My Delegate Experience at the Mae Deli by Deliciously Ella

What ever your thoughts on the clean eating revolution we can't take away from the fact that it is moving us away from refined sugar and processed foods - this can only be a good thing.

We’ve all done it, you are a delegate at a conference and you resign yourself to the fact that you will eat your own body weight in biscuits, stewed coffee, pasta and potato wedges topped off with a selection of mini cheesecakes. You leave the conference feeling bloated in a refined carbohydrate haze.  Sound familiar?

 At Make Events we have been researching into enhancing the delegate experience by providing nutritious and delicious foods to keep optimum concentration levels throughout the conference.  Not only that we want every delegate at a conference designed by Make Events to be delightfully surprised at each break time.

Recently I have been following some of Britain's aspiring cooks leading the clean eating revolution.  First on the list was as trip to the Mae Deli - owned by the now famous Deliciously Ella. So what could a food loving #eventprof learn at this little deli that would add value to our clients? The answer is quite alot!

• At the counter enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff greet us and explain the process of the Mae Bowl - a bountiful bowl of nutritious food that won't leave you hungry.

• Choose your selection of vegetables including maple roasted sweet potatoes, turmeric roasted cauliflower, kale and broccoli salad - to be honest we could have left it there they looked so tasty but we carry on…
• We now add grains and pulses lentils including red quinoa and beetroot salad, full of protein for vegetarians.
• It’s time to add our  poached salmon, chicken or halloumi  - which one to choose we want it all?!
• Then we add the most generous dollop of hummus - my favourite piquillo was pepper and walnut! We swear the dollop was the size of a whole pot from the supermarket.
• What also makes this food seem so sumptuous is the bowls it is served in. Bowls are the new thing by the way, plates are very 2015!

• Even though we were totally satisfied we had to try the cakes - a dairy free strawberry sponge, an apple cake and a protein ball.

• I'm a coffee addict so we ordered hot drinks in branded take away cups (there is something about your hot drink with a lid on so you can drink it at your own pace).

• This was all washed down with a branded bottle of water – nice touch!

So that all sounds and looks delicious but how can Make Events use this to enhance our delegate experience - 

Venue Finding - when getting a quote for your day delegate rate (DDR), ask if there is an option to upgrade your package and have a bespoke menu.  Any good kitchen will be able to offer this - if they can't consider the quality of food and the chef. If you are using a free venue finding service let your venue finder ask all these awkward questions and negotiate you the best deal.

Presentation of your Buffet - how will your buffet be presented? A trestle table with a white cloth and platters is so uninspiring.  Ask if the venue have risers or colourful bowls to enhance the food. At Make Events we have a full stock room of jars, risers, bowls and linens to enhance the look of a serving table – we can also provide bespoke tables such as perspex, tiered, branded; we have even served cake from swings!  If you aren't using an agency look for catering equipment hire companies but make sure your suppliers are talking to the venue re delivery times, amount of equipment needed etc.

What will delegates eat their food from? Will it be bowls or plates? This can depend on whether it’s a standing or seated buffet. Make sure you see these before the event to ensure you are happy with the quality.  We all know how the enjoyment of food and drink is all the better for being served in a beautiful bowl or glass.  Again there are many crockery and glass hire companies or your event planner can arrange this.

Knowledgeable Staff - the staff serving your buffet should know what they are serving, there is nothing more frustrating than asking the perso serving your food what it is and they have to nip into the kitchen to check!  Before service ask to speak to a couple of members of the team and ask them to tell you what’s on the buffet.  Another good idea is to have branded labels on the buffet  - not only does the allow you to list the sumptuous ingredients and excite the delegates, it speeds up the queue.

Cater for Dietaries - dietaries are on the up, in fact it's fashionable to be a vegan now a days!  Dietary requirements could be a big percentage of your guests so don’t disappoint this growing demographic as that is potentially a huge part of your conference.

Something Sweet - please if you do one thing ask your venue if their desserts are homemade.  Our pet hate here at Make Events is pre bought desserts! Again have a dairy free, vegan and gluten free option they can be as beautiful and tasty and I can assure you it won't just be your dietaries tucking in!

Drink Up! - we love take way cups for hot drinks particularly when they are branded for the conference.  They look great and people and they get delegates back in the meeting room quickly. A branded water bottle is also a great little extra and last but not least make sure you have whole, semi, skimmed milk plus soya and a nut milk (we love almond!).

So how was our "delegate experience" at the Mae Deli? Friendly, easily identifiable, knowledgeable serving staff; colourful and healthy ingredients for main course served in beautiful bowls; ample portions and plenty of choice; no restrictions for those with intolerances; a fairly healthy selection of desserts and yummy coffee in a take away cup. Can we use this to enhance our conferences? We certainly can!

To enquire about our FREE venue finding service, conference design and management contact Make Events 0161 478 2500 / [email protected]