How to keep everyone happy when catering for a conference

Catering for conferences is no mean feat.

You might have a client that wants to show new clients their new products or a company that wants to celebrate a new milestone.

That’s great, but everyone eats and drinks different things.

Catering for a conference means that you have to ensure that everyone is happy with what they are served, which can be difficult.

One sure-fire way to keep everyone happy is to have a decadent dessert table, with Bar One sauce to drizzle over ice cream, cakes, fruit … basically everything. If you are going to catering for a conference in the future, below are some top tips on how to keep everyone happy.

Serve a variety of dishes

Serving a variety of dishes is one effective way to avoid any catering disasters. Rather than sticking to one or two large meals and hoping everyone will be happy, you should serve at least three to four smaller dishes.

Opt for easy-to-eat foods, such as tapas and finger-foods with sides such as mini wraps, pitas and even rice. Be sure that you include both meat and vegetarian options, as well as dishes that those with other dietary restrictions can enjoy. By serving multiple dishes, you are allowing everyone to enjoy some tasty food, rather than excluding some people. Ask the company before hand if there are any allergies so that you do not use these ingredients accidentally.

Encourage participation

Food is something that everyone enjoys. We enjoy eating it and we enjoy creating it, so to make everyone happy at the next conference you cater for, why not set up a sandwich, salad or even dessert bar (Bar One sauce included, of course)?

By encouraging participation, you are allowing the attendees to create their own dishes which suit their dietary needs. You could have a sandwich bar that offers gluten free and Banting bread, as well as a section for dairy-free toppings for those who are lactose intolerant. Be sure to offer healthy options for those who cannot eat gluten or carbohydrates. At your dessert bar, ensure that there are some options that will please those who might not have as sweet a tooth as others, such as a cheese board with different preserves.

Make healthy options fun

Not everyone enjoys eating healthily, and this is especially true when people are attending conferences. As a caterer, you have likely thrown away dozens of apples from fruit basket displays, not to mention having to get rid of the healthy crudités that guests pass over disdainfully.

One way to encourage conference-goers to choose the healthy options is to make them fun and interesting. You can create dishes from different countries that use fresh, wholesome ingredients such as rice noodle dishes from Asia or light Italian salads full of fresh tomatoes and basil. For snacks, bowls of raw unsalted nuts and biltong are always winners, as are dried fruits and nuts mixes. If you are creative with healthy options, it is more likely that people will choose them… and be happy with their choice.

Label everything

A highly effective way to keep everyone happy and avoid anyone eating something they should not or cannot eat is to label everything. Print out labels and place them next to the snacks or dishes. Make sure to use words like “spicy”, “mild” or “medium” for hot foods, and ensure that all gluten and lactose-free foods are clearly labelled.

By labelling all the dishes, attendees will be able to choose food that sticks to their diet and will not have to guess which is spicy and which is mild. Everyone will be happy and you will be giving them the autonomy to choose food without wondering what is in it. You could go one step further and print out an ingredient list for each dish, as some people need to know what has gone into their food due to allergies or dietary concerns.

Serve dressings and sauces on the side

Not everyone enjoys having a salad slathered in a dressing they do not enjoy, so it is a good idea to serve dressings and sauces on the side. This way, people can choose how they want their dish to taste and the health conscious can avoid the sweetened dressing and opt for healthier oily dressings.

You can also provide sauces in varying levels of heat which attendees can choose for their meals. A dish might call for a certain sauce or condiment, but that does not mean that a guest will always want that particular sauce on their food. Some people might also be sensitive to certain ingredients in a sauce, so it is always best to serve sauces and dressings on the side.

Sweeten the deal

One of the best ways to make everyone happy when catering for a conference is to have a dessert table at the ready. You can have delectable Bar One cheesecake slices served with Bar One sauce or you could have rich gelato with a wide variety of toppings to choose from.

Remember to serve a diverse array of dishes and to encourage participation with your food. Offer fun healthy options and serve sauces and dressings on the side, and you will have a highly successful event.