Where does YOUR plane food come from? On board with Emirates from provenance to plate

The days of mass produced, cheap import plane food are over – at least where the world’s best airline is concerned. 

Emirates is a world leader in the industry and its attention to detail is testament. 

No stone is left unturned in the search for luxury and that includes the contents on your tray table. 

The UAE carrier is meticulous about every single ingredient that goes onto your plate – from quality to source. 

And though its service traverses the world, Emirates’ gastronomical offering is inherently local. 

Take, for example, the mega continent of Australia. Emirates is now the largest foreign airline and the second largest cargo carrier operating in the country. 

Every single Emirates flight departing Down Under offers its passengers local cuisine on board – individually sourced from the finest food and wine providers scattered across the nation. 

Cheese boards feature premium varieties straight out of the Yarra Valley, while high quality Stockyard Beef is served straight from Queensland farms and the Australian wine list offers such complexity, it rivals the stalwarts of France. 

This plane food is not only fresh, but resounding the highest quality, with the proud stamp of provenance on every meal. 

With a brand new menu launching on May 1, stepping on board has never been such a pleasure, as old aviation tradition falls firmly from the skies. 

Express.co.uk took a tour of the local Australian regions where Emirates food and wine is sourced. These are the provedores worth flying for. 

The Dairy – Yarra Valley, Victoria

If you’re fortunate enough to fly business class with Emirates, you’ll be whisked away to a five star restaurant all from the comfort of your ever reclining seat. 

One of the standout stars of flying sky-high is the option to order a cheese board to your tray table. 

A carefully selected assortment of fine, artisan cheeses is arranged for you on a slate, with presentation and finesse to eclipse the finest kitchens back on earth. 

One of Emirate’s most exceptional cheese suppliers is a sprawling property in the rolling hills of the Yarra Valley. 

Just an hour’s drive from the city of Melbourne, The Dairy is a place where cheese is cherished from start to finish. 

Authentic cheese makers pore over their labour with intricate detail. Though we got a behind-the-scenes tour, most visitors come just for the front-of-house. 

A charmingly rustic restaurant backs onto the stretching land of the property, with contrasting layers of coloured earth like patchwork on the horizon. 

Perch yourself at a table facing the heavenly country view and order the signature dish – a selection of the freshest fromage you’ll ever try. 

This is a place where blue cheese reigns supreme, next to the variety that put The Dairy on the map – generous chunks of Persian Fetta. 

You don’t have to travel to the Yarra Valley to soak up the farmhouse culinary experience. 

The establishment carefully refines its cows and goats milk blends before they’re delivered straight to Emirates planes, from farm to plate.

Brasserie Bread – Melbourne, Victoria

Gone are the days of the stale airplane bread roll – with thanks duly owed to Brasserie Bread. 

The business has been resolutely built on the concept of artisan baking. According to Brasserie, one such baker must be “a craftsperson who is trained to the highest skill level to mix, ferment, shape and bake a hand crafted loaf of bread”. 

It’s part of an artisan movement that’s sweeping the nation, as Australia’s booming cafe culture swallows up the emerging trend faster than supply can meet it. 

Brasserie supplies the country with the best in baking: dark, springy sourdoughs and light, airy brioche, puffy pillowy croissants and scrumptious pastries; all delivered fresh every day. 

But it’s what Brasserie does sky-high that may be its burgeoning achievement. The humble bread maker supplies fresh sliced bread to Emirates for its flights out of the country. 

It worked tirelessly to push the boundaries of the simple processed bread roll and customers are reaping the benefits. 

According to the bread maker, providing passengers with their selection of hand crafted breads while 30,000ft off the ground is an extremely complex feat. 

And the artisan effect isn’t only felt in the laborious task of baking – by the time it reaches your plate, you can taste it.

The company has soared to popularity for its unique baking methods, its ability to deliver and of course, the quality of its final product.  

Brasserie, established in 1995, now has bakeries in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane; the perfect pitstop for your holiday road trip. 

Penfolds – Barossa Valley, South Australia

First colonised in 1788, Australia is often heralded as the ‘new world’; an infant nation by the standards of the globe where history and culture are still finding their feet. 

But deep in the heart of the country between the undulating contours of the Barossa Valley, you’ll find the Old Australia.

The wine region is easily the best in the country and its premier wine maker is suitably show-stopping. 

Less than two hundred years old, Penfolds is young by European standards. But the wine brand punctuates the trajectory of Australia’s history and firmly puts the nation on the world wine map. 

Penfolds was established in 1844 and today boasts a portfolio of premium wineries throughout South Australia. 

We were treated to a tour of Kalimna Vineyard, which boasts Block 42, the oldest continually producing Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in the world. 

But the real jewel in the winemaker’s crown is Penfolds Grange, an unbroken line of vintages of Australia’s most iconic wine. 

Shrouded by the cool confines of the Penfolds cellar at Magill Esate in the Adelaide Hills, chief winemaker Peter Gago showed us the highlight reel. 

Vintages from the 1970s right through until 2012 each proved their worth in the coveted lineup of the country’s best wine. 

With bottle prices ranging from a few hundred to tens of thousands of pounds, a trip to the heart of Penfolds Grange proves a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

Emirates serves an ever-changing variety of Penfolds wine from its impressive range of vineyards, in economy right through to first class.