SriLankan Catering to open facility at Mattala soon

By Sanjeevi Jayasuriya

SriLankan Catering, the catering arm of SriLankan Airlines is confident of delivering better performance in terms of revenue, quality and food standard this year.

“We are well on our way to cross last year’s revenue mark which was Rs 5.7 billion with a profit of Rs 2.2 billion. SriLankan Airlines purchases 68 percent of the meals produced while Mihin Lanka and 12 other airlines purchase the rest,” SriLankan Catering Services Limited, CEO Sarath Fernando said.

SriLankan Airlines offers more choices. We try to give more and value for money in all menus. Our flight kitchen provides 17,500 to 19,000 meals per day and has the capacity to produce 25,000 meals a day. With the second catering facility opening in Mattala airport shortly with an investment of Rs 2.5 billion, Sri Lankan Catering will be in a position to expand capacity further, he said.

“We maintain the same standards as any other airline in any part of the world and have acquired all the food safety related certifications and standards,” Fernando said.

“We also have won the Mercury award for waste food management.

With the best reputation for hygiene and cleanliness in food, Sri Lankan Catering considers hygiene to be the key in its operations,” he said.

According to Fernando, eighty percent of the products are sourced locally while 20 percent is imported.

Sri Lankan Catering has been awarded the ISO 22000;2005 and HACCP Codex Alimentarius certification for food safety management and perhaps the only catering unit with the triple accreditation of ISO 9001;2008 quality management system with UKAS accreditation and ISO 14000;2004 environment management system with SAS accreditation.

Launched in 1979, it is a subsidiary of SriLankan Airlines and operates as a BOI company.

With a staff of over 1,000, the facility includes a production kitchen, bakery, butchery, pastry and hot and cold kitchen.

SriLankan catering has embarked on rigorous training schedules with the help of SriLankan Airlines’ Human Resources and Administration Division.

This includes operational management and equipment handling and maintenance.

Emphasis is also placed on general staff development to encourage creative thinking and problem-solving along with quick decision-making under stressful conditions.

Customer-oriented programs are conducted regularly for staff.

“We have taken these measures to provide an improved service to airlines.

"Our reputation as a quality food caterer has been growing over the years.

We maintain strict controls in every aspect of food operation and staff are trained accordingly,” Fernando said.