Feeding a retreat: what actually works for twenty people

Groups eat better and more happily from one excellent shared dish than from a choice of three mediocre ones. It also lets the kitchen put its attention in one place, and it gets everyone eating the same thing, which does something quietly social.

Ask at booking, ask again two weeks out, and get specifics. "Vegan" and "coeliac" and "allergic to sesame" require completely different kitchen handling. A separate sad plate for the one vegan is a failure; build the meal so the restriction is the default and additions are optional.

Lunch at one, after a long morning session, leaves people flat for the afternoon. Lunch at half twelve and lighter than you think keeps the day alive. Dinner should be late enough that the afternoon has a proper end, and unhurried enough that people stay at the table.

A night where the group cooks together is worth more than a night where they are served. It is the single cheapest team-building intervention available and nobody thinks of it as one.