• remember that every cook has different methods and preferences: don’t assume that what works for one will work for another
• ask them if they’d like to be in control of the money for the week – it makes sense since they’ll be spending most of it (and it will be one less thing for you to worry about!), but not all cooks will be happy to take the responsibility
• ask what jobs they want on the rota before writing it (e.g. do they want someone to do breakfast and lunch? every day or just some (perhaps alternate?) days? do they want someone to help with preparing the evening meal?)
• discuss how the accom. cleaning is going to work, when it is going to be done, and who is going to be responsible for organising what needs doing and checking it is done properly: don’t assume the cook has time or inclination to do so
• get your requests for odd shopping bits and bobs (runs to the hardware shop, builders merchant, chemist etc) in by breakfast if at all possible so the cook can plan their day; and write them down, so the cook doesn’t have to try and remember!
• don’t assume the cook is a ‘people person’ i.e. don’t assume the cook is willing to supervise/entertain a camper unfit to be on site (for whatever reason) – consider leaving someone else with them to keep them company if necessary
• if the cook is doing breakfast, ask whether the time you’ve decided for it is ok with them before announcing it to the camp
• offer to help with serving the evening meal (which also gives you a good opportunity to pass a friendly word with everyone...)
• check that the evening washing up has been done properly and the kitchen left tidy
• try and give some notice (even half an hour) of the fact that you’re going to be late back from site – most cooks are quite prepared for it to happen at least once during the week, but the earlier you tell us, the easier it is to rearrange the food (and possibly even decide that there’s time to stop for a cup of tea for once!)
• try to get off site at a reasonable time on the last day so the cook can feed you all and let their hair down before midnight!

What to do if you haven’t got a cook
 

• get some recipe cards made up in advance (some ideas on H&S CD: complete shopping list and instructions for an evening meal) with quantities already adjusted to suit your camp;
• remember to allow for veggies
• aim for a varied menu but don’t be too adventurous!
• most people have one dish they can cook which is suitable for large numbers (e.g. spaghetti bolognese, chilli con carne, curry) – try to make use of what skills you have on your camp, though they will need some advice on multiplying quantities (for which see quantites multiplier/recommended amounts)
• you will have to shop during the week: there is not enough storage space for a week’s worth of meat and bread in the camps freezer unless you have a camp of 12 or fewer
• you could get in vast quantities of many non-perishables at the beginning of the week (tins, most fruit and veg, biscuits, crisps etc), but stock control is easier if you shop regularly
• so work out how you’re going to do it: depends how near the supermarket is, what it’s opening hours are (24 hour ones are brilliant in this situation, but remember early closing on Sundays and bank holidays); and how you are going to pay for it (i.e. do you need to give someone cash if you’re not there yourself?)
• the first shop in particular always takes longer than you think; if you can find someone to come along to do just the Saturday shop and evening meal, that will make your life a lot easier
• consider getting campers to sign up for a ‘domestic’ day in groups of 2 or 3, where they do all the accom stuff: cook breakfast, make lunch, tidy/clean, shop (divide them up with one driver with transport, or you/your assistant could take them in combination with picking up/delivering lunch) and make dinner (but have other volunteers to do the evening washing up!)
• go out for fish & chips one night; have a BBQ another (easy if you keep it simple with burgers and sausages, bought salads etc)
• ready made puddings can work out pretty good value e.g. cheesecakes/gateaux on 3 for 2 offers in the freezer section (remember to defrost in time to eat...); choc ices; fruit pies/strudel; instant custard is fool proof – if you read the instructions!
• read the info on food allergies and food hygiene here

Hints for the First Time Cook (or, advice for those thinking of cooking – go on, its not as hard as it looks!)
 

• if you can cook for 4, you can cook for 20 – its all a matter of multiplication!
• things will just take longer, because you need to peel 20 carrots rather than 4
• cooking times can be longer too, because heat takes time to get to the middle
• be prepared for vagrancies of village hall electrics and cookers (find out where the trip switch is before you need to reset it!)
• similarly, make sure you know how to turn the smoke alarm off
• always round quantities up rather than down
• I prefer to plan my list before I go shopping, but if you can think on your feet, making use of whatever is on offer when you get there can work out very economical
• write your shopping list in the order in which things are located in the supermarket
• for the first shop of the week, take someone else with you – it will be more than one trolley-full!
• for the rest of the week, if you shop daily, which is the easiest way to deal with stock control, it should just about fit in a trolley, but takes a bit of planning to get it all in (and out onto the checkout and back in again!) without crushing the bread – it just takes a bit of practice!
• take the veg. prep. outside if it’s sunny
• if you have a very hungry camp, some french bread/sliced crusty loaf (or even bog- standard sliced) will help to fill up the corners in the evenings
• things are going to be used so quickly you don’t need to keep everything in the fridge that you would at home if there isn’t room e.g. mushrooms, eggs, fresh tomatoes
• work out roughly what containers you’re going to use to cook a meal alongside planning what you’re going to cook to make sure there’s enough space for the food and in/on the oven
• don’t try anything too ‘new’ or ‘unusual’ unless you know your campers well – they are generally quite a conservative lot!
• but, plan a varied menu i.e. not variations on mince and tinned toms every night
• make life easy for yourself – if someone doesn’t eat e.g. lamb, ask if they’d be happy to be veggie the night you have lamb (assuming you have some veggies too...) – they’ll usually say yes
• generally wise to steer clear of cooking fish (too many people aren’t keen; expensive; makes the hall stink!) though fish pie could work if you check first that everyone will eat it
• check if you have any non-spicy people before cooking chilli or curry – people rarely put that on their form; usually easy to make a small quantity of the same thing without e.g. the chilli powder
• stay clear of things that require detailed last minute attention; good ideas are stews which will generally improve the longer they cook, and bakes that can be left to keep warm on a lowish heat
• try to remember the first couple of days to check how many sandwiches and of what flavour are left over from site, and amend shopping lists for the rest of the week accordingly
• home made cake is always appreciated, but shop bought is fine too!
• kit tins are not non-stick; line with tinfoil or greasproof for puddings and cakes
• make sure Burco is on about half an hour before you expect the hordes back from site (I usually turn it off during the day, unless I need large quantities of boiling water for something, to save electric and stop the kitchen filling with steam)

General Tips
 

• making the best use of the kit
• how many portions different tins make
• round baking tins: divide into 12 for puddings (e.g. cheesecake); line with foil and lift out before cutting
• rectangular (grundy) tins: divide into 12 for generous portions of lasagne, pasta bake, pies etc; can divide into 15 with larger ones (Kit A) or if deeply filled; remember that different sized tins will give different sized portions if divided into the same number
• biggest saucepan full of stew serves about 25
• biggest saucepan full of potatoes is just about enough for roasties/mash for shepherd’s pie for 25
• can just about cook rice for 20 in 213/413 (if 214/414 is full of sauce)
• middle sized saucepan (212/412) full is about enough for single serving of veg for 25
• how to fit everything in: design one course for the oven and the other for the hob e.g. stew and crumble; lasagne and trifle
• check if and how the tins will fit in the oven before filling them (and preferably before deciding what to cook!)
• you can make a bain maire with the round baking tins sitting in the grundy tins and covered with tinfoil
• pressure cookers have good thick bases – good for custard and beans and other things liable to burn
• pressure cookers have lockable lids (not completely watertight, but almost) which are good for transporting soup
• coping with limited facilities
• stew is very flexible – pork, chicken, beef, lamb... curry, chilli, bolognese etc can all be cooked on a hob only if you can’t fit any of the tins in the oven (I’ve been there, done that...)
• also good one pot meals if only one ring works... serve interesting bread as the carbohydrate;
• couscous only needs covering with boiling water and leaving for 15 minutes
• jacket potatoes can be cooked directly on the oven shelves, but need to go in about lunchtime for an evening meal…
• garlic bread can be griddled – set to a low temperature, turn regularly and wrap in foil unless you want breakfast to taste of garlic for the rest of the week
• make cold puddings: trifle, cheesecake, jelly and ice cream
• food hints
• carrots can often just be washed and not peeled if they’re not too old
• carrots, especially grated, can be used to bulk out many things e.g. bolognese sauce, chilli con carne
• ‘rustic mash’ (i.e. made with unpeeled potatoes) is trendy! and better for you
• cooked and washed (with boiling water) rice keeps hot well in a covered grundy tin in medium oven (but throw away any left over after the meal)
• you don’t have to stick to fried eggs for breakfast: try scrambled (either make in microwave, or make a white sauce [1pt] then add beaten eggs – stops it separating and going tough), boiled, eggy bread
• fried bread is liable to set smoke alarms off in my experience!
• make use of bags of frozen veg
• frozen lamb mince is cheaper, and usually more readily available than fresh, and fine for shepherd’s pie