With people increasingly more aware of the benefits of healthy eating, low calorie content foods and consuming a balanced diet, the notion of ‘you are what you eat’ has transcended to all aspects of life.
What delegates are being fed at conferences and events is under the microscope as never before.
Food has a big impact on the success of a conference or event; get it wrong and it usually tops the list of moans on any organiser feedback sheet.
A recent survey conducted by the Lime Venue Portfolio (LVP) revealed 42 per cent of feedback from delegates related to the food served. In the same survey, despite this trend for healthier lifestyles, almost 53 per cent of corporate event organisers said that venues do not offer enough healthy options on their menus.
The attendees’ taste will always be considered first by event organisers when deciding upon the food. “Despite the trend towards healthy eating, ‘naughty food’ such as sticky toffee puddings will always go down well with guests at a party event,” says Richard Kadri-Langford, Head of Marketing at LVP.
However, caterers are increasingly overhauling their menus and adapting popular dishes by using healthier alternatives to ensure a greater choice of nutritional options for delegates.
Birmingham’s ICC has taken a number of steps to address the need for healthier dishes that are lower in fat while retaining the taste and quality of before.
Amadeus’ Catering Manager at the ICC, Craig Hancox, says: “We’ve moved into using non-hydrogenated frying oil, removed all the butter from our dishes, any vegetables are seared rather than fried and the majority of our sauces are now made by using cornflour.”
The ICC considers this transition to have been successful as “no one seems to have noticed the change because the taste has not been impacted by fewer sugars and reduced fat levels,” says Hancox.
At Norwich City Football Club, all delegate rates allow organisers the option to upgrade or swap to Canary Catering’s lower calorie alternatives. However, bacon rolls, muffins and Danish pastries are still the most popular options on the menu.
Aberdeen Conference Centre recently received a Healthy Living Award and provides delegates with a variety of healthier options on its menus.
The Healthier Full Scottish Breakfast comprises of grilled sausages, tomatoes, bacon, scrambled egg using skimmed milk and fat-free yoghurt instead of full-fat.
There has certainly been an encouraging increase in low calorie offerings, and the supply of fruit, vegetables and salads at conferences, with caterers recognising the need to provide a range of menu choices.
‘Finger and Fork’ buffets have become more popular as they enable organisers to provide a choice of food for delegates, as well as a variety of lighter options.
Stephen Frost, Division Executive Chef for Sodexo Prestige Scotland, says: “Delegates should be given the opportunity to choose lighter and lower calorie options during conferences.
Not so long ago buffets at conferences were almost all one colour with many items deep fried or in breadcrumbs.
“Delegates need to be alert and feel motivated so we now provide a variety of food including fresh fruit, a selection of salads, and healthy, filling sandwiches made with low fat spreads and oat cakes as an alternative to bread.”
To ensure delegates can still negotiate that mid-afternoon ‘slump’, Sodexo offers tea with homemade granola bars and chocolate fondue, which is complemented with fresh fruit.
Many factors influence a delegates choice of food and Anise Catering, the newly-appointed caterer for the South of England Showground, noticed that weather conditions can impact on eating habits.
Anise recently introduced a new selection of freshly-prepared sandwiches and salads at the Spring
Show and the results were rather mixed. With the weather being cold and wet, guests tended to go for hot options, such as a Hog Roast Roll with Apple Sauce as opposed to the salads.
A key factor in the process of ensuring a range of healthy food is on offer to delegates is the relationship between caterers and organisers. Frank Bordoni, Food Director at Kudos, says: “It is up to responsible food companies to ensure they are doing all they can to aid the development of a healthier society. We believe that while we do all we can to look at our own menus to ensure that we are taking measures to support this, organisers should also be guided and assisted by their caterer to help them make healthier choices.”
The trend for healthier eating habits has led to initiatives such as Sodexo Prestige’s Out of Home Calorie labelling. Sodexo provides calorie information on its menu, enabling delegates to make an informed decision about the food they eat. LVP announced its ‘5-a-day’ day delegate rates in January this year and teamed up with Innocent Smoothies to provide a healthy lunch, free smoothie containing two of your five a day, and fresh fruit to delegates in a bid to improve concentration levels, energy and motivation.
In the last 10 years, society as a whole has become more knowledgeable on food and its potential benefits and risks, and this trend has impacted on the food that is provided at conferences.
Whether dishes are cooked with less oil or fewer sugars, or whether more salads and vegetables are being provided, delegates now have a variety of healthy options available to them.
Looking further ahead, the interest in pursuing a more healthy lifestyle should ultimately drive demand for more healthy menu options at conferences. When asked by LVP in its survey whose palate is most important when choosing the menu, over 90 per cent said the conference attendees.
It is essential that catering follows the trends of wider society while always maintaining that aspect of choice. Ideally, it should result in a room full of happy, healthy and well-fed delegates.
This was first published in the July edition of Conference News. Any comments? Email conferencenews@mashmedia.net
