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Food Catering For Business Meetings or Gatherings

Have the Right Food and Drinks

The article below stresses on the importance of catering the right food and drinks for guests at business meetings so that they can remain focused and active at such meetings. When they leave the meeting, these guests should carry a very positive impression about your company.

George Bernard Shaw once said that the love for food is the most genuine and intense as compared to love for anything else.

While food is great and a wonderful way to demonstrate that you care for the person, it is very important to plan the menu to be provided for business meetings such that the guests leave the meeting satiated, happy and alert. It is bad business sense to have guests leaving the meeting drowsy and discontent at the culinary arrangements made.

There are a number of reasons that can impact the outcome ranging from specific tastes of the participating members to allergy and religious constraints. Some others are related to the presentation of the dishes, the time taken to consume it and the after effects of consuming it. It is a fact that some of the foods do tend to cause drowsiness more quickly than others.

Remember that the guests, who may be clients, distributors or partners, will be quick to form their own opinions about your company and the way you do business based on the hospitality you extend to them and food is one of the most important elements influencing such opinions. For instance, having hamburgers as opposed to lobster tails delivered to your office for the meeting will send a vastly different message to your guests. Hence you need to plan the Eats with great meticulousness.

Some tips are:

* Avoid foods that are not easy to consume and are messy.
* Be aware of the target audience attending the meeting and their specific tastes and preferences.
* Ensure the food delivery is at the right time and guests do not have to wait.
* The catering service provider must be someone who can make available diverse menu choices.

So what is good and effective food catering all about? Let us understand it in some detail.

a) Keep it simple

You have to ensure that the guests do not have to spend a lot of time eating their food. For instance, they should not be bothering about trying to extract the meat left over from the bones of the chicken. Similarly, long winding pastas and pizzas are also difficult for guests to manage and that can lead to irritation. Business guests need to spend the least effort on eating their food so that they have enough time to concentrate on any discussion that is happening or on listening to the person opposite them.

b) Choice of food

It would be advisable to choose food that is easy to chew and digest. Some of the guests may have sensitive teeth or problems with their jaws which could make it difficult for them to open their mouth wide enough or to chew the food properly. Some others could have dentures which can cause a lot of problems if the food is sticky. Hence make sure that your selection of food is done with these factors in mind.

c) Avoid foods that can embarrass

Similarly, foods that can cause a splash or can stain shirts and blouses are a strict no. It can be very embarrassing to have stains on the shirt or blouse when you are in the midst of a business discussion. You thus need to avoid salads with too much dressing, pizzas, lettuce leaves, long pastas that are difficult to manage and sauces.

d) Show sensitivity and concern

It is also important to understand that what could be food to one person could be poison to somebody else.

The reference here is to foods that can trigger off allergies. It is very vital to make available comprehensive details on the food ingredients, so that the guests can make informed decisions on what to have and what to avoid based on their own dietary requirements. You need to show this kind of sensitivity and this will be greatly appreciated. Of particular note is nut allergy and the fact that they can be easily caused due to desserts, salads and candies and this needs to be properly recognize when you are planning the food menu. This is also one of the main reasons why airlines hesitate to serve food with nuts.

Other allergy causing foods consist of shellfish, dairy products, MSG or monosodium glutamate, sulfites, caffeine and chocolate. Some chemicals used in cooking can also induce allergy. Certain people cannot bear spicy food due to the fact that they may be suffering from ulcers. Similarly, people suffering from hypertension would require food without salt and those suffering from diabetes would prefer food and drinks with less sugar.

e) Respect religious and cultural sentiments

Religious constraints have to be respected and kept in mind when ordering food. Certain religions do not support eating pork and some religions do not favor consumption of non vegetarian food. Catholics do not eat meat during Lent or on Fridays or even bread during the period of Sabbath and Jews too avoid bread during Passover. While catering to every requirement would be difficult, it would be useful to keep the most common constraints in view before ordering.

Similarly though raw eggs may be preferred by some, when it comes to a business lunch or breakfast, you need to be careful about having under-prepared food such as uncooked poultry, sushi, meat, steaks and Caesar salads on the menu. It is better to play safe and go for foods that do not carry such risks.

f) Preventing the guests from snoozing during the meeting
It would be really frustrating and embarrassing if some of the guests fell asleep during somebody’s presentation or lecture. You have to make sure that the food does not cause a dip in energy levels especially after lunch as that is the critical period when people feel lethargic and are likely to doze off. The chemical that induces sleep is tryptophan and items such as milk and turkey contain high levels of this chemical. Moreover, fatty food takes a much longer time to get digested and they occupy stomach space for an extended period of time, oftentimes causing some discomfort.

Sugars have the ability to provide a quick surge of energy, but can also cause a boomerang effect and people who are impacted by this will tend to doze off. Alcohol is yet another item that is sure to cause problems and it is therefore not advisable for any guest to take this drink especially before any presentation.

g) Combating bad breath and bloated bellies

Spicy food along with equally strong flavors can create their own brand of discomfort and lead to formation of gas and a bad odor in the mouth. The common foods causing indigestion, belching and bad odor are garlic, curries, onions and peppers.

h) Provide enough variety

It is a tough task catering to everybody’s taste but since you are responsible for the satisfaction of your guests, you must endeavor to provide a lot of variety and choice in the menu so that everybody can find something that they like. They are also more likely to appreciate your forethought and consideration in taking the trouble to do so.

As a first step, you need to ascertain the specific dietary requirements or constraints of the guests in question discreetly and then make sure that it is followed up adequately. You can gather this information through a questionnaire form.

In the event that you do not get any special food requests, you need not get disappointed. Play safe anyway and offer alternatives that are commonly acceptable. For instance, you can offer fresh fruits, salads and greens as these are healthy and nobody would mind taking them. You can even ensure that there are low-fat or fat-free desserts and ice-creams available, or dishes with very low oil content. Grilled foods such as chicken breast or steamed vegetables with fat-free yoghurt make for excellent alternatives and will be highly appreciated by your guests.

When it comes to snacks, go for pretzels rather than potato chips. Make sure you provide plenty of mineral water along with other caffeine-free drinks and you will find that guests will love them.

You will do well to stay clear of pandering to your own personal taste or intention to provide something fancy. Some people may not like foods such as lima beans, Brussels sprouts and some others may not be amenable to trying out anything different such as monkey’s brains or alligator meat. Hence it is better to keep away from exotic items though the temptation to include them might  be very strong.

In summary, the questions you need to ask are as follows:

a) The type of audience along with information on age, vegetarian preferences, religious considerations.

b) What industry they represent

c) The time of the meeting, nature of the meeting – formal or informal, purpose and the intensity of participation expected.