Reassurance and speaking to the right people are keys to successful venue hire, says Annette Woolman, director of membership and services at Coeliac UK.
Coeliac UK’s Gluten-Free Food Festival 2019 was the largest event held at Lakeside Conference Centre to date. The summer event clocked up a record-breaking 1,300 delegates to the site for Coeliac UK’s AGM, a food event which exhibited gluten-free brands and cookery demonstrations.
There were several logistical challenges to be met, which included dietary requirements, visitor accommodation as well as technical demands.
“What’s really important for us is that we find a venue that can not only accommodate 1,500 people but also a place where they feel reassured that they don’t need to worry about gluten,” Woolman said.
The venue needed to provide a completely gluten-free cafeteria, which involved a full clean-down of the kitchen and all surfaces before the event. This was made possible by Coeliac UK having exclusive access to Lakeside Conference Centre, which is part of the National Agri-Food Innovation Campus (NAFIC).
Annette Woolman.Woolman explained the process that went into organising the event. “We pick a region before we pick the venue. One of the first questions that we ask is if they are able to provide gluten-free catering because it may be a wonderful venue but if they are not able to commit to this, we have to rule it out.
“The initial enquiries we made with Lakeside were very promising. They were very upfront about wanting to discuss everything and bringing people in that would be involved in all the areas of the event. That was something we probably hadn’t experienced before. They made sure the right people were in the room. The operations team was there, the catering manager to discuss the options and what was needed. Being able to speak to the individuals in person was really insightful and encouraging.”
The on-site catering team at the venue in Sand Hutton, York produced a bespoke menu of strictly gluten-free options, including a BBQ fayre and a deli bar with a range of sandwiches and cakes. The café also hired in an ice cream machine to offer a gluten-free dessert option.
The food exhibition was the most popular attraction, with stands offering local and national produce from bakers to brewers. A cookery station in the auditorium was also set up for guest chefs to demonstrate their gluten-free recipes. Exhibitors could also to cook samples for delegates to enjoy, which proved a big hit with visitors.
Budget, always a consideration, was high on the list of priorities. “A compelling reason to go with Lakeside was because their rates were really reasonable. We have a long list of demands and they were able to tick off all of these – at a reasonable price.”
The charity offers independent, trustworthy advice and support to the gluten-free community. “We provide specialist talks, they feel empowered about their diet and their condition. The food fare with local and national manufacturers enables them to get a real insight on what’s available to them. Also it’s a day out for them – being able to eat safely,” Woolman explained.
“The venue we choose to hold the festival understands what they need to do to deliver gluten-free - and that was abundantly clear with Lakeside Conference Centre. They were really engaged with us to produce the right food for them throughout the day.”
