Wanted: Chefs for PDC, PTJ and SKIP events (Paid Position)

Hey there! I'm potentially interested. My partner Brad is attending the Permaculture Design course and I was planning to tag along just to hang out in the beautiful Montana nature for two weeks. I LOVE cooking and I'm damn good at it so I'd love to put the love and knowledge to use for you all. I'm new to permies.com but I'd love to be able to help out! Let me know if you're interested and we'll chat!

I've sent you an email, Paul!

I might be interested in cooking for events. I'm just over the hill from missoula in moscow. oh, I catered my own wedding (~30) mostly homegrown ingredients (in the wilderness, somewhere between mammoth and mono lakes... long story),  multiple meals on the river (5 day trips), multiple SCA events.  I'd be interested in a phone call, hash out details, arrangements, kitchen setup, etc... and to see if it's a good fit. I don't know how to PM you all but you should have my email. Please send a note via email and i'll send a phone# for contact. on another note, erica and ernie have been to my house, had the pleasure of serving them two meals (gosh 6+ years ago).  
I have quite a culinary array of expertise, from plain ol' biscuits and gravy to ...indian, thai, chinese, basque, mexican... cognizant of vegan and gluten free diets but I can pull a mean smoked BBQ.  if you have the contacts for good ingredients, I can make a meal out of katsup and cornstarch, maybe add a carrot ;)  
Please send a note, hopefully a phone call will ensue, see if it would work out.
Regards. P.

Hi! Not sure how to send a dm on here. Im new to permies.com, but would love to have the chance to cook for you guys! I have lots of experience and owned my own catering company and worked for other catering companies before that. I can go into more details about my experience if you want to send me an email at zioninoregon@gmail.com.
Namaste!

Hi Paul! I came out last summer for the Wofati build with my teenage son (and four year old!)  We only made it one week but we are absolutely planning to come back (when I don't have a 4 year old).

I have lots of experience cooking (worked both restaurant and bakery) and regularly prepare meals for 10 people.  Our family budget is $7/person/day for similar "Organic or better" food (our disagreement on eggs and Scratch and Peck feed notwithstanding.)  

I understand that, ideally, you want someone who can do all three sessions.  I can commit right now to either PDC or PTJ but could not do the SKIP due to prior commitments.  And I would bring my "bonus" helper again - aforementioned teen who only needs to be fed =)  (Eli would love to shadow Josiah again, but I understand he's probably too busy during the expos).

First I am NOT a professional chef. Some meals such as a hog roast take many hours for me, although most any meal I prepare can be completed and plated within about 30-40 minutes with minimal preparation. That being said... I do love to cook and love the process of preparing various types of food for people and have done so to one degree or another over the past 20 or so years. The largest group I have prepared for consisted of 250 people upon returning from my first deployment as a way of giving back to my community.  So if I may ask... Do you already have an events planner/coordinator in place? Do you already have daily menus planned? What audience of people are we preparing for? How big are your indoor/outdoor food preparation areas? How many courses are you expecting? Is there a place to rest? Will the cost for travel expense be covered? What do you expect in a "chef"? And lastly is the method of said payment for services negotiable prior to ones acceptance?
There is a future Permaculture Design Course I would like to participate in and if possible with a trusted friend if space is available. I have a small library of cookbooks and a box of original recipes that I have perfected over the years.

What are your limitations? and what are you open to for the group?
Larry

Larry Jackson wrote:First I am NOT a professional chef. Some meals such as a hog roast take many hours for me, although most any meal I prepare can be completed and plated within about 30-40 minutes with minimal preparation. That being said... I do love to cook and love the process of preparing various types of food for people and have done so to one degree or another over the past 20 or so years. The largest group I have prepared for consisted of 250 people upon returning from my first deployment as a way of giving back to my community.  So if I may ask... Do you already have an events planner/coordinator in place? Do you already have daily menus planned? What audience of people are we preparing for? How big are your indoor/outdoor food preparation areas? How many courses are you expecting? Is there a place to rest? Will the cost for travel expense be covered? What do you expect in a "chef"? And lastly is the method of said payment for services negotiable prior to ones acceptance?
There is a future Permaculture Design Course I would like to participate in and if possible with a trusted friend if space is available. I have a small library of cookbooks and a box of original recipes that I have perfected over the years.

What are your limitations? and what are you open to for the group?
Larry

Hi!

I'm not at Wheaton Labs, though I've learned a LOT about it over the years and help answer questions for Paul. Let's see how many of yours I can answer!

Do you already have an events planner/coordinator in place?

Yes! Lara Bigotti is Wheaton Labs Event and Rentals manager. She's awesome!

Do you already have daily menus planned?

The chef gets to plan and decide the menus. There's lots of examples of previous foods served in the Wheaton Labs Food and Drink thread

What audience of people are we preparing for?

As far I understand, the chef prepares food for instructors and participants in the events. I believe the Boot cook their own food, but I could be wrong.

The class limit for the events is 25 people. When you add in instructors, that would be about 30 people for the PDC. If the PTJ is full, it would be 25 participants + 12 instructors = 37 people. The SKIP event will likely be a bit smaller, so more like 25 total people to cook for?

How big are your indoor/outdoor food preparation areas?

Hopefully Lara will be able to answer this one! I know there's rocket ovens, rocket stoves and solar cookers. But I think in the past the chef has utilized the kitchen inside Paul's house (the "Fisher Price" house)

How many courses are you expecting?

I know some meals are buffet-style tacos. I'm thinking you'd want to make sure there's a fruit/veggie, protein, and carb at each meal. But, I'm not sure.

Is there a place to rest?

Yes! The chef could chose to tent, take a bunk in the fisher price bunkhouse, or join in the Slumber Party at Cooper Cabin. I'm thinking the Fisher Price Bunkroom would likely be the most convenient, though you'd be sharing it with others.

Will the cost for travel expense be covered?

I'm not sure. I will need to check with Paul!

What do you expect in a "chef"?

I'm thinking that there will be tasty food provided on time. Breakfast more than just cereal. Different meals each day of the week (not pizza night every night :D). Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
This is what I remember from my conversations with Paul. But he might have more to say about it.

And lastly is the method of said payment for services negotiable prior to ones acceptance?

I know Paul pays people all sorts of ways: bitcoin, paypal, check, even amazon gift cards. So, I'm thinking he's probably pretty flexible as to how he pays.

Hey Larry! Your post was so thoughtful and I’m sorry no one has responded until now. Nicole thank you for all that great info.... I’m going to try to answer your questions as best I can.

I’m Lara and I’m taking on the role of event coordinator here.

Daily menus have not been planned as of yet but I am happy to seek examples of what has been served in the past and help plan that.

The events will be between 25 and 35 people.

The food prep area is an indoor home kitchen. Not a huge amount of space. If you’d like pictures please let me know and I will show you more specifically.

Single course for breakfast, lunch, dinner every day of event.

There is plenty of space around for resting and enjoying the property.

Travel expenses will not be covered. Sorry for that inconvenience! Hopefully in the future we can be more accommodating in this aspect.

Out of the “chef” we expect entirely organic food used, promptness for meals because of the rigid schedule, and an overall good attitude. There is no level of food we’re expecting except for yummy and organic! Everyone at the event is responsible for cleaning their own dishes. And for housekeeping, guests rotate through roles. The role of “kitchen crew” should be helping you bring meals to the classroom and back up to the kitchen. And I believe with prep work as well. I am in the process of working out more of these particulars but I want to make it as smooth as possible for our cook with as much help as I can offer.

If you want to chat about compensation that can certainly be a conversation but we don’t really have the resources to pay more than we’re offering, so we’re hoping to find someone that is happy with the compensation and trade deal being offered currently!

Nicole Alderman, Lara Bigotti, Wheaton Labs Event and Rentals manager.
Thank you for your replies to my response.
   
If I may frame the compiled information, and if I have understood so far correctly, you have provided the following...

Because of the rigid schedule...

We expect of a Chef

An overall good attitude with a yummy and organic promptness of meals

DAILY MENUS include
Single course Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Different meals each day of the week (not pizza night every night  Breakfast more than just cereal)

The chef gets to plan and decide  tasty entirely organic food menus, making sure there's a fruit/veggie,protein, and carb at each meal,  prepared for instructors and participants.  
(Examples of previous foods served in the Wheaton Labs Food and Drink thread. )


The events will be between 25 and 35 people.
The class limit for the events is 25 people. When you add in instructors, that would be about 30 people for the PDC. If the PTJ is full, it would be 25 participants + 12 instructors = 37 people.

The SKIP event will likely be a bit smaller, so more like 25 total people to cook for.

Class guests rotate through roles of “Kitchen Crew” helping you with prep work as well as bring meals to the classroom and back up to the kitchen.

As for housekeeping, Everyone at the event is responsible for cleaning their own dishes.
 in the past the chef has utilized The food prep area/indoor home kitchen inside Paul's house (the "Fisher Price" house)
rocket ovens, rocket stoves and solar cookers are an additional resource that may be available

Rest
There is plenty of space around for resting and enjoying the property The chef could chose to tent, take a bunk in the fisher price bunkhouse,
or join in the Slumber Party at Cooper Cabin. the Fisher Price Bunkroom would likely be the most convenient, though you'd be sharing it with others.

   
Lara is taking on the role of Event Coordinator here.
She is in the process of working out more of these particulars and wants to make it as smooth as possible for our cook with as much help as she may offer.
If one wishes to chat about compensation that certainly may be a conversation but resources are limited with respect to paying more than we’re offering, so we’re hoping to find someone that is happy with the compensation and trade deal being offered currently.
and  (Paul might have more to say about it)

.........

Did I catch all that so far? If so, I must ask who or what are "the boots" referred to that must cook for themselves? If this refers to cats I get it LOL
If it does refer to cats I gently fry an egg over easy in coconut oil for mine and serve it to them on a paper plate. (it's the only way the picky little bugger will enjoy them. haha love them so)

I will not be able to make this trip, but will be happy to provide optional scalable 30 minutes or less meal recipes and preparation guidance if that may help.

I also make decent yogurt, kombucha, vinegar, kimchi and so much more of the lazy chef stuff with the help of mother nature. First turkey tail mushrooms last fall.

much good wishes
Larry

Oh and Hiya Mr. Paul,
Must ask if any food allergies that I should avoid for you, the guests, or the crew in making a menu for this year or next perhaps?  i.e. gluten, air pudding, and so on?

Thank you  for what you have done and what you haven't.
Larry

If I may frame the compiled information, and if I have understood so far correctly, you have provided the following...

You've got it right!

If so, I must ask who or what are "the boots" referred to that must cook for themselves?

Ah! The Boots are the awesome people who work and live fulltime at Wheaton Labs. They usually cook for themselves, though I don't know what happens at events. Lara is actually at Wheaton Labs (she's got an awesome thread here on permies about her time there). They're called "Boots" because they're part of the Permaculture Bootcamp, where they learn permaculture and homesteading skills by doing epic stuff at Wheaton Labs (thread about Bootcamp is here and the offical Permaculture Bootcamp website is here).

Must ask if any food allergies that I should avoid for you, the guests, or the crew in making a menu for this year or next perhaps?

I believe that those with food allergies/dietary needs are encouraged to bring their own food, to make things easier for the chef. Paul avoids a lot of foods due to his gout and gall stones (there's a thread about that here), but I don't think the chef needs to take that into account for meals, as that would be super challenging!