SC - Getting the general populace to eat "period dishes"

[LrdRas at aol.com]

I think that people do eat period food willingly and expect the same in a 
feast. Although I can see cooks wanting people to eat their food, I don't see 
the feast as anything more than an activity being offered at an event. Not 
all people are expected to participate in all the activities at any given 
event. It is not even desirable that they do so. Most activities attract 
those that have a desire to experience a certain aspect of the middle ages.

The 'period food is yucky' crowd is by far a minority of people. On the 
Aethelmearc list Feast was discussed extensively last week. The general 
consensus of posters was that they expect good food at feast and most 
importantly they expect period food. 

I firmly believe that the best way to get people to eat period food is to 
offer the feast as a separate activity through preregistration, providing a 
list at the Troll on a first come first served basis for any canceled slots, 
prominently displaying menus/ingredients lists, etc. In general, presenting 
feast as a 'special' activity that is desirable. 

An example: Will's Revenge attracts a couple of hundred attendees. Breakfast 
Saturday is for the Marshal's (about 20) only. Saturday lunch is available to 
all comers as a sideboard. Saturday feast is RESTRICTED to between 80 and 100 
participants, no exceptions. Sunday breakfast is open to all comers.

With that format feast has always been sold out sometimes 4 to 6 weeks in 
advance and the expectation of the feast participants is that it will be a 
period feast. Even local shire members MUST pre-register along with everyone 
else if they wish to participate in the feast.

Rather than 'fool' people into eating period food, it is far better to 
produce it with flair and make it a special activity to be desired, IMO. Sort 
of a 'snooze you loose' thing. :-)

Ras