Cathay Pacific and Pirata team up to bring a taste of Italy to the skies

Cathay Pacific has partnered with Hong Kong-based Italian restaurant Pirata to curate a special menu that offers Pirata’s classic Italian comfort cuisine to customers.

The collaboration is the latest in a series of menu partnerships with popular Hong Kong brands, as part of Cathay Pacific’s continued efforts to elevate and diversify the inflight dining offerings available to customers.

This comes as Cathay Pacific recognises that the difference is in the detail, particularly when it comes to inflight dining, and its commitment to service is centred on bringing customers quality food. Through collaboration with its partners, the airline strives to provide exceptional dining experiences above the clouds with high attention to detail and options that cater to individual needs and preferences.

When designing the inflight menus, the culinary teams at Cathay Pacific and Pirata sought to bring the spirit of the restaurant’s honest, authentic Italian fare to each dish, inspired by the large, shared platters that often make up the heart of Italian family gatherings.

Each of the dishes has been specifically tailored to bring the home-style fare of a Sunday family lunch to the skies, including the scrumptious vegetable-laden starters such as Caprese with tomato and bread salad; the tuna and saffron orzo salad, which draws inspiration from the traditional Sicilian pasta dish.

The promotional menu is available from July 2023 until June 2024 for passengers travelling in Premium Economy on selected medium- and long-haul flights departing from Hong Kong. 

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Pirata's spokesperson said by partnering exclusively with Cathay Pacific, it hopes to create brand exposure, awareness and provide an opportunity for both brands to showcase to a wider audience, and also to diversify themselves.

Vivian Lo, Cathay Pacific's general manager of customer experience and design, said: “We are very pleased to be partnering with Pirata in the premium economy to bring our customers more new and exciting culinary delights when they fly with us. This collaboration underpins our commitment to enhance the inflight customer experience by working with renowned Hong Kong dining brands that share our care and passion for delivering exceptional cuisine.” 

“This carefully curated selection of dishes channels the spirit of Italian cuisine by focusing on sophisticated simplicity, traditional flavours and quality ingredients, bringing the rich and vibrant tastes of Italy to the skies,” Lo added.  

Steen Puggaard, Pirata Group chief executive officer, said: “It's an honour to be able to bring to the skies the warmth and comfort of Italian family gatherings, which are hallmarks of our flagship restaurant, Pirata. With this specially curated menu, we hope passengers will feel and taste a sense of unity and togetherness, even at thousands of feet in the air."

“As a Hong Kong-born restaurant group, a partnership with Hong Kong's own home carrier is a milestone for us. This collaboration enables us to expand on our commitment to deliver extraordinary dining experiences beyond the walls of a traditional restaurant, creating lasting memories for travellers around the world," he added.

Opened in 2014, Pirata is Pirata Group’s flagship Italian restaurant in Wan Chai, specialising in familial regional specialties served up on large plates to share. 

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