Off-Premise Catering and Food Allergies: Why Event Safety Requires More Than Menu Labels

Off-Premise Catering and Food Allergies: Why Event Safety Requires More Than Menu Labels

A label on a buffet card is not a safety plan. And if you're relying on one to protect your guests with food allergies, this episode is for you. For Day 2 of Food Allergy Awareness Week, I'm bringing Executive Chef Jay Varga of The JDK Group Catering & Events on Eating at a Meeting LIVE — and we are getting into what food allergy safety actually requires in an off-premise catering environment. Jay is the 2022 ICA Chef of the Year, former Culinary Council President of the International Caterers Association, and the executive chef overseeing all culinary operations at one of central Pennsylvania's most decorated catering companies. He has executed flawless events for hundreds of guests at a time — and he knows better than almost anyone where the system breaks down when dietary needs aren't taken seriously from the start. Here is what I want every planner, venue, hotel, and event professional to understand: off-premise catering is not a restaurant. The kitchen travels. The team works in unfamiliar spaces. The volume is high and the timeline is unforgiving. Managing food allergies in that environment takes more than good intentions — it takes systems, culture, and leadership that starts long before the first guest arrives. Jay and I are going to talk about all of it. What real allergen safety looks like from the inside of a catering kitchen. How to design menus where the allergy-friendly plate is just as beautiful and intentional as every other dish. And what you — as the planner or the client — can do to be a better partner in protecting your guests. Join us LIVE and bring your questions. This is the conversation the events industry needs to be having every week — not just during Food Allergy Awareness Week. Every meal matters. Every guest matters. Let's make sure our events reflect that. What do YOU want to ask Chef Jay?

How THE UK Events Industry Is Standardizing Dietary Needs Management

Here's something that doesn't get said enough: the biggest food allergy risk at your event doesn't start in the kitchen. It starts the moment your registration form goes live. To kick off Food Allergy Awareness Week, I'm getting into exactly that — and I've got the right people at the table. The UK events industry just launched something the sector has needed for a long time: the ABPCO Managing Dietary Requirements at Events Toolkit. A shared language. Standardized processes. A way to get planners, venues, caterers, and delegates finally on the same page. I'm talking with the three people who made it happen — Anita Macdonald, who leads the ABPCO taskforce and translates dietary needs into kitchen reality at Cambridge's college venues. Sammy Connell, who manages 60+ conferences a year at NASUWT and lives the in-house organizer reality every single day. And Matt Stalker, Executive Director of ABPCO, who decided the industry didn't need another webinar — it needed infrastructure. We're going to talk about where dietary communication actually breaks down, what it costs when it does, and what it looks like when you get it right. Safety. Inclusion. Delegate confidence. Operational reality. This one is for every planner who's ever stared at a dietary request wondering what the actual risk level is. For every venue that's received a brief that left more questions than answers. For every delegate who's shown up to an event not knowing if they'd be able to eat. Come join us LIVE. Bring your questions, your frustrations, and your stories. This conversation belongs to all of us.

Food Allergy & Celiac Awareness: Raising the Bar for Safer, Inclusive Events

May is extra special for me—it's not only Food Allergy Awareness Month and Celiac Disease Awareness Month, but it also marks the 16th anniversary of thrive! meetings & events and the start of Eating at a Meeting's seventh year! This episode is a solo one, and I'm taking the mic to reflect on why I started my business and this show: making safe, inclusive dining part of every event experience. In this heartfelt discussion, I share why food allergies, celiac disease, and other dietary needs aren't niche—they impact millions of Americans and event attendees worldwide. From the staggering statistics (1 in 10 adults has a food allergy; 1 in 133 Americans has celiac disease, most undiagnosed) to the recurring event planning challenges (from menu coding to allergen labeling), I walk through the real risks guests face and the industry's continuing gaps in safe practices. I break down the hard facts on why proper procedures matter, how new laws like California's Addie Act are changing the game, and why transparency should start at the proposal stage, not just the pre-con. Plus, I spotlight how small steps like clear labeling and thoughtful menu design can foster loyalty—because every guest and every meal truly matters.

Food Allergies are No Joke

If you think serving one gluten-free vegan dish covers all your guests' needs—or that "nut-free" labeling is enough to keep diners safe—think again. This episode dives deep into the most persistent myths and mistakes surrounding event food and beverage, from confusing labels and registration oversights to the real cost of ignoring dietary needs. Host Speaker A shares hard-earned lessons from 30+ years in the industry, including practical fixes and compelling stories: $200,000 price tags for last-minute accommodations, and the long-term loyalty earned when venues get it right, even for just one guest. Learn why food allergies and dietary restrictions are anything but rare, how poorly-communicated accommodations can damage trust (and attendance), and what emerging laws mean for your practices. You'll leave this episode with actionable tips to make every guest feel seen, heard, and safe—without breaking your budget.

Fishing for Heritage: How Two Sisters Keep Tradition Alive

What does it really mean to source "Pacific salmon"? Kim Brigham-Campbell and Terrie Brigham are sisters, members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and co-owners of Brigham Fish Market—a Native-owned, family-run business on the banks of the Columbia River in Cascade Locks, Oregon. Since 2014, they've been catching wild Columbia River salmon, sturgeon, and steelhead from the same tribal fishing platforms their family has used for generations, then smoking, filleting, and cooking it into the chowders, fish-and-chips, and barbecue-ready fillets that define destination dining in the Pacific Northwest. Their work is at the intersection of Indigenous food sovereignty, sustainable fisheries, and a food tourism economy that doesn't always name the people behind the fish. In this episode, Kim and Terrie talk about what treaty fishing rights look like in practice, how event planners and caterers can source seafood that honors Indigenous producers, and what it means to be women of the working waterfront in 2026. If you've ever put salmon on a banquet menu, this conversation will change how you think about where it came from—and who deserves credit for getting it there.