Judges Hospitality Meals ?

[luckeylasvegas]

I have been put in charge of the judges meals for our clubs competition in November, my first time, and I am looking for suggestions on what to serve. Judges and coaches, what kind of meals do like to have at competitions? And is there anything I should stay away from.

[SynchroSk8r114]

Fruit is always good. We usually have these gorgeous fruit baskets by Edible Arrangements in our judges' room (http://www.ediblearrangements.com/). A bit pricey, but soooo worth it! :yum:

And, of course, there's the staples: coffee, juices, doughnuts, sandwhich rings, little cookies, veggie trays - stuff like that that you can keep cool and don't require a lot of maintenance.

[techskater]

You may want to go to the on ice-skaters section and "talk" to Mel on Ice and Flying~camel because their club's annual competition makes a deal with local restaurants. Free (or reduced fee advertising, I forget which) in the program if they donate food. They had Arby's, Applebee's, Chili's, etc all donating for the judges, coaches, and volunteers' hospitality.

Our club is lucky in that a wonderful lady who runs a catering business does our hospitality for tests and competitions. She always makes a wonderful hearty soup (brocoli-cheese, chicken noodle, etc) or chili, a nice salad, fruit plate, cheese plate, and dessert plate.

[icedancer2]

I would agree with Synchrosk8r that fruit is good. I find that most of the food that appears on the judge's hospitality table is not food that I would normally eat and I often bring my own food, I have to say.

Try to stay away from too many sweets and heavy carbs. I notice that when there are a lot of muffins they go largely uneaten. Salads and Casseroles are popular and the best is when they get trays of hot food from local Chinese or Indian restaurants - the food is hot and of good quality. You get really cold sitting out there and want something to warm your belly and keep you centered, not food that is iced or cool and will make you spacey.

It took me a while to learn why I always felt so lousy after judging at a test session or competition - I had spent too much time grazing on the sweets and lousy coffee and usually spent a couple of days recovering. Now if I watch what I put into my body and make sure I don't eat things with too many strange chemicals, I feel much better during the judging and also the rest of the day and the next day.

You might also want to find out if any of the judges have any food sensitivities and try to be accomodating - sometimes a person like myself has way too many limitations and so it is just better that I bring my own food, which I am actually okay with.

[Joan]

Hot soup is great for warming up the judges, who get pretty cold at rinkside.

[jskater49]

Hot soup is great for warming up the judges, who get pretty cold at rinkside.

I made shrimp and sausage gumbo once and it was a big hit.

j

[Summerkid710]

Cans of pop, please.

I know 2-liters are cheaper but when you're trying to push through the crowds of costumed skaters and parents to get to your next event to judge and you know you're going to be there for hours, I don't want to deal with a tiny little cup with ice. I want a cold can of pop that I can open when I get up to the booth.

If your competition is going to run for several days, please have something different for each day. I know it's a lot to ask but when you're eating pizza from the same place for three lunches in a row, it gets kinda gross.

[Mrs Redboots]

Our lot get things like quiche, sometimes sandwiches, but often things like mini pork pies, Scotch eggs, onion bhajis and so on - stuff that the supermarkets sell in "party packs". And there are usually a couple of cakes cut into small enough slices that even the women judges might have a small piece, and always, for some reason, a large bowl of cherry tomatoes. And fruit. Finger-food, basically. I could wish (not that I'm a judge, but after the competition we usually end up eating what's left!) there was more salad, but I say that about every buffet! I think they do veggie sticks and dip.

[luckeylasvegas]

Ok so here are my ideas so far. We need to do lunch on Saturday, Dinner on Saturday and lunch on Sunday.
I'm lucky enough to work in a Mexican restaurant that is donating one meal of Chicken Fajitas w/ trimmings, Bean, Rice, Cheese Enchiladas, Salad and Chips and Salsa. I think this will probably be the Saturday dinner. For Saturday lunch I was thinking Oriental Chicken Salad, Fruit Plate, Vegetable Soup, and either Small sub sandwiches or I'm toying with the idea of brining a Panini Press and doing Panini's. I could prep them before and grill them as needed.
On Sunday lunch I was thinking Chicken Penne Pasta with Vegetables, Green Salad, Fruit, Breads, and any Paninis that were left over.
Each Day
Cans of Soda, Water,Coffee and Ice tea
Assoerted Cakes and Pastries

Other Possible ideas were Chili and a Bake Potato Bar with salads.

[peanutskates]

mmm sounds delicious to me!! wish I were there...

[jskater49]

mmm sounds delicious to me!! wish I were there...

Unless you are a judge, you just get to see it pass you by while you settle for the crap the concession stands sell. :x

My old club used to bring food for the judges AND the skaters for a test session.

j

[jenlyon60]

I've been on both sides of the fence and here's some suggestions:

1. Not too messy. Often judges have a very short break on which to eat. Anything that is fiddly and messy becomes a challenge. No one wants to get tomato sauce or meat juices or grease drips (for example) on their coat or sweaters.

2. For Soups, if it can be served in either a bowl or a cup, that is the best. A soup that doesn't need a spoon, that can be sipped out of a cup, can be taken rinkside in a hot cup for a judge to sip at while at work.

3. Beans can have nasty side effects. Don't know where your hospitality area will be, but often judges' hospitality is in a locker room, with the facilities connected. Locker rooms often start with eau de hockey... need I say more.

A way to reheat food (like a microwave) is good, if you have a large crew of judges. Even with the chafing dishes/steam trays, being able to reheat a single plate for your announcers or your music person is a nice touch.

Beverages... coffee, tea, hot chocolate, water, soda (diet and non-diet). Lids for the coffee cups are great also, so we can take the drinks rinkside and keep them hotter longer.

Offering choices (selection of meats/cheeses/breads to make sandwiches, or veg/non-veg options, or for pre-made sandwiches, a choice of 2 or 3 types of sandwiches) is great.

Salads/veg trays are nice also... especially with 2-3 types of dressing on the side for the salads.

I would also like to suggest that you know the schedule, so that you can ensure that the food is refreshed/changed out/topped off right before any zam break or practice ice break, since that's a time when generally all or most of your judges will be in the hospitality area. Also, be sure to include the accountants in the head count. Too often the 2 or 3 hard working accountants are included in the head count, and often they're too busy to have much of a chance to grab something to eat/drink, especially nowadays with IJS.

Finally, ask around your club to see if anyone who has done hospitality in the past has any suggestions as to what worked/didn't work food-wise. There's always a few picky people...

[Skate@Delaware]

Don't know where your hospitality area will be, but often judges' hospitality is in a locker room, with the facilities connected. Locker rooms often start with eau de hockey... need I say more.
Last year I was a runner at our local comp, but what I also got to do first was SPRAY DOWN THE LOCKER ROOMS with Lysol AND something that smelled nice! It helped!!! Plus, made sure the bathrooms were stocked.

Don't forget, STURDY paper plates if your judges have to carry their food....the flimsy plates won't make it far!!!

And, if the competition is running over/late, every so often, pop in between skaters and ask them if they need anything to drink. Sometimes they do get thirsty.

[jterrij]

I have done hospitality for a few competitions in Phoenix, AZ when we lived there. Bottled water, coffee, and soda are always popular for drinks. We always have chicken noodle soup and chili in crock pots with crackers running the entire event and they are always big hits. We buy the Progresso Chicken Noodle Soup from Costco and people love it. We also usually have granola bars and 100 calorie snack pack bags that go well. Then for meals, we have several meals sponsored by local restaurants which helps with cost (in exchange we offer thank you credits in the program, at the rink, etc.) Warm casseroles seem to go well. The key is many people prefer to get something warm after sitting at the ice for so long.