SC - Bidding for Feast

[Bonne of Traquair]

>A precisely budgeted bid, with menu, planned expenses and cost recovery
>information is the only way to fly.

In my observation, the biggest overage problem is when the cook 'eye-balls' 
amounts when shopping rather than having figured out the precise amount 
needed. A little time with a calculator wil let you cut your purchases very 
closely.  Also, be realistic about serving sizes. Unless your feast is 'one 
course' of apporoximately the same number of dishes you'd serve at supper, 
then 'normal' servings are reasonable.  If you are serving the equivalent of 
a major family reunion Holiday meal, with multiple meats, breads, side 
dishes and desserts, you can go with half or three-quarter sized servings on 
most items.  Be sure to have enough good-quality bread for the really hungry 
to fill in the odd empty spots, meat is too expensive for that purpose.

I have in mind a particular cook back home who had, for instance, 20 lbs of 
packages noodles leftover, in addition to the vast amount dumped from the 
pot into the garbage after all the platters were filled to overflowing. 
There are foods with hard to figure serving sizes, but the noodle packages 
give a number of servings right on them.  I can't think of any reason to 
have purchased 3 times the necessary amount besides making the purchase 
based on guesswork rather than math.

Over and over I saw people buying too much of the really cheap spices and 
dried herbs instead of stopping to add up the amounts on the recipes and 
realizing that the total amount needed is not that much.  a total of 62 
teaspons sounds like a lot, but it isn't really much more than a cup and a 
half--which weighs very little so bulk buying would have provides fresher 
spices/herbs and of a better quality too.  (We were lucky to have multiple 
sources of bulk spices in Windmasters' Hill, as well as fresh herbs.  It 
always pained me to see heavy use of dried herbs in a dish that would be 
better with fresh.)

A lot of those who haven't cooked yet are overly worried about non-food 
items.  Again, if you don't over purchase, these aren't really an issue--but 
many people over purchase for fear of running out.

I don't think it unreasonable for the cook to purchase cleaning supplies for 
the kitchen itself, and expect leftovers to be used for site clean-up next 
morning. (the autocrat should have their own stock of some items). For feast 
of less than 100, the kitchen should have one large bottle of dish soap, a 
couple or three bottles of all purpose cleaner, a bar of soap for 
hand-cleaning, a new package of 'shop rags' to be used as towels and 
multi-pack of paper towels: $25 at most. (and save the towels for the next 
feast!) I take my bottle of bleach for pre-cleaning as so little is really 
needed. If the site proves to be lacking in brooms, mops, buckets, I bring 
my own and call for others to help on that count.  I also usually purchase a 
package of hairbands and a package of food-handling gloves.

As it happens, I have had to purchase disposable foil cooking containers for 
both feasts, and certain plastic serving pieces.  ('gold' and 'silver' bowls 
and disposable serving forks/spoons).  As much as possible, I washed and 
saved the serving pieces for future use.

For packaging leftovers, I purchase one large roll of plastic wrap, one 
large roll of heavy duty foil, a box of gallon sized zip-locs, and a box of 
small zip-locks and saved the unused items for future SCA use.

A good source of these items is from the one or two feasts prior to your 
own.  Ask each cook before hand for the leftovers of any non-perishable food 
(that you can actually use), cleaning supplies, serving and packaging 
supplies, for use at your SCA feast. Take an empty laundry basket or 
rubbermaid container with you and be around and helpful during the clean up 
phases. This is easier if you are already on the calendar, but if you have 
been helpful enough, the cook probably will be glad to contribute.  And if 
in your own group, I would think EXPECT to pass on the unused items.


Bonne
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