LIFT is elevating its Premium inflight dining experience with the launch of its new summer menu from 22 October, bringing together vibrant flavours, familiar favourites and creative twists designed to make every journey that little bit more special. Eight months into its partnership with Siyathemba Catering, LIFT has used valuable traveller feedback to refine its onboard offering, with a renewed focus on variety, quality and attention to detail. The new menu builds on the progressive reintroduction of heated meals, with approximately 80% of lunch and dinner options now served hot, alongside a fully heated breakfast offering.
“We wanted to create a menu that feels considered in every detail, from the flavours and presentation to the balance of comfort and creativity. Traveller feedback has been invaluable in shaping this next chapter of our onboard offering. Whether it’s a familiar favourite with a fresh twist or a vegetarian dish that stands out in its own right, the aim is to make dining onboard something our travellers genuinely look forward to,” says Ryno Mocke, Onboard Product Specialist at LIFT.
The summer menu features 15 meal options across five rotating menu cycles, which change every Thursday. This is done to accommodate our frequent travellers to ensure they’re enjoying a variety. Highlights include tender fillet steak, chicken biryani and smoked chicken creations, alongside inventive desserts such as Biscoff-inspired milk tart and Black Forest pudding.
For LIFT, the new menu is another step in challenging expectations of domestic airline dining and delivering a premium experience, regardless of flight duration. By celebrating South African flavours and culinary creativity while focusing on the finer details, LIFT aims to create moments of surprise and delight that make every journey memorable.
Vegetarian dishes are equally considered, with options including cheese tortellini with butternut, feta and pomegranate, and panko-crusted halloumi skewers. Breakfast favourites include savoury cornbread muffins with grilled baby marrow, provolone and onion marmalade, as well as a chilli-crunch omelette with potato discs and creamy cheese sauce.
The offering is complemented by a premium selection of South African wines and a curated range of local and international spirits, ensuring the experience extends beyond the plate.
Arno Boshoff, Executive Head Chef at Siyathemba Catering elaborates, “For me, menu development is about creating dishes that people remember. Every element, from flavour combinations and textures to colour and presentation, needs to work together to create a complete experience. With this menu, we’ve taken familiar flavours and given them a creative twist, balancing comfort with something unexpected.” “This approach comes to life in dishes such as the breakfast crêpe parcels with poached apples, cinnamon, beetroot-infused cream cheese and ginger biscuit crumble, which combine comforting flavours with contemporary presentation. The chicken roulade, served with seasonal vegetables, similarly showcases the focus on thoughtful preparation, balanced flavours and visual appeal that underpins the new Premium menu,” explains Boshoff.
The new menu also celebrates LIFT’s partnerships with a host of local and international brands, including SAB, DGB, Dilmah, Vida and Krispy Kreme, among others.
“We know that even the little things can make a big difference to how you experience a flight, and that’s exactly what we wanted to capture with our new Premium menu and beverage offering,” says Haydn Halim-Henning, Brand Manager at LIFT. “We’ve brought together brands our customers know and love, alongside a few special touches, to create something that feels distinctly LIFT – uncomplicated, enjoyable and with a little bit of personality. We’re looking forward to welcoming our Premium travellers onboard and letting them explore the new options.”
The new LIFT Premium menu takes off from 22 October 2026, giving passengers one more reason to sit back, relax and enjoy the ride
