[Sca-cooks] Current farm prices and affects on feast budgeting

[Lilinah]

Well, here in NoCal in the Central West, the fee for most period 
feasts is about $15, although some are less. We gradually raised the 
prices over the past few years because with the very high cost of 
sites, they just weren't doing so well... sometimes losing a bit of 
money, sometimes breaking even - when, i gather, the idea is to make 
a small amount as a cushion for those that don't break even - when 
the weather is rainy, often fewer folks show up than have RSVP'd.

Now, granted, that's much higher than a meal at some fast food place, 
if you can call what they serve "food".

But when i go out for my once-a-week breakfast, a double cappuccino 
runs me $2.45 and a tasty well-stuffed omelet is in the vicinity of 
$8, plus our tax, which is close to 8.5% and an 18% tip (they see us 
walk in the door, and make our caps without even asking, since we're 
regulars) and that's over $13 for breakfast.

Sure, someone could eat for less at Denny's, but not me. The quality 
of their ingredients is low - their eggs taste funny and they don't 
make me laugh - and i hate the overwhelming taste of artificial 
butter flavor that inhabits everything cooked on the grill or in a 
pan - and which apparently is turning out to be something of a health 
risk, according to local TV news.

With a moderately priced gourmet meal at $35 around here, a delicious 
period feast is a bargain. I gladly pay $15 for a 3 or 4 course meal 
that has 3 to 5 dishes in each course! That's kinda like eating 3 
gourmet meals for $5 each.

Note that site fees are additional at events that are not just a feast.

And off-board space is not always offered, especially if the event 
*is* the feast. That's usually an autocrat decision and depends on 
the space in the room and the number of tables available. And i've 
never seen more than one off-board table at a feast.

Most people look forward to our period feasts here in the 
Principality of the Mists and in neighboring Cynagua. With lists of 
ingredients, most folks with one or two allergies find they can eat 
most of the food. And generally there's plenty of food for 
vegetarians. As i've said often, most of the time there are no 
Kingdom level feasts, although depending on the site, there may be 
one at a Collegium.

There are no "bids" for feasts, either. Generally a cook offers to 
cook - either they know the autocrat or they let the seneschal know 
they're available. Feasts offered at the Principality and branch 
levels have a set cost - a feast for 60 should not cost over $600.

-- 
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita

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