Conference News October 2021 | Page 31

31 Vegan but . A vegan dish must be “ tasty , flavoursome , and substantial , it should bring together flavour , colour and texture ” and it should also “ enhance all of our senses ” he reveals .

Broughton demonstrates this philosophy by highlighting his personal favourite vegan dish from Searcy ’ s EQ menu . For Broughton , the vegan dessert Açaí panna cotta with fermented blackberries and granola is the ideal example .
“ The blend of the “ smooth panna cotta and tang of the blackberries work perfectly with the crunch of the granola , which gives that explosion of flavour and texture ,” he says . Who said vegan dishes are boring ?
Venue POV : popularity and sustainability
Agreeing with Broughton , Adam Simpson , director of marketing at etc . venues , notes that the increase in demand for vegan dishes has become “ phenomenal ”. At its venues , which have remained open throughout the pandemic , the number of vegan dishes they have served has doubled in the past 12 months , he says .
But it is not only vegans and vegetarians who are choosing vegan dishes as their preferred option , many meat eaters are as well . Simpson reveals that the proportion of meat eaters who have reduced or limited the amount of meat they consume has risen from 28 % in 2017 to 39 % in 2019 , whilst 25 % of evening meals in the UK are now vegan or vegetarian . Moreover , Mintel reports that sales of meat-free foods have grown 40 % from £ 582m in 2014 to £ 816m in 2019 . “ Statistics don ’ t lie , and this clearly proves the growing appeal of vegan dishes ,” suggests Simpson .
Like all things with event catering comes the issue of sustainability . “ The hospitality sector should be aiming for all food it serves to be locally and sustainably sourced , and plant-based dishes can often be sourced locally ,” says Simpson , which should only encourage more people to ‘ go vegan ’. At etc . venues , Simpson and his team are “ committed to providing vegan food of the highest standard ” which is reflected by its Soil Association accreditation and its pending Vegan Society approval .
Organiser POV : delegate preferences and food experience
As an event organiser , the delegate should always come first , and this includes their food preferences . Narmeen Kamran , event director at Desert Island Events , is no stranger to catering for all delegates and argues it should be “ a non-negotiable for every planner ” because food is an important part of our day and delegates are always looking forward to it .
“ Currently , we are working to make the events industry more inclusive , and this should be for our guests and clients as well ,” Kamran says . “ Although a large majority of venues do cater for non-vegetarians and vegetarians , we need to take this a step further .
“ We should be looking towards delegate preferences such as the rise of vegan and plant-based diets , or non-alcoholic drinks . We should also be asking delegates about their food allergies or religious needs ,” she notes .
To provide a bigger picture , Kamran poses the question : can your vegetarian dish be vegan , as well as dairy and gluten-free ?
“ If it can , it becomes one dish that caters for multiple dietary requests , without creating additional work and stress for event organisers ,” she adds .
“ By catering for all , you leave a positive impression on your client ’ s guests and your feedback will reflect that ,” Kamran reminds us .
Whether you are a chef , a venue , or an organiser , providing vegan options and creating vegan menus for your delegates is essential to any event . Delegate preferences are evolving , so it ’ s time we evolve with them and cater for all . CN www . conference-news . co . uk