There are many things to consider when planning an event, including planning your menu. This month’s tweet chat we tackled “What Makes Your Menu Sustainable”. This topic sparked great discussions about sustainable menus and we learned from one another that there are many things to consider to create a sustainable menu. Read on to find out what we learned from one another.
What are your top 3 go to’s for planning a sustainable menu?
A1 local food sources, vegan choices, reasonable portion communcations #meetgreenchat
— Mary Klida (@MaryKlida) May 8, 2019
A1: Looking regionally (250 miles), locally (within event city), and at service-ware / packaging considerations #MeetGreenChat
— Eric Wallinger (@EricWallinger) May 8, 2019
A1. Is it local. Is it seasonal. Is it nutritious. #MeetGreenChat
— Legacy (@LegacyTheTeam) May 8, 2019
A1) My GO-TOs for a sustainable menu: regular headcounts; local food bank, pantry, or partner; and chef meeting(s). #MeetGreenChat
— Sonia Harris (@harrisonia) May 8, 2019
What are some examples of water wise food choices?
A2: We frequently target going meatless where possible or chicken over beef when building a menu #MeetGreenChat
— Eric Wallinger (@EricWallinger) May 8, 2019
A2 Can we say the obvious and have filtered tap water to drink rather than bottled? #MeetGreenChat
— Legacy (@LegacyTheTeam) May 8, 2019
A2: Fresh veggies that needs no cooking. #MeetGreenChat https://t.co/55iQqtP2q6
— SG 🇮🇳 (@Ganesh_Sabari) May 8, 2019
How do you verify sustainable food choices for your menu?
A3: I like to take a back of house tour when onsite, often connecting with Chef etc. I have even taken some photos from walk-in fridges during events, and can be a good way to help verify produce sourced #MeetGreenChat
— Eric Wallinger (@EricWallinger) May 8, 2019
Q3) I send RFPs to caterers and ask where their food comes from. Most of them work with local farmers, which is great! #meetgreenchat
— The Green Event Planner (@katrinluethy) May 8, 2019
A3: More preference to the local & seasonal availability of ingredients. #MeetGreenChat https://t.co/4q4sOCFBFf
— SG 🇮🇳 (@Ganesh_Sabari) May 8, 2019
How have you incorporated imperfect fruits and vegetables?
A4 food art! #meetgreenchat pic.twitter.com/FKEAtQ8e1W
— Mary Klida (@MaryKlida) May 8, 2019
A4. There are a few caterers in UK who only with with surplus or rejected fruit and veg. They are often cheaper because dealing with a wastestream product. #MeetGreenChat
— Legacy (@LegacyTheTeam) May 8, 2019
A4. Typically "imperfect produce" are no different than any other produce other than appearance. Once they are sliced and diced, they all taste the same. I encourage everyone to explore this as an option in the field and at home. #Meetgreenchat
— April Hammel (@aprilhammel) May 8, 2019
A4: Blend or Food Art. #MeetGreenChat https://t.co/pqJbcuCEdL
— SG 🇮🇳 (@Ganesh_Sabari) May 8, 2019
What does certified organic mean?
A5) Certified organic means a food supplier has agreed to and followed an agreed-upon set of food growing and processing requirements that meet certain standards by a recognized (national) body. #MeetGreenChat
— Sonia Harris (@harrisonia) May 8, 2019
What seasonal fruits and vegetables are a staple during your planning?
A6. It's a tough one in the UK in the winter. We are not blessed with the abundance that others are lucky to have! In the other seasons, berries, apples, pears, etc. Love serving seasonal cocktails 😍 #MeetGreenChat
— Legacy (@LegacyTheTeam) May 8, 2019
A6. Onions, lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes are versatile and water-wise vegetables that frequent a lot of menus. You also see a lot of strawberries, apples, and oranges on the breakfast menus. #MeetGreenChat
— April Hammel (@aprilhammel) May 8, 2019
A6: Local Green Beans have been a feature for some of our East Coast Fall events #MeetGreenChat
— Eric Wallinger (@EricWallinger) May 8, 2019
A6: South Indians like me are blessed with bountiful veggies all round the year. So, no worries. #MeetGreenChat https://t.co/n9Jjput7og
— SG 🇮🇳 (@Ganesh_Sabari) May 8, 2019
Q6) I ask local farmers – they sometimes drown in certain vegetables or fruit (last year, Swiss farmers had way too many apples they couldn't get rid of) and use whatever they recommend. They were grateful I bought apples in bulk and my guests were fed and happy #meetgreenchat
— The Green Event Planner (@katrinluethy) May 8, 2019
What should you keep in mind when choosing locally produced foods?
A7: One consideration on this front is that regional (typically defined as 250 miles) can be extended to 500 miles in some locations like Las Vegas where there is limited agriculture#MeetGreenChat
— Eric Wallinger (@EricWallinger) May 8, 2019
A7 Fair labor practices of the farms where the food is grown, harvested, shipped #meetgreenchat
— Mary Klida (@MaryKlida) May 8, 2019
A7: I like to challenge catering teams to build one new local partner withing their city limits to include on a menu. One event we worked on recently sourced hamburger buns from a local bakery. So in this case it might not even be produce : ))#MeetGreenChat
— Eric Wallinger (@EricWallinger) May 8, 2019
A7. Consider the food miles between where the food was grown and where it's being sold. #MeetGreenChat
— April Hammel (@aprilhammel) May 8, 2019
Q7) That locally produced veggies grown in a greenhouse can have a higher carbon footprint than veggies from abroad. #meetgreenchat
— The Green Event Planner (@katrinluethy) May 8, 2019
A7.2) When selecting locally produced foods, also keep in mind the time of year when the food will be harvested vs the event date. #MeetGreenChat pic.twitter.com/sPfDmWt4qW
— Sonia Harris (@harrisonia) May 8, 2019
What are the indicators that your coffee and tea choices are sustainable?
A8: The main ones I look for are Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, or Organic certifications #MeetGreenChat
— Eric Wallinger (@EricWallinger) May 8, 2019
A8. Look for common certification stickers or labels such as "certified organic or fair trade." These labels reflect sustainable growing practices. #MeetGreenChat
— April Hammel (@aprilhammel) May 8, 2019
A8. Fair trade products. No plastic stirrers or cups. Sugar, milk etc in jugs rather than individually wrapped. Non caffeinated options so you are catering for wide range of preferences. #MeetGreenChat
— Legacy (@LegacyTheTeam) May 8, 2019
What food items are trendy and sustainable?
A9. Beyond Meat burgers! I'm dying to get these on one of my menus but nothing suitable has come up yet #MeetGreenChat @BeyondMeat
— Legacy (@LegacyTheTeam) May 8, 2019
A9. Vegan sausage rolls. Literally have to stockpile these for the team before events because they run out so fast #MeetGreenChat
— Legacy (@LegacyTheTeam) May 8, 2019
A9 Fair Trade chocolate brands seem to be growing in popularity in recent years…lucky us! #MeetGreenChat
— April Hammel (@aprilhammel) May 8, 2019
A9: Vegan Bowls have been a popular and mostly sustainable addition to many of our recent events #MeetGreenChat
— Eric Wallinger (@EricWallinger) May 8, 2019
A9 I've also seen a growing trend for "impossible burgers" showing up on a lot of menus. #MeetGreenChat
— April Hammel (@aprilhammel) May 8, 2019
Q9 Well bugs @eatchirps. @thisbar Gives back by feeding the hungry @regrained upcycles spent grain. @TankaBar supports native americans and the buffalo. #MeetGreenChat
— Conference Care Package (@Confcarepackage) May 8, 2019
A9: Nuts. #MeetGreenChat https://t.co/YMJ5TS3CGI
— SG 🇮🇳 (@Ganesh_Sabari) May 8, 2019
Q9) Locally grown berries that lost popularity in recent years are coming back – the hipster way! A big retailer started to sell berries I've never seen before. They marketed them as "the local version of Goji berries" and it was a huge success. #biodiversity #meetgreenchat
— The Green Event Planner (@katrinluethy) May 8, 2019
What challenges do you face when trying to include more sustainable options in your menu?
A10: Cost to some extent. Also venue and distributor contracts. Venues can sometime be hesitant to venture out of known suppliers, etc as foods might not be of the quality, or consistency they might be expecting. #MeetGreenChat
— Eric Wallinger (@EricWallinger) May 8, 2019
Twitter Coincidence
I literally just came from the certified organic farmer's market in Santa Monica! It's a #TwitterCoincidence!
And that's GREAT advice! #MeetGreenChat
— Vince Skolny (@VinceSkolny) May 8, 2019
Lot’s of great discussions about “What Makes Your Menu Sustainable”. Thank you to everyone who participated and we look forward to seeing you on June 5th 11AM PT at the next MeetGreenChat!
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