Healthy eating at Whirlowbrook Hall!

Health Eating at Conferences

The food and drink provided at conferences and events has for a long time typically been carb laden and caffeine fuelled with a token basket of fruit put on display. That’s all changing thanks to venues such as Whirlowbrook Hall that have revolutionised the approach to providing healthy menus for conferences and events. Lucy Plummer, Sales Manager, at Whirlowbrook Hall talks through the changes:

HEALTHY START TO THE DAY
“We have altered our approach to providing breakfasts. It’s no longer a ‘one size fits all’ menu and we now offer a much wider choice of foods which includes wholegrain and rye breads, smoothies, fresh juices, and lots more protein such as peanut butter spreads, hard cooked eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables. We are finding that more and more of our customers don’t want just croissants and muffins. Teas and coffees are still popular, and the choice includes decaffeinated and lots of herbal teas. They want a healthy choice and require tailor made menus to suit the profiles of the delegates. Catering for specific dietary requirements is much easier, and we tend to find that everyone enjoys a healthier start to the day.

LUNCH
“Throughout the year different types of fresh salads are very popular. It’s not just the traditional green salad, we are now including a while range of grains and seeds. These are often served up alongside cold meats, and a choice of raw or steamed vegetables alongside hummus and crackers high in fibre. Vegan options are hugely popular at lunch time and our vegan street food menu is now being requested at over half of our conferences. We are also serving up lots of delicious warm dishes such as vegan chilli, curry or tofu stir fry with brown wholegrain rice. It’s all about the flavous and choice and our team headed up by head chef Alex Fretwell can create a bespoke menu for each event, depending on the needs of each delegate.

SNACK TIME
“There’s been a huge move away from just providing simply coffee and chocolate biscuits. We ensure there’s water stations provided throughout the day so delegates can top up their water bottles and cut down on plastic waste. During specific breaks we ensure there’s lots of fresh fruit available alongside herbal teas and we know that delegates also love snacking on carrots and celery sticks, nuts and fresh seeds.”

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