Srilankan Catering to introduce supermarket heat-and-eat frozen meal range

■ Move aimed at creating alternative revenue measures amid significant drop in air travel ■ To be introduced under ‘Cuisine Gastronome’ brand

Catering arm of the national carrier, Srilankan Catering will soon be launching a range of heat-and-eat frozen meals for both local and overseas supermarkets under the brand name ‘Cuisine Gastronome’ in a bid to create other revenue generation avenues amid the significant drop in air travel across the world.

“Initially, a mix of both Sri Lankan, and International meals will be launched in Sri Lanka and following this, the brand will be taken overseas to countries with heavy Sri Lankan diaspora, satisfying cravings for a taste of home, a Srilankan Airlines press release said.

Cuisine Gastronome’s extensive range will feature local favourites such as kalu pol polos ambula with country red rice, Sri Lankan yellow rice with black chicken curry.

International specialties include penne pasta in rich sundried tomato sauce, Thai sweet chilli fish with wok fried noodles, cannelloni stuffed with rich creamy chicken, polo cacciatore Italiano with penne pasta and English country lamb & mint pie, and a variety of other delectable meals, just waiting to be enjoyed in the comfort of home.

Srilankan Catering said these ready-to-eat meals are prepared by highly trained and experienced staff in its stateof-the-art kitchens that adhere to the highest international standards of hygiene and quality control at all stages; from sourcing raw materials and preparation to packaging and distribution. “When Cuisine Gastronome was conceived as an idea, the main objective was to take the best quality, authentic Sri Lankan cuisine to the world, in a manner that is simple and convenient to consume.

The idea was then extended to market the brand locally in answer to the need for good quality, ready-to-eat meals by Sri Lankans living in the country. Indirectly, the COVID-19 pandemic too played a role in Cuisine Gastronome being marketed locally.

When international flights across the world were halted, Srilankan Catering’s Board of Directors decided to expedite the global frozen meal project, to explore other avenues in revenue generation and thus put all their efforts into making Cuisine Gastronome a resounding success in Sri Lanka and eventually abroad,” the press release added.