NO RESERVATIONS
’ m a self-confessed carnivore . Six months ago , if you ’ d offered me a vegetarian option or vegan meat alternatives , I ’ d likely have gone off on a rant about the sanctity of a meat-based diet and no doubt bored the life out of you .
Mercifully for my friends , family , co-workers , random passers-by and anyone who shares a table with me at an event , I am capable of change .
I was converted when hosting a roundtable at Manchester Central , a venue which has a strong focus on vegetarian and vegan food , with the aim of being more sustainable . Now I must confess , when I was offered a cauliflower korma – I had my reservations . But having eaten it and gone back for seconds , I was wrong – it does happen occasionally .
Since then , I ’ ve relaxed in my personal life , maybe I only eat meat four times a week , not perfectly sustainable by any means – but it ’ s a start .
So why am I telling you this ? It ’ s not only to demonstrate that sustainable change doesn ’ t have to be unpleasant ( especially if it comes in the form of a delicious curry ). But also , change at events can lead to change at home , this is the true power events hold when it comes to pushing the sustainable agenda .
In this issue we ’ ll not only cover how events are being more sustainable with their catering ; but also , how vegetarian and vegan options are changing the game ; how caterers are representing their communities through menu choices ; and what non-alcoholic options mean for event delegates .
The times they are a changing , if I can try vegan / veggie options in the name of sustainability , you can too . Sustainability is the order of the day in events , how organisers serve up greener-options to delegates will determine whether they get their just-desserts somewhere down the line . CN
Cameron Roberts Editor Conference News www . conference-news . co . uk