[Sca-cooks] Feast costs/budgets

PKSARGE at aol.com PKSARGE at aol.com
Tue Feb 19 09:47:45 PST 2008


Concerning the cost for feast:  I find it reveling that the same folks who 
often quibble at the cost of a multi course, well prepared meal, usually with 
entertainment, will soon after leaving the site stop for lunch at a chain 
restaurant (i.e. Denny's or Cracker Barrel) and spend two or three times what they 
spent on feast.
 
I have done a couple of small feasts (80-120) and  helped keep the cost down 
by using some of the following:
    1. Talking with the manager of the meat department at my favorite store 
and ordering in advance.
    2. Shopping "specials", 2 for 1 and seasonal close-outs (lamb after 
Easter)
    3. Soliciting donations of game or fish. (give recognition to donors and 
others often step-up)
    4. Purchase in-season fresh fruit and vegetables directly from local 
farmers.  
    
If the groups we are working with are unwilling to increase fees for feast to 
cover the costs then we have an ethical obligation to inform them that 
quality and quantity will suffer. (you get what you pay for)
 
 
On another but related topic. The first feast I did on my own I had done all 
the research, planning and most of the purchasing (using up most of the 
budget) when I was informed, the weekend before the event, that I was also expected 
to prepare breakfast for Saturday and Sunday, all out of the same budget. When 
I questioned this I was informed that it was a standard expectation in our 
Kingdom (Meridies). I satisfied this commitment but it was an extremely long day 
and if not for a very dedicated staff feast would have suffered. I have done 
a couple of more small feasts since then and have made accommodations for 
breakfast. Is this a standard practice throughout the SCA? I find that this really 
impacts my focus on feast and would like to find some way to pass on 
breakfeast. Should I consider a written contract that specifies my "services" for for 
feast? 
 
Mykael Halfdan
AKA Dennis Olson
Shire of Thorngill
Kingdom of Meridies 




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