Food trucks roll into corporate events
Mantra on Salt Beach is one of many venues capitalising on the food truck trend to help shake up standard conference and event menus .
“ The global trend of street food has been transformed from old-style greasy to gourmet at Mantra on Salt Beach with conference delegates ordering their lunch from food trucks themed in a colourful street-food market ,” says general manager Scott Robertson .
Mantra ’ s food truck line-up includes local favourites Chubby ’ s Diner , specialising in American BBQ cuisine ; Siguenos , serving Mexican fare ; and Lola and the Chef , with a seasonal menu of local produce .
A look at some of the most popular food trucks driving the trend : Eat Art Truck – @ eatarttruck
WHERE : Sydney CUISINE : American BBQ street food
MENU HIGHLIGHTS : Slow Roasted Beef Brisket Bun ; Eat Nachos with capsicum , chickpeas and corn ; Crispy Fries
Gumbo Kitchen – @ gumbokitchen
WHERE : Melbourne CUISINE : Cajun-style food from New Orleans
MENU HIGHLIGHTS : Po ’ Boys ( New Orleans sandwiches ); Cheesy Mac Croquettes ; Fried Green Tomatoes
SnowDay Food Truck – @ snowdaytruck
WHERE : New York CUISINE : Maple syrup-themed food from local farms
MENU HIGHLIGHTS : The Classic Maple Grilled Cheese ; Fried-Smoked Spare Ribs ; Fried Brussel Sprouts everyone possesses a genuine passion for their craft .
“ This shared working method helps ensure we are constantly inspiring each other , sharing our knowledge and ideas to create even more exciting dishes ,” he says .
“ This collaborative process extends beyond the kitchen and we have developed in-depth relationships directly with the producers themselves . This has also taught me so much about their produce and allows me to create even better dishes .
“ Thanks to them , I have such an increased understanding of each ingredient now that we can start imagining new ways of using them . This wealth of knowledge has opened up a whole new way of selecting ingredients specific to how we will develop seasonal dishes .”
ICC Sydney sees the importance in catering for all dietary requirements , including allergens , religious and lifestyle choices , which make up between 20 and 23 per cent of all delegates that come through the centre .
“ We want every delegate to have a superior food and beverage experience here , where they feel they can choose their food and that each dish has been made especially for them ,” says Panetta .
He says rather than serving something completely different for those with dietary requirements , the team aims recreate similar dishes so no one misses out .
“ Every time we create a menu we also consider the dietary versions of each dish , so visitors can select something that doesn ’ t make them feel alienated from their peers ,” he says .
“ Because we are using fresh , local ingredients a lot of our
20 Convention & Incentive Marketing , Issue 1 , 2017 www . cimmagazine . com