Last game, (Summer '22) we had some issues with food preparation and presentation that led to concerns among players and kitchen workers about food safety. Given the quantity of food prepared and that as a game we want food to be constantly available to players, food safety is as much of a concern to be prepared for as fire safety or other medical issues. Foodborne illnesses, while usually an annoyance, can be very severe, and food should always be prepared and served with care to avoid contamination and the growth of microbes.
Unfortunately, in order to make and serve food safely, as a game we need both knowledge and enough people doing the work in order to take sufficient precautions. That includes preparation of food, serving meals, cleaning up and putting away leftover food, and washing dishes and cooking utensils. Those of us who are planning food for Fall are having to worry about the prospect of not having enough help to do all of that safely.
No one who is unable, for physical or other reasons, of helping in the kitchen, should feel in any way obliged to do so. But all other players should consider that if you don’t sign up for at least half an hour to an hour in the kitchen, someone else has to do all the work of feeding you and cleaning up after you, someone who also paid to come to game and play. And if we don’t have enough workers, we won’t be able to continue doing food at PK the way we have done. Please, we are all adults. Let’s make this work.