Fivestar Gourmet: Sky-High Culinary Excellence

For many travelers, the food and beverage experience is an essential part of a trip. With Fivestar Gourmet, Pentastar ensures elevated dining options through our full-service executive kitchen facility, with the ability to deliver stand-out in-flight meals for clients and flight crews.

The team at Fivestar proudly creates culinary delights with premium ingredients, brought to life through the exceptional service that defines Pentastar and is regularly recognized as the best in the industry. Just as travel happens at all times of day, so does Fivestar’s prep and delivery. Our extensive menu includes everything from traditional breakfast fare, salads, and sandwiches to finely curated snack trays and decadent desserts.

Catering Supervisor Jackie Gawne and Vice President of FBO Services Ben Hammond share a behind-the-scenes look at how Fivestar contributes to the customer experience with delicious and memorable dining.

Responses have been edited for clarity.

How does Fivestar Gourmet differentiate itself from other executive kitchen services in the aviation industry?

Ben: What we do is very specialized to match our commitment to service. We take great care with our attention to detail as part of every trip we bring to life for our customers, and this comes through with Fivestar in our plating and presentation. Every flight can expect that intricate level of service from our team.

Jackie: It’s such a fun part of the work we do to create masterpieces for someone, and have them look at it and say, “Wow, this looks amazing, I hope it tastes as good as it looks.” Of course, it tastes as good as it looks! Working at Pentastar has reignited my love of cooking again, after a long career in different catering roles, because we are focused on the artistry of food and cooking. The presentation is a big part of that, because we take those extra steps to make everything look amazing. We have fresh, edible flowers for garnishes, as an example. We go to great lengths to make sure that everything is presented beautifully and that is like icing on the cake.

Ben: Quality is important to us at Fivestar, too. We are creating dishes from scratch that are going to be significantly better quality than most places you’re ordering from, especially in aviation.

How do you tailor your menu offerings to the specific needs of clients and flight crews?

Jackie: We have a large menu for our customers to choose from, items that we are always stocked for and can deliver. We’ve also found that people like to create their own menus, because they like what they like, and we’re happy to adapt to meet their needs and make their trip that much smoother. With that comes some additional prep and shopping.

Everyone in our kitchen has such a passion for what we do, and we love to be challenged with things we’ve never done before. Our team has opportunities to sample different ingredients, different flavors, and different cooking techniques, so we are always learning and evolving in our kitchen to create what our clients are craving. Every day is different for us.

Ben: Our customer base makes the meal selection and preparation piece interesting for our team. Some requests are more straightforward, but there are always deviations from our standard menu. For example, in addition to that customer-facing menu, we have a menu specifically tailored to crews. Our client list also includes professional sports franchises, who are ordering 50 or 60 meals at a time and have more complex nutritional needs.

What are the logistics involved in delivering meals to different FBOs and other locations?

Ben: Occasionally, we receive orders at the last minute, as people are finalizing their travel plans. When this happens, our line department will step up and take deliveries for us, so that we can best serve all of our customers no matter what their needs might be. If we receive an order at 10 p.m. for 5 or 6 a.m. the next morning, we find a way to make it happen, and it’s easier when we are well-stocked and well-staffed. We have a team culture where everyone is willing to step up.

Jackie: We also have equipment that makes all of our meal delivery possible. When we are transporting meals to other locations like Flint, Detroit, Lansing, or Toledo, we have a refrigerated van that keeps food at the food at an appropriate temperature and contained in a special area. We also use insulated bags. One of the nicest pieces of equipment in our actual kitchen is our blast chiller, which helps us to ensure we are meeting the requirements and regulations that come with preparing and serving food. With the blast chiller, we’re able to deliver food more quickly, which is important for travel schedules, but it’s still safe and precise.

Something we are proud of is our focus on food safety, from the start of preparation to the very end when it reaches the client. Our meals are going overseas and all around the world, which is a point of pride. We work with the crews to show them what we can offer and how we can make accommodations for space and their needs.

Are there any trends you’re seeing?

Jackie: Since it’s fall, we’re having people ask for things like pumpkin and squash. However, over the last four months, one of the biggest trends is charcuterie. I thought it was more popular last year, but we have been selling quite a bit of them, and customers will add extras to them like sandwiches to turn them into grazing trays rather than a typical snack plate. It becomes a great selection because you get a taste of everything and you can customize it, without it being too much.