Eating Out at a Live Action RPG Event, A Catering Guide to Larping. No matter the length of the event you attend, you will definitely need to eat and drink. Here are the different options players tend to go for when they go to a live action RPG weekend and some thoughts on each.

Fast

“It’s just a two-day event; I don’t need to eat a real meal.” This type of role player will usually stop at a garage or small store on the way to the event and pick up a bag of sandwiches, chips, empanadas, and chocolate. This works well for players who, for whatever reason, can’t find the time to organize food before the event. However, a live action RPG event is usually strenuous and can often last late into the night. Not eating properly for even a few days can affect your sleep patterns, your health, and therefore your enjoyment of the weekend event.

fast food

Some of the larger live action RPG events have burger vans and other catering facilities similar to what you might find at a music festival. Some people, when they go larpe, find that it takes them enough time to organize their kit and being able to buy all their food on site leaves more time for the game itself. The downside here is that in most cases, fast food is far from healthy, plus lines and delays can mean you miss out on the adventure you’re paying for. Also, money can be an issue for many larpers and the prices on the site can be quite high.

The player who has it all

In all the clubs and in all the events there are people who simply bring everything with them when they go to larp; including the kitchen sink. These people can prepare a full English breakfast or even a three-course meal from their tent or from the back of their car. The main advantage of this approach is that you can eat well at a live action RPG event with only a low budget. The main drawbacks are the space needed for the car, which can mean leaving the character’s gear behind, and also the time it takes to cook and clean when you could be participating in the activities you’ve paid for.

Catering for a group event

This is a popular approach taken by many people today when they go larping. You get a group of people who are going to play a live action RPG together and they all bring different items to feed everyone in the group for various meals. This may turn out to be a relatively low cost option and may mean that you only help with one meal but eat many. However, this requires a bit of organization and as with all walks of life, not everyone in the hobby is capable of doing it well and people can eat quite upset if there is no milk for their tea etc.

Catering by the event organizers.

This is probably the best option when it comes to an event. Leave it to the people who organize the event, who are more likely to hire professionals and who will provide a healthy variety of food at a reasonable price. Many of the biggest events across the UK will now offer a catering option, if in doubt contact them and see what’s available.