KMER / MER · Merced · United States

Private jet catering at Castle Airport (KMER / MER), Merced

Catering to your aircraft in Merced.

At KMER the ramp is open and the sky is wide, and a flight attendant can see the aircraft from the FBO door. We pack for the cabin you have, with Valley produce in season and a clear plan for each tray.

Menu & order Download the menu

10 hours

ideal notice, last-minute handled

Plane-side

handover at the steps

Flight deck

crew and pilot dishes, on request

24/7

a flight attendant on the line

Three of us. All ex VIP cabin crew.

We know the galley, the diet card and the 5 a.m. re-plate — because we lived them. So we built the caterer we always wished we could call.

Camille

Menu & galley logistics

Fourteen years on VIP and head-of-state cabins. Can plate for twelve in a G650 galley and still land it hot.

Inès

Dietary & labelling

The one who reads every diet card twice. If it says no cross-contact, it means no cross-contact.

Sofia

The 24/7 line

Answers at 5 a.m. when the leg moved overnight. Same-day swaps are her love language.

The local tableCooked so it travels

Regional dishes of Merced for jet catering at MER

Merced sits in the Central Valley of California, one of the most productive farming regions anywhere, and the private jet menu for Castle Airport follows that. An inflight menu here can lean on almonds, peaches, nectarines, figs, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and citrus, depending on the month. Private jet food built from local specialities travels well when it is planned for the galley: cold salads and fruit plates stay chilled, roasted vegetables and grain dishes finish in the oven, dressings go in their own pot.

Private jet platters for Castle Airport start with the Valley harvest: sliced stone fruit with burrata, almond-crusted chicken, heirloom tomato salads, Central Valley olive oil. These gourmet inflight meals are packed so each plate can be re-plated in the cabin. Private jet snacks follow the season too: roasted almonds, dried figs, fresh cherries in early summer. Local specialities from California and the Merced area give a private jet menu a clear sense of place without asking the galley for anything it cannot do.

Open the menu Download the menuPDF

Central Valley local specialities plated for a private jet menu at Castle Airport, California

01Almond-crusted chicken, citrus saladValley almonds; slice on board

02Stone fruit and burrataSummer peaches and nectarines; keep chilled

03Heirloom tomato and basilCentral Valley tomatoes; dress at service

04Roasted sweet potato, pepitasMerced County sweet potatoes; oven

05Grilled carne asada tacosValley taqueria style; tortillas sealed apart

06Fig and almond tartLocal figs; serve at cabin temperature

How it works

Three steps, one message

You message us

Tail, pax, diets, timing. One message — no portal, no quote form. Answered at any hour, by a flight attendant.

We cook & pack for a galley

Leak-proof boxes, marked by guest and restriction, with reheating times written on the lid.

You re-plate and serve

Two minutes out of the drawer. Whatever you ordered for the crew comes in the same delivery, and one clean invoice follows.

At a glance · MercedCastle Airport · KMER

The three founders, former VIP cabin crew, on a business jet airstair — private jet catering at Castle Airport (KMER)

Castle Airport sits on the flat floor of California's Central Valley, a former air base now handling business aviation and training traffic out of Merced. Private jet catering here follows the harvest: stone fruit, almonds, tomatoes and greens arrive from orchards around the field. Inflight catering and in-flight catering for KMER are cooked and packed for the galley you actually fly, aviation catering for the crew who serve it. Business aviation catering, executive jet catering and diplomatic flight catering all start with the tail number and the seat plan, and cabin crew meals are packed alongside the guest trays. Every order is handed over at the FBO or by your handling agent.

Restaurant cuisine, cooked on the ground
Fresh and local produce
Labelled by seat, diet and reheat
Aviation-ready packaging
High loader for large cabins
HACCP certified kitchens

Who we fly forTwo cabins, one standard

Business jet on the ramp at Castle Airport, Merced, loading private jet catering

Business aviationOur core

Private jet catering for business flights from Merced (KMER)

Business jet catering at Castle Airport is usually a short brief: a corporate jet on a day trip out of Merced, a charter flight catering order for six, or a crew on a longer sector. For the corporate jet catering side, a private jet chef writes a bespoke menu around what the Valley grows, and VIP flight catering is packed for the galley the aircraft actually carries. Luxury inflight catering here means peaches and almonds in season, not imports. Whether you want inflight catering or in-flight catering for a quick turn, the tail number and the seat plan decide the plates.

Government flight catering trays prepared for a VIP aircraft at KMER, Merced

State & royalDiscretion, protocol

Head of state and government inflight catering at Castle Airport (MER)

For government flight catering at KMER, the protocol office approves the menu before a pan is lit. Head of state flight catering and VIP aviation catering use a named team, traceable ingredients and discreet packing. State visit aircraft catering follows the delegation's list.

Private jet platters and gourmet meals: jet catering in *Merced* (MER)Or write your own, we cook it

Cold private jet platters with stone fruit and burrata for Castle Airport, Merced

Cold galley

No oven · served in four minutes

Private jet platters: stone fruit, burrata, almondsChilled

Heirloom tomato, basil, Valley olive oilSauce apart

Gourmet inflight meals: citrus and avocado saladChilled

Cold poached salmon, cucumber, dillRe-plate cold

Private jet snacks: roasted almonds, dried figsChilled

Hot gourmet inflight meals from the Merced menu, packed for KMER

Hot service

One oven · re-plated in twelve minutes

Almond-crusted chicken, roasted vegetablesOven

Carne asada, rice, charred peppersOven

Roasted sweet potato, pepitas, chimichurriSauce apart

Wild mushroom risottoOven

Warm fig and almond tartOven

Make a request Download the menuPDF

A dish sealed and labelled for one guest's diet

PrincipalSealed

Nut-free · gluten-freeChecked by two people

Special meals

Special meals & dietary requirements: in-flight catering at Castle Airport

Special meals at Merced are handled as a procedure built around Valley cooking: almonds and other tree nuts are everywhere in local dishes, so allergen free orders get a separate prep, a separate box and a card with the seat number. Kosher, halal, vegan, gluten free and kids meals are packed sealed and marked by guest, never by name.

Allergens

A sheet per guest. Separate boards, separate boxes.

ii.

Halal & kosher

Sealed, certificate in the same box.

iii.

Children

Their own menu, nothing to cut at altitude.

iv.

Plant-based & wellness

Vegan, low-carb, light — composed, never compromised.

Crew & pilot mealsOn request

Pilot meals and crew meals at Castle Airport (MER)

Our crew meals are written by people who have eaten in a jumpseat. Pilot meals and flight crew meals are separate boxes, different meals for pilots can be arranged, and crew catering is available on request and invoiced. Cockpit meals are sealed for one-handed eating, crew meal boxes are labelled by seat, and cabin crew meals ride alongside them.

Meal passKMER

Cabin crew

Box

Marked crew

Galley

Oven 6 min

Order

On request

Marked crew

Meal passKMER

Pilots

Box

CPT ≠ F/O

Galley

Cold or hot

Order

On request

Two dishes

Castle Airport runway and terminal in Merced, California, KMER

To the steps, on your slot.

Airside · plane-side · day or night

DeliveryEvery FBO

FBO delivery and FBO catering at Castle Airport (MER)

FBO catering at Castle Airport is handed over at the general aviation terminal, then passed to the aircraft through your handling agent. That handling agent catering step is where the trolley, the boxes and the insulated carriers change hands. Catering delivery to the FBO is coordinated as ground handling catering, so the cabin crew find the order waiting at the aircraft door and nothing sits unclaimed on the ramp. General aviation traffic at KMER is light, which keeps access to the apron simple.

FBOHandling agentGround handlerGA terminal

High loaderLarge cabins, bizliners

Aircraft provisioning and airport catering at Castle Airport (KMER)

Larger aircraft at Castle Airport need galley catering planned around the door height and the high loader. Tell us the type and we plan airside catering delivery and aircraft provisioning to suit: trolleys, boxes and insulated carriers sized for the galley you have, brought to the aircraft through your handling agent.

Mention it when you order

HACCP kitchen

Certified, inspected, with cold-chain records filed against your trip.

All FBOs served

Whichever terminal you park at, handover is at the aircraft, on your slot.

Diets read twice

Allergen sheet per guest, halal and kosher on request, sealed and labelled.

One clean invoice

Itemised and trip-report ready, sent after the leg.

About the airportKMER / MER

About Castle Airport: business aviation and airport catering

Castle Airport, KMER, is a general aviation field in Merced, California, on a former air base with long runways and light traffic. It serves business aviation, flight training and cargo, and airport catering follows the quiet cadence of the place.

Business aviation

Business aviation catering here is shaped by the season: inflight catering and in-flight catering built on Valley produce, aviation catering sized for light jets and turboprops, executive jet catering and diplomatic flight catering for the occasional state or corporate guest. Cabin crew meals are packed with the guest trays, and the field operates as a modest business aviation hub with FBO services and ground handling services.

Customs & food import

United States rules on imported food are strict, especially for meat, dairy and fresh fruit from other countries. For flights into Castle Airport we cook locally and avoid the problem altogether.

ReviewsFrom the crews we cater for

5.0 / 5

★★★★★

Average rating from the cabin crew and pilots we cater for.

Leave a review

★★★★★LIGHT JET

“For 2 passengers departing from KMER, the agreed menu was a mezze selection with flatbreads; our main consideration was a tight boarding window. The Galley Girls used a readable packing list for the main courses, which helped when two colleagues checked the order together. We could distinguish the canapés at a glance instead of lifting lids just to establish what belonged to each service. Our brief for VIP flight catering was met with a sensible plan for galley preparation.”

Naomi Z. | VIP flight attendant

Citation XLS+

★★★★★VIP AIRLINER

“We kept the passenger brief simple at MER: a selection of petits fours and sandwiches for 8 guests, organised with two separate meal services in mind. The Galley Girls gave us an update on the canapés before the handover, which helped us organise the cabin checks. Knowing where the main courses were packed meant the crew could begin the relevant checks as soon as the order arrived. I would discuss charter flight catering with them again, especially when packing arrangement needs careful coordination.”

Rebecca Q. | Chief cabin officer — BBJ

BBJ 2

★★★★★GOVERNMENT

“Small packing details became important at Castle Airport: our 4 passengers wanted a seafood starter and warm vegetable sides, and we had a changing departure schedule. The Galley Girls suggested compact food boxes for the starters, and that choice worked well with our storage arrangement. I would discuss private jet food with them again, especially when catering handover needs careful coordination. We placed the canapés in their planned storage area without first having to reorganise all the catering boxes.”

Connor J. | Government flight manager

ACJ319

Ordering for KMER, in shortAsked by crews

How much does private jet catering cost for a kosher or allergen request at Merced?+

Private jet catering cost at Castle Airport is built from what you choose. A simple halal lunch for four costs less than a multi-course kosher dinner with sealed hot dishes, and we quote both in writing.

What is the lead time for crew waiting on the ground at Castle Airport?+

Long waits at Merced mean crew meals can be timed to the duty clock. Tell us when the crew is off and last-minute changes are handled.

Do customs apply on a short turnaround at Castle Airport?+

Customs follows the flight, not the field. A domestic turn from Castle is simple; an international departure needs the slot and menu confirmed together.

Can you bring food from home on a flight from Merced?+

Carrying your own food through a private terminal is easy, but one local item worked into the menu travels better in sealed boxes. Ask us for the Valley product you want.

Is catering part of a charter flying into Merced?+

A charter does not include food. We invoice catering separately, and if you arrive from another country we plan the menu around US customs rules.