British Airways shakes up its on-flight menu as it becomes first airline to serve new drink option

Sarra Gray
Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:52:53 +0000

British Airways is giving its drinks menu a shake-up, expanding its partnership with London coffee brand Grind to serve a specially crafted blend across premium cabins and lounges worldwide.

The airline has become the first to serve Grind in the skies, with a bespoke coffee designed specifically for optimal taste at 35,000 feet.

Coffee proved massively popular with passengers last year, with more than 90 tonnes served on board and in lounges.

The exclusive blend was co-created by Tim Jackson, British Airways' Master of Wine, who oversees the airline's drinks portfolio, alongside Grind's Head of Coffee, Howard Gill.

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It is made from an equal mix of beans from three Brazilian estates, delivering a smoky, full-bodied cup using speciality-grade Arabica. Expect tasting notes of dark chocolate, hazelnut and toasted pecan.

Passengers in Club Europe and Club World will enjoy this new blend, while those flying First get Grind's popular dark roast espresso-based coffee with notes of chocolate, almond and caramel. The same dark roast will be available throughout UK lounges, where travellers can choose from self-serve barista-style options.

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Jackson said: "We're proud to be the first airline to serve Grind in the skies and take our partnership further by bringing this Shoreditch-born favourite to millions of customers travelling to more than 200 destinations worldwide.

"The dark roast blends have been carefully selected to suit every stage of the journey, whether that's a welcome caffeine boost while working in our lounges, awakening the senses in the air or offering a comforting cup ahead of landing. It's another step in championing British quality as we continue to elevate our beverage portfolio, with more to come as part of our multi-million-pound investment this year."

Founder and CEO of Grind, David Abrahamovitch, added: "We are incredibly proud to extend our partnership with British Airways, an iconic British brand that represents the very best of British quality and service - values that are deeply important to us as a fellow London-born, British brand.

"For Grind to go from a single café in Shoreditch to the premium coffee partner for British Airways globally in a little over a decade is a huge moment for our team. We've had an incredible two years on board European flights already, and we hope that British Airways customers in lounges and on board long-haul flights will love the new blends we have created just as much."

The coffee partnership sits alongside a broader overhaul of the airline's drinks offering. Earlier this year, British Airways launched an upgraded wine programme with some brilliant additions, including Rock Angel – previously exclusive to First – now available in Club World.

Each quarter, the airline spotlights a different destination to bring variety to premium passengers. This season, it's all about Lisbon and Southern Portugal, featuring wines like Herdade do Mouchão in First and Cartuxa Colheita Branco Évora in Club World.

First class passengers can also enjoy rotating prestige Champagnes, with Charles Heidsieck's Blanc des Millénaires and Rare kicking off the year.