question for you caterors

[Big T]

DO you roll up with you pits, set up and cook on site for the 8 plus hour cooks or do you pre cook at a different location in advance, relocate and fire everything back up. What do you do. I noticed a guy setup the other day and it looked like he rolled up with the fires blazen and stuff on the grill.

[BossmanBBQ]

That has been one of my issues, I know with our health department unless I'm doing a private party as a private chef or doing home demenstration, I have to prepare all food at the commercial kitchen and then deliver it warm to the person who ordered it.
Now could you cheat,sure you could, but with my luck I would be the one to get caught. I gave up the catering and started doing private parties and preparing the food on site, even take the smoker over the night before and maybe even put the brisket or shoulder on prior to leaving and just head over early in the morning to check on it.
Thats my take.

[david brace]

Bossman, I like the avatar of yours.

DB

[Bluegrass BBQ]

Our health dept views catering as a private party. I have done it both ways. If it is a big job I prepare everything there. If it is a small job I have prepared everything in advance. Just depends on the circumstances. Some times I am lucky and the place we are using for the party has a full kitchen.

[Woodman]

Here in my part of Ohio, each county views things a little differently. We are generally governed by the Ohio Revised Code, but it is interpreted individually by counties. Generally, the only way I can cater without an approved kitchen, it to cook EVERYTHING on site. The rules get confusing and ambiguous from there. Generally, I have gone to a "personal chef" position where I bill for all raw materials as a line item, then add set-up fee, and a variable hourly "service charge." The general law here is, "if you are charging a ""per meal"" charge, or ""per plate"", then you are catering and need to be inspected on site. I used to charge a "per plate" cost and have undergone an on-site inspection before and passed with flying colors, but it is a hassle. Also, as I said, different counties will interpret the code differently. More rural counties will generally allow :

Coolers as opposed to mechanical refrigeration.

Plastic tubs as opposed to stainless steel for dishwashing

Hose for water supply

No need for "grey water" storage tank.

Burners on the pit for heating water as opposed to a water heater.

The problem is, I cooked in two states and five counties this year! I do alot of business with friends and business associates who know I am clean and do not care about bureacracy (sp?) I still cook 90% of my stuff on site. Occassionally, I'll do beans or potatoes ahead and put on ice to heat in the upright. I WISH I was only there for 8 hours!!!! I would say the average I spend at a cooksite is 20 hours! It takes me 2 hours to set-up and two hours to break down. IF YOU ARE GOING TO ATTEMPT TO DO THIS, BE PREPARED TO WORK YOUR *** OFF ON 3 HOURS OF SLEEP!!!!!!! Hope this helps! Woody

[gsmith]

this is one topic I plan to discuss at length with you woody at q-fest - well at least before 7 pm that is :)

[Big T]

Not really planning on doing this, it always intrigued me. Just wondering what the big dogs do. There is a local meat shop that also does catering. Whenever I have seen him he just rolls up in his catering truck, drops down the side and serves things up. Everything is cooked off site. Sometimes I am not impressed with the Q, seems like it was just warmed up in a catering hotplate. In about 10 years or so. after I figure out my pit and also buy a gator, I might give it a try. How did you guys get started?

[BossmanBBQ]

Bossman, I like the avatar of yours.

DB

Thanks brother! Had an art student at the school I work at as a police officer design it for me when I first started to compete in contests.