Dnata Highlights Microgarden Concept and Special Meals at WTCE

dnata Catering & Retail is showcasing a live microgarden installation at the 2026 World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo in Hamburg, using the display to highlight how freshness, sustainability and menu innovation are influencing onboard dining.

The installation is modeled after dnata’s catering facility in Melbourne, where culinary teams grow select herbs onsite for menu development. Since launching in 2025, the microgarden initiative has supported more than a dozen menu presentations and helped improve freshness, reduce waste and expand menu creativity, according to the company.

dnata said herbs grown in Melbourne are harvested daily and used in dishes served to 26 airline customers. Following that rollout, the company plans to expand the microherb concept to Brisbane, Sydney and Perth in 2026.

At WTCE, being held April 14-16 in Hamburg, Germany, dnata’s display includes a 96-punnet microgarden cabinet designed to show how freshly harvested ingredients can be incorporated into menu design. The company said about 60 dishes have already been influenced by the concept.

“As passenger expectations continue to evolve, airlines are placing greater emphasis on freshness, creativity and inclusivity in onboard dining,” Robin Padgett, CEO of dnata Catering & Retail, said in a statement.

Alongside the microgarden, dnata is also highlighting its special meals capabilities, reflecting airline demand for catering that supports a wider range of dietary, cultural and lifestyle requirements. The company currently supports 20 special meal categories.

The WTCE presentation includes a range of dishes intended to demonstrate the culinary and operational precision needed to deliver special meals at scale.

dnata is also using the event to highlight its onboard retail business, which it said supports five major airline retail programs globally. According to the company, it manages more than $200 million in retail stock and powers more than 40 million transactions annually through those programs.

The WTCE showcase underscores how airline catering providers are balancing culinary differentiation with the operational consistency needed to serve passengers across large networks.