Nordic Food Event checklist
Don't serve mediocracy. When planning your next function, use food to strengthen your initiative's message and agenda.
Food is often seen as an accessory — something that is an afterthought or a last-minute add-on. But it doesn't have to be this way. In fact, food is so much more; food can embody the five Nordic values — openness, equality, innovative spirit, sustainability and trust. Food is a conversation starter, a connector and a way to make sense of complex concepts. Confused? We'll show you how! By following this guide, you can learn about the most important elements to include, adding value to your next workshop, meeting or high-level event. We'll show you how simple it is to be conscious of the food that you are serving, how your event is staged and how can it increase the impact of your flagship project. And finally, we'll show you how to ensure that food is never again a missed opportunity.
- Make food professionals like chefs, food designers and caterers a part of the planning process from the very beginning!
- Make a plan before the event to ensure that no food is wasted. This could be, for example, through donations to food recovery organizations or by avoiding the temptation to order surplus quantities of food
- Think carefully about where the food is coming from: choose local, seasonal and climate-friendly or foraged foods
- Involve and showcase women, young talent and other groups working with climate- friendly food. Don’t use the excuse that you cannot find them – you just need to look harder
- Strengthen your agenda through storytelling. Tell stories through food and involve the projects/ programmes that exemplify this
- Use reusable or edible cutlery and dishes when food is served
- Bottled water gives you bad karma: serve tap water in reusable cups instead
- Food/catering is generally a basic element of a budget. However, we also recommend that you include food and the staging of your event within the communications budget. Be ambitious and extend the reach of your event/initiative!
- Don’t just consider the food, staging is also key – consider a sustainable venue and be creative about using food as a means of delivering your message
- Consider incorporating circular economy into your event: from farm to fork and back again.
