Emirates has teamed up with Moët & Chandon's Michelin-star chef to create 18 new Business Class dishes, each paired with exclusive champagnes. Olivia Palamountain reports

Emirates is set to elevate its Business Class dining experience with the launch of 18 new dishes available this summer.

The menu has been crafted through a unique collaboration between Moët & Chandon's head chef Jean Michel Bardet and Emirates' vice president of culinary design, Doxis Bekris.

The menu, which will debut on select routes from May 2025, represents more than a year of development between Emirates' master chefs and the prestigious Maison of Moët & Chandon in France. Each dish has been specifically designed to pair with exclusive champagnes, marking the first time such an expertly curated champagne and cuisine pairing has been offered in the air.

Among the new offerings, passengers can expect refined starters such as poached scallops served with green melon, blanched kumquat, lemon gel and roasted almonds, paired with Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2016.

The menu also caters to vegan travellers, featuring dishes such as silken tofu with poached asparagus and soy emulsion and like braised lentils with coconut served with steamed basmati rice, spiced cauliflower with green peas and naan,

Main course highlights include roasted duck with braised aubergine and raz el hanout-spiced couscous, and seared Chilean Seabass served with artichoke purée and lemongrass sauce. This is paired with Moët & Chandon Rosé Impérial.

These dishes form part of Emirates' extensive catering operation, which serves 149 meals every minute, totalling more than 77 million meals annually.

The development process faced unique challenges, as the culinary team had to consider factors such as altitude, scale and pre-preparation requirements. The chefs also needed to ensure that Emirates' cabin crew could plate the food effectively onboard to maintain consistency in the Business Class experience.

Emirates' partnership with Moët Hennessy spans 33 years, with the airline being the world's largest purchaser of champagne among airlines. The carrier holds exclusive rights to serve various prestigious champagnes, including Dom Pérignon vintages and Moët & Chandon selections, across its premium cabins.