Catering and cuisine

What characterises the culinary delights in the event destination of Austria? The Austrian National Tourist Office in interview with a leading Viennese catering company.

Event and conference guests are not alone in stating that food and beverages are simply part of the overall experience at events. One of the leading event caterers in event destination Austria, the managing director of Motto Catering, confirms this opinion. In an interview, Dominika Gschmeidler revealed what participants appreciate the most about the cuisine in Austria and which trends are exceptionally popular at present.

Austrian National Tourist Office: Austria offers a wide variety of high quality and regional products. What in particular do your international guests appreciate most?

Dominika Gschmeidler: Local specialities, like those served in a coffee house or in a wine tavern, are always a benchmark. For international guests who are visiting Austria as the host country of their conferences or meetings, these specialities are equated with having a unique experience.

Austrian National Tourist Office: Which food trends are you currently observing?

Dominika Gschmeidler: The trend is moving away from meat-centric dishes. Requests for completely vegetarian or vegan dishes are becoming more and more frequent. And the increasing popularity of green meetings and green events plays a role here, too. Additionally, high-quality organic fair trade coffee specialties are gaining traction.

Austria National Tourist Office: An increasing awareness of sustainability, the consequences of the pandemic and the growing pressure of rising costs: The catering industry was and is facing major changes plus some challenges. How do you master these issues?

Dominika Gschmeidler: One can at least partially offset the rising costs by planning processes well. An example of this is the strategically favourable positioning of the catering and related areas backstage in order to avoid unnecessarily long distances and thus personnel costs. Apart from that, early orders are important so that all the necessary resources can be planned as best as possible.

Austria National Tourist Office: What makes a successful event today and how do food and beverages contribute to it?

Dominika Gschmeidler: Food and beverages actually play an important role at all events, because they contribute essentially to the wellbeing of the guests. They simply belong to the overall experience. It’s not without reason that certain foods or drinks that you once enjoyed whilst on a vacation remain in your memory, often even for years afterwards.

Austria National Tourist Office: What tip do you give event planners in the preparation phase?

Dominika Gschmeidler: We can only recommend that during the planning phase all event planners bring their catering partners on board as quickly as possible. This way, one doesn't run the risk of developing a concept that actually can't be realised within the calculated time and budget framework, and then afterwards having to disappoint the end client. Good catering companies draw on extensive experience and are constantly developing their products and processes. They happily support planners with their expertise, so that the event turns out to be a great success for each and everyone involved.

Austria National Tourist Office: Atmosphere and flair make a big difference. Which location in Austria is your insider tip?

Dominika Gschmeidler: Time for a bit of self-publicity here: Our first event location Weitsicht am Cobenzl offers an extraordinary setting for a wide variety of events – with an exciting blend of history and modernity as well as a wonderful view over Vienna. The Hofburg Vienna and the Austria Center Vienna are of course ideal for very large events in the federal capital.

 

There’s always something happening in event destination Austria: In this article find out why Austria is the Number 1 meeting destination.