SC - Bidding for Feast

[Susan Fox-Davis]

Bear and the others have given much of my same advice, so I 'll try not to
repeat it, much.

Liadan wrote:

> What happens if you underbid the costs of the feast?  Who pays the overage?

I  write an 'emergency last-minute supplies' item into my budgets, so this does
not happen to me very often.  I wheedle the group into going for it if it does
happen.

> Does your group cover the cost of the non-paying feasters (you know Royalty
> and their entourage)? Or do you figure your budget on paying feasters, and
> try to feed everyone for that price?

The latter.  I do try to keep the freebies to a minimum, but you know those
ruling nobles.  <sigh>  Huette and I had Twelfth-Night Flashbacks during "Vatel"
when the king brought two extra TABLES-full of guests, and there was not enough
meat for all of them.

> Do you plan to feed the servers and kitchen help for free, or do you
> charge?

I don't charge the help, especially since much of my labor pool usually comes
from those who couldn't afford to sit down for the feast.  Ofttimes they don't
get every dish served in the feasts, but the food is good and filling, they get
a few special goodies that everyone else doesn't get, plus first crack at the
leftovers.

> What about meals while you're cooking feast? Bring a sack lunch?

Gaah, who wants to eat?  I send a runner out for fast food if we're in range,
bring a sack lunch if not.

> How do you plan for price fluctuations in ingredient costs?

I try to keep up with the economic news.  I'm probably not even going to try to
serve pork at a SCA feast in the coming year, for instance;  I get the
impression that our European imports are not going to be coming in at all, and
pork prices will be outrageous until the overseas plagues have been quelled.

> Are cleaning supplies part of the cost process, or is that handled by
> someone else?

I usually buy them personally and keep the excess.  Last year, the cleaning
supplies were donated by a kingdom member who was a salesman of cleaning
supplies.  He also brought us some silly paper chef's hats, with which we had
fun.

> Is the feast expected to "make money" for the event?  (i.e. budget set at
> $5 per head, but charged $7.50 for feast)

Usually it's intended to break even.  I have future plans for some Feasts as
Fundraisers but that will require a whole different budgeting style;  modest but
not stingy ingredients and portions, and BIG prices for the donation portion.

Time to plan a feast, I'm getting edgy.

Selene