NAS Airport Services

CATERING ADAPTING IN THE FACE OF CHALLENGES

NAS AIRPORT SERVICES LTD

FOOD in Flight In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, NAS Airport Services Ltd has adapted to provide catering services to a variety of individuals and institutions that need it. We spoke to Stephane Lopez, General Manager of the company, to learn more Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Donovan Smith

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ood and drink make up the lifeblood of every culture around the world.

Despite its importance in the everyday as well as our once in a lifetime events, the traditional food and beverage industry as we know it has been turned on its head since the start of 2020.

It is well-known that the COVID19 pandemic spelt disaster for both the transport and food and beverage industries all over the globe. For NAS Airport Services Ltd, the pandemic has, over 2020 and into the present, had a huge impact

FOOD & DRINK

on company operations. In light of this, the company’s team members, partners and shareholders have made important efforts to stand their ground and move through and out of this unique challenge – a period that pushed NAS to adapt and explore new opportunities through its in-house road map: Re-imagine, Build, Better Together (RBB). Throughout the period, and with this plan of action, NAS remains combative.

For Stephane Lopez, General Manager of the company, the food and beverage industry is both dynamic, and a point of personal pride.

“After 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are proud to continue saying that NAS is a resilient and safe one-stop shop for any of our customers,” Lopez begins.

“The industry right now is very vibrant as you work alongside very talented people who think outside the box. I feel privileged to be working in the industry for NAS Airport Services Ltd in Kenya. It is an exciting sphere to be working in!”

NAS Airport Services Ltd is the main catering unit in Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) based in Nairobi, with another catering unit

in Mombasa (MBA), and is part of SERVAIR Group who is a GateGroup Member. NAS Airport Services’ operations cover in-flight catering, corporate catering (including retail services), airport bars and restaurants operations, lounges, train services, laundry services, Quality Assurance services, and laboratories services.

And with 25 years of experience within in-flight catering, cabin cleaning, and MRO (Maintenance, Repairs and Operation), Lopez now sits in a position of management for the company that he knows and loves.

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NAS AIRPORT SERVICES LTD

East African Breweries JOHNNIE WALKER CELEBRATES 200 YEARS WITH A STROLL ACROSS KENYA

IN-FLIGHT CATERING NAS Airport Services Ltd’s highly professional and proficient team is dedicated to providing the best in-flight catering services to its customers. The company’s quality customer services and world class catering facilities have resulted in an innovative menu design that meets clients’ culinary specifications. The organisation’s attention to detail is evident in perfectly tailored menus produced to international quality standards.

But NAS offers more than just exceptional food. The company is dedicated to passenger comfort as well and supplies freshly laundered linen, magazines, foreign and domestic newspapers, special gift baskets and many other items that can be delivered on board by request.

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NAS Airport Services Ltd that make the company stand out in the industry.

“Our team members are, and remain, the greatest asset we have,” Lopez states.

“The depth of their collective knowledge, broad experience, work-hardy mindset, enduring spirit, dedication and the true culinary passion to deliver the unforgettable experiences to all our customers, is what drives the company’s operation.

I thank each member of the NAS family for their incredible efforts.

“Our current path is still full of hurdles, but I am truly convinced that we will get through it as one!”

This has truly been demonstrated during this current trying period.

Following its passion for culinary excellence and customer-centric expert service, NAS launched and expanded three separate divisions: a retail-related division, home deliveries and laboratory services.

“NAS made the decision to partner with retailers in order to provide great recipes for their hot deli venues,” Lopez tells us.

There are no two ways about it: Johnnie Walker Whisky is the bestselling Scotch whisky in the world.

From last year, coming into early this year, the iconic Scotch brand has been on a celebratory high, as it marks two centuries since John Walker sold its first bottle in a small grocery store in rural Scotland, circa 1820.

In its remarkable 200-year existence, Johnnie Walker has built itself on a foundation that consists of a dedication to quality and commitment to progress.

An infallible combination. The worldfamous Striding Man logo encapsulates all this ethos that the brand exudes in a way that many brands in existence today will be hard-pressed to replicate.

Johnnie Walker first sold in Kenya in 1950, and its story resonates with Kenya. The country has walked a long journey in different arenas since independence, its people demonstrating resilience in different areas of life. Regardless of what stands in the way, like the Striding Man, a Kenyan will keep walking.

This is what the brand has recognised and looked to celebrate in Kenya, to mark its bicentennial jubilee. The brand lit up Kenya’s biggest cities: Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu with the Striding Man projected on key landmarks, and fireworks that lit up the sky. The locations selected were the emblematic Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi, Fort Jesus in Mombasa and the Kisumu Yacht club.

That was not all, Johnnie Walker just recently conquered Mt Kenya and Striding man has found his residence at the Kenyatta International Conference Center, with installations at the helipad and he is set to stretch his legs next to the golden Kenyan savannah, with hot air balloon expeditions in Amboseli.

All the while, championing the Johnnie Walker clarion call: Keep Walking.

As Johnnie Walker swaggers on into the next 200 years, it will be right in stride with the Kenyan people, whose resilience and determination are replenished with every waking day.

Raise your glass of Johnnie Walker to the Kenyan people who keep pushing boundaries and keep walking.

NAS AIRPORT SERVICES LTD “On top of this, we introduced home deliveries as a key part of our service, to provide affordable Kenyan meals and experiences to our Nairobian market. The same out-reach partnership approach has been made with our laboratory team to extend our scope of proposals though approaching retailers and offering them a flexible service in terms of finished product analysis.”

Another aspect regarding the company’s activity in line with the healthcare sector is the outsourcing of catering services to hospitals in company operational areas.

“This was a collective team effort that became a company project

through implementing it across each of our business divisions,” Lopez elaborates.

“For example, implementing the catering services across each of our 20 onsite canteens into NBO. We receive the approval of each of our valuable customers as well as being endorsed by local port health authorities, and our single goal remains being that of serving our customers quality and safe catering.

“This is a real company project success, and kudos must go to all our team members involved, and to our Quality Assurance, HSE and technical teams who are playing a vital role!”

CORPORATE CATERING NAS provides on-site catering services for corporate businesses and utilities in and around the cities of Nairobi and Mombasa. The company understands the value of providing daily staff meals, and catering corporate events and other functions. The company tailors menus to its clients’ specifications and the NAS team is dedicated to delivering the best in sourcing, cooking and hospitality. NAS guarantees a diverse range of menu options to suit any boardroom, executive lunch or corporate function. It is equipped with modern catering equipment that facilitates the production of healthy, fresh, nutritious and hygienic meals.

NAS is backed by ISO22000-2018 certification that ensure its products maintain very high quality standards. Delivering fresh food is vital to NAS, so its support equipment and vehicles are temperature controlled in order to store food in prime conditions and are also equipped with radio support communications to enhance efficiency. The company’s clients include: ABM - Associated Battery Manufacturers, Chloride Exide, The Standard Group, British American Tobacco Kenya, Kenchic, James Finlay and EABL are some examples.

Farmer’s Choice Farmer’s Choice and Choice Meats are East Africa’s leading manufacturers of fresh and processed meat products boasting over 300 varieties of products.

Our two plants are both Export Licensed and work strictly to ISO 22000: 500 requirements, which ensure’ total quality control’ from the beginning to the end of our supply chain.

For over 40 years, we have supplied customers from all walks of life across the world with a guaranteed range of fresh and processed meat products including Beef, lamb, Pork, frozen vegetables, fish, and poultry. Our tasty meaty sausages have been a household name not only in East Africa but in every country, we export to including the rest of Africa, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain among others. Farmer’s Choice is a proud partner of Nairobi Airport Services.

www.farmerschoice.co.ke

Aquamist Aquamist is one of the leading bottlers of a true Mineral Water in Kenya. Our Mineral Water is naturally balanced and sourced from the edge of the Great Rift Valley. It is bottled under stringent conditions, using state of the art, fully automated equipment and is available in a glass bottle range with an eco-friendly aluminium screw cap.

We were awarded the latest ISO 22000:2018 certification by BureauVeritas in December 2020 and as a company, conform to all national and international standards.

Aquamist began its partnership with NAS Airport Services in 2013. We are proud to be the preferred supplier of mineral water to Kenya’s leading in-flight catering company.

@aquamistwater

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#AskFor

@aquamistwater

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NAS AIRPORT SERVICES LTD NAS hosts external and internal training sessions aimed for the personal growth of its team members.

This is exemplified by the company’s internal ramp safety training sessions continuing with safety prioritised despite the training occurring during the pandemic. The safety of the work environment is another of the company’s key and core values.

The same has been applied to all its recurrent food safety internal training sessions.

“I am a strong defender and believer of the “get together” spirit - that all together we can achieve more. This also means that we must continue to grow our team members’ talents,” Lopez states.

Supply chain partners continue to play a major role in the facilitation

LAUNDRY SERVICES NAS offers linen and full laundry services to airlines at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. These are also available to non-airline clients.

The company has developed a diverse range of specialised laundry applications and offer customers a reliable and tailored service.

SHIP CHANDELLING Using its in-flight catering facility located in Mombasa, NAS Airport Services Ltd can procure and supply both local and foreign food stuffs and consumables, including vegetables, fresh meat, water and oil, to commercial, cruise and navy ships.

Like the NBO catering unit, the NAS Mombasa catering unit is strictly following ISO22000-2018 food safety standards.

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and smooth operation of NAS Airport Services Ltd across its many divisions.

With almost 72 years of strong and mutually beneficial relationships with these suppliers, NAS continues to maintain these critical links and further its provision of food and beverage operations in the present and into the future.

“Our partners and suppliers continue to play a pivotal role for NAS,” Lopez states.

“I am proud to say that NAS remains a quality catering business where all our meals served on board or into any canteen in NBO and MBA are fully received, prepared, cooked and delivered from fresh products.”

As a local operator in the region, NAS has a mission to work with local suppliers and partners - 95 percent of all the company’s products are freshly produced in Kenya.

“I would like to take this opportunity for thanking all our suppliers who did

New Muthaiga Green Grocers Ltd Operated with panache by Ramesh Ruparel, New Muthaiga Green Grocers Ltd is noted for the quality of its produce.

Ramesh has made his name supplying NAS with fresh fruit & vegetables that makes everything look, smell, taste better for over 23 years.

He takes pride maintaining the highest COVID-19 preventative safety standards whilst sourcing fruit and vegetables from the finest growers across Kenya for the World’s airlines.

jaymeernish@gmail.com

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NEW MUTHAIGA GREEN GROCERS

High-class greengrocers, supplying NAS for 23 years Celebrating over 50 years!

P.O.Box 63117 - 00619, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 728926222 Email: jaymeernish@gmail.com

and continue to support us for the last 12 months despite the current COVID19 pandemic. Their support has been tremendous and truly reflects our above statement of strong and mutually beneficial relationships,” Lopez assures us.

With the mass rollout of vaccines occurring globally, the prospect of a return to somewhat normalisation is increasingly more viable. Like many within the transport and food and beverage industries NAS Airport Services Ltd is currently focused on present challenges, but Lopez assures us of the company’s collective support.

“Considering current situation and looking ahead, we are still extremely keen and eager to protect our company, our customers, our team members, our partners and shareholders,” he says.

“We want to stay agile, responsive, innovative, thinking outside of the box and safe for all our customers.

We want to continue growing our team members, investing into new technology, embracing any changes and challenges ourselves!

“We draw inspiration from Kobe Bryant and his quote: “We don’t quit, we don’t cower, we don’t run. We endure and conquer!”

NAS AIRPORT SERVICES Tel: +254 - (0)20 6972000, +254 - (0)20 – 6827900 www.nascat.com

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NAS AIRPORT SERVICES LTD Nairobi, KENYA Tel: +254 - (0)20 6972000, +254 - (0)20 – 6827900 www.nascat.com PRODUCED BY AFRICA OUTLOOK MAGAZINE