Improvising Feast Gear for SCA Events

Sometimes there is feast gear available for hire, but not always. For repeat use, you really should get your own feast kit. Here are some ways for you to start simply and work your way up.

A good minimum set of feast gear is this:

1. Something to put your gear in and keep it together while it’s being carried around. A basket is nice for this if you can find one, but you can just use a plain coloured pillowcase, or a cloth bag that doesn’t have modern writing or pictures on it. At a pinch, you can take a black supermarket bag and turn it inside out to hide the writing and use that. 
2. a plate.
3. two bowls.
4. a knife. Table knives were about the same size as a modern table knife, not big like hunting knives. Steak knives work well. Something with a plain handle will do.
5. two spoons. Soup spoons look more authentic in shape than the dessert spoons we use now. Something with a wooden handle or plain stainless steel will be fine.
6. a goblet, tankard, glass, or a cup without a handle.
7. a tea towel, to dry your gear if you wash it at the event. It is not essential to look old-fashioned, since it is only out for a short while.
8. a cloth napkin, or instead, use an additional tea towel or even a large handkerchief. Nothing with any complicated pattern or bright colours. Handy to wipe your hands during the meal.
9. a plastic bag or additional cloth bag.

You may have most of these items at home, or be able to find them at a second-hand store.

Don’t bring plates or cutlery made of paper or plastic, or anything with a very vivid or modern-looking pattern. Plain ceramic plates, bowls and cups in earth tones or off-white are good, as are stainless steel, silver plate, and wood (but nice wooden plates are hard to find). If you find a pewter vessel, look for a stamp saying lead-free; if you can’t find that, don’t buy it.

Glass was rare and expensive, but known, especially for cups; it was chunkier than the thin glass in modern wine glasses. Forks took a long time to spread across Europe, so they are not on this list, but there is no problem bringing one if eating without a fork is more of a challenge than you want.

Having two of some things is good because our evening feasts generally have many courses. You may not want to put your dessert in the same bowl that your soup was in!
The plastic bag is in case you decide to bundle up your dirty dishes and take them home for washing. There will usually be a chance to wash dishes at the event, but standing in a sink queue can be tiresome when you could be doing something more interesting.