Why is food so important?
Conferences
At conferences, attendees often face long days filled with sessions full of the latest insights and knowledge – it’s a lot to take in. Then there’s the networking opportunities – the energy and enthusiasm required to ‘work the room’. Both brain and physical power are needed to maintain focus to take in all those golden nuggets of information and interact with fellow delegates.
Providing high-quality, energising food helps and thoughtfully planned meals and snacks serve as a real highlight, allowing participants to refuel, recharge and engage more fully with the conference content and each other.
Teambuilding
Teambuilding activities are all about collaboration, camaraderie and connection. Creating exciting menus which are in keeping with the theme further enhance the experience by providing a relaxed setting for informal interactions. Whether it's a shared breakfast to kick off the day, a picnic or a celebratory BBQ to conclude team challenges, food plays a major role in bringing teams closer together.
Training
Training events are intense... And that’s before your team have looked at their phones to catch up on the backlog of emails while they’re ‘OOO’.
Offering delicious food can help keep energy levels high and minds sharp. Tailoring menus to include brain-boosting ingredients ensures that participants remain engaged, absorb more from the training sessions and take everything they need back to the workplace.
Awards and Celebrations
This is where food really is the star of the show. Awards dinners and celebration events are perfect opportunities to indulge, create memorable moments and really treat your team to a meal which makes them feel valued and appreciated. Elegant canapé receptions, delicious buffets, fine dining and decadent desserts is where it’s at for these occasions at Crieff Hydro Hotel.
How Can Food Enhance the Overall Event Experience?
Setting the mood
Our chefs and event planners will work with your team to align the menus to your theme and goals, enhancing the event and overall experience. This is where we can both get creative – we love creating menu options for our clients and thanks to our chefs, F&B teams and catering amenities, we can make almost anything possible.
Natural conversation starters
Food provides natural conversation starters, helping break the ice between attendees. Shared meals and communal dining experiences encourage people to mingle and interact, fostering new connections and relationships.
Creating shared experiences
Shared dining experiences create memories and shared stories that attendees can bond over; very often these experiences go beyond the event itself, leaving a lasting impact and create strong relationships which previously may not have existed.
The Latest Event Food Trends
Plant-based menus
With the rise of plant-based diets, offering vegetarian and vegan options has become essential at events. Innovative plant-based dishes can be both delicious and visually appealing, ensuring all guests feel included.
Immersive experiences
Taco bars, cocktail/mocktail stations, carving stations, curry stalls and open grills are all popping up at events; a great way to get attendees mingling and chatting.
Global flavours
Incorporating global flavours and fusion cuisine can excite palates and introduce attendees to new culinary experiences. Think Korean BBQ sliders, Mediterranean mezze platters, Indian street food stations and pizza posts.
Anyone for a mocktail?
Gone are the days when mocktails lived at the bottom of the menu... We’re seeing a major shift today with mocktails taking centre stage at events with more of us adopting a healthy lifestyle or reducing alcohol intake and to ensure that nobody feels excluded. Goodbye Shirley Temples, hello Pomegranate Spritzers and Virgin Margeritas – sip sip hooray!
Comfort food
Think dinky little bowls of mac and cheese (mac and cheese stations are ‘a thing’…), mini-cottage pies, risotto, noodles and slow cooked stews – childhood food trends never grow old and it’ll give your delegates the equivalent of a warm hug during a long day.
Focus on sustainability
More than a trend – it’s now a ‘must do’. In addition to creating mouth-watering menus, sustainability also lies at the heart of Crieff Hydro Hotel’s event catering philosophy. Where possible, we’ll source locally to reduce carbon footprint, support local farmers and add authenticity to the menu. We also use seasonal ingredients to ensure freshness and sustainability and implement strategies to minimise food waste and promote recycling.
Crieff Hydro catering
Food is undeniably a key ingredient in the recipe for successful events. Our teams of Event Planners and Chefs will work with you to deliver exceptional dining experiences that fuel energy, enhance connections and leave a lasting impression on attendees.
Elevate your next event with exceptional catering, explore our menus and options and find out how we can bring all the ingredients together to deliver a standout event.
