Lunch Time Tea Bar Guidance
Thank you for being a tea bar lunch making volunteer. You are a very important person. The tea bar is often the hub of the club house and is also an important source of income.
What to Prepare and Charge for Lunch
Prepare / cook whatever you feel comfortable with. Make sure you charge enough to cover the cost of what you have bought and a good bit more to make a profit for the club. Take the money you have spent on ingredients from the money you take on the day. Whether you prepare a simple meal of beans on toast or something more complicated, it does not matter. It is all about what you feel up to doing and the club will be grateful. There are often some basic ingredients in the kitchen so worth a check in advance.
Timing
On most Sundays there are two races before lunch and one after. Boats come in around 12.45 / 1.00 p.m. If there are only morning races then sailors tend to put their boats away and shower first so will not be through to eat until about 1.30 p.m. The Power Boat helm and crew will usually be the last in; keep some food out until they have made it ashore and into the club house.
Amount of Food
It is hard to predict precisely how many people will be sailing. If you are going to cook on the day then come down at 10.00 a.m., see how many people are about and cook accordingly. If you like to cook in advance then you could prepare a vat load and what is not sold you can either buy back and take home, sell to people at the club to take away or label up and put in the club freezer for another day.
If the weather is nice and there is a breeze then you are probably catering for about twenty people.
Most important.
Always smile, be friendly and look like you are having a great time; food is secondary! Do leave the kitchen clean with everything washed-up. Every tea bar volunteer has a different approach and that is fine – variety is the spice of life. There is no right or wrong way. Enjoy your day behind the counter and make it your own; bring your ideas and the way you want to make it happen.
More Advice
If you would like some more advice contact our Rear Commodore who takes a lead with the tea bar. Another idea is to watch other people behind the tea bar before it is your turn. It is also important when undertaking the duty that you are fit and healthy and able to carry out the required actions that the duty entails.
Many thanks and have fun.
Andrew Francis
Rear Commodore
Hastings & St Leonards Sailing Club
Email rearcomm@hastingssc.org