Focus on: Perth Inflight Catering
This year Perth Inflight Catering marks its 20th year in the onboard hospitality sector, Julie Baxter met managing director Salim Hazife at his catering base to discover more
It is not often that the eyes of the onboard hospitality world turn to Perth so when APOT chose the Western Australian capital for its annual gathering this June, Perth Inflight Catering's (PIC) staff became eager ambassadors for the event.
The company, founded by chairman Ismail Hazife and now run by his son Salim, has been based in the city for 20 years and seen the city's airport evolve.
Salim recalls: “When my father started the business 20 years ago he had a small kitchen and four members of staff. Today we have over 100 staff, creating around 5000 meals a day and our kitchens (including a dedicated halal kitchen), meal plating and cart set-up areas, warehouse and bonded storage units cover 2500sqm.
“Our growth in part reflects the growth of Perth as a hub airport. The city is increasingly well connected by international and domestic carriers and a gateway for the mining industry of WA. The launch of a direct London-Perth route by Qantas has also helped raise interest in the region and make WA more accessible and we hope others will follow.”
Tailor-made service
The company's clients have included Etihad, South African Airways and most recently, Virgin Australia, a contract it won after Gate Gourmet took over Virgin's catering from dnata/Alpha. Salim explains: “Gate Gourmet doesn't have a kitchen in Perth so will work with us for these departures.”
The new deal meant gearing up fast to cater the Business cabins on 20-30 flights a day operated by Virgin Australia's Boeing 737s and A330s out of Perth but Salim says: “This is just the kind of product we are set up to provide. Our focus has always been on providing a premium tailor-made service of the standard Virgin require.”
Still family-owned and operated, PIC has a team of nine development chefs regularly pitching new culinary ideas or re-engineering airline menus to offer savings or seasonal local specialities. A strip and wash area ensures unopened regional catering can be recycled through food banks and a kids' breakfast club charity, and all cardboard and plastic is recycled.
Local flavours
Salim says: “We were delighted to see APOT come to Perth as an opportunity to showcase the incredible local produce we have access too. WA is a part of Australia that often gets overlooked in preference for Sydney or Melbourne but it truly has a diverse range of attractions, great natural beauty and fantastic produce. We are keen to get that onboard aircraft, connect the produce to the destination and deliver the highest standards in onboard service.”
Our focus has always been on a premium tailor-made service