Chocolate dipped pretzels and almonds, tangy lemon meringue coated popcorn and crunchy dried cheese will be coming to a plane near you, as Air New Zealand reveals its newest snack selection.

The airline has been on the hunt for the most mouth-watering treats to satisfy customers’ cravings at 33,000 feet, with 400 passionate suppliers from around the country bringing their creations to the table.

Last month it put out a call for a group of snacksperts to help it make the final decision and five out of a staggering 9000 applicants were chosen as taste testers, with their feedback helping narrow down the list.

The 14 chosen suppliers and their snacks hail from regions around the country, from Canterbury, Nelson, Hawke’s Bay to the Eastern Bay of Plenty and Waikato.

“Throughout this whole process, we’ve been amazed by the quality and calibre of suppliers, whether they’re a social enterprise wanting to help a worthy cause, or a family run business trying to highlight the best local produce – we’ve been extremely impressed and making a decision hasn’t been easy,” says Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty.

“We want to give our customers a fantastic experience from the moment they are welcomed aboard our aircraft, and that includes having a variety of snacks to satisfy sweet tooths and savory lovers alike.”

The new snacks will be rolled out on a variety of different domestic and international routes, across various cabins, with the first snack, Skinny Dipped Almonds and nut and chocolate blends, due to land on domestic flights in December.

These will be mixed in with some of the airline’s existing snacks that customers have told us they enjoy.

“Customer feedback has also told us that there are some existing snack options that are really popular and loved, so we’ve also decided to keep them onboard for the next few years. The beloved cookie isn’t going anywhere, though customers can expect to see them mix up their flavors from later next year, whether it’s pavlova or “chocolate fish n chip”, there will be plenty of choice for customers onboard.”

Crisps are also staying on, so customers will have a huge range of tasty treats to choose over the coming months and years.

“We know just how passionate New Zealanders are about all things snacks, so we’ve really tried to mix it up with some unusual flavors and textures – from freeze dried cheese to lemon, white chocolate and popcorn flavor combinations, we wanted to be a bit playful with some of the snack options.”

“We’re really excited by the snacks we’ve selected, and we hope our customers love them as much as we do!

Apart from bursting with flavour, the snacks that have been chosen had to meet key requirements, for example, options that can be served without heating and are easy and light to transport.

“There’s been a huge amount of work behind the scenes, and we want to thank all the suppliers from around the country who were part of our EOI process.”