- Always plan a menu based on having limited time for cooking on the field. It either has to be pre-prepared and warmed/cooked or it needs to be something that can be left alone or that someone else could easily attend to. This is because of point number 2:
- Something will always go wrong. It might be your oven, having no light to see by, the site being flooded, the organisers being desperate for NPC help, you get ill or injured, or any other myriad unpredictables. You cannot plan for it as such, but you will quickly get good at finding alternative fixes.
- Get some BIG pans. These are ace for pre-preparing a pan based food and freezing. You can then use the pan itself as the container and it will defrost through journey. This requires learning the safe likely speed of a defrost but as a general rule it’s the day before you plan to re-heat. Big pans also improve your temper when catering for large numbers as they are one batch, and as a side benefit they can be used as a washing up bowl for smaller items when you are done.
- Avoid seafood and particularly shellfish. Even top-end restaurants can become contaminated by rather virulent shellfish pathogens – it’s just not worth the risk in my opinion. (Ed – living with a person who is fatally allergic to shellfish also means we avoid caterers in fields that have shellfish on the menu at any point over the weekend.)
- Further to the above – buy and use a meat probe! If you are cooking meat never rely on things like the cut and bleed method, especially if some has been previously frozen. Pass your food safety certificate or at the very least read the food safety checklist. You will need to make some changes based on the clever revelations within. You are not just cooking for your mates if you are a caterer, you are liable for the event attendees safety.
- Expect people to both want to eat your nice food but yet seem to want you to change everything. It’s sensible to always have a vegetarian option but a lot of LARPers have individual dietary needs. What’s different now to several years ago is that now they are more demanding of you making changes to your menu to suit them. My best advice is to keep calm and explain you are not able to OR explain what parts of the menu are available to them. In our case we ask for pre-bookings and then explore the issue with them before the event. If we don’t think it is possible we give plenty of notice so that they can make other arrangements. It is a lot easier to make some substitutions and I have made gluten free pies etc in the past – but it has to make sense financially too.
- In regards to the above MAKE A PROFIT. It took me a long time to grasp that I’m not ripping people off. If you just make your costs back this is what happens: you burn out. You will get bitter about the twelve hour days, the constant washing up, and sadly the few compliments here and there won’t make up for it. It’s like you are doing a favour and not getting enough back. If you make a little to pay for your efforts you will have a better time and probably see the process in a clearer way. You also will have more patience with your event organisers and customers!
- Never underestimate the time taken in preparing hot drinks. Sounds daft but if you can separate this off and make it as self-service as possible you will prevent a lot of lost hair.
- Treasure your washing up buddies. They are the best friend you ever had. They are angelic beings and you should reward them with treats.
- Learn what your crowd-pleasers are. Sometimes it’s the simplest things like making the dining area look nice, providing some condiments, snacks, or a pudding. I have in the past been excited about a marvellous historical recipe, such as a clay baked salmon, but in the end it’s only really you that’s excited about the PROCESS – make sure it’s worth the effort in terms of output.
- Expect clear things from the attendees and let them know – do they need their own plates, cutlery and cups? Will they need to wash these up themselves? What is provided and what they need. If you want less washing up in the field invest in some nice wood or natural fiber bowls that can be burned or composted.
- Price your food according to what you want to get out of it. If an organisers wants to just provide the basics they can do this easily by producing bacon sarnies and a hot stew. If you don’t fancy producing simple faire (that might not be as memorable or rewarding) then just… don’t. Say no and have a minimum you want to work with. It’s your reputation and it’s fine to have standards. On that note its very useful to organisers to have a ‘per head price’ for a full weekend event as this is the norm at smaller events. Learn how to price up your ingredients and include the fuel to get to the event. Include your expenses and include a little bit of your time if you value your sanity (see point 7 above).
- Make sure there is time for fun! Have a cut-off cooking and washup time so that you can relax a little. Get help if you need it so that you can have a lie-in and someone else do breakfast etc. Don’t work yourself to the bone because that will make you miserable and scowling and folks enjoy food from a smiling happy cook. Enjoy yourself!
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