, a global well-being company operating across various sectors, has joined forces with Emirates Flight Catering to introduce a premium range of on-the-go meals. In line with the UAE government’s focus on promoting healthy eating habits, this collaboration aims to offer consumers convenient and nutritious food choices. This marks the first-ever partnership between Emirates Flight Catering and a retail giant to supply ready-to-go meals.
GMG’s Everyday Goods – Retail division has teamed up with Emirates Flight Catering to provide freshly made food to GMG’s network of retail stores nationwide. The UAE’s diverse population, comprising locals and expatriates from different countries, has inspired GMG and Emirates Flight Catering to create a tailored food range that exceeds customer expectations for ready-to-eat meals. The partnership signifies Everyday Goods – Retail’s commitment to innovation in food products that enhance the customer experience. Both companies plan to expand the meal range across stores and introduce new categories based on customer needs.
The demand for ready-to-go meals in the UAE has been rapidly increasing due to factors such as urbanization, changing demographics, and a growing number of working professionals and expatriates. These meals are carefully crafted using high-quality ingredients, with a menu curated by experienced chefs from Emirates Flight Catering. The packaging for the meals is made from recyclable materials, reflecting GMG’s dedication to sustainable food packaging. The partners will continuously gather customer feedback to improve existing meals and develop new ones.
Emirates Flight Catering is playing a vital role in supporting Everyday Goods’ on-ground store teams by providing training in food preparation and customer service. Some ingredients for the meals will be sourced from Bustanica, the world’s largest hydroponic farm established through a joint venture between Emirates Flight Catering and Crop One Holdings Inc. This state-of-the-art facility spans 330,000 square feet and utilizes technology-driven indoor vertical farming to produce over 1,000,000 kilograms of high-quality leafy greens annually, while significantly conserving water compared to conventional agriculture.
Convenience is a key driver in the demand for ready-to-go meals, but there is also a growing interest in healthier and more nutritious options. Consumers are increasingly seeking meals that cater to their dietary preferences. The UAE’s ready-to-go meal sector reflects this diversity by offering a wide range of international cuisine options. Through this partnership, GMG aims to add value to this sector.
Mahmood Ameen, CEO of Emirates Flight Catering, expressed the significance of this collaboration as a strategic step for the company to expand its exceptional food solutions beyond aviation and events catering. The multinational team of talented chefs at Emirates Flight Catering has closely collaborated with GMG to develop a fresh and convenient range of ready-to-go meals that cater to the preferences of a diverse customer base. The meals, including sandwiches, salads, and poke bowls, are freshly prepared daily in Emirates Flight Catering’s kitchens using the finest ingredients and immediately delivered to GMG stores.
Emirates Flight Catering currently produces an average of 200,000 meals daily across all its business verticals, and this number is expected to increase in 2023. The company looks forward to growing its partnership with GMG, as both entities share a commitment to culinary excellence, innovation, and meeting customers’ evolving needs and preferences.
Everyday Goods encompasses GMG’s home-grown food brands, food retail stores, and distributed brands, covering the entire food consumption chain from farm to fork. It includes a wide range of products such as meat, seafood, Himalayan pink salt, herbs and spices, sausages and cold cuts, butchery, marination, and renowned brands like Farm Fresh, Chef’s Choice, Klassic, Sapora, Noor Al Islami, RUH, and Quality 1st Choice. GMG’s supermarket brands, including Géant, Franprix, Monoprix, monop, and the recent acquisition aswaaq, cater to the diverse needs of UAE consumers.