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Catering, Food Handling and Awareness *OnTopic* Forum to educate us on safe food handling. Not specifically for Catering or competition but overall health and keeping our families safe too. |
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08-20-2013, 06:55 PM | #1 |
Knows what a fatty is.
Join Date: 06-30-12
Location: Suwanee, GA
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Cooking a Charity Event
I have been asked to cook for a local charity event benefiting a local special needs school, needing to feed between 75 - 100 people. They will be doing a bike ride that ends at the school where they will want me setup serving lunch. I have never catered an event before and had a few questions I was hoping someone could help with.
As I said I have never catered before so I don't have vendors license or insurance is this a big deal for a charity event of this type? Looking at two options for people a pulled pork sandwich, figuring 6 ounces of meat, does charging $6 for that sound reasonable? Option 2 would be the same sandwich with a beans, slaw and a drink, would $8 be reasonable for that? Thanks in advance for any input you may have.
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-Phil [URL="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Saucy-Swine-and-Bovine/237631399624645"]Saucy Swine and Bovine[/URL] Oklahoma Joe Offset with Horizon Convection Plate Char-Griller Akorn Brinkmann Smoke & Grill Great Outdoors Smokey Mountain CyberQ WiFi |
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08-20-2013, 07:03 PM | #2 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 10-25-06
Location: Madrid, IA
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Since you are charging for your product, I would get insurance and licensed. You are serving to the public for profit. Is there a kitchen available at the school that you can use? That you help you a lot in your effort to help them. Get this issue solved before you even consider buying any product.
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Bryan, Team: Pyle's BBQ Yoder YS640; Good-One "Trail Boss" 60T; Weber Kettle rotisserie ring; Big A$$ Rotisserie; New Braunfels offset smoker; Weber Smokey Mountain; Backyard Bombers BBQ HJM Μολὼν λαβέ |
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08-20-2013, 08:11 PM | #3 |
is Blowin Smoke!
Join Date: 10-16-08
Location: Virginia
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Are you cooking for a charity for profit or are you cooking for a charity for them to raise money? If they are raising money and you are helping them then let them do the leg work with the health dept and you just be a soldier in their army. If you are profiting then you need to get with the health dept. and figure out what they want to be legal along with costing out supplies you will be using and use food cost x 3 as a ball park of what to charge them.
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Thanks from:---> |
08-20-2013, 08:25 PM | #4 |
Knows what a fatty is.
Join Date: 06-30-12
Location: Suwanee, GA
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Right, basically I am just a hired hand. They are getting all the food donated to them from a Sysco vendor I will just be cooking it on their site. The school they are putting the event on for has insurance for the event so is it safe to assume their insurance would cover me as well?
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-Phil [URL="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Saucy-Swine-and-Bovine/237631399624645"]Saucy Swine and Bovine[/URL] Oklahoma Joe Offset with Horizon Convection Plate Char-Griller Akorn Brinkmann Smoke & Grill Great Outdoors Smokey Mountain CyberQ WiFi |
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08-20-2013, 08:47 PM | #5 | |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 06-25-11
Location: Mishawaka, IN
Name/Nickname : Jeremy
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Quote:
Nobody is trying to scare you (or anyone in similar situations) out of doing events, but you always have to imagine the worst case scenario. It's a one in a million shot, but think about what happens if something goes wrong and there's a big sickness outbreak from the event and the group didn't have insurance. So, guess where the fingers start to get pointed? To the person who was handling and cooking the food. It's highly unlikely anything bad would happen, but it just takes one slip up, one sick person, and one lawsuit to potentially lead to financial ruin. |
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Thanks from:---> |
08-20-2013, 11:55 PM | #6 | |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 07-15-13
Location: Butler PA
Name/Nickname : Hey you with the face!
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Quote:
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Thanks from:---> |
08-21-2013, 06:41 AM | #7 | |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 07-30-11
Location: Pemberton, New Jersey
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Quote:
Also note that a hired hand can also put you at risk, as you are considered to be making a profit. Secondly if you are using your own equipment to cook with, many states view this as a sub-contractor status where YOU alone are responsible for all of your permits, licenses, and insurance. In fact if something goes wrong and you can be named as a co-defendant as the food was cooked on your personal equipment. If you are planning on catering this event, even for a friend you should be aware of laws and the risks involved. By ignoring them and not investigating the legal requirements for this event you are putting yourself at great risk. Ignorance of these laws and regulations are not a defense, in fact it will just help to build a stronger case against you should something go wrong. First: Will you be operating within State and Local, and Health Department rules and regulations? Do you have a business license, food handlers permit, and do you prepare the food in an approved and inspected commercial kitchen? Second: Do you have proper insurance? Yes the school has insurance, but it only covers their employees. Most schools that host events require a rider policy from your insurance company to protect them if something goes wrong. Be aware that without these two primary items being covered you are taking a huge huge risk both personally and financially. Too many risks and not enough rewards. What legal ramifications are you willing to endure should this become an issue of someone getting ill? Trying to sneak past the "government" can lead to too many bad things. Not a risk anyone should ever consider taking. How much of your personal assets are you willing to risk due to food-borne illness issues should they occur? Or if someone claims they became ill sometime after eating your food. If a civil suit is brought against you because of these claims, you could lose your home, savings, and your investments. My intent is not to discourage you, but to point out the possible ramifications of this type of event without the proper incorporation, "coverage", "licenses", and "permits". Last edited by IamMadMan; 08-21-2013 at 11:30 AM.. |
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Thanks from:---> |
08-21-2013, 02:24 PM | #8 |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 03-20-09
Location: Kansas
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Very well said IamMadMan.
I preach this same mantra on a regular basis to those who ask about "doing a cook for a friend". Even if you perform the task for free you could still be held liable if something goes wrong. It all boils down to how much legal exposure and financial risk an individual is willing to take. If you are prepared to risk it ALL then go ahead. Otherwise do the necessary due diligence to cover yourself. You are talking about "doing business" which is a totally different thing than cooking great Q for your family in your back yard. If you want to go into business then take the appropriate steps. If not the be prepared to accept all possible consequences. It only takes once......do ya feel lucky????
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Do I smell SMOKE????? |
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08-21-2013, 08:01 PM | #9 |
Knows what a fatty is.
Join Date: 06-30-12
Location: Suwanee, GA
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Thanks everyone, I was making a general statement when I said Hired Hand, I am using all my equipment by I am volunteering my time as well as the cost of the wood, injections, sauces, etc. but I will not be getting paid. I talked to the event organizer today and they advised that they are taken out insurance for the event to cover not only me cooking but also for pony rides, other food they will be serving and jump houses so I think I should be OK from that stand point, right? Talking to the county since it is a charity event on private property they told me I did not need any permits, I am thinking I will cause the police department tomorrow and ask them if they would try to site someone in this type of event.
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-Phil [URL="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Saucy-Swine-and-Bovine/237631399624645"]Saucy Swine and Bovine[/URL] Oklahoma Joe Offset with Horizon Convection Plate Char-Griller Akorn Brinkmann Smoke & Grill Great Outdoors Smokey Mountain CyberQ WiFi |
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08-21-2013, 09:52 PM | #10 | |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 03-20-09
Location: Kansas
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Quote:
The county appears to be treating this as a "festival" type event and as such they evidently suspend permit requirements, etc. KS has similar rules for charity/Non-Profit events. Whether you are "paid" or not only matters when it comes to business licenses, etc. It has nothing to do with assigning liability for your actions of cooking/preparing food to be consumed by others. That is where the liability issues arise. From a 30,000 foot view of this proposition we would probably do it IF the insurance aspect was nailed down tight. Ultimately the decision is yours to make. If you do decide to go forward be sure to let us know how it turns out.
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Do I smell SMOKE????? |
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