The Best Menu Ideas for a Business Conference

Conferencing at Granny Mouse Country House and Spa has got you covered! After confirming your booking, confirming speakers or facilitators, arranging the goodie bags, what’s next?

Just like a wedding, most people remember a conference for the food. That’s why choosing your menu and providing both some interesting and unexpected variety whilst still meeting all those traditional different dietary requirements is a must.

In addition to catering for different culturally inspired food choices, you also need to take food allergies (nuts, dairy and gluten) and offer something tasty for vegans and vegetarians, for example.

Then the timing of meals needs to be considered – after all, this is the best way to kick start jaded guests and provide much needed inspiration after long periods spent taking in lots of details and figures.

Granny Mouse Head Culinary Artist Mannie has some tips for those who are planning the menu for a business conference or office brainstorm getaway:

• Not everyone will provide you with a list of their specific dietary requirements, so work with us to ensure that there are options for everyone.

• Breakfasts should include a variety of slow burning meal items such as oats, muesli and yogurt, freshly squeezed juices, water, hot beverages, a wide variety of fruit, healthy muffins and the likes. Not everyone likes the full English fry up!

• At snack time, have some decaffeinated drinks, fresh juices and waters especially for those who don’t drink teas and coffees. Nuts and biltong are a good option, however consider vegetarians, diabetics and those with nut allergies.

• It’s a good idea to stay away from meal items that contain lots of sugar, because these tend to play with energy levels, making attendees non-participative.

• At lunchtime, consider including salads, risotto, a stir fry, fish or chicken white meat, sweet potato and halloumi for vegetarians. Fish such as tuna, salmon etc contain essential fatty acids and are perfect for focusing and improving memory and will keep your delegates awake well into the afternoon.

• Having a nutritionally balanced meal means that you are getting everything you need from your food but not overdoing the calorie intake. It also means that you don’t have to deprive yourself of anything. Your meals for the day should include carbohydrates, protein, and starch, a bit of fat, fibre and some fruit and veggies.

• The size of serving portions need to be considered as well. A nutritionally balanced meal has been scientifically proven to increase productivity and to reduce stress.

• At Granny Mouse, we also ensure that all meals are prepared in a way which ensures that nutrients aren’t lost. Stir-frying, steaming, boiling and grilling are some of the healthiest cooking methods to ensure that delegates are ready to get back to afternoon sessions refueled and rearing to go.

• We recommend that there is sufficient and enough water throughout the day especially as air conditioners can dehydrate. Water should be chilled and served in glasses or glass bottles. Also we know that some like to drink hot water so an urn is important – which also caters for those tea and coffee addicts.