Feast stewart at the crossroads was Re: [SCA-cooks] Pulled sugar

[Darren Gasser]

Susan Fox-Davis wrote:
> The autocrat announced this whole fait-accompli complete with a
> budget of $1,500 for food, and I know they are planning a 'box lunch'
> type arrangement for $5, so my guess is that would take about a third
> of the budget.  Either they get dinner for 100 [we could have sold
> 300 tickets easily last year, if we had the room for them] or I get a
> slashed budget.

Am I understanding you correctly in that the autocrat wants a fixed budget
regardless of how many people show up?

That, in my humble, newbie feastocrat opinion, is clinically insane.

Any time I'm cooking for a function, SCA or otherwise, I always set budgets
on a per-plate basis.  Trying to set a fixed budget penalizes you (and, by
extension, the entire event staff) for success -- a large turnout means an
inferior feast, just the opposite of what any sensible person would want.

I suggest a quick educational discussion with your autocrat on the basics of
event budgeting.  Preferably with large wooden mallet in hand....

Of course, if you proceed with the event, let me know if there's anything I
can do to help.

-Lorenz