Great advances over the last century mean that we have new ways of growing, processing, storing, transporting, preparing and even serving food. Years ago it was mostly seasonal foods that featured on the dinner plate. If you were not eating what was in season, in all likelihood, it was pickled or salted. All this choice and variety in what is available for us to eat has influenced our tastes, preferences and expectations. Added to that is the impact of the information we can access online about food, health and lifestyle.

Most commonly, dietary requirements are tied to religious beliefs, examples being Kosher and Halal, and informed by allergies to foods such as gluten, eggs, milk (lactose) and nuts. Preferences are also shaped through concerns around animal welfare and the sustainability of resources on our planet. We have more access to information about what is in our food, why it is (or isn’t) good for us, how it comes to be on our plate, and what it really takes to get it there. The 2018 eating trend was named as plant-based eating, the new ‘organic’, praised as a healthier and more environmentally friendly way of meeting our dietary needs. And food provenance is a movement that specifically traces food from shelf back to source. The company Provenance offers software to increase the visibility of producers food standards. They say more people than ever want to know where their food comes from and that every product has a story. In development is a search tool badged as enabling users to: “find products, ask questions and endorse the supply chains that touch your community.”

Knowing more about food production is a good thing – we can make better, healthier and more informed choices aligned to our values and needs. Whether we personally support or adhere to different diet preferences or not, consumers are expecting more personalisation and choice. And our job as service providers is to heed this and to evaluate how we can improve what we offer.

As professional conference and event organisers, it would be a challenge for us to cater for absolutely every need. Think about how long that registration form could be! Even best-in-class venues would struggle to deliver to every single preference, especially at scale, not to mention the cost implications of trying to do this. But given that we must move with the times and start to shift our thinking, these are the things we can do to take account of as many preferences as possible, as well as start to effect change in this space.

1. Capture common dietary requirements on registration forms, such as vegetarian, kosher and halal. This helps to prevent food waste

2. Label food options so that delegates can make informed choices about what they are eating.

3. Request that venues serve local and seasonal food where possible. Local is sometimes less expensive, and it can provide valuable support to communities.

4. Plan set menus with a starter that most people could eat, a salad or vegetarian option, for example. If possible, have a choice of mains with a fish, meat and vegetarian option. In this way you are covering quite a few bases.

5. Variety: ensure that dishes on the buffet include vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, meat free, etc. Knowledgeable chefs should find this relatively easy to do. Offer items such as cheeses, meats and nuts separately, so that these can be added to dishes.

6. Ask what fish is served and check that it is not on the red list (the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative can provide more information). Ask about free-range chickens or eggs.

7. Check that waiting and serving staff can answer questions about what is in their food. A basic knowledge of different diets would also be ideal.

8. Actively communicate, on menus for example, that food is locally sourced or free range. Tell customers about the good things you do!

If we are putting in every effort to satisfy delegate needs and expectations at an event, why not exceed expectations around food too? Give people the choice they want. Some venues are able to offer delegates a much wider range of options, so always ask. And don’t be afraid to raise questions around sourcing and serving local and seasonal, the more we ask, the more likely we are to change the way things get done.