Buffets best for lunch but naughty treats top meeting agenda, BMA House research shows

BMA House gets to the fork of the matter on all things food at meetings and events. A staggering 93% of all event bookers and PAs surveyed by the central London venue agreed that poor catering ‘always’ reflects badly on an event.

Food is top of the meetings agenda, with 31% agreeing it was what they most look forward to when attending an event, followed by learning something new (29%). Almost half the participants said they’d rather be ‘late home’ than have bad food during a meeting or conference away from the office. Interestingly, alcohol – with just 11% – was what people looked forward to least at an event.

Rebecca Hurley, Deputy Head of Events for BMA House says: “It’s obvious from these results that, in the eyes of the delegates, food can make or break your event. There’s more to food than filling mouths – it’s about making a lasting impression on your delegates and setting the tone of the event.”

Clearly food is on our minds a great deal, but what kind of food is it that we’re thinking about so much? Even though 97% of meetings and events professionals said healthy eating is always or sometimes important to them, the survey revealed that when it comes to out-of-office events they prefer a sweet treat or two:

• 44% wanted pastries for breakfast rather than a healthier fruit (28%) or granola (28%)
• 60% said they would like a selection of muffins and pastries over fruit (21%) or biscuits (19%) for elevenses
• 50% said that chocolate was their favourite type of biscuit while at an event, with 39% wanting a healthy option and 11% saying they never eat biscuits
• Asked about fruit at an event, the most popular choice was grapes, cherries and strawberries (44%) and 27% wanted their fruit dipped in chocolate.  Just 3% preferred whole fruit that delegates would have to peel themselves.

Rebecca continues: “Your delegates want delicious food that’s a little bit indulgent, they want something they wouldn’t usually choose for themselves or have in their everyday life. Intriguingly, this indulgence doesn’t include chips!”

The most popular food for lunchtime was a buffet (48%), with sandwiches being the least preferred option (15%).

When asked how they like to have their lunch, buffet style was the clear favourite with 59%, and hot food (26%) won out over cold food (20%). Interestingly, while delegates seem to have a sweet tooth at an event, they would rather have a salad (11%) with their lunch than chips (5%).

Ampersand, BMA House’s newly appointed caterer, focuses on food that is rich in flavour, aroma, texture and colour. It captures the imagination and always exceeds expectations.

BMA House is an impressive conference and events venue in Tavistock Square, London with 29 rooms including a stunning courtyard and garden – both wonderful settings for weddings and special events.