Virgin Atlantic has just announced a refresh of its onboard menu for Spring/Summer 2026, with new dishes rolling out across the network from tomorrow (6 May). It is a seasonal refresh on paper, but a few things stood out to me as a Flying Club Gold member: the much-loved Upper Class sticky toffee pudding is back, the new Seoul route gets a completely bespoke menu, and the drinks trolley is leaning hard into 'Best of British' with two English wines headlining the Upper Class wine list.
Here is the breakdown of what is new across each cabin, the Heathrow Clubhouse update, and a few thoughts on whether the Virgin soft product is keeping pace with the cabin and connectivity upgrades the airline has been rolling out this year.
Upper Class: sticky toffee pudding is back
For Upper Class regulars, the headline is the return of the sticky toffee pudding. It is one of those dishes Virgin reviewers and forum regulars consistently rate as the best dessert in the cabin, so I am glad it is back rather than being quietly retired.
Beyond that, the new Upper Class mains are:
Truffle and garlic-stuffed chicken with a panko coating and summer greens
Chilli and lime roasted salmon with potato gratin
Pea tortellini with pistachio and mint pesto cream
A buttermilk chicken burger in a brioche bun with pickles, sriracha ketchup and Cajun-spiced wedges
Crispy tofu with XO sauce, jasmine rice and pineapple salsa for vegan travellers
For dessert there is a new white chocolate and passion fruit bavarois alongside the returning sticky toffee.
The chicken burger is the addition I am most curious about. It is the kind of dish that often sounds better on paper than it tastes at 38,000 feet, but Virgin has form for getting the simpler comfort options right.
Premium gets what reads like the most pub-friendly menu of the three cabins:
Truffle macaroni cheese with wild mushrooms and garlic crumb
Dill-roasted salmon with smashed minted peas and crushed parsley potatoes
Herb chicken mini pie with mash, broccoli and rosemary jus
Premium continues to punch above its weight on Virgin in my opinion. The cabin pricing and the catering both feel closer to a hybrid of business and economy than a simple bigger seat, and a herb chicken pie is exactly the kind of dish that would not feel out of place a cabin up.
Economy: pizza stays, Mile High Tea refreshed
Economy customers get two new mains:
Chicken with lemon and herb crème fraiche, served with potatoes, peas and beans
Mafaldine pasta in a rich tomato sauce with a golden cheese crumb
Crucially, the mid-flight pizza stays. That is the right call. It became a defining touch of the Virgin economy experience, and removing it would have been a mistake. The Mile High Tea also gets a refresh later this season with a new cake.
This is the bit I find most interesting from a route strategy perspective. Virgin only recently launched its Seoul route, and rather than slot it into the standard Asia menu, the airline has built a bespoke set of dishes designed around the destination.
Outbound highlights:
Jjim-spiced seabass in Upper Class and Premium
Korean barbecue chicken rice bowl with stir-fried Asian greens in Economy
A mid-flight dumpling and tofu roll snack
On the return, vegetable bibimbap features in the entrée selection.
The drinks side gets two route-specific cocktails: the Seoul Highball (Aberfeldy whisky, ginger ale, lime) and a Soju Mojito made with Fever-Tree Mojito Mixer. Soju is available exclusively in Upper Class, alongside jasmine green tea across all cabins.
This is a smart move. New routes often live or die in their first 18 months, and small touches like a regional menu help reinforce the airline's commitment to the destination, which matters if you are weighing up using Virgin Points to fly there.
Best of British: English wine, English brandy, English cider
The drinks trolley has had a noticeable lean towards British producers this season. The standout additions are two English wines from West Sussex headlining the Upper Class list, plus a single-estate British apple cider and a Walthamstow-distilled brandy.
NV High Weald Bacchus and Pinot Gris Blend (Upper Class, May to July)
2025 Bolney Estate Bacchus (Upper Class, August to October)
Gravity Theory Cider, a 100% single-estate British apple cider, from June
Burnt Faith British Brandy, distilled in Walthamstow, returns to the lineup
Bacardi Spiced is added across all cabins
Trip Cherry Lemon and Pentire Coastal Spritz join the alcohol-free 'Mindful Sips' range
Twinings adds the viral 'Glow' tea in Upper Class and Premium
If you have ever flown a competitor and found the wine list dominated by cheap French and Australian options, this lineup is a meaningful step up. The two English wines in particular are the kind of thing you cannot just pour at home, which makes them feel like more of an event.
Heathrow Clubhouse refresh
The recently refurbished Heathrow Clubhouse also gets a seasonal update with à la carte dishes including chicken makhani, roast bream with spring greens and champagne lemon sauce, a Thai green chickpea curry, and a sourdough flatbread topped with mozzarella, prosciutto and sunblushed tomatoes. Small plates include Korean chicken wings, hoisin duck lettuce wraps and prawn tacos.
If you are flying Upper Class out of Heathrow, allow yourself the extra 30 minutes. The Clubhouse has been on form lately and the new menu reads well. If you are unsure how long to budget for the airport itself, Flight Queue has live security and immigration wait times for Heathrow.
My take
I have been moderately critical of Virgin Atlantic on a few points this year, particularly around Flying Club dynamic pricing on Upper Class redemptions. But the soft product genuinely is one of the things keeping Virgin competitive on transatlantic and Asia routes.
A refreshed menu on its own does not move the needle for Flying Club members weighing up where to spend their points. But it is part of a wider pattern. Virgin has rolled out Starlink wifi across the fleet, expanded its Asia network with the new Phuket route, launched Seoul, and is quietly investing in the catering. Stack those together and the Upper Class redemption case looks better than it did 18 months ago.
If you are still building Virgin Points, our guide to the Virgin Atlantic credit cards covers the main UK earning options.
The new menu rolls out across the network from tomorrow. Let me know what you make of the chicken burger.