Any sort of connection or brush with the film or movie industry has a whiff of glamour and celebrity about it. But if you are looking to get into the catering side of the business – that is, providing food and sustenance for those on set – what is this like and what would be involved?
Of course, those in a film crew need food just as much as anyone else and any catering service will usually provide the standard three meals a day, breakfast lunch and supper, together with some snacks especially if the hours of work for the team are particularly long.
As a rule, the companies who are charged with catering for film sets have a suite of equipment to meet the demands of the job. Given that films are often shot on location, it is normal to have lorries (some are up to 35 feet long and weigh up to 8 tons) with catering equipment in it for flexibility – they can then set up wherever is appropriate. As well as having in-built ovens and so on, these lorries also often have gas and water. If a film production is especially large, there may be a fleet of these vehicles as part of the arrangement.
So who chooses the catering company and how do they get hired? The producer will usually be the one who sets a budget and his or her managers will go to tender to find the best catering company for their needs. It is usual for companies to give quotes and sample menus as part of the bidding process so that the production team can make a decision.
Once a catering company is hired, they will usually be asked to start work about two days before the photography starts in earnest. The catering team may typically be divided into unit leaders (to sort out the packing of the equipment and food and go to location on time to start the food prep), location chefs who cook the meals, a salad person is also sometimes required for cold foodstuffs including fruits, sandwiches and afternoon teas and of course the essential dish washing team (who sometimes also double up with food preparation and service).
As with all catering jobs, there may be particularities of the clients that need to be taken into consideration, such as special dietary requirements. The catering company will be expected to have skills in supplemental areas such as budgeting and book-keeping, compliance with health and safety and other statutory requirements and also licensed members of the team to drive LGVs. The job is over once the filming completes.
Of course, in order for the client to be satisfied with the job, the catering company will need to have delivered on time, on budget and to a great standard using good quality ingredients and a good catering equipment supplier.
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