COLOR YOUR EVENT IN GREEN:
CATERING FROM FARM TO TABLE

Sensory marketing farm to table

The food world has always been inspired by society’s changes in taste and in this moment the biggest trend is green living – eating healthy embedded in a more holistic perspective that also includes the respect for the environment. A new way of living with many dedicated followers: a research of the ONS (National Observatory on sustainable living) stated that 74% of the Italian population declares themselves interested in sustainability.

The new generations are more sensitive when it comes to preserving this tendency, buying local products and actively protecting the environment. It is satisfying to know that the food on the table is km 0, because in that way you support short supply chains and enjoy fresh products that respect seasonality and taste better.

The event sector is another industry specifically aware of any type of innovation that gets participants involved and let them live new experiences. And food is one of the most loved discussion topics nobody ever gets tired talking about. Catering, in fact, lends itself particularly well for personalizations and creative set-ups – vegetarian, vegan, low carb or paleo – the sky is the limit!

Sensory Marketing is the keyword here, an efficient tool that affects the guests five senses. Via specific characteristics of the product, stimuli and emotions that go beyond the product’s tangible value are transferred to the audience, creating memories that cannot be easily erased. The more senses are stimulated contemporarily, the more intense the experience becomes. In this respect, a show cooking offers a complete sensorial experience, involving the sense of sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch.

And what happens when you combine the latest marketing findings with the greatest food trend of the moment? Find out for yourself with 5+1 tips, easy to implement, but with a huge impact!

1 – Ingredients – organic, local and seasonal

The quality of the food is the starting point to cook delicious and creative dishes. The focus lies on: seasonality, regionality, organic farming.

Going with seasonality means using the best that nature offers in a certain period, with the result that every product gets valued the most. Respecting the territory leads to experimenting with those fruits and vegetables that are available in a certain geographic area, giving rise to unexpected combinations. In addition, long transportation is avoided, resulting in fresher and tastier products. Organic farming is the third pillar for a healthy nutrition: choosing organic food translates in eating the most natural possibile, without additives or artificial flavorings, in harmony with nature.

How would you like some Roasted carrots with almonds and capers or Vol au vent with red lentil cream and asparagus tips as @vegolosi.it suggest?
And who would ever resist to a slice of chocolate and Mantovana pear cake?

(…we wouldn’t either)

2 – Menu suited for everyone no exceptions

Today, the number of people who follow a specific nutritional plan as a consequence of allergies, intolerances or by personal choice is constantly rising. An original idea is to create an event that considers these diets. Have you ever thought of realizing an entirely vegan menu for instance? On the one hand, you surprise the guests who haven’t tried it yet and on the other, you satisfy those who celebrate it as a lifestyle. Win-win situation. Easy.

3 – Eco-friendly dishes

In many festive occasions you still see plates and cutlery made out of plastic – if you ask us, a no-go! Ceramic is much more sustainable and simply more elegant. If you want to take it a step further, think of presenting your food in cornstarch plates accompanied with cellulosa napkins – light to carry and easily recyclable.

4 – Plastic bottles…or not.

Instead of offering you guests the same old plastic bottle, opt for elegant jugs in glass. Filled up with filtered water flavored with herbs and citrus fruits, they represent a fresh and tasty alternative, especially in summer. Once set up, don’t forget to position your drink station in an easily accessible and visible place – your guests will thank you for the opportunity to socialize.

5 – Zero waste

Those who work in the event industry may know the phenomenon of great quantities of food thrown away at the end of the evening. Anyways, there is a solution for (almost) everything: there exist many organizations specialized in giving food a second chance, helping people in need.
Who ever thought that being sustainable makes so happy?

Need some inspiration? La cucina di Gianmaria (@la_cucina_di_gianmaria), is a colorful organic catering service, specialized in vegan and vegetarian cuisine; Madeleine Catering & Banqueting (@madeleinecatering), on the contrary, is an “all female project” that wants to sensitize on sustainability, using fresh and wholesome products only.

5+1 – Right environment for the environment

And once chosen the menu? Be sure that your location reflects you green values, too! Paradoxically, technology is one of the most effective tools helping us to reduce our consumes: spaces with home automation systems for instance, make it easier to improve energy management. The use of a live-stream instead, saves up to 110 metric tons of carbon emissions for 500 remote viewers.

If you have in mind to use a floral arrangement, check out the project Repeat Roses, because flowers can be reutilized, too, or look at Paperize, Lara Lodato’s website, designer of botanical paper sculptures. If you search for something more unusual, Mesh & Craft‘s 3D sculptures make a beautiful and unconventional decoration.

To sum up, following the trends is as chic as beneficial – for us and the environment.