VW Returns to Doncaster Racecourse with Street Food Concept

For the last few years Doncaster Racecourse has hosted one of the key UK trade events for a major automotive manufacturer. These are important events, where many retailers and support businesses working with the brand convene for the latest updates and news from the company.

It makes sense for the brand to continue to return to Doncaster Racecourse, part of the ARC Racing Company, which also contains 21 other racecourse venues, all ideal for corporate events. By their nature, these venues are spacious, green, full of nature, and provide excellent hospitality.

They are also venues that understand experience, a mindset that increasing numbers of event planners are moving towards, and one that formed an intrinsic part of the brief for this year’s event. In keeping with previous year’s events, the conference included a main plenary, stylishly produced, with enough capacity to spaciously host all the 550+ guests, and with room to spare. The group then broke out into smaller rooms across the venue’s main grandstand, while a small exhibition space sat around the food and drink area to attract delegates.

These brands have well-earned reputations for high-quality event production that can bring energy to event spaces and impress audiences. However, this time they wanted to push the needle further when it came to the event’s food proposition. They wanted food to be an integral part of the experience; they wanted to take some risks.

Risks yes, but calculated ones. In the past, a delicious buffet was more than welcomed by the guests, but the feedback from delegates across the event pointed towards a need for more networking, and more chances to speak with peers; food needed to play its part. The F&B team at Doncaster Racecourse turned to a street food concept.

Emmett Cassidy is Head Chef at Doncaster Racecourse, bringing with him four decades of experience in the hospitality industry and a mind that has created several new dining concepts at the racecourse, not least the elite race day restaurant, The Sky Garden, with its opulent décor and classic tasting menu. Emmett had the training, the ideas, and the experience to create a contemporary, easy, and delicious street food concept.

Credit has to go to the client though. As Emmett commented, street food is an easily adoptable trend for meetings and events, due to its growth in mainstream eating, “On every corner, in every major city, we’re seeing exciting, diverse, and delicious street food. It’s giving people their lunch, pre-show food, and after-work hangouts, and it’s changing the way we eat. The client was right to suggest it, our challenge was to deliver it, and to choose a menu that sparked interest while having universal appeal.”

Here Emmett’s food travels came into play, drawing inspiration from Greek and Persian cooking, through to New York’s classics, by way of Italy’s finest. From a slow-cooked beef brisket served on mustardy, tangy mac ’n’ cheese, to crispy halloumi on tabouli salad, and Kouros bread, with lemony chicken thighs, fries, and salsa. Food stations were positioned around the main networking area, with the dishes served fragrant and hot. It allowed guests to talk, move, and network through the venue, inside and out.

Cooking for 550 people isn’t straightforward, it takes a talented brigade of chefs, lots of experience, and teamwork. This was in abundance at Doncaster Racecourse, not least when it came to adopting the street food theme. It wasn’t just about creating delicious food; it was about dynamic serving suggestions. For instance, mini non-stick ‘newspapers’ were produced to line the street food bowls; a simple, sustainable way of placing the event in its charismatic venue, getting some brand messaging across, and stylishly presenting the food.

The concept worked. It was always going to. People love choice, they love new things, and increasingly delegates want to enjoy the classics while trying something interesting. Food like this creates conversation as well as supports it. The star of the show remained on stage, and the conference was its usual high standard of execution. But the food played its part.

Next year, expectations rise again, creativity will be needed once more, and the team at Doncaster Racecourse is ready to come up with something new, innovative, dynamic, and ambitious. Much like its client.