Credit Crunch Clients Cook Their Own Business Lunches
22/04/2009
THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN TRANSFORMS TRADITIONAL IMAGE OF THE WORKING LUNCH
Forget the excesses of the ‘liquid lunch’ or the extravagance of Michelin-dining, the credit-crunch has ushered-in a new era for the business lunch – one that is down-to-earth, practical and comforting. In the last four months (December – March 09,) Venturi’s Table, the UK’s only dedicated ‘Corporate Cookery Centre’ has experienced a 73% year on year increase in bookings made for its ‘cook-your-own’ lunch events for client entertainment purposes. The cookery centre which has hosted over 8,000 businesspeople since it opened in 2005, has noticed a sea change in the way its friendly, cookery events are used by companies, from a way to reward staff to an appropriate way to impress clients. Demand for the centre’s ‘cook-it-yourself’ business lunches coincides with a dramatic loss of trade amongst City restaurants, suggesting that when it comes to the working lunch, companies are now choosing to take a far less ‘corporate’ approach.
With widespread redundancies and business insecurity setting a new responsible tone for corporate practice in the UK, the normal trappings of business lunches such as 100 page wine lists and extortionate prices will no longer impress clients. The tide has changed and a brave new corporate world of ‘responsible capitalism’ is emerging.
JoEllyn Prouty McLaren, Director of Executive Education at The London Business School commented; “Client entertaining cannot stop completely because of the recession as it is vital for maintaining and building business relationships. The downturn has however brought about a change in how it is approached. Budgets are tighter and there is a sense of accountability when it comes to corporate entertainment. Rather than just taking clients out to expensive restaurants, companies are using a cleverer approach to business lunches which will help strengthen business relationships.”
Many of the companies organising client lunches at Venturi’s Table not only booked the down-to-earth cookery events because they were a less vacuous alternative to a Michelin-restaurant. A number of businesses booked the cookery-based lunches as they felt clients would appreciate learning a practical, money saving skill which they could use at home.
Ben Rodber, Director at RT Marketing commented; “We felt the ‘cook-it-yourself’ business lunches at Venturi’s Table cleverly combined a way to entertain our clients with learning a skill which is actually useful. People can’t afford to visit their favourite restaurants anymore but Venturi’s Table actually showed our clients ways to recreate that experience at home.”
Anna Venturi, Managing Director of Venturi’s Table added; “Down-to-earth cookery in a homely kitchen is a very comforting experience and seems far more appropriate than a big spend in a City restaurant at the moment. With the instability of the recession people are turning back towards traditional, homely values as they are reassuring and provide a much needed sense of security- it makes sense for companies to tap into this with their clients.”
Venturi’s Table specialises in enjoyable cookery experiences which help build professional, business relationships. It is the UK’s only, dedicated, Corporate Cookery Centre where business professionals cook from scratch in covetable kitchens and then enjoy what they have made together, around the table. The cookery experiences use the role of enjoying delicious food in forming and building human community (seen again and again in anthropology and across all human cultures) and applies it to business life.
The business is the brainchild of Anna Venturi and Letizia Tufari, a Milanese mother and daughter team originally from Milan. Since they opened Venturi’s Table in 2005, they have hosted some of the biggest brands in both UK and International business who have used their cookery experiences to entertain clients, motivate staff, welcome new members of upper management and use the kitchens as an environment to stimulate creative thinking. Previous clients include Google, Camelot, BP, Mars, PwC, Tesco, Deutsche Bank, Selfridges, Microsoft, De Beers, Coca-Cola and Pizza Express... among others!