Air Culinaire

Air Culinaire Worldwide UK, a catering company that serves the private travel sector, wanted to move away from plastic packaging for the presentation of premium on-board meals. To elevate the customers’ offering, Sabert developed a custom printed range of its award winning Stagione^® pots.

Air Culinaire was previously utilising a wide selection of plastic packaging to serve salads and desserts for its in-flight meals. Working with Sabert, the team transitioned to paperboard packaging solutions and rationalised the packs used down to four Stagione^® sizes, 150ml, 250ml, 500ml and 750ml, which could be used across different fills.

To meet the brief, Sabert’s designers researched the Air Culinaire brand and put together several artwork options. These were created as flat designs and as 3D graphics to communicate realistic visuals. Sabert also advised the customer on the implications of colour printing on white and kraft materials and the impact of pantone colours before a preferred design was selected.

To ensure viability of the products and that the customer was happy with the print finishes, Sabert worked hard to get printed samples manufactured and shipped to the customer within a tight timeframe. These were created in both white and kraft board materials so that the customer could collect market feedback on both options during an in-flight trial. The kraft board resonated well with the customer base, showcasing a step change towards a more sustainable packaging solution.

Stagione^® is made from FSC^® certified, recyclable paperboard. It has a high-barrier, grease resistant coating to the interior and is leakproof, making it suitable for salads with oily dressings and desserts with high moisture content. The superior quality materials and robustness of Stagione^® also offers a high-end look and feel to delight passengers.

Dedicated project management meant that Sabert was in direct communication with the customer and provided regular updates. Several members of the Sabert team worked together to ensure the on-time delivery of samples and final products, even around an international holiday period.

“Working with Colpac has been fantastic. The new packaging designs blew us away and the finished article has exceeded our expectations. The product performs perfectly in our testing environment of the production kitchens and aviation. As we move forward with this partnership we cannot wait to expand the range into other areas of our business.”
Aaron Watson, Executive Chef at Air Culinaire

The bespoke Stagione^® pots were launched on Air Culinaire catered flights in Spring 2024. Sabert is now working closely with the customer to further streamline its wider packaging range and move more packs to paperboard.