Ready-to-eat chain Bon to serve over 450,000 sandwiches on Brussels Airlines flights

The Belgian chain Bon, in which the Colruyt Group is the majority shareholder, is opening a new production line in its kitchens to meet the demands of its new, large-scale partnership.

"We developed more than 40 recipes before reaching the final selection: sandwiches that remain true to our promise of freshness and artisanal preparation, while being perfectly adapted to an onboard service," explains Bert Gillis, Commercial Director of Bon—the ready-to-eat chain in which retailer Colruyt became a 55% majority shareholder last year. "Passengers will always be able to choose from four different sandwiches, with an offering that will change several times a year."

Bon's filled rolls will take flight on June 1st in Economy Class on all European Brussels Airlines flights. In terms of volume, this represents more than 450,000 sandwiches annually. To meet this demand, the young chain is opening a dedicated production line in its kitchens, which will employ nine people.

Tripling the Number of Points of Sale in 6 Years

Launched in 2015 by the co-founder of the Guapa fruit juice bars, the brand positioned itself in the ready-to-eat market (salads, sandwiches, desserts, and juices) which it describes as gourmet, while also focusing on homemade items, prioritizing local sourcing and seasonal produce for its recipes.

Thanks to Colruyt acquiring a stake in August 2024 and the structural support of the retailer, Bon has expanded to become a chain with 17 points of sale on the Belgian market today. For the past few months, the company has also been supplying meals to 50 of the 145 Okay stores. While still operating at a loss, Bon aims to break even next year and is pursuing a sustained expansion plan, with management now setting a target of over 50 points of sale by 2032.

The Taste of an Identity

"With Bon, we remain true to our DNA: premium quality and Belgian character," enthuses Thibaut Dewilde, Head of Inflight Management at Brussels Airlines. "We are also proud to be able to once again support a strong Belgian brand in the development of its ambitious growth projects."

Over the years, the airline has developed collaborations with national brands such as Neuhaus, Spa, Lotus, and Rombouts, while also supporting local talents. Take Ralph & Roxy's, for example, a small ice cream parlor from Nodebais in Walloon Brabant, whose mission since last April has been to supply ice cream cups to all long-haul flights. This amounts to 420,000 units per year.

As a reminder, ten years ago, another Belgian chain of meals intended to be high-quality had specifically created for Brussels Airlines an extensive range of hot meals for flights lasting more than two hours, and salads or cold snacks for shorter routes: Foodmaker. When asked about the potential coexistence of the two very similar Belgian brands, the airline confirmed to us that its partnership with Bon marked the end of the collaboration with Lieven Vanlommel's fast-good chain.

High-Flying Belgian Cuisine

The airline, deeply invested in its role as an ambassador of "Belgitude", has made it a tradition to bring this black-yellow-red touch straight into its catering offer.

"When people think of Belgium and a Belgian airline, they probably immediately think of beer or chocolate. And of course, we have that on board," commented Michel Moriaux, Head of Product and Marketing at Brussels Airlines at the time of the launch of the "a little piece of Belgium in the air" campaign in January 2025.

Furthermore, since 2013, Brussels Airlines' Star Chef program has been creating a culinary experience for Business Class passengers on intercontinental flights in collaboration with Michelin-starred Belgian chefs. This year, the two-star chef Glenn Verhasselt from the restaurant Sir Kwinten in Lennik succeeded the starred chef of her eponymous restaurant, Arabelle Meirlaen.