Catering and Meal Plan
Free (included in site fees):
A soup kitchen on the Sunday before event and a light supper at the Ball are available at no extra charge to all attendees. There may be a BBQ on Setup Sunday for the Ordinance Corps - volunteers who set up the site.
2024 Faire Meal Plan:
A modified meal plan is on offer for 2024:
- Breakfasts will self catered and thus not included in the meal plan
The following items will be provided for breakfasts: Tea, Coffee, Sugar, Cow Milk, Almond milk.
Limited storage of personal milk and chilled products will be made available in the Main kitchen.
There will be volunteer tasks each day to put out the toasters each morning, and then clean up and put them away again afterwards.
There will also be a volunteer task to pick up personal click and collect orders from Countdown (such orders not to include alcohol).
- Lunches will be run by CF event volunteers and available Monday through Saturday.
- Dinners will be run by the Waipara Adventure Centre and available Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Food will be more mundane in selection (i.e. not medieval) and a proposed menu is below
Dietary Requirements and Allergies - The Meal Plan will cater for vegetarian, dairy free, gluten free, nut free, and egg free (and some combinations of the above). Unfortunately we cannot cater for vegans. Additional allergies (eg alliums) will not catered for. Please contact the Meal Plan Coordinator if you have any questions.
Proposed meal plan from Waipara Adventure Centre:
Monday
Dinner: Chicken Drumsticks, potatoes and vegetables
Dessert: Mini pavlova, fruit salad and ice cream
Wednesday
Dinner: Chilli con carne, rice and vegetables
Dessert: Cheesecake and tropical fruit salad
Thursday
Dinner: Beef stew, mash potatoes and vegetables
Dessert: Donuts and ice cream
Friday
Dinner: Roast beef, roast potatoes and vegetables
Dessert: Chocolate cake and ice cream
Saturday
Dinner: Butter chicken, rice and vegetables
Dessert: Apple crumble and ice cream
Feast and Repast
Dinner on the evening of the Feast is not covered by the Meal Plan. Many will choose to book for the Feast - the most sumptuous meal of the event. This is an opportunity for a fine cook to display their artistry. Numbers are often limited and tickets are a hot commodity, so book early to secure your place! If you miss out, or if formal dining isn't your thing, you can instead book for the Repast. This is typically a small, informal meal - similar in scope to a normal 'meal plan dinner', but served and eaten outside, on the tables near Tui.
Self-Catering
The site has three kitchen areas, including the main kitchen facility and two smaller kitchens in the main bunkroom building and in the lower Tui Lodge. Kitchens have some equipment, i.e. pots, pans, roasting dishes etc.
Cooks preparing a meal plan or the feast are assumed to have priority or, on the day of the feast, exclusive access to the main kitchen. The other two kitchens are usually available at all times. Please ensure that you clean all messes for which you are responsible!
If you are wanting to cook in an encampment, please ensure you comply with site fire rules.
Eating Kit Hire
If you wish to hire eating kits for the event (drinking vessel, plate, bowl, spoon, fork, knife, napkin, tea-towel), Lord Bjorn is privately offering them for $12.00 for the event. You will be able to pick them up from him at the start of the event. Contact Lord Bjorn directly to reserve a kit, first come first served. Note: this is a private arrangement, not part of your event booking.
Drink
The site has clean potable tap water, and we encourage people to ensure that they keep well-hydrated, especially if fighting. Please cover any sipper bottles or other modern drinking vessels.
The Mangy Mongol can supply coffee, hot chocolate, cordials and other beverages.
Alcohol
We have special permission from the site operators to bring alcohol on to the site IF CONSUMED IN MODERATION.
The site is "discretely damp", meaning that alcohol consumption should not be obvious. Drinks should be decanted into medieval-looking vessels, and empty vessels should be kept out of sight and disposed of in the recycling bins. Moderation should be observed and obvious drunken behaviour is not acceptable.
Mangy Mongol
Purveyors of fine comestibles by Royal Appointment
The Mangy Mongol Tavern will once again be providing the premiere venue for convivial company and hot Turkish coffee day and night throughout Faire. This year for 20 shiny gold pieces you too can have a souvenir Mong ceramic cup filled through the event with the strongest and sweetest coffee this side of Constantinople. These bottomless-cup subscriptions will be available late Sunday afternoon, but the Mong will not be officially open until first thing Monday.
Small sweet snacks are available for purchase, the selection changing annually at the purveyors whim. Itinerant food vendors periodically sell more substantial comestibles, so keep an eye on the chalkboard behind the bar. The Mong is a smoke-free community establishment, and runs by the goodwill of all faire-goers.
Current patrons are Lady Hildr Hásteinsdóttir and Lady Anne MacDonald.