NAS AIRPORT SERVICES LIMITED FOOD & DRINK
C AT E R I N G TO K E N YA With COVID-19 in the rear-view, NAS Airport Services Limited is answering the need for rising catering services across Kenya and expanding its business lines for the future. Stephane Lopez, General Manager of the company, tells us more Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Kyle Livingstone
T
he COVID-19 pandemic has certainly pushed companies to re-assess their plans and priorities moving ahead through the decade. In the realm of airline catering, this period has really proved to be a make-or-break moment, with a substantial level of adaptation required to deal with a global pause in travel and the resulting disruption caused to travel-based services. “For everyone across every industry, the impact of COVID-19 in the last two years has been like exploring the unknown and has remained unprecedented until quite recently,” begins Stephane Lopez, General Manager at NAS Airport Services Limited, an inflight catering company based in Nairobi, Kenya. “We have weathered the storm whilst ensuring our mandate to protect our customers, team members, our shareholders and our company. “This has been our focus over the period, and all the while we have shifted our mindset and business by diversifying our business lines.” In light of this need to diversify, NAS has entered the retail sector, as well as developing it’s laundry business and laboratory division and forming partnerships with new customers. For Lopez, this diversification is one of three key elements of the company that have kept NAS in the air during this trying time.
“I believe that we are still operational in the sector due to expanding into these fields, the long-term and new customers’ relationships that we have had and developed during this time, but most of all, our dedicated staff,” he continues. “Our team members are our biggest asset and they have been the key to everything that we have accomplished throughout this challenging time. “The sacrifices that we have all made have helped us pull through, and it has not only showed the level of passion that they hold, but also their incredible team spirit.” The Kenyan economy, and Africa in general, is very resilient. Despite the challenges faced and the unquestionable negative impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this resilience has carried Kenya and the wider continent forward through the past two years. “When you fly out of Nairobi (Kenya), at the entrance to the airports there are large adverts from the tourism board that say: ‘If you have something to take home, it’s our resilient spirit’, and it really is true,” Lopez muses.
73 YEARS IN OPERATION NAS has a long and proud history of service, having been established in 1949. The company is an on-site airport catering facility serving domestic and international airlines that fly in and out of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Moi International Airport (MIA)
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NAS – SERVICES AT A GLANCE NAS PRISTINE NAS Pristine offers outstanding laundry services both to airlines at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and Moi International Airport in Mombasa, and to private customers with its collection point located in a shopping mall. NAS CUISINE NAS prides itself in providing hygienic and safe on-site catering services for corporates. This service is available in and around the cities of Nairobi and Mombasa. NAS LAB At NAS, food safety, quality and customer satisfaction are key priorities. Microbiological testing provides a crucial quality check on consumer products to determine whether they meet the desired specifications for raw materials, intermediate and finished products. It also enables process verification and confirmation of adherence to regulatory guidelines. NAS SERVAIR Inflight services are the core of NAS’ airline business and is mainly tasked with delivery of a high standard inflight experience to its esteemed customers on board. TANAFO AND BEI POA KITCHEN
in Mombasa and Kisumu International Airport (KIS) in Kisumu. “NAS is a 73-year-old Kenyan company owned by Servair, a Gategroup member, and we carry a very strong and supportive relationship with our people and shareholders,” Lopez tells us proudly. “NAS is built on consistent growth and bold innovation that dates back to its formation as a company, pre-dating the establishment of JKIA and has the unparalleled advantage of growing with the airport.” From humble beginnings operating out of a wooden shack, today NAS boasts state-of-the-art world-class brands, reputable fully integrated inflight catering services, laundry solutions, airport bars and lounges, laboratory and ship chandelling services and a fully-fledged corporate catering brand – NAS Cuisine. “We are primarily based in Nairobi, and we have around 950 staff across the whole company,” Lopez continues. “Our core business is in the area of in-flight catering, though we also operate many other diverse business lines such as corporate catering, and in Mombasa, a shipping line catering segment. 4 | Africa Outlook issue 96
Tanafo is a ready-to-eat meal brand coined from the words TAMU NAS FOODS, offering meats such as lamb chops, chicken wings, and beef ribs among many others. Bei Poa Kitchen products evolved from the company’s Tanafo concept, during the pandemic. This concept has enabled it to respond to its customers’ new needs within JKIA. PASSENGER COMFORT SERVICES A variety of cafes, restaurants and facilities at JKIA, Moi and Kisumu Airports. NAS NATURE HOUSE This is NAS’ very lastest “homemade” development with the implementation of its own green house enabling the company to produce fresh herbs and vegetables with two main goals which are first providing the best fresh products to its customers and second engaging one step further into the company’s sustainability move.
“We also have our laboratory which is very important to the company for multiple reasons. Firstly, it allows us to control our food safety processes, but it also allows us to work with our suppliers and other businesses such as hotels that require our services. Our retail sector business has evolved and we are supplying some supermarkets, and as such they have made use of our laboratory for such
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services. We are also providing catering services to the SGR, the main trainline between Nairobi and Mombasa!” ARROW ROOT
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P.O BOX 24390-00502 ELDOVILLE DAIRIES LTD NAIROBI, KENYA P.O BOX 24390-00502 TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 NAIROBI, KENYA FAX: 020-3884540 TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 EFAX: MAIL020-3884540 : customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eldoville.co.ke ZUCCHINI STICKS ZUCCHINI SLICES SWEET POTATO SLICES & DICES EMAIL: customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eldoville.co.ke BRIE CHEESE
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P.O BOX 24390-00502 P.O BOX 24390-00502 P.O BOX 24390-00502 P.O BOX 24390-00502 NAIROBI, KENYA NAIROBI, KENYA NAIROBI, KENYA NAIROBI, KENYA TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 NAIROBI, KENYA TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 FAX: 020-3884540 TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 FAX: 020-3884540 EMAIL: customercare@eldoville.co.ke / fa FAX: 020-3884540 FAX: 020-3884540 EMAILELDOVILLE : customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eldoville.co.ke FAX: 020-3884540 DAIRIES LTD CHEESE PRODUCTS LTD EMAIL: customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eldoville EMAIL: customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm EMAIL: customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eldoville.co.ke P.O BOX 24390-00502 CAMEMBERT CHEESE BRIE CHEESE NAIROBI, KENYA
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TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 PANEER CHEESE MOZZARELLA Surprisingly for NAS, COVID-19 has not only brought FAX: 020-3884540 E : customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eld ZUCCHINI/BABY MARROW ZUCCHINI STICKS ZUCCHINI SLICES SWEET P challenges to the fore, but also provided the company with ELDOVILLE DAIRIES LTD P.O BOX 24390-00502 GRATED CARROTS CARROT: SLICES, DICES, STICKS LETTUCE FRE the drive to reach out and expand in many alternative areas GRATED CARROTS CARROT: SLICES, DICES, STICKS LETTUCE ELDOVILLE DAIRIES LTD GRATED CARROTS CARROT: SLICES, DICES, STICKS LETTUCE FRENCH BEANS DAIRIES LTD ELDOVILLE DAIRIES LTD ELDOVILLE NAIROBI, KENYA TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096P.O BOX 24390-00502 FRESH READY TO EAT AND DRINK FRUITS P.O BOX 24390-00502 FRESH READY TOMILD EATCHEDDAR AND DRINK FRUITSELDOVILLE P.O BOX 24390-00502 BLOCK/GRATED MILD LTD CHEDDAR SLICESCHEESE PANEER MOZZARELLA BLOCK/GRATED DAIRIES of business. This diversification of services has opened FAX: 020-3884540 PANEER CHEESE NAIROBI, KENYA NAIROBI, KENYA MOZZARELLA BLOCK/GRATED ORANGES SWEE NAIROBI, KENYA WATERMELON ORANGES WATERMELON SWEET E 24390-00502 : MELON customercare@eldoville.co.kePINEAPPLE / farm@eldoville.co.ke P.O BOX TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 uc t s TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 MILD CHEDDAR BLOCK/GRATED MILD CHE NAIROBI, KENYA NAS up to a whole new wealth of opportunity, and in CHEESE lightPRODUCTS FAX: 020-3884540 FAX: 020-3884540 r Prod u FAX: 020-3884540 CAMEMBERT CHEESE BRIE CHEESE O TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 E : customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eldoville.co.ke EMAIL: customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eldoville.co.ke ARROWSLICES ROOT GINGER PEELED LOC FAX: 020-3884540 EMAIL : customercare@eldoville.co.ke ZUCCHINI/BABY MARROW ZUCCHINI STICKS ZUCCHINI SWEET POTATO SLICES & DICES GARLIC PEELED / farm@eldovi of this, the company is planning to keep growing in such a E : customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eldoville.co.ke ZUCCHINI/BABY MARROW ZUCCHINI STICKS ZUCCHINI SLICES SWEET POTATO SLICES & DICES FRESH READY TO COOK VEGETABLES FRESH READY TO COOK VEGETABLES way. ONIONS DICED ONIONS SLICED ONIONS JULIENNE PEELED ONIONS ONIONS DICED ONIONSSPINACH SLICED JULIENNE PEELED CABBAGE SLICED CHOPPED ORSPINACH KALE TOMATOES CA CABBAGE SLICED CHOPPED ORONIONS KALE TOMATOES CABBAGE SLICED CHOPPED SPINACH OR KALE ELDOVILLE TOMATOES DAIRIES LTDCAPSICUM “Our plan is to continue to grow our equipment capacity P.O BOX 24390-00502 MILDCREAM CHEDDAR BLOCK/GRATED MILD CHEDDAR SLICES MILD BLOCK/GRATED MILD CHEDDAR SLICES CHEDDAR CHEESE 20G PORTION GREEKCHEDDAR FETA CHEESE CHEESE NAIROBI, KENYA as much as we can. As with many companies following the PANEER CHEESE CHEDDAR CHEESE 20G PORTION GREEK FETA CHEESE MOZZARELLA BLOCK/GRATED TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 ARROW ROOT GINGER PEELED GARLIC PEELED LOCAL CUCUMBER FAX: 020-3884540 MANGO DICES/SLICES STRAWBERRIES COVID-19 period of uncertainty, investingMANGO in our production DICES/SLICES STRAWBERRIES GRAPES APPLES FRESH READY TO EAT AND DRINK FRUITS ARROW ROOT GINGER PEELED GARLIC PEELED LOCAL CUCUMBER EMAIL: customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eldoville.co ORANGES WATERMELON SWEET MELON PINEA tools – especially in our culinary capacity – is particularly FRESH READY TO COOK VEGETABLES important,” Lopez says. “NAS is CARROT: an old company, butLETTUCE we GRATED CARROTS SLICES, DICES, STICKS FRENCH BEANS GRATED CARROT: SLICES, DICES, STICKS LETTUCE FR ONIONS DICEDCARROTS ONIONS SLICED ONIONS JULIENNE PEELED POTATOES: FRENCH FRIES POTATO SLICES JACKET POTATOES POTATO POTATOES: FRENCH FRIES POTATO SLICES JACKET POTATOES ONIO POTATOES: FRENCH FRIES POTATO SLICES JACKET POTATOES POTATO DICES/CUBES have a start-up spirit – we have a young mindset. MILD CHEDDAR CHEDDAR BLOCK/GRATED MILD CHEDDAR SLICES CHEDDAR 20G PORTION GREEK FETACHEESE CHEESE CREAM CHEESE CHEESE 20G PORTION GREEK CHEESE FETA CHEESE CREAM “Our investments do not fall on a singular aspect of the FRESH READY TO EAT AND DRINK FRUITS FRESH READY TO EAT AND DRINK FRUITS ORANGES WATERMELON SWEET MELON PINEAPPLE business, but instead we are investing in our businesses MANGO JUICE ORANGE JUI PASSION JUICE MANGO JUICE ORANGE JUICE PINEAPPLE JUICE TROPICAL FRUITS JUICE PASSION JUICE ORANGES WATERMELON SWEET MELON PINEAPPLE MANGO DICES/SLICES STRAWBERRIES GRAPES overall and streamlining our activities throughout GRATED POTATOES CARROTS TURNED CARROT: DICES, STICKS LETTUCE FRENCHC CABBAGE SLICED CHOPPED SPINACH OR KALEand TOMATOES CAPSICUM & CHIPS PUMPKIN DICES BALLS BEETROOT POTATOES TURNED &SLICES, CHIPS PUMPKIN PUMPKIN CHOPPED SPINACH OR BALLS KALE DICES PUMPKIN TOMATOES our many business lines with new machinery POTATOES TURNED &CABBAGE CHIPS SLICED PUMPKIN DICES PUMPKIN BEETROOT DICEDBALLS CHEDDAR CHEESE 20G PORTION GREEK FETA CHEESE CREAM CHEESE equipment combined with digitisation and sustainability engagements across all our processes with the overall aim to grow our production and operations.” We are situated inSTRAWBERRIES Karen, Nairobi, Kenya and Oljororok,Nyandarua, KenyaPINEAPPLE JUICE MANGO DICES/SLICES GRAPESJUICE APPLES PASSION MANGO JUICE ORANGE JUICE MANGO DICES/SLICES STRAWBERRIES GRAPES APPLES PANEER CHEESE
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Managing Director (Lucy Karuga): 0723 27 96 27 | Tel: (+254) 020 3883431 CABBAGE SLICED FRENCH FRIES SPINACH KALE TOMATOES sales@eldoville.co.ke |CHOPPED www.eldoville.co.ke POTATOES: POTATOOR SLICES JACKET POTATOES
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With this in mind, the future of NAS’ focus rests on the people that the company serves, and those that make it MANGO JUICE JUICE FRUITS PINEAPPLE JUICE TROPICAL FRUITS JUICE PASSION JUICE MANGO JUICE PASSION JUICE ORANGE JUICE PINEAPPLE JUICE ORANGETROPICAL JUICE what it is. “The first priority is to remain as agile and flexible for our POTATOES: FRENCH FRIES & CHIPS POTATO SLICES DICES JACKET POTATOES POTATOES TURNED & CHIPS PUMPKIN DICES PUMPKIN BALLS BEETROOT DICED POTATOES TURNED PUMPKIN PUMPKIN BALLS customers as possible, and remain their preferred supplier,” Lopez explains. “Of course, there is always competition that keeps us on our toes and thinking outside the box. But, across our range of business lines, the first and foremost necessity is to stay close to our customers and to respond POTATOES TURNED & CHIPS PUMPKIN DICES PUMPKIN BALLS to their requirements and expectations. “For NAS in Kenya, it is also critical that we remain an Stephane Lopez, General Manager attractive employer in the country and continue to be a people-centric company. That’s key for us and has been since the beginning of the COVID-19 opportunities that we can move into, because this adaptpandemic and the resulting challenges.” ability has helped us remain resilient in the past two years, and it provides NAS a greater chance to offer its services to Within this sphere of planning, NAS aims to continue growing its in-house talent those customers and businesses that need them. “On top of all this, we must remain on top of our through training its current staff, recognising their personal goals, equipment maintenance to ensure that everything keeps and bringing aboard new talent operating smoothly and to the best standards possible moving forward.” for the coming years as well. “We must continue to grow our talent pool because they will be very important for NAS AIRPORT SERVICES the future of the company,” Tel: +254 - (0)20 6972000, Lopez says. “This is in line with +254 - (0)20 – 6827900 exploring new business lines and https://nas.ke Africa Outlook issue 96 | 5
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NAS AIRPORT SERVICES LIMITED NAS NAIROBI PO.BOX 19010-00501, JKIA, Mankuli Road, Nairobi, Kenya Ph: 0722-205287 / 0206827900 / 6972200 customerservice@servair.co.ke NAS MOMBASA P.O. BOX 93901-80115, Mombasa International Airport, Mankuli Road, Mombasa, Kenya. Ph: +254 722 208813 / +254 720 016850 / +254 735 337832 nas.msa@servair.co.ke https://nas.ke PRODUCED BY AFRICA OUTLOOK MAGAZINE