SC - In search of gadget...

[Susan Fox-Davis]

    I've done that and I find that serving family style simplifies the hell
out of life. If you're using servers, it just means that they have to dash &
drop rather than to stand there and dispense. If you've PC'd your portions
ahead of time, it's easier for the guests, too. None of this 'pass the
plate' stuff.
   Having someone AT the table fetching food, though, reduces the load
awesomely! Get one runner per table, and the hall steward calls them as
needed. The only drawback is that it's serving vessel intensive. You still
need waterbearers, of course. Next time I do it, though, I'm going to do
armbands, hats, or some kind of token for the runners that they can keep as
a souvenir. And so I can identify them . . .
    BTW, I've always been put off by the obvious mundane appearance of
serving in aluminum pans / trays, though they're so bloody convenient. But I
found that if you treat the outside of the pans with acid, they take on a
gray, tarnished patina which is much more period looking. In a candle lit
hall, that's going to look a lot better than a nice shiny pan . . .

    Sieggy

- ----- Original Message -----

> I think that trying to serve that many free at a feast that small is a
little
> much.  Why not do without servers altogether?  What we often do is call
one
> person from each table to come up to the serving area and retrieve the
dishes for
> their table.  That would eliminate the servers at least, and give you a
little
> more money to play with.
>
> I know folks often think that this scheme leads to confusion, and for a
really
> big feast (like a Coronation or our upcoming XXth Year), that would be
true.
> However, I mentored a first-time head cook this past weekend for a feast
serving
> 170 people, and this worked like a charm!
>
> Kiri