Brussels Airlines takes off with new Star Chef Arabelle Meirlaen

As from early 2025, Business Class guests on long-haul flights will discover the chef’s cuisine

13/12/24

Brussels, December 13^th, 2024 - From January 2025, Business Class passengers on Brussels Airlines' long-haul flights will enjoy a new gastronomic experience. The menu has been carefully concocted by Michelin-starred chef Arabelle Meirlaen, of the eponymous restaurant in Marchin. She becomes the fifteenth Michelin-starred chef in a series of Belgian top chefs, with whom the airline has been delighting its passengers with exquisite cuisine since 2013. The star chef from the province of Liège succeeds to chef Michaël Vrijmoed.

Arabelle Meirlaen began her culinary career in January 1999 at the ‘Grand Place’ of Huy in the small restaurant ‘Li Cwerneu’. In September 2013, with her partner Pierre Thirifays, she moved the restaurant to their bright house in Marchin in the province of Liège, where her vegetable garden is located.
Chef Meirlaen - who is the first woman to be voted Chef of the Year 2014 by Gault&Millau - creates beautiful, crisp, feminine cuisine featuring sumptuous dishes concocted with the seasons in mind.

"Brussels Airlines is proud to be Belgium’s flying ambassador, showcasing the best our country has to offer. Onboard, we bring passengers the flavors of Belgium through carefully crafted cuisine. We’re excited to partner with Chef Arabelle Meirlaen, whose creative and intuitive approach highlights the beauty of vegetables and spices. Starting this January, her seasonal menus will rotate every three months. Passengers will also enjoy a selection of regional beers, including a special seasonal brew ‘Arabelle’ created by our Star Chef herself."
- Philip Mortier, Inflight Product Manager, Brussels Airlines

Flying the best of Belgium around the world
Arabelle Meirlaen is a Michelin-starred chef and holds the distinction of being the longest-standing female starred chef in Belgium. In addition to her one star, she has also earned the Michelin Green Star, recognizing chefs who champion sustainability through resource preservation, biodiversity, reducing food waste, and reducing the reliance on non-renewable energy.

"My philosophy is rooted in creating wholesome and healthy food. The garden is my endless source of inspiration, where nature’s beauty shapes my vision. To me, cooking mirrors life itself: vibrant, flavorful, textured, and infused with love and deep emotion. It’s my heartfelt wish that every Brussels Airlines guest experiences that as well. Becoming part of the airline’s prestigious tradition of Star Chefs isn’t just an honor - it’s the fulfillment of a personal dream. I’m thrilled to share this journey and my passion with travelers from around the world."
- Arabelle Meirlaen

About Brussels Airlines’ Star Chef
What started more than ten years ago with gourmet menus by Michelin-starred chef Geert Van Hecke has grown into a true tradition for travelers on intercontinental flights with Brussels Airlines. A Belgian Star Chef is invited to create a three-course menu based on typically Belgian recipes and ingredients. As in previous years, the accompanying Belgian and international wines are carefully chosen by Master of Wine, Jan De Clercq and beer sommelier Sofie Vanrafelghem selected the Belgian, local beers.

Discover Arabelle Meirlaen’s menu for the first quarter of 2025, here: