How much would the catering costs be for a ten man shoot for ten days?

Answer 1

This general question can only answered in general terms. To hook up ten guys on a shoot probably means breakfast, lunch and dinner for some guys burning a few calories. You already know that the best way to line this up is by sketching a menu for the stretch and then pricing ingredients. Food items have a somewhat variable cost in different parts of the country, and one could trim some chunks off the costs by shopping a food supplier who stocks, say, one gallon sized cans of whole kernel corn. Pour this through a ten key and get a total and you're set. This approach is a page from the manual of hoteliers who do this for a living. The banquets they host for the different groups have some very simple economics associated with preparing an estimate for a meal for a group of almost any size. They have a stack of profit and loss statements from a whole bunch of gatherings to draw data from, and they can crunch the numbers in nothing flat. Whether they will share their information or not is questionable, and you must understand their kitchen costs will be different from yours. Any costs for beer or other Alcoholic Beverages can make the price of the gig go outta sight in a hurry. Maybe they have to bring their own. (Hopefully the guys won't clown around and do a Dick Cheney - mixing alcohol and gun powder.) Be sure to account for (or take advantage of) anything for cooking (and food prep!) that will be available there. (Is an outdoor grill available for grilling burgers or chops or chicken? If not, can the chef take an adequate one?) This is critical. If there isn't a big oven, how can the chef bake a stew or pot roast for ten? Stove tops are cool, but ovens add flexibility big time. You'll be taking all the cookware, knives and kitchen tools, yes? Your packing better reflect the menu and have some flexibility. Q: Is the shoot going to produce game that the shooters might wish to eat that day or the next? As an aside, the wise person would pack a modest but adequate first aid kit. Start with a tentative menu and take it to a "wholesale" food store along with your calculator. If an associate can go along who has something to add to your own expertise, include that person when planning a menu and take that person to the store if possible. Two heads are usually better than one. Include costs of condiments and things like butter, cooking oil, flour, sugar, coffee (!), and the like. Think through the meal and all the things needed to prep the food items as well as cook them. Serving them is the easy part, but you already knew that. As always, good luck. Bon appétit!