Hosting any event that involves food catering is a challenge in itself. Add in eco-conscious participants and vegan catering, which can make things even more complicated.

For private event catering businesses, having the versatility to host vegan events will certainly earn you plenty of income as there are many vegans and prospective clients out there looking for a company that can fully meet their dietary preferences.

If you’re an event planner who wants to avoid offending vegan guests, here are some basic tips to help you out:

Be prepared ask guests in advance about food allergies

Certain vegan ingredients are allergens, which can be fatal to some. Here are some of the most common food allergens:

To prevent any mishaps during the vegan event, make sure to ask for your guest’s dietary restrictions in advance so you can carefully organize the menu.

Whether you’re catering for small parties or huge ones, knowing your guests’ restrictions should always be a priority since you can be sued in case of any medical mishap.

With the lack of basic meats like fish, pork, and beef in vegan diets, chefs need to improvise and get creative when it comes to sourcing out the needed proteins for their dishes. This may mean using mushrooms and soybeans as alternatives for meat.

Because your guests will have different preferences, make sure they know what’s in the food. Provide display cards listing all the ingredients for every dish. If you’re hosting corporate events with a wide variety of meal choices, create menus that list out in full detail the ingredients in each dish.

Unlike meat, which is available all year round, vegetables and fruits often have their respective seasons. You should plan your dishes depending on the available ingredients. This way you can buy the ingredients for a more affordable price and offer better catering options to your guests. You can also get them much cheaper and fresher by visiting the local farmer’s market and making deals with local vendors.

People often have the misconception that vegans have boring diets due to the lack of variety when it comes to ingredients. However, one vegan ingredient could create a plethora of dishes if you just know how to use them creatively.

Silken tofu, for example, can be incorporated into different dishes, whether fried, boiled, or grilled. As long as you know which ingredients go with which, your vegan menu will surely have the variety that people are craving.

Protein can be quite scarce for vegans since most vegetables don’t necessarily contain high amounts of it. However, alternative proteins are available in different ingredients if you just know where to find them.

The best thing about these vegan-based proteins is that they contain less harmful fat than poultry, beef, and pork.

Beans, tofu, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, pea, lentils, farro, nut butter, quinoa, and chickpeas, to name a few, are rich in protein. However, be careful when selecting the appropriate protein alternative as they may be allergens.

When hosting a vegan catering event, one of the common complaints of guests is the that food served were not filling enough. Although people can get the same amount of nutrients from their vegan dishes, it doesn’t quite stimulate the same level of satiety that meat provides. What you could do is double the portions for each guest or add more fibre.

Fruits and chocolates are the perfect scrumptious ingredients for a vegan feast. Since they are sourced from plants, they are suited for anyone who has a vegan diet.

You can create savoury and sweet desserts using these ingredients with cakes, fondues, cookies, brownies, and salads. Make sure to create dessert recipes that are gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free to cater to all your guests.

You also need to provide different types of beverages to your guests as well. There’s no need to worry because smoothies, shakes, beer, wine, and juice drinks are perfectly fitted for any vegan event.

You can even mount a sidebar where guests can request tailored cocktails and drinks. Just make sure to hire a barista that is familiar with these combinations to ensure that all your guests are well-served.

Being vegan is not just about food

The pillar of veganism rests in sustainability and being eco-friendly. This means, that when you’re hosting an event, you also have to ensure that materials used in the event itself, from the venue, setups, waste management, and bathroom products adhere to this ethical code. A call to support eco-tourism spots can also be appealing to vegan guests as it will assure them that what they’re participating in is completely eco-friendly.

Sustainable and recycled decorations are the best way to go when it comes to beautifying your vegan event. From the linens, lights, centrepieces, and furniture, they all have to be locally sourced and organic to reassure your clients that you understand them in their endeavour to promote a greener lifestyle. Leather, silk, wool, and furs should all be avoided, along with candles unless they are made of soy.

For convenience, when hosting a vegan event you should collaborate with practiced vegan caterers. This way you’ll have a clearer picture of how to manage the ingredients, menu, and venue so that it’s approved by all the guests. These companies offering vegan catering services already have experience and can even offer more tips to make the event successful.

Often advertised as lifestyle luxury events, vegan catering often entails strict guidelines to ensure that guests are provided with the best plant-based recipes. With some participants identifying themselves as strict vegans, you have to ensure that their preferences for ingredients are followed down to the very last detail so you won’t ruin their meals.

Keeping track of all these details can be quite overwhelming, but as long as you follow these tips, you’ll surely host a successful vegan-friendly event. Or, you can just delegate the planning and execution to professionals like event planners and those offering catering services like elle cuisine. Call us now at 647.430.3553 for your vegan catering needs in Toronto.