The Dos And Don'ts Of Corporate Catering

When you're planning a business conference that will span over several mealtimes

, you know you need to get corporate catering to step in and help.

But that's not always as easy as it may seem. With food allergies, vegetarian or vegan employees, and other dietary restrictions running rampant, it can be difficult to know how to "cater" to everyone's needs. Difficult--but not impossible. So, as you begin to consider the menu for your next conference, let me prompt you about the considerations you should make.

Naturally, your awareness of dietary issues will depend upon how many people will be at the conference and how well you know them. If you're planning a team building retreat for an office of 10 or 15 people, then you will most likely hear about who is gluten intolerant or vegan and can make appropriate accommodations.

On the other hand, if this is going to be a rather large affair with employees and/or clientele that have no personal interaction with you, then you may want to either organize a spreadsheet of food sensitivities or ask special considerations to be e-mailed to whomever is responsible for arranging the corporate catering.

If none of these options are feasible, then fall back on the basics. Allergies to nuts and lactose intolerance are some of the most common setbacks you might face, so you may want to avoid cheesy sauces--like those frequently cooked up for pastas--and cream or other dairy-based desserts.

Furthermore, you should make sure that desserts do not include pecans or walnuts and that no food comes into contact with peanuts or peanut butter. It is more important than you might think to contact the catering company and impress this with them. Peanut residue can get into other foods like you would not believe!

Fruit and vegetable platters are highly recommended, but it may be advisable to separate each individual type into separate containers. For example, someone might not reach for a fruit salad if they are allergic to strawberries.

Now, you don't want to start getting paranoid that someone is going to keel over because you didn't make the right catering arrangements. But as long as you offer a wide variety for people to choose from, then there shouldn't be any complaints.

If you are looking to do this on a slim budget, then you may want to consider allowing those at the conference to build their own sandwiches or wraps, but don't forget to offer plenty of side options, as many vegans won't eat bread or tortillas.

Planning the menu for a corporate getaway is not easy, but as long as you keep attendees' best interests in mind, they will surely be grateful.

by: Art Gib

POST COMMENT

Florida Event Planner From Eventus Corporate Open Source Development Vs Corporate Development Corporate Employee Recognition Awards Negotiating Your Corporate Saas Agreement - Do You Flunk The Test? Exploring The Show Of A Corporate Magician Corporate Events - A Company's Selling Campaign Incorporate A Singapore Company: Overview Best Father Of Bride Speeches - Basic Points To Incorporate In A Speech The Emerging Role Of Sustainability In Driving Corporate Identity Corporate Gifts That Are Widely Used Luxury Corporate Gifts To Corporate Ceos From The World Champion Li Brothers How The Boss Incorporation 101: Who Should Incorporate?