Latest news with #CharlotteCrocker
Metro
18-05-2025
- Metro
I worked in cabin crew for 12 years — avoid these five foods on planes
Welcome to What's Cooking, Metro's food series where we find out exactly what's going on behind the scenes in the nation's kitchens. Last time, we kicked off the series by snooping through Jamie Oliver's kitchen to uncover the 'filthy' food secrets he's been hiding. This week we're rifling through Charlotte Crocker's kitchen in West Sussex. The 47-year-old mum-of-two spent 12 years working as cabin crew on long-haul flights for the likes of British Airways, Thomas Cook, Astraeus and Caledonian Airways. During that time, she travelled everywhere from Barbados to Dallas, but recently she's been working in aviation much closer to home, training up new cabin crew recruits with a real focus on mental health and wellbeing in the industry. If you've ever wondered which foods you should avoid eating on a plane and why the meals are so salty, we've got the answers. We'll also be finding out what Charlotte tucks into when she's got her feet firmly planted on the ground, including a favourite food pairing that's bound to raise a few eyebrows… Before we invade your kitchen, we want the inside scoop. What did your time as a flight attendant teach you about plane food? It's very difficult to have healthy food at 35,000 feet and there are several reasons for this. The first is that our bodies are functioning differently at that altitude, so our tastes change and the food becomes bland, so we end up having to put lots of salt and seasoning on the meals to make it taste better. If you're in economy, the frozen meals are not the greatest quality and that's because of the budget – if you want really cheap flights, you're not going to be able to have the type of food that you get in first-class, which is of a much higher standard. It's also really hard to produce decent food when you don't have a decent kitchen at 35,000 feet and this is true no matter where you're sitting. The galley in first-class is lovely but the ovens aren't actually any different to the ones down the back of the plane. Is there anything you'd never eat on a plane? Personally, I don't drink alcohol on planes as it's very dehydrating. I also try to stay away from anything fizzy as well as food that's too salty or spicy because it causes bloating and nobody wants to be unwell on a plane. I think it's unlikely you'll get food poisoning on a flight, it's more a case of using common sense when it comes to what you're eating. Cabin crew are trying their best, but it gets very busy in the galley during catering, sometimes lids get dropped and salad doesn't always get washed. So for that reason, I'd avoid any food (fruit and salad in particular) that isn't served in a sealed packet. What's the best meal to have on a flight? I used to eat the crew food and polish off whatever passengers didn't want, because it was cheaper and easier, but I soon realised this wasn't doing me any good. There's too much fat and salt in the meals and snacks – I would end up feeling absolutely horrendous. I had to reprogram myself and start taking my own food on flights. It's a complete pain to have to do meal prep, but it makes such a difference and I recommend giving it a try as it's so much better for you. You have to be careful and check what you're allowed to take through the airport and on your specific flight, but I usually opt for things like packet soups, tea bags, oatcakes and instant porridge pots. I've also taken salads on 12-hour flights in a refrigerated lunch box and eaten it at around the six-hour mark. You should be fine with anything that doesn't have too much liquid in it and won't make you ill if it's out of the fridge for a while. When you're not up in the clouds, what's your go-to dinner after work? The M25 commute from Heathrow can take a while, so I take food with me to work and eat it in the car at the end of the day. This usually includes a gluten-free bagel, some ham, a pot of mayo, carrot sticks and raw broccoli. When I get home I have a chamomile tea and go to bed. We want to know a secret. What's your ultimate guilty pleasure food? I love scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese on top of a toasted hot cross bun – with lots of butter and fresh parsley too. It was a craving I had when I was pregnant with my second child and it's still something I enjoy eating now, almost 15 years later – it's so nice. Tell us about a storecupboard item you can't live without… There's always a big glass jar filled with walnuts and raisins in the cupboard and I just dip my hand in whenever I'm going by and snack on those. My kids do the same thing too, which is interesting as it's a fairly healthy snack for two teenage boys. And is there something that always has to be in your fridge? Oat milk – even if the rest of the fridge was empty, there would be oat milk in there. I use it in everything from hot chocolate to porridge, scrambled eggs and lattes. What about the freezer, what food do you keep in there at all times? Emergency fish fingers for the kids, for those moments when you've run out of time and energy! Most of our frozen stuff comes from Tesco, as it's a lot cheaper than anywhere else near us and the quality is good. Name one ingredient you'll always be willing to splurge on? Japanese matcha powder. I'm completely addicted to it, so much so that I once paid $9 for a matcha latte at a Starbucks in LA. I still can't get over the price. It is cheaper to make it yourself at home, but I always try to get good quality matcha from an actual supplier. It has to be food-grade as I don't want to risk buying 'fake' matcha – there's a lot of that being sold online. Alternatively, which kitchen staple isn't worth splashing the cash on? More Trending There's no point spending money on ready meals. You can usually cook the same dish for less money and it tastes better too. Finally… what's been cooking in your kitchen lately? Everyone eats different things in my family, but as the weather has been nice, we've all been out in the garden so there's been sausages and steaks on the BBQ with loads of sides, plus a big jug full of freshly squeezed orange juice with lots of ice. View More » Want to take part in What's Cooking and let Metro raid your kitchen at home? Email Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: Lidl launches 59p retro bakery item so good it's making 00s kids cry MORE: 4 ways to get the best train seat without paying extra MORE: 10 unmissable Time Out deals — including £9.99 Japanese lunch set and free gift
Telegraph
19-03-2025
- Telegraph
An insider's guide to running late at the airport
We've all been there – and, by there, I mean running from a taxi to the check-in gates in a cold sweat and praying for a miracle at Bag Drop. But if you're the sort who leaves things to the last minute, bear in mind that you might need to be more organised if you plan to travel in 2025. Queues have ballooned with demand, and passengers should be aware that there's less room for late bag drop at busy airports and on difficult routes (Easyjet now closes the service 60 minutes before flights from Gatwick and Lisbon for example). Meanwhile, many airports don't announce flights any more, so the onus is on passengers to check the screens regularly or use apps. 'It's going to be busy this summer, everybody wants to go on holiday because we've had a rubbish winter,' adds airline captain, speaker and author Emma Henderson. 'My advice would always be, turn up early. And then, when you get to the airport, if you are prone to wandering around shops or sitting in bars and missing things, set an alarm on your phone for when it's time to go to the boarding gate.' But no matter how prepared you are, things can go wrong – accidents shutting the motorway, trains being cancelled or taxis breaking down. Industry estimates suggest that between 5 and 10 per cent of passengers don't end up boarding (though some of these may be business travellers whose schedules have changed). So, if the worst happens, what can you do? We asked the experts, and they revealed all. What if there's an unforeseen delay on the journey to the airport? 'Depending on circumstances, there will be a limit to what [your airline rep] can do,' says cabin crew trainer Charlotte Crocker. 'If there is a major incident that affects lots of passengers – so if the M25 was gridlocked and most of the passengers were delayed – the airline might potentially be able to delay the flight a little. But this would be in exceptional circumstances, and it wouldn't apply if it's just you who is late, whatever the reason.' If you haven't checked in and are likely to arrive with less than an hour to spare, it's time to make alternative plans. 'A seat would normally be reassigned 60 minutes before departure, or 50 minutes for our Upper Class passengers, when check-in closes,' says Virgin Atlantic customer service agent Nicola Anderson. The first thing to do is contact the airline and discuss options, so that you arrive at the airport primed for polite negotiation with its staff (your attitude will make all the difference to how amenable they might be, according to the experts we canvassed). Whatever you do, don't turn around and head home. 'If a passenger misses their flight for any reason, they must still go to the airport on the day of departure and present themselves to our airport staff, to rebook,' says Anderson. Otherwise, they may fall foul of a no-show cancellation policy. Used by many airlines, these mean that any onward flights and the return leg of a trip will be automatically voided unless the airline is aware that a passenger has unintentionally missed their outbound journey. Do I have to pay for a new flight? Probably. 'Rebooking fees vary and there are time limits, but at least if you are heading to the airport, you still have a chance of getting to your destination,' says Crocker. Your ticket status and the time left before take-off will determine exactly how much it will cost. Low-cost airlines usually let you switch flights until between two and three hours before departure (although this may incur a fee). It's also worth checking your travel insurance policy. With missed flight cover, you may be able to claim in the event of motorway closures, train delays or weather events. Can I skip the queue at check-in? Officially no, though check-in staff sometimes shout out for passengers on flights that are closing soon. It's also worth trying your luck at the priority desks, even if these are designated for other classes of passengers. Anecdotally, some places may be more relaxed than others about closing the desks. 'My experience of travelling around Europe and a little bit around America is that it does depend very much on the airport,' says Henderson. What about security? You've just about made it through the first phase, but the security queues look prohibitively long. What are the options? In some airports, you can buy fast-track access from your phone or directly at the entrance to security – worth a try if it looks as though you won't get through the usual channels in time. Security staff are not obligated to help late passengers and, at a busy airport, will be focused on processing people and luggage. If they won't help, it's worth testing the goodwill of others in the queue. Be polite, explain the situation and ask if you can jump ahead – most people will be sympathetic. As for the chance of a missed-flight refund: 'If you miss a flight due to a long queue at security, even though you arrived at the airport on time, it is unlikely that an airline would pay compensation or consider itself obliged to offer you a free alternative flight. We are pleased to see that some airlines are helping their passengers find alternative flights voluntarily,' says the UK's Civil Aviation Authority website. Do I need to go straight to the gate when called? Turnaround times for flights have shortened considerably over the years. In the case of low-cost European flights, there's now only about 25 minutes to off-load passengers and baggage, clean and then board the new passengers and baggage. That's one of the reasons that you don't always see the staggered boarding messages that used to be standard ('gate information in 15 minutes'; 'go to gate'; 'final boarding', etc) and it means there may be a little wiggle room – although it's probably best not to test the theory. 'The gate closes 30 minutes before departure for international flights but can be held open for a short while if a passenger is on their way and nearby or has additional requirements,' says Anderson. The chances of being allowed to board are greater with checked baggage. 'It is quicker to get [late passengers] on board than it is to search for their bags and offload those,' explains Henderson. Ultimately though, the choice to let a late passenger on the plane is at the captain's discretion. 'I'm not going to be mean about it and say, 'well, you're at the gate, but I'm not going to let you on board because I'm going to make the rest of the flight wait for your baggage to be found',' says Henderson. 'Most captains would be the same, but you do get the occasional jobs-worth who says, 'No, rules is rules'. And sometimes you don't even get the choice, because the gate staff make a decision.' When is the final cut-off point? Once the doors to the cabin are closed, it's all over – even if the plane remains on the runway for a while. 'The final paperwork is sent as the gate closes,' explains former pilot and Cockpit Method founder Paul Green. 'We are given a load sheet that tells us the aircraft is balanced for take off. If you let a passenger on at the last minute, that paperwork becomes inaccurate. On some of the smaller aircraft I have flown, this can make a significant impact.' What happens if I'm stranded in departures? If you've been through security but failed to make your flight, you're in the No Man's Land between Duty Free and the plane. From there, you'll be shown how to exit the airport and, frustratingly, will need to go through passport control and security – despite not having been anywhere at all.
