1/2
This week involved 3 days of work, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. As my hours are raising I’m getting involved with a lot more of the technical office work of dealing with clients. I made my first few phone calls and started sending my own emails! How official.
In relation to my studies, this week I sat in on some meetings with the chefs and listened to them discuss their switch of food carries. I know they get some of their food from a company called DUCK and also aramark. Yet, they are having troubles with aramark because for how high-scale the company strives to be, the food is very low-scale. This is where I’m seeing the ins and outs of trying to run your own local business, because aramark is so cheap it fits their budget, the boss was discussing how she would rather spend more for quality food than what aramark gives them. When I was hired on she was in the process of working to become a more sustainable, local provider and I think this and the initiative of composting is the right path.
To keep up with societies high demand for locally sourced food, how actually possible is this when food has become so commodified and industrialized? This is what I’m doing my academic reading in so I hope to be of some help by the end of the quarter.
Another component of work I did this week was the presentation of food. I’m learning there are certain ways of setting up food so that consumers do not take more than they need which is really interesting. Salad or fruit, that has larger portions and is cheaper, goes first. Next would be the side dish, so roasted veggies, mashed potatoes, ect. Consumers tend get excited and over fill their plate (I mean hey if its company paid, free food). Next is always the main course, poultry, beef, seafood, charcuterie boards. Once they get to this course their plate is usually decently full, so they grab less. This works out because the main course is usually the most expensive so 9 times out of 10 it does not run out. Last is dessert. I find it so interesting there is a system thought out behind this.
This week, one of the clients swore up and down that there was not enough food for 150 guests. It did not look like much food but because my boss does this for a living she tried over and over to reassure the client she did not need more food. The client decided to wait it out but was willing to pay more for food if it went low. By the end of the event, there was still quite a bit left over that they requested a to go box. Food can be a funny thing when it comes to consumption limits.