will make it onto the inflight menu culled from 400 passionate suppliers by a panel of five local foodies – and there’s some sweet and savoury treats coming on board soon.
Choc-dipped pretzels and almonds, lemon meringue-coated popcorn and crunchy dried cheese are just some of the 14 winning new treats set to tempt Air New Zealand passengers’ tastebuds.
Other new snack options include cinnamon-glazed macadamias, bang bang chicken or churro corn puffs and choc wafers and trail mix.
Almost 9,000 applicants put up their hand as snacksperts from the airline’s callout with five chosen as taste testers for the new onboard menu.
The chosen suppliers are from regions around the country: from Canterbury, Nelson and Hawke’s Bay to the Eastern Bay of Plenty and Waikato.
Air New Zealand Chief Customer & Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty said the airline was amazed at the quality and calibre of suppliers, making the final decision difficult.
“We want to give our customers a fantastic experience from the moment they are welcomed aboard our aircraft and that includes having a variety of snacks to satisfy sweet tooths and savoury lovers alike,” she said.
“We know just how passionate New Zealanders are about all things snacks, so we’ve really tried to mix it up with some unusual flavours and textures to be a bit playful with some of the snack options.”
The new snacks will be rolled out across various cabins on different domestic and international routes with the first snack, Skinny Dipped Almonds and nut and chocolate blends, due to land on domestic flights in December 2023.
These will be mixed in with some of the airline’s beloved snacks such as CookieTime Cookies, which may come out in new flavours such as pavlova, lollie cake and ‘chocolate fish n chip’.
“Customer feedback told us there are some existing snack options that are popular and loved, so we’ve also decided to keep them on board for the next few years,” Ms Geraghty added.
“We’re excited by the snacks we’ve selected and we hope our customers love them as much as we do.”
The full list of Air New Zealand’s latest onboard snacks:
- GRAZE Skinny dipped almonds and Kinda-Like-A nut and chocolate blends
- Serious Pea puffs real cheese
- Project Be Kind Choc Wafers and Trail Mix
- Snackachangi Vinegar & Salt Chips
- Dr Bugs Lemon Meringue Pie and Feijoa Cider Gourmet Popcorn Treats
- Aotearoa Chocolate milk chocolate-coated pretzels
- Tasti Oat-Baked Squares in choc chip, chocolate brownie, raspberry white chocolate and salted caramel flavours
- Trade Aid Rich Chocolate Treat
- Molly Woppy White Choc Coated ginger biscuit
- Torere Macadamias cinnamon glazed
- Molly Woppy shortbread
- QB Crunchy Cheese
- pure delish Primal Bar
- Chantal Organics – Corn Puffs Churro or Bang Bang Chicken Flavour
For more info, head to airnewzealand.com.au
