Feast Gear

So, what is feast gear, and what do you need?

Well, basically it's going to be anything that looks plain and not modern. Wooden plates or bowls, metal or plain plates, simple silverware, and steins or ceramic mugs are some good examples. Many of us find great feast gear items from the thrift store. We also enjoy hand made pottery items sold by our potters in the SCA. Whatever you choose, these items will be yours to use during the feast.

If you don't have any feast gear but are going to attend a feast, just ask the Chatelaine for loaner gear. We will cover you until you can get your own items! There are plenty of spare items just sitting there waiting for you so don't hesitate to ask if you need some items for a bit.

Here are a few sample items from my own set.

A basket really helps transport the items safely and in an attractive manner.

A plate and a cup/mug. Some silverwear. A "yuck" bowl to put stuff you don't want or have room for (or for soup if on the menu).

Sometimes we turn off the lights, so candles are used. Hopefully somebody at the table keeps theirs packed! ;)

A napkin is a good idea. A tablecloth can double as something to wipe your fingers on too. If you want your own place setting, bring it, as it won't be provided by anyone else. ;) A table runner or placemat can look nice, for example.

If you like using salt and pepper, you should keep some in your basket.

A plastic Wal-Mart bag is a great thing to bring to place your finished gear into. Somewhere to scrape off uneaten food or a trash can is always available, but you won't be able to wash your dishes after the feast. (Can you imagine if 50 people all tried that at once? The kitchen could never get to clean up the cookware, and trust me, they have a lot of that to work through afterwards!) So something to put it in to keep it from being messy, until you can get home to wash them up, is a great thing to have. Sometimes a site may be able to provide large tubs of water where you can at least wash the worst of it off, but it's more for dipping and going on, not a full wash. Everyone else needs to rinse theirs off too!

Want some ideas for glassware that would be suitable for that "period" look to use in the SCA? Click here to view a handy handout from LadyKateryn Rous.