Villa rosa kempinski starts Outside Catering

Villa Rosa Kempinski has introduced an outside catering unit for Nairobi customers who want private dinners or lunches at the comfort of their backyards or dining rooms.

The five-star hotel that set up operations in Kenya six years will have different cuisines home delivered in a refrigerated truck within a radius of 30 kilometres.

“We are targeting a small niche market that wants something special ,” said Kithure Mwingirwa, the communications manager during the launch of Catering By Kempinski on Tuesday.

An increasing appetite for fine dining and exotic delicacies from especially the middle-class has opened new revenue streams for high-profile hotels in Kenya.

The chefs will make different cuisines to groups of 25 to 250 people celebrating from weddings to office parties.

“This is an entirely different unit so we have a new team with a chef, events manager and wait-staff,” Mr Mwingirwa said, adding that the hotel will change from Sh4,000 to Sh15,000 per person. ‘‘We, for instance, can't charge Sh1,500 because that would then mean cutting corners and compromising on standards which isn't really us,” he said.

Most well-travelled Kenyans nowadays prefer the master’s touch instead of picking caterers that need supervision or who may not necessarily guarantee quality.

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At the Catering By Kempinski launch, guests had a taste of what would be offered from peking duck with pancakes and hoisin sauce, seafood salad, braised pork shoulder, grilled prawns with lemon, green lip mussels, seared tuna with wasabi cream, shawarmas, grilled tilapia and an array of desserts.

As more international hotel chains set up in Kenya and competition heightens, investors are looking for new ways to grow revenue.

Villa Rosa Kempinski joins hotels such as Crowne Plaza, Hemingways and Ole Sereni, known for its bush barbecues. Ole Sereni started doing outside catering six years ago charging Sh2,000 per person. Crowne Plaza charges from Sh3,000.