[Sca-cooks] Suggestions Needed

[Olwen the Odd]

>Kingdom Crusades is a war between Atlantia and the East that takes place in
>mid-October. The war itself has occured for at least a decade and, like
>Pennsic,  has settled into a de facto site with rotating responsibility for
>being in charge. Until now, there has never been a feast at the event, but
>this year's autocrat wants to have one. He has talked to the site owner, 
>who
>is willing to consider it, provided that they do all the food buying,
>cooking, etc. So Nikulai has asked me to talk with their cooking person
>about period foods, what we would and wouldn't want to see if they prepared
>a meal for us, etc.

>Any advice/suggestions anyone can provide would be appreciated. I have to 
>go
>out of town tonight but will be back Thursday night if anyone needs
>additional input from my end.  As always, thanks for your assistance.
>
>John le Burguillun

Well, John, here is my two cents.
I am very familiar with Crusades.  The cost of a daytrip is IIRC about 
$10-12.  Camping is lots more.  The site *is* a very nice site but quite 
pricey and the owner has been very strict about not letting us have feasts 
there, although he has allowed people to cook their own foods.  There is 
also the stuff he sells at his concession stand, plus places offsite within 
a couple of miles.   He's in it for the money and he gets plenty from us 
anyway.  I recently heard that someone signed another 3 year contract with 
the guy.  I must admit it didn't thrill me.  There are other sites closeby 
that we have scouted out and have trying to get folks to look at.  Since 
this event technically takes place in Bright Hills, it would seem that we 
would have some sort of say in it, but we don't!  Usually, we are not even 
granted the simple request to have the event!  Well, enough on that.
As for the idea of a feast there...well...I simply don't think it would fly. 
  The costs are already fairly prohibitive for simply attending the event.  
This is one event that I often hear people can't go to for that reason.
As it is, Bright Hills Cooks Guild has been honored with the repeated 
requests by the Crowns and/or autocrats to provide one of our "light 
lunches".  In the past this was done by us for free with each item of food 
or drink or eating-ware donated by people.  This last year was the first 
time I recall we got a budget from the EK!  The history has been for the 
Crowns to partake first, and their retinue, then typically it is opened up 
to the fighters and others.  Several of you have partaken of our "lunches".  
We generally tend to feed over a hundred people.  (if anyone is intested in 
seeing what we offered up last year, let me know, I usually am in charge of 
organizing this lunch and still have the list from last year).
Well John, I wish I had a better thought on the subject of a feast there, 
but seriously, as I said, the cost of simply attending the event is already 
prohibitive.
I will pass on your email without comment to the EK cooks list and you may 
get responses there, although several of those folks are already on this 
list.
Best of luck.
Olwen

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