As Raffles Consolidated, one of Sri Lanka’s hospitality, management and tourism industry companies, celebrates its milestone 25th anniversary it has emphasized that one of the key reasons for its success and growth – continued focus on quality.
Giving insights to their approach towards quality, Raffles Founder and Chairman Tony Bohoran stated, “At Raffles, we have always prioritized high service standards, achieving industry certifications that underscore its commitment to meeting international standards. This commitment extends to food quality and safety, with a dedicated quality assurance team working around the clock to ensure all operational aspects meet required standards at all times. Additionally, we have also implemented a comprehensive supply chain, ensuring fresh, high-quality food is delivered daily for our industrial operations.”
Raffles’ approach to ensuring high quality in every meal served to thousands of Sri Lankans every day is a result of a multi-faceted approach adopted by the company from its early days. When hiring employees, special focus is given to their attitude towards ensuring quality so that once recruited their way of thinking aligns with the “quality first” approach embedded in the existing staff members. All staff members, including chefs and front-of-house staff, are given training as necessary to enhance their skills such as cooking techniques and service standards. All staff members are also properly trained in food safety, including sanitation, food storage, and temperature control.
By building strong vendor relationships since inception, Raffles has been able to source quality ingredients throughout the year. Specially-designed storage spaces ensure that all ingredients are stored hygienically until used. The company has developed, finetuned and follows standardized recipes and preparation processes to ensure that the food quality is consistent at different events and locations, irrespective of the size of the event. As food presentation plays a significant role in the overall dining experience, all dishes are beautifully plated and carefully arranged to ensure they are perfectly laid out. The well-trained team works together to ensure that every aspect of the event goes smoothly. After the event, the Raffles team goes out of their way to encourage client feedback on food quality and service and once received it is analysed to identify any potential areas of improvement.
Raffles CEO Upul Gamage commented, “From the very beginning, we have been focused on delivering high quality food to our valuable clientele. While quality control is something that is embedded in our staff, to take things to the next level we have also introduced numerous mechanisms to ensure the best quality from A-Z of our supply chain. This has helped us to maintain a high standard in our food and service whether, whatever the event maybe and that is why we have been so successful over the past 25 years.”
When it was launched in December 1999, Raffles was initially set up as an Outdoor Catering Company to serve an already established corporate and up-market clientele. In 2001, Raffles entered the industrial catering segment by winning contracts to operate cafeterias for several leading establishments in Sri Lanka. Starting with a single client serving 350 employees, Raffles now provides nearly 70,000 meals daily across multiple factories, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
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