How much thought do you give to the menu selection for your event? Are you more concerned about quantity over quality? Have you thought about how the food you serve impacts on your guests’ experience? Making the right menu choices is just as important as choosing the right venue. Here are some vital ingredients in a successful menu plan.
Menu style matching event style
If your guest’s can’t easily eat what you are serving, it’s immediately going to make them feel uncomfortable. If guests are standing at your cocktail party ensure items are bite size and don’t need hard to handle utensils to eat with. If your guests are enjoying a seated dinner at your gala awards night, have you printed menus for the table so they know the style of menu being served? Will they have a choice or is the menu alternate serve? The style of event will set an expectation in the guest’s mind, so always ensure the menu choice matches that expectation.
Variety is the spice of life
We live in age where we can experience a variety of cuisines without leaving our local suburb, so expectations for the menu at your event can be high. While many venue’s will have their set menu’s that they send out automatically, engage with them further about how you can deliver a menu that that will offer something different to a satay stick or spring roll for canapés or a standard chicken and beef option for your main course. Your guests will appreciate the extra effort and give them something else to tell people about long after the event is over.
Special Diets
To ensure your guests with special dietary requirements are catered for easily, you need to think about this aspect during your initial preparations. Guests need to be asked for any special meal requirements well in advance so that you have the ability to work with the venue to develop a menu that can cater for their needs without the guest feeling like it’s a problem come the event. Always ensure your guests know what their menu options are by ensuring wait staff are briefed accordingly and printed menus clearly identify ingredients where necessary.
We are what we eat
Thinking about serving up muffins or biscuits for morning tea during your conference? Did you know serving items high in sugar is only going to cause an energy slump later that day which in turn means a lack of ability to pay attention to your presenters? Healthy, nutritious and tasty menu options are key to ensuring your guests are at their best to get the most out of your event. Many hotels and venues are working with celebrity chefs to develop menus with a focus on healthy living, so ensure you make this a priority to develop a menu that’s good for mind and body.