[Sca-cooks] on and off board at feasts

[Stefan li Rous]

Antonia di Benedetto Calvo talking about folks eating off-board at  
SCA feasts said:
<<< Well... I suppose it's theoretically available, but we don't usually
mention it... honestly, though, most people here would think going to a
feast and not eating is a strange thing to do, unless you have severe
dietary restrictions.  (And for those with serious restrictions, they
tend to go with the "half price ticket and eat what you can" option).
Eating at a restaurant and then sitting at a feast and not eating would
be a *really* strange thing to do. >>>

I can remember folks sitting at feasts and participating but not  
eating feast. I think it is also not uncommon, especially at big,  
inside events such as Candlemas, that a household may decide, as a  
group, to not eat the regular feast. In that case they will set up  
and decorate their own table(s), often quite fabulously, and then eat  
their own feast. I assume brought in by one or more members of that  
household.

I suspect that, in Ansteorra, not allowing off-board folks to eat on  
the same tables with the feasters would cause quite an out cry. And  
much more not allowing them to even sit at different tables in the  
same hall.

Whether people leave the site, eat in a restaurant and then come back  
for the event probably depends upon how close the restaurants are to  
the site and whether there is going to be court or bardic activities  
or some other event scheduled after the feast.

There have been events in Ansteorra which had a combined site and  
feast fee, however that seems to have fallen out of favor in the last  
ten years or so. I suspect there are several reasons for this:
1) Some events are too big to easily serve a single feast to  
everyone. Some have done 500 person feasts, like Gunthar, but not many.
2) Ansteorra commonly has a maximum site fee for a family, but this  
applies only to the site fee and doesn't include the feast fees.
3) If someone has to buy the feast in order to participate, then you  
have an obligation to make more accommodation for the vegans and  
those with problematic allergies.
4) Some sites don't lend themselves to holding feasts there because  
of a lack of kitchen facilities.

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas           
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
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