Food advice for French corporate events

For the French, food is an art...	...to be prepared with care...	...presented with finesse...	...and enjoyed at leisure

One of the high spots of any trip to France is always the French meal. French people are serious about their food and the choices are plentiful. But how can you be sure to get the food element right at corporate events? It's a great help to have local expertise. Alcep's Managing Director Philip Gombert, a skilled French DMC specialist, shares his know-how of over two decades in organizing mealtimes.

Delightful French cuisine

The French are proud of having a culinary culture that's the antithesis of the American model – 'slow food' rather than 'fast food'. A French lunchtime meal can take two hours or more, with service politely described as 'leisurely'. The waiters could certainly work faster, but there's an assumption that diners wish to indulge themselves, so why rush?

One of the considerations in running a corporate event in France is the quality and variety of the local cuisine. It's a treat to be spoilt with so many tasty dishes and there are endless varieties, all accompanied with fine wine, cheeses and desserts.   

Choose your preferred kind of cooking

It's a good idea to categorize French cuisine into its four main schools, so that you and your French DMC can decide what type of cooking will suit an occasion on a particular day. For example, you'll avoid Gourmet if you're in a hurry.

Classical (cuisine bourgeoise) – this type of middle class offers good down-to-earth, slowly cooked dishes. They often have creamy or roux-based sauces.

Gourmet (haute cuisine) – this is at the top end of the 'cuisine bourgeoise' scale, with the emphasis on rich food ingredients, elegance and elaboration of presentation. Meals tend to be on the heavy side, as are the prices.

New style (cuisine nouvelle) – food here is noticeable simple and lighter, with smaller portions and an avoidance of heavy cream sauces. Preparation is faster.

Regional (cuisine de terroir) – usually found in France's provinces, this cuisine focuses or regional specialties. Paris also has many such restaurants. 

Understanding regional variations

Franceis more than double the size of the United Kingdom in land area and has Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Spain as neighbors. This proximity has added many local flavors to French cuisine, such as the Germanic influence in the Alsace region or Italian-type dishes in Grenoble.

As one travels from North to South, one also notices how the ingredients within meals change. In Northwestern France people like to use butter, soured cream (crème fraîche) and apples. The Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts will focus more on sea food while the South of France makes greater use of vegetables and fruit. The climate also plays its role, with regions where the temperature is higher also tending to offer lighter meals.

Organizing group mealtimes

An important aspect of planning a corporate event in France is to focus on the number and variety of group meals required. For example, Alcep Travel & Events builds a special track for this kind of planning. The type of questions covered may include:  

• What are the per-head cost expectations for a standard daily lunch?
• How often during the trip will a special atmosphere be required?
• At what points in the trip schedule will rapid food service be required?
• Are there any special dietary considerations for the group as a whole?
• What are the acceptable range of prices per head for Gala Evenings?
• How important is it to choose traditional/historic locations for mealtimes?

At Alcep we apply a 'matrix' based on our experience that correlates meal cost/ type of cuisine/time allocation for meal/location expectations in order to help our clients arrange their daily meals. This helps us to recommend to clients appropriate restaurants and catering facilities.

Our large roster of suppliers also allows us to be ready for emergencies and last-minute changes. One incident from the past was a client who had to cancel a lunch cruise along the Seine River because of over flooding. The client wanted something nice and unusual and in a short time we had make alternative arrangements for his group in the Opera room at the Intercontinental Hotel in Paris.Having a professional French events manager on hand will often make a significant difference to the success of a corporate event.

Simpler than you think

Dining in France is simpler and less complex than is often imagined. 'French restaurants' outside France often exaggerate on the elaboration of dishes and wines served. Authentic French cooking is fairly simple, relying on good quality and fresh ingredients and careful preparation rather than bloated recipes.