Qatar Airways launches new London menu with chef James

Qatar Airways has unveiled new business class menus in collaboration with James Knappett, the Chef-Patron of London's two-Michelin-starred Kitchen Table. The three-course menu is available now on all flights from London Heathrow to Doha, which can be up to eight services per day this winter.

James Knappett is the latest chef to join Qatar Airways' Signature Guest Chef series. The program aims to increase the variety and diversity of dishes available onboard, particularly for connecting passengers who may encounter multiple similar menus during a single trip.

The new business class dishes

Knappett has curated four dishes for business class in collaboration with Qatar Airways' London caterers, DO&CO. These dishes are served as part of a wider menu that includes three starters, four main courses, and three desserts, plus a cheeseboard.

The specific dishes designed by Knappett for business class are:

The mashed potatoes in the chicken dish use a 50:50 ratio of potato to dairy, which includes clotted cream.

First class offerings

Knappett has also designed four dishes for first class passengers on Qatar Airways' A380 flights from London to Doha. These are also part of a broader selection available in the cabin.

The first class dishes include hand-dived seared Cornish scallops with pickled fennel salad, blue shell lobster with roasted cauliflower and Goan curry powder, and an apple tarte tatin for dessert. A goat's curd agnolotti dish is available during the second meal service. Knappett noted the lobster dish is one of his signatures, adapted for altitude. "The base flavours are the same," he said.

Translating fine dining to 35,000 feet

Part of the collaboration involves Knappett and his team visiting the DO&CO catering facilities at Heathrow to determine what works during flight. Dishes often need to be simplified; a ground recipe requiring a dozen steps might be reduced to four for assembly in the air. The meals are pre-packed with step-by-step instructions and photos for cabin crew.

Knappett acknowledged the challenge. "Somebody's got to put it all together," he said. They're not chefs, so you're working with them to their capabilities as well. He expressed trust in the process, noting the dishes undergo thorough testing to simulate the plane's journey and timing.

The Signature Guest Chef program

Qatar Airways launched its Signature Guest Chefs concept in 2025, initially partnering with Yannick Alléno for flights to and from Paris. The program has since expanded to include collaborations with local chefs for flights from Australia, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Manila, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, and Tokyo to Doha. The airline joins others like Singapore Airlines, Air France, SWISS, and United in offering chef-partnered menus.