I’d like to take a minute of your time and share with the Realms community something that happened very recently. Back in September, we held our annual Feast of Blackwood at Camp Joslin in Charlton. Lisa Laconto who is the director of Special Events for the Barton Center for Diabetes Education who owns the camp, approached me in the kitchen during the feast. Lisa had explained that her food service director and assistant had left their employment with the camp the prior week and that the camp was in a bind for their upcoming annual fund raiser in November and that the cheapest caterer they could find on such short notice wanted to charge $65 per person for just the dinner service. Lisa asked if we would be interested in running the kitchen for their fundraiser. It would entail serving upscale appetizers, entrees and desserts for 200 people.
I told Lisa that I would get back to her but wanted the ability to put together my own kitchen staff. After our feast, I reached out to those within our community who have worked kitchens with me and knew would help me support this other community. Everyone who I reach out to said yes. My kitchen staff consisted of Liz Butler, Ben and Jana Greene, Dani Lacasse, Matt Hewitt, Lynn Butler, Kristopher Payne and myself.
With crew selected, contract signed and 5 weeks until showtime, we set out to create an upscale menu that was highlighted by scallops wrapped in bacon and a large charcuterie board (with thanks to Jason Rosa for sharing some knowledge). Although in this article I focus on the kitchen as that was my job, the focus for the night was on the fund raiser and the camp trying to surpass last years goal. For me this was simple, treat it like an event and put on the best menu I could with as little spent as possible as every penny saved went to the camp. In the end, I was under budget by more than half of what was given for food and overall with our donated time as the caterers, we saved the camp just under $13,000, which directly goes to the camp. The Chairman of the Board introduced himself to us and thanked us for the best food they have had in years and for being not only under the budget given but for being below last year’s food budget as well. By the end of the night, the camp had their best fund raiser ever by more than doubling this year’s goal.
Being able to do this was very meaningful for me as we all have family and friends that struggle with diabetes. I never would have been given the chance to do this or have the amazing friends who came to my call if it weren’t for the Realms. In the end, it was one community helping another community.
Matt Butler
Sir Mathies of Blackwood
P.S. We have been asked to run the kitchen for next year’s fund raiser
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Hi friends! Dani here hijacking this (sorry Matt) tagging in on this article for a moment, but just for a moment I promise. While Matt has taken the time to highlight his kitchen crew and the incredible fundraiser event itself in this wonderfully written article, I would really like to take a second to stress just how astounding it is that Matt was able to pull this off. For those of you who have planned and hosted grand feasts or served really any food at and event in the realms before you know this, but for those who haven't, this task was no small feat especially while being the third large scale food event Matt led this year in about a seven month span. With less than two months prep time Matt was able to form a full kitchen staff, curate recipes and a full menu (printed and framed) which needed to be fully vetted and approved by the camps board and execute it near perfectly. And while there was a great team behind him, what is a team without a leader at its helm? Without Matt's guidance, expertise and patience during the entire weekend (yes weekend, while the event was on Saturday he was there Thursday evening until Sunday morning prepping and then cleaning up) we certainly wouldn't have been able to make it all come together as it did without him. The bond Matt has formed with Lisa and the entire Camp Joslin community this past year has lead us to an incredible experience that doesn't come often. So with that I just wanted to take this moment to say thank you Matt, for this opportunity and so much more.
