British Airways customers can now enjoy the airline’s first specially created gourmet burger on flights.

The ‘Flying Burger’ recipe has been specially honed by British Airways chefs over the past ten months. The team of chefs use three different cuts of British beef (chuck, cheek and onglet) to ensure full flavour, even at 35,000ft, where your ability to taste reduces by 30%.

Mark Tazzioli, British Airways’ chef, said, “Burgers are experiencing a renaissance right now, with pop up burger bars and food trucks opening in all the major cities. Burgers are the ultimate tasty satisfying treat and ‘comfort food’ we crave when flying. It has taken months of trials to ensure we get the perfect texture and succulence, not just for the British palate, but for the hundreds of other nationalities that fly with us. As taste buds are affected at altitude, we have created an original patty, which has proven extremely popular in taste-tests.”

Served with a side of triple cooked chips and choice of relishes, the ‘Flying Burger’ is currently exclusive to First customers in the ‘bistro menu’ of British Airways’ long-haul flights. The airline will also serve a ‘Grounded Burger’ in its First and Concorde lounges for customers - featuring a different recipe for pre-flight dining.

Appealing to a truly global audience, the ‘Flying Burger’ caters to the hundreds of international customers flying with the airline. Ingredients include:

• 100% British Beef; Three cuts of British beef to create a succulent juicy burger that keeps moisture even at altitude
• Monterey Jack Cheese; A semi-hard cheese, particularly favoured by American travellers
• Gherkins – also known as ‘pickles’, these are most popular with customers from Poland and Germany
• Tomato Relish; using tomatoes, raisins and paprika, the smoky relish is popular with British, American and Canadian palates
• Brioche Bun; a sweetened pastry especially popular with French and Italian flyers

To celebrate the flying burger, British Airways has compiled a top 10 must-visit restaurants around the world, for serious burger fans on the ground.

Lucky Chip, London – UK: The Food truck revolution has made van food cool again. Lucky Chip is one of East London’s finest, with gourmet burgers with fun names, including the ‘Scrooge McDuck’ which boasts duck, veal, aioli truffle and Pedro Ximenez figs in this fun-filled-feast!

Mallies, Detroit - USA: Featured in the Guinness Book of Records for serving the largest burger in the world, Mallies was made famous when ‘Man Versus Food’ attempted to take on the ‘Absolutely Ridiculous Burger’. If you dare to do the same, they require 72 hours’ notice!

Fleur at The Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas - USA: Home to one of the most expensive burgers in the world at $5,000. Hurbert Keller’s dish is made from Kobe beef topped with black truffles and served with 1990 Château Pétrus wine.

Rockpool Bar and Grill, Sydney – Australia: Burgers are the centrepiece of this award-winning restaurant, which produces dry aged beef on its premises. Carnivores will love the dry aged 30-day full blood wagyu beef from the wood fired grill.

Local House – Dubai: This UAE establishment is best known for one thing, Camel Burgers. Described as ‘surprisingly juicy’ why not go all the way, and finish with camel milk fried ice cream.

Hamburgueria do Bairro, Lisbon - Portugal: With a choice of 15 burgers, including four vegetarian options, this Portuguese burger has attracted a loyal local following.

Gourmet Boerie, Cape Town – South Africa: Boerewors, the traditional South African meat is served up in mini rolls and sliders. Try the Gorgonzola burger served with poached pear, caramlised pecan nuts and rocket.

Agadir Burger, Tel Aviv – Israel: Going strong since 1997, Agadir Burger tops the Tel Aviv list. Head to the Nahlat Binyamin Pedestrian Mall to sample their unique toppings, including spiced goose breast.

Heart Attack Grill, Las Vegas - USA: An unapologetic celebration of burgers – boasting higher fat content than anywhere else. Daring bites include ‘Flatliners’ and the ‘Triple bypass’ among others.

Burger Mania, Hiroo - Toyko: Serving 100% Japanese beef, this is one of Tokyo’s top burger joints. Try the 'platinum' burger made with mouth-watering wagyu steak.

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