Authentic Cloud Cuisine - Stepping into the world of SKANDL

Remaining grounded whilst in the air can feel a strange practice to preach. Being grounded comes in its many forms, physically, emotionally, and mentally.

TAG Aviation provides an unparalleled wellness journey for all its passengers to keep you grounded from soil to sky. We are experts when it comes to service excellence, allowing you the freedom to experience flying in whichever way you desire, with safety and well-being at the forefront of everything we do.

A huge contributing factor to being grounded is the notion of being in a calm, organised environment. Focusing on what you need to and thinking clearly without distraction.

Exploring tailored in-flight dining is the perfect element to aid this because of how it makes you feel physically, whilst also simplifying your dining choices.

In SKANDL’s case, you can trust you will enjoy personalised in-flight foods. We were lucky enough to have James Hagen, CEO of SKANDL CO, join us for a conversation about wellness during flight, through improved nutrition. 

SKANDL is a diverse and compatible food and experience company, who do things a little differently.

A new addition to the aviation food scene, they have made their name as an elite produce supplier to a combined 50 Michelin-starred restaurants across London. 

Alongside their highly successful grocery community and special dining experiences, they have completed a trial phase with a fleet of aircraft specific ovens, and have since taken to the skies with Cloud Dining.  

 

“We now bring our passion and years of experience at the highest level to your plate" 

 

 

 

Their mission is to enrich private travel experiences with tailored menus created by expert chefs that use the finest seasonal ingredients. In addition, flavour specialists from Nordic food labs advise on the sweet and savoury selection, considering the taste differences for dishes served at 45,000 feet. 

Based in southwest London, SKANDL’s food offering is headed up by executive chef Tom Ewer, formerly of Soho House, and culinary director Kate Austen, one of the winners of 2024’s Great British Menu. Kate has worked with the likes of Bjorn Frantzen and Gordon Ramsay, and she led the kitchens at 2 Michelin-starred restaurants AOC.

SKANDL’s menus are specially created to deliver flavour and nourishment, crafting dishes with peak seasonal produce and absolutely nothing unnatural. Dishes are enriched further with specialist-added ingredients such as sea moss, sea buckthorn, grass-fed cultured butter, Elvish honey, Arctic salt, ultra-nutrient-dense extra virgin olive oil from their own client’s estates and foraged wild mushrooms.

 

 “Food is at the core of wellness and clients can quickly tell when you are using elite seasonal ingredients and preparing dishes with real care and skill from scratch”

 

When in pressurised cabins and altitude, taste buds begin to change. We begin to lose sweet and salty flavours. Pressurised cabins at altitude absorb the moisture from the air far quicker than on the ground and oxidation and inflammation markers in the body increase. All these changes can mean that passengers feel tired, lethargic and at times, stressed. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Due to this adaptation of taste buds, it can feel an easy route to pump food with over seasoning and artificial flavourings. SKANDL's approach is much gentler and less evasive on the body. Using natural elements from our earth to provide authentic, world-diverse flavouring, has much less of an impact on the production of food as well as ensuring health benefits and easy digestion.

Seasonal fruit, at the height of its nutritional powers, delivers a much-needed hit of antioxidant compounds which reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.

Noting on the production of food, SKANDL are pioneers in the space when it comes to the produce division, especially for effective juices and health shot additions to dishes.  One element under this category is sea moss. Sea moss contains over 90 minerals and vitamins, including iodine, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins, making it a superfood for your health which combats dehydration and fatigue. However, it is not the most pleasant to consume.  

SKANDL have transformed this into a liquidised form, using naturally derived produce. This provides optimal rates of its benefits to the consumer, without them tasting it within their dishes.

Consuming sea moss on flight contributes to energy levels and general immune system defence.

 

“Inflammation is the root cause for almost all health concerns and ageing of the body” 

 

When it comes to healthy eating and well-being, in air dining can be taken one step further.

Little changes in the way we eat and approach wellness in the skies begins to add up and optimises our ability to counteract the effects of air travel. Key to this strategy is Dr Gregorio Torchia, one of the world’s leading anti-inflammatory and food-based medicine specialists who leads the Advanced Clinical Nutrition Program at SKANDL.

This ground-breaking service creates a unique nutrition blueprint for each client through a comprehensive suite of tests. The nutrition blueprint is then seamlessly deployed to provide tailored menus for clients whenever they fly. By obtaining this nutrition blueprint, SKANDL can guarantee a well-rounded, delicious meal to ensure a revived arrival to their destination, without the fuss. 

 

“Clients can relax knowing the dishes they love provide nutrition and health benefits without the hassle of constantly asking for menu choices or dietary requirements” 

 

 

As we all know, we can depart from an aircraft feeling inflamed, bloated, and tired. Crafted nutrition eliminates these effects. SKANDL bases its dishes on a clean food diet, proven as one of the most robust and healthy in the world. Promoting healthy skin, fighting cell damage, disease and improving iron absorption ensures arrival at the destination in a calm, rejuvenated state. 

With oxidative stress naturally rising in the cabin, meditation and breathing techniques can be invaluable alongside these nutritional benefits. 4-7-8 breathing is a simple way to relax the vagus nerve, our bodies stress link to the regulatory system. Combined with modified lighting and a comfortable flying position, passengers are promised to have a holistic journey of wellness.

 

"Complete holistic solution, 101 things to do, we can make it 100"

 

SKANDL and TAG Aviation's principals align perfectly in their belief that luxury travel can and should go hand-in-hand with wellness.

Just as the food is to the highest standard, as is TAG’s service, ensuring every step is stress free for you.

 

"Everything is to the highest standard"

 

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