Shire Hotels is introducing new, healthier food choices for delegates and conference organisers, starting at Kettering Park Hotel & Spa this month.
Energy-giving ‘brain foods’ and nutritional information are readily available in the hotel’s Conference Café, assuring conference delegates that they are filling up with the healthiest of food and beverage options.

As a result of recent focus group feedback from the hotel’s trainers and delegates, the hotel decided to introduce a number of changes to increase the variety of health foods, with a greater influence on seasonal produce. The hotel’s Head Chef spent three months working with a nutritionist to introduce a number of stimulating “brain” foods to help maximise concentration and well-being for the course of the whole day, so in turn to develop more productive meetings!

The morning snacks now include a home made fresh fruit “Smoothie Of The Day” to complement the fresh fruit selection.  Lunchtime offers a selection of meals to include vegetarian menus such as Five Bean Chilli and Brown Rice. There are also a variety of ingredients to build your own salads, all presented in individual dishes. The variety and quantities of omega-rich fish such as Baked Side of Salmon, Tuna and Mozzarella fishcakes and Marsala Baked Seabass have increased. Afternoon tea offers traditional home made cake of the day, nuts and seed selection boxes, nostalgic sweets and chocolate bars. This variety offers both a sugar rush to pep up energy levels as well as ‘brain food’ for longer sustainability.

Food labelling has also been introduced so a combination of both the nutritional components of the foods (for example Omega 3, Potassium/Iron and Vitamins A, B, C, and K) and their health benefits are clearly marked to help guide the delegates and make them think about what they are eating.

The hotel has received excellent feedback already from both seasoned delegates and those visiting the hotel for the first time. Particularly popular is the mid morning smoothie and the variety of fish included in the main meal options. Trainers have also noted the benefits of more ‘brain food’ to help prevent the inevitable afternoon slump in concentration!  Now all hotels within the Shire group will be analysing menu options and introducing their own local versions of the healthy foods as part of the group’s commitment to roll this initiative out across the group over the coming months.

This is just one of many initiatives which showcases Shire Hotels’ increasing investment in their meeting facilities, further enhancing the group as the preferred choice for the UK business traveller.  The Conference Café at Kettering Park Hotel & Spa joins existing facilities at Thorpe Park and Solent Hotels and the next Conference Café will be launched at Aztec Hotel & Spa in Bristol in March. This follows the completion of Aztec’s new meetings rooms last year - their conference areas now include two purpose-built training room, each with separate break out areas and the latest conference technology.  Unique to Shire Hotels, the Conference Café concept transforms the way business meetings are conducted and has proven to be unanimously popular with conference organisers and attendees alike.

In addition, earlier last year the group became the first in the UK to offer free wireless Internet access throughout the hotels, including guest rooms.  Now, residents can surf the Internet or check emails via a POP account or VPN, using a personal password provided as a complimentary service.
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