What do you have for breakfast?
On a work day it’s normally two boiled eggs, a cheese and ham sandwich and some coffee. At weekends I go for scrambled eggs, bacon, etc. I’m teaching my son how to do great scrambled eggs.
What are the main challenges of working for a convention centre?
The amount of guests who attend. The number and name changes. To have the right volumes, and we are talking serious volumes, of food and ingredients in place to be able to meet the demands of our many guests and customers. Also our commitment to sustainability - we don’t want to waste any food. I think the dialogue with larger conventions could be more open in terms of sustainability.
What’s the biggest conference you’ve had to cater for?
Astra Tec in 2012. 3,600 guests: coffee breaks, buffet lunches and banquet over three days.
How did you land your current job?
I have been working with Gothia Towers and the Swedish Exhibition Centre for more than 10 years. I started as a sous-chef in one of the hotel restaurants. My role changed over the years and I landed this position when we re-organised the Event and Catering department around three years ago.
What’s your USP?
I always want to use as much of locally produced food as possible, from the west of Sweden. Particularly when we do the menus for the international convention to show them all the variety of vegetable, game, fish and crayfish we have around us.
What was your first job?
Ahlströms Pier. A fish restaurant in the centre of Gothenburg harbour.
What has been the most unusual request in your career?
I was to cater a Swedish buffet inside the Panthéon in Paris.
What’s your favourite restaurant in the world?
Kyubey sushi restaurant I Tokyo
What annoys you most about the catering industry?
The general lack of understanding for the massive infrastructure behind a lot of our operations and the amount of people that are affected by every decision and change.
Favourite/worst ingredient
My absolutely favourite is sticky fried onion. Worst? I am not too keen on using strawberries.
Written By
James Lancaster
AMI editor James
Lancaster is a familiar face in the meetings industry and international
association community. Since joining AMI in 2010, he has gained a reputation
for asking difficult questions and getting lost in convention centres. Proofer, podcaster, and panellist - in his spare time, James likes to walk,
read, listen to music, and drink beer.
