Food Presentation

Review the Size and Presentation of Your Dishes

Reduce portion and plate sizes at the buffet and replenish the selection more frequently instead. This helps reduce waste. Emphasise quality over quantity. Smaller plates can also increase guest satisfaction, as it is much easier to make a smaller plate look full.

Create a culinary adventure for your guests by presenting sustainable options in an appealing way. Incorporate colourful, fresh ingredients.

Highlight More Sustainable Dishes

• Arrange the buffet so that more sustainable dishes are at the centre of attention.

• Offer as many vegetarian and/or vegan alternatives as possible.

• Create dedicated sections, such as a table featuring organic products and/or regional and seasonal specialities.

• Vary the colours and textures of dishes and use complementary colours, such as red peppers in green pea soup. This makes dishes more visually appealing and attracts guests’ attention.

• Pay particular attention to the aesthetic presentation and decoration of dishes.

Create a Pleasant Dining Atmosphere

Develop service and communication strategies for your staff. They should be well informed, understand the importance of sustainable food and be knowledgeable about the origins of the ingredients and the people who produce them.

Train your staff on current menu recommendations.

Especially when on holiday, guests want to enjoy their meals in a welcoming environment. Creating a pleasant dining atmosphere helps them feel comfortable:

• Decorate the tables appropriately.

• Place key information about your sustainable food offering on every table.

• Display raw ingredients at the buffet alongside selected dishes, such as locally grown tomatoes next to spaghetti with tomato sauce. This helps guests understand where the food they eat comes from. Make sure the ingredients used for display can be reused.

Menus featuring distinctive sustainable food and drink options create a memorable local culinary experience that guests will enjoy sharing with friends and family.

Photo Credits: Manual. Sustainable Food Tools – Tools for Guest Communication.