Serving Up a Fresh Perspective on Airline Food Service

MILWAUKEE, Sept. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The executive chef responsible for Midwest Airlines’ highly acclaimed Best Care Cuisine dining service will participate in the Center for Hospitality Research’s inaugural Food Safety and Nutrition Roundtable on September 21 at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration in Ithaca, N.Y. Chef Shawn Monroe has served as corporate executive chef at Milwaukee’s landmark Mader’s Restaurant since 2002, where he revamped Mader’s menu to match his fresh and local cuisine choices. Midwest partnered with Chef Monroe to redesign its onboard menu in 2005.

The day-long roundtable will bring Cornell faculty and 20-25 key food service industry experts together. Chef Monroe will be the only airline representative at the roundtable and will participate in the “Fresh, Whole, Local, Environmentally Sustainable Foods” session. The session will focus on the practicality of using sustainable foods in large-scale operations such as airlines, large resorts and the grocery sector.

“We are thrilled to have Chef Shawn Monroe representing the airline industry at our event,” said Mary Tabacchi, Cornell University associate professor. “Midwest Airlines is a wonderful example of a company committed to offering the traveling public fresh and local onboard meal choices when traveling and without outsourcing — a key differentiator that separates them in the airline industry.”

Chef Monroe oversees Milwaukee-based Midwest Airlines’ Best Care Cuisine program, which defies standard airline industry fare by offering freshly prepared, made-from-scratch meals that incorporate Asian, South American and European influences. Among the flavorful selections currently featured on Midwest flights are stuffed crepes, grilled chicken fajitas and soy-ginger glazed salmon, with prices ranging from $5.50 to $10.

Under Chef Monroe’s direction, Midwest’s dining service centers in Milwaukee and Kansas City prepare approximately 3,000 meals daily. All food is made from scratch. Bread, rolls and panini (400,000 annually) and bakery items (130,000 muffins, croissants and pastries) are homemade, as are the 15,000 gallons of soups, salad dressings and salsas served onboard each year. On an annual basis, the Midwest kitchens use nearly 80,000 eggs, a ton of fresh herbs and 75,000 pounds of fresh fruit — which is purchased whole and cut by hand to be used in recipes and side dishes.

A culinary professional who has been at home in the kitchen since childhood, Chef Monroe fuels his efforts with creative spirit. He began his career as a sous chef at Pierce’s 1894 Restaurant and Country Club of Ithaca, a four-star/four diamond restaurant, before being appointed executive chef at El Coyote Loco/Poco Loco — where he perfected his expertise in southwestern cuisine. In 1997, he joined Cornell University, where he trained prospective chefs at the School of Hotel Management. He has also served as executive chef for the Plaza Restaurant, Longboat Key, Fla. and Bon Appetit, Rochester, N.Y. He has worked with leading chefs such as Emeril Lagasse and Wolfgang Puck, appeared on $40 a Day with Rachael Ray, and cooked for celebrities and politicians.

Visit http://www.midwestairlines.com/ for more information about Midwest’s Best Care Cuisine program.

Midwest Airlines features jet service throughout the United States, including Milwaukee’s most daily nonstop flights and best schedule to major destinations. Catering to business travelers and discerning leisure travelers, the airline earned its reputation as “The best care in the air” by providing passengers with impeccable service and onboard amenities at competitive fares. Both Skyway Airlines, Inc. — a wholly owned subsidiary of Midwest Airlines — and SkyWest Airlines, Inc. operate as Midwest Connect and offer service to and connections through Midwest Airlines’ hubs. Together, the airlines offer service to 53 cities. More information is available at http://www.midwestairlines.com/.

Midwest Airlines

CONTACT: Media, Carol Skornicka, +1-414-570-3980, cell, +1-414-303-6516,Carol.Skornicka@midwestairlines.com, or Analyst-Investor Inquiries, DennisO’Reilly, +1-414-570-3954, Dennis.O’Reilly@midwestairlines.com, both ofMidwest Airlines

Web site: http://www.midwestairlines.com/