The Datebook Winter spring 2020 | Page 19

Wellbeing Event at Church House Westminster explores ‘Good Mood Foods’ their fellow peers and join a tour of the Westminster venue’s versatile event spaces. The idea for the event was conceived in response to the everyday pressures and stress from working in the events industry. What we eat can enhance and improve our performance, mood and health. The direct link between our gut and brain proves that what we eat has a direct link to how we feel. Foods may have a positive effect on our wellbeing. O n Friday 1st November Church House Westminster hosted a wellbeing event for event professionals. The event took place in the Bishop Partridge Hall and was attended by almost 50 people from the events industry. Guests arrived from 12.30 pm for a drinks reception with canapés, which included several plant-based options. The speaker, Joy Phillips, founder of KitchenJoy Cookery School, then delivered a talk about ‘Good Mood Foods’, which was followed by a Q+A session. Healthy bowl food and a wellbeing buffet were served after the talk, during which time guests embraced the opportunity to network with During her talk, Joy highlighted the foods that may have a positive effect on our wellbeing and physical health, helping us to feel happy and more energised. Conversely, Joy also shared with us what foods to avoid. Canapés included pumpernickel with avocado and beetroot, and crispy banana blossom, pickled grapes, and compressed cucumber. Bowl food featured dishes such as cauliflower couscous and sushi rice with seared tuna, sea herbs and pickled daikon. A wellbeing buffet consisted of: • A protein station with lemon poached chicken supreme, baked eggs with smoked haddock and chickpea, carrot and beetroot sliders with crispy fennel. A wellbeing buffet was served. Visit The London & UK DatebooK on www.thedatebook.co.uk Guests enjoyed networking with their peers. • A salad station that featured Asian slaw. daylight and stunning views of Westminster Abbey. • A sweet treat to end the afternoon came in the shape of a “make-your-own-ice-pop bar”, where guests could choose to dip colourful mango- and-coconut ice pops in dark, milk or white chocolate before adding toppings such as fruits, nuts, and cocoa powder. Our location in tranquil Dean’s Yard offers peace and quiet to conference delegates. Event spaces provide flexibility for a great variety of layouts including informal setups. Event organisers can theme the venue and our in-house audio- visual team can offer plenty of ideas to transform the rooms with lighting. • Drinks included ginger shots, a Virgin Mary with beetroot (instead of tomato juice, the latter is quite high in sugar), watermelon water and English sparkling wine. Commenting after the event, Business Development Manager, Marina Papadopoulou remarked, “Speaking with so many event professionals this afternoon has underlined how important it is in our industry to maintain a healthy diet to support our mental health. Meeting tight deadlines, multi- tasking several events at the same time and the always-on culture can seriously impact our wellbeing. One way to combat this is to make sure that we are eating the right foods and there are so many clever and easy ways of doing this.” How does Church House Westminster support wellbeing in events as a venue? Event spaces are designed with wellbeing in mind, with most rooms offering plenty of natural Church House Westminster also makes a charitable donation for every wellbeing working lunch sold. Catering menus can be designed according to client requirements which reduces wastage. A Virgin Mary with beetroot instead of tomato juice – a healthy choice. Church House Westminster, Dean’s Yard, Westminster, London SW1P 3NZ Tel: 020 7390 1590 www.churchhouseconf.co.uk A charity rate is available. THE LONDON & UK DATEBOOK 17