Lovely Grub catered for 850 venture scouts during a fun packed 5-day event based at Mayfield, South Canterbury. Exciting activities ranged as far as Blenheim, West Coast and Dunedin. Fun was central to the event and many new friends were made and old friendships continued.

Scale of operation:

• 5 full days
• 850 guests served within 2 hours
• 177 special diets for every conceivable allergy
• 180 kg of meat and 102 kgs of potatoes cooked on average night including 2 different vegetables (102 kgs) salads and a dessert weighing 90 kgs, plus at least 90 litres of ice cream
• 2 kitchen trucks, 2 walk-in chillers, 1 walk-in freezer-trailer, gull winged trailer, 1 B-train for storage
• Staff area with chairs, paddling pool and small ezi-up
• 9 staff

In addition, we catered for an extra 400 Australian scouts at Omaku Scout Camp by the Christchurch airport for the day before setting up in Mayfield. Completing the trifecta Gavin and his most senior staff member travelled to Hanmer Springs after completing the first evening meal, to cater for 83 wedding guests.

Staff at play

Enjoying work is part of the Lovely Grub ethos and shows in the service clients receive. For example Jenn brought along her makeup kit so our staff could join the scouts formal dress-up night. She and Danny again featured in the pool as did Jacob who high-dived really well - even if almost emptying the pool!

It was let slip that there was to be a water war between the Mayfield Fire Brigade and the scouts one sunny afternoon. Set up with water pistols and waterfilled sponges and covered by various barrels scattered around the field, the scouts battled the fire brigade truck and water cannons (himars). The battle raged for some hour-and-a-half, with our team in the middle of the action. The scouts prevailed and after two truckloads of water and heavily outnumbered, the brigade capitulated – energy and age certainly favouring the scouts.

When the war was over the venturers made the most of the sodden battlefield.

Later that night the fun continued with a formal dress up dinner by Lovely Grub. Our staff even caught the bug.

Such fun is only possible when the meals are on time and nutritious.

There was a lot of energy expended and at times little sleep so keeping up the right sort of 'fuel' was paramount.

Staff at work

At this point we would like to say a special thanks to our staff who performed splendidly throughout the week, even when the rain made conditions difficult. Thank you Wilsons Bulk Transport. Your generously loaned B-train trailer used for dry storage came in so handy on the rainy days.

Lovely Grub was privileged to have a great hard working and caring team, where new members were welcomed and integrated with ease. The two experienced crew who withdrew to Hanmer for one-and-a-half days, were super impressed on return so see so smooth an operation proceeding - as if nothing had happened. Thanks guys.