What started ten years ago with gourmet menus by Michelin-starred chef Geert Van Hecke has grown into a true tradition for travellers on intercontinental flights with Brussels Airlines in 2023. Every year, a Belgian Star Chef creates a three-course menu based on typical Belgian recipes and ingredients. From October, these menus will be created by Michelin-starred chef Michaël Vrijmoed and rotate every three months. As in previous years, the accompanying Belgian wines are carefully selected by Master of Wine, Jan De Clercq and beer sommelier Sofie Vanrafelghem selected the Belgian, local beers.
"As a Michelin-starred chef, it is a privilege to be allowed to cook for the business class travellers of Brussels Airlines. I am following in the footsteps of Peter Goossens, one of my tutors. He served as a star chef for the airline in 2015. Through my creations for Brussels Airlines, I will introduce the world amongst others to tasty Belgian vegetables, accompanied by some East Flemish regional beers and cheeses from cheese refiner Van Tricht."- Michaël Vrijmoed, chef of the East Flemish restaurant Vrijmoed**
Second East Flanders Star Chef
Vrijmoed began his culinary career as a sous-chef at Hof van Cleve where he was the right-hand man to top chef Peter Goossens. In 2013, he started his own restaurant in Ghent. In recent years, it has grown into one of the best vegetable restaurants in the world. After Peter Goossens, Michaël Vrijmoed is the second East Flanders chef with whom Brussels Airlines collaborates.
Philip Mortier, Inflight Product Manager, Brussels Airlines said: "Brussels Airlines is the flying ambassador of the best Belgium has to offer. As an airline, we introduce the world to delicacies originating from our country. We are happy that with Michaël Vrijmoed we can again put our local products and recipes in the spotlight. Next to the food, our passengers also discover regional beers such as Steenuilke, Liefmans Goudenband and Adriaen Brouwer Oaked. All three are brewed by traditional Belgian breweries such as De Ryck, Liefmans and Roman."
Leading role for Belgian vegetables
The fact that restaurant Vrijmoed is one of the best vegetable restaurants in the world is also reflected in the menus that Michaël Vrijmoed has created for Brussels Airlines. Long-haul Business Class travellers will be able to choose a fish or meat dish or a vegetarian alternative for both the starter and main course.
The menu will evolve every three months to make the most of seasonal produce.
Michaël Vrijmoed said: "Passengers can choose from two starters, one of them being my signature dish: beetroot (with Doyenné du Comice pear, mustard seed and horseradish sauce). As a main course, we serve a celeriac variation (with soil-grown chicory and crispy Jerusalem artichoke) as a vegetarian choice. There is also a choice between Pheasant (with soil-grown chicory, wild mushrooms, cranberries, pearl onions, Jerusalem artichoke, fine champagne sauce and Jerusalem artichoke puree) or Eel in Green (with herb salad and chateau potatoes). To conclude, passengers can choose from a cheese platter with East Flanders classics like Belgian Wittekop or Biloete, two cheeses from East Flanders' Lotenhulle, or Hazelnut chocolate cake with a vanilla-coffee sauce for dessert."
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