When Concorde Launched In The '70s, Passengers Ate Better Than The President
Fifty years ago, air travel was a vastly different experience than it is today — even more so if you were flying on the now-iconic Concorde jet. A partnership between British Airways and Air France, the supersonic Concorde flew at twice the speed of sound, cutting the travel time between New York and Paris or London down to just under 3 hours. The Concorde wasn't just fast, it was luxurious too, and came with the price tag to match: a round trip was $12,000 — about $70,000 today.
On par with its luxurious atmosphere were its culinary offerings that put today's snacks to shame. The Anglo-French collab wanted to give passengers a dining experience on par with its sky-high flight level (twice the altitude of normal commercial flights). They recruited Michelin-starred chefs like Paul Bocuse, the father of nouvelle French cuisine, pastry chef Gaston Lenôtre, and in later years, Michel Roux (known for revolutionizing the culinary landscape in the UK with his brother Albert).
On the Concorde, mealtime would start with Scottish smoked salmon, crème fraîche, and caviar canapés followed by main courses like veal medallions, fillet steak, lamb, lobster tail, or guinea fowl. The dessert course was equally impressive: Strawberries and cream, a created just for in-flight diners called gâteau Concorde, or French cheeses. Drinks included Dom Perignon Champagne, red and white wines curated from the Concorde cellar (seriously), liqueurs, and after-dinner port. When it comes to airlines with the absolute best quality foods, Concorde was the stuff of legend.
What was President Gerald Ford eating, anyway?
Concorde passengers really did eat better than the president. When Concorde started its commercial flights in 1976, Gerald Ford had just taken over after the ousting of Richard Nixon. The Michigan native favored Midwestern classics like apple Dutch babies, pot roast and red cabbage, and casseroles. Though the Ford family enjoyed typical American food most of the time, they did splash out for America's Bicentennial celebration with New England lobster en Bellevue and saddle of veal with their guest of honor, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Phillip.
Most of the favorite foods of every US president during the years the Concorde was in the air from 1976 to 2003 were actually fairly simple everyday dishes. Presidents only ate like the high-rolling passengers of the Concorde for special occasions like state dinners, when they wanted to impress dignitaries (like Queen Elizabeth, who regularly flew on the jet).