Catering for any group has the potential to be a bit of a stressful task – made even more so nowadays with the mass of chef mastering shows, food programs, our obsession with what we have to eat, eating out, which restaurant, that chef …It can get a little bit much. Add to the mix now the many and varied dietary requirements and it can even seem complicated.

So why does feeding a group of people cause so much stress and anxiety? There are potentially hundreds of answers to this question and not all of them can be answered here – but let’s pick a couple and see what we can find.

Scenario 1

‘The catering company you currently use is supportive -- to a point, they forget that the MD is coeliac, and it stresses you out wondering whether you have to rush to the wholefoods store to salvage the situation when you have so much already on your plate.’

The easy answer is simple look for a business that doesn’t just feign attentiveness and care – make it a priority for you and for all of your delegates. Dietary requirements are a big deal nowadays, some people are anaphylactic to some food stuffs – scary when a banana can send someone to hospital. Everyone requires to be treated well and with care – everyone and this means even those who choose to eat differently.

If a company in this day and age cannot deliver on all fronts why would you continue to use them?

Scenario 2.

‘I need to find catering but really cheaply.’

This is an interesting one and something that needs to be considered carefully. Food is an important part of our daily rhythm – and plays out in our working day more than we care to know. Ever had the feeling that you are so very tired after eating that foot-long sub? Or your thoughts are just going way too fast for your body – wired - after eating two too many choc chip cookies at morning tea?

Our bodies are constantly letting us know what we need and just as importantly what we don’t need and it is this aspect of ourselves we can tend to override and ignore. Imagine then planning an event or catering for a meeting – for more than one person and this presents a different possibility.

In a business we want everyone to work at their optimum productivity – it is essential to get the most out of our teams to ensure the company continues to grow and expand. What then if food and how we eat plays a role in our productivity? If the food we choose to consume depletes us and makes us tired or too racy – what then happens to the productivity?

Making the food choices for ourselves and for others becomes an important part of the equation? What if we didn’t choose the cheapest food for the staff meeting every week and actually said you know what sausage rolls are great but this week we are going to have something different – lighter and more supportive for the team – what then would be the impact on the meeting, the day’s work? Now that's a different perspective and changes the thinking that if we feed them – well we’ve done our job.

Food prepared with care, that nurtures and nourishes, well, that sends productivity through the roof.

Scenario 3.

The food is great, but the driver always turns up rushed and they sometimes forget things.

We mentioned before about the care and essentially the quality that goes into the food – not about the cheapest per se but about the food that will support the meeting to go next level, or the team to become even more productive. What then how the food is cooked?

Ever been in a restaurant and the chefs are getting louder and louder, angrier and angrier as the place gets busier and busier. Too much pressure can do things to people that we don’t like. What happens when you cannot see the kitchen and the food is being made under enormous amounts of frustration, anger and anxiety – its then put in a van, later than it should be to get to the client, transferring the anxiety to the driver – who then has to drive erratically to get the job to the client almost on time. What then do you eat at your team meeting? Not just the food but food that was made and delivered in anxiety and frustration, emotions that do not support anyone in the chain – least of you and your team at the end of the line.

How the food is cooked, prepared and delivered is vital to ensure the food is nurturing and supportive for everyone.

Fresh Convenience Catering does things a little bit differently in Perth. We source our produce from reliable caring suppliers, we know them and them us. We give ourselves space and time to lovingly prepare food knowing that it is going into someone’s body – so we won’t allow anger or frustration or anxiety into the mixing bowl. We give our drivers plenty of time and space to make deliveries safely and without rushing. It’s so simple and easy – People First.

Consider how best to support your team and if you need catering for your next event, conference, workshop, team meeting or gathering let us know and we will deliver 100% quality to you.

By Lee Green – Managing Director – Fresh Convenience Catering