Current and future food trends tabled at CUBO Winter Conference hosted by Well Met

How Universities can take advantage of growing food and drink trends will be tabled for discussion at this year’s College and University Business Officers (CUBO) Winter Conference. The topic will be approached with a particular emphasis on our current concerns with health, wellbeing and the environment. Well Met, the conferencing office of Leeds Beckett University, will host the event for Higher Education (HE) sector senior managers at Cloth Hall Court, its dedicated city centre conferencing venue, on 28 and 29 November.

The CUBO conference focuses on all aspects of campus life such as eating, living, working and playing and an Emerging Food Trends Panel Session, chaired by Professor David Russell will address growing interest in new world cuisines, hyper-local foods and adventurous vegan foods using plant-based proteins. The panel of experts, including Nic Mander, Director of Catering, University of Birmingham and Andrew Walker, Executive Chef at Chartwells, will participate in a lively and structured debate on the challenges of embracing and applying these trends within the Higher Education (HE) environment.

David McKown, CUBO Board Member and Director of University Hospitality Seminars, said: “We’ve brought together a stellar panel who will focus on a number of key food trends and how they might impact on our sector.”

The conference also welcomes the Vegan Punks, who will be providing lunchtime tasters, while Brew Dog’s Beer School will allow delegates to discover craft beers before enjoying a dinner designed exclusively for CUBO by Executive Chef David Parker, formerly of Bettys and Taylor’s of Harrogate.

Clare Vidler, Conference manager at Well Met, said: “As a dedicated conference venue that is part of the HE environment, it is important that we know and understand the emerging trends within the industry, so we can begin to cater for these within our diverse offerings. We are delighted to host the event and be involved in something very current and very now.”

Full details can be found via the CUBO Website at: https://cubo.org.uk/page/winterconference