The message that Comwell is keen to include more green dishes on its menu was certainly emphasised at Madens Folkemøde, and with plenty of visitors, tastings, lively discussions, debates and workshops, Comwell’s participation in the event was a great success.
The Food People’s Meeting is currently taking place in Nykøbing Falster, where the food habits of the future are under discussion.
Comwell made its mark here in collaboration with Coor Denmark. Together, the two companies serve around 400,000 meals every month in almost 100 canteens and hotels. This brings with it a great responsibility and a unique opportunity to make a difference when it comes to inspiring Danes to choose greener dishes.
The two companies have also joined forces in a three-year partnership aimed at promoting greener choices at the buffet. The project was launched with support from the Plant-Based Food Foundation.
For Comwell, participating in the Food People’s Meeting was both an opportunity to fly the flag and inspire others, and a chance to gain fresh inspiration for cooking with more greens.
Masterclass: When flavour wins over the guest
How do we get guests to choose the green options when they’re standing in front of the buffet? The answer is simple, but requires an eye for cooking: the flavour and presentation must win them over.
Comwell and Coor demonstrated this in a packed masterclass at Madens Folkemøde.
Building on the joint project under the Plantefonden, the chefs showed how, with the right techniques, you can build depth and umami in plant-based cuisine.
From the stage, Comwell’s own head chef from Comwell Rebild Bakker, Thomas Hedegaard, and Rasmus Rasmussen, Head of Sustainable Gastronomy at Comwell, worked in close collaboration with Coor’s experts.
They transformed local, Danish organic ingredients – including pulses from Aurion, vegetables from Axel Månsson, plant-based products from DAVA and grains from Mejnerts Mølle – into delicious dishes that impressed the audience.
“We shouldn’t be pointing fingers. We should be enhancing the flavour. When we work professionally with sensory analysis and an understanding of ingredients, the green choice doesn’t have to mean giving up meat – it simply becomes the most tempting option,” says Rasmus Rasmussen.
‘Monopoly’-style dilemmas
In addition to the specific kitchen techniques, the big questions were given careful consideration in a lively debate structured like a food-themed Monopoly game. For why is it, really, that in our daily lives we often reach for the familiar, even though we’d like to eat more sustainably?
Led by moderator Helle Lohmann Rasmussen from Dansk Facility Management, Rasmus Rasmussen from Comwell and BU President Anne Mette Knudsen from Coor debated side by side with representatives from, among others, Madkulturen, Norion and the Danish AgriFish Agency.
The debate offered plenty of inspiration on how we can collectively change our habits and create environments where a sustainable meal feels like the most natural, welcoming and inviting choice.
Aim to promote the choice of plant-based dishes
Comwell’s participation in Madens Folkemøde underscores its aim to raise awareness of the variety of plant-based dishes available, to include more plant-based options on hotel menus, and to make it both easy and delicious for guests to choose plant-based dishes.
“When we change a habit, tweak a recipe or present a buffet in a new and inviting way at our hotels, we can influence lots of guests. The specific approaches, ingredient combinations and sensory techniques showcased at the People’s Meeting are directly applicable to our own daily kitchen operations. So we look forward to taking this inspiration back with us and continuing our work on green dishes,” says Rasmus Rasmussen.
About Comwell Hotels
Comwell is a Danish family-owned, nationwide hotel chain with hotels throughout Denmark, as well as ODEON in Odense and Centralværkstedet in Aarhus. For over 55 years, Comwell has been operating meeting and conference hotels and has won numerous awards over the years for its meeting, service and dining concepts.
Comwell was the first to introduce Danes to the modern meeting package back in 1969. Today, this remains Comwell’s core business. Comwell also caters for training and course programmes, workshops, job interviews, board meetings, exhibitions and events, and has 2,500 rooms and 320 meeting and conference rooms at its disposal.
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