I have been asked to cook for a shearing gang in South Island. I have lots of recipes but some hints on what they like to eat would be good eg, brekky, morning tea, lunch afternoon tea? Do they need dinner too?
rainrain1,
Apr 4, 11:16pm
If you are a live in cook at a shearing quarters they will need dinner i would say, but you should find that out from someone before you start. Are you sending smokos and lunches with the gang, or are you cooking at the shed each day?
buzzy110,
Apr 4, 11:39pm
x2
First let me say that I know nothing whatsoever about feed shearing gangs but in my mind there are several things I would keep in mind.
Firstly I have seen on TV that scones are really common. I hope you know how to make scones.
Secondly and, IMO, more importantly, you are feeding mostly males who are pumping out the physical activity all day long. They require meat. Working mean love meat and fat. They thrive on it and can work long and hard on meat and fat.
Big pots of yummy stews, BBQ meat, meaty vegetable soups, potatoes and peas will probably be what these guys want for lunch and dinner along with bread, scones and butter. At least that is what I'd do.
However, I could be wrong and maybe others will suggest great dishes filled with stodgy lasagna, macaroni cheese, lashings of weetbix with low fat milk, tins of fruit, porridge, toast, margarine and sausage sizzle with Watties tomato sauce.
Like I say I may be completely off the track and any gang that I had to feed would be very grumpy indeed.
huggy5,
Apr 4, 11:44pm
x1
My mum used to cook on a sheep station. It was pretty much the same food every day. Breakfast, cooked. Fried eggs, baked beans, spaghetti, fried potato/kumara (leftovers). Morning tea. Scones. Jam. Tea. Lunch I can't remember, but I think might have been mutton sandwiches. Afternoon tea. Scones. Jam. Tea. Sometimes other homemade biscuits. Dinner. Roast. Usually mutton with roast veges. And gravy. There wasn't much pasta or salad. This was a while ago though, times may have a changed.
irishnz1,
Apr 5, 12:35am
x1
i uesd to be a cook in a shearing gang i would be up at 5am starting breakfast which would be ... ... a cooked breaky eggs , bacon potato cakes, bakedbeans etc then i would put a roast on for tea while the roast was cooking you have to make scones and and things for morning tea. Lunch was cold meats and salads then afternoontea was sandwiches or something like that and tea was a big roast meal the main thing to remember is they are big eatters and there food needs to be on time as they got to get out so many sheep a day so when they stop for lunch they dont want to be waiting around they like to eat and go
irishnz1,
Apr 5, 12:39am
no you are right buzzy men need meat and spuds and bread and lots of itpiesand saovuires etc are good
gouber7,
Apr 5, 12:43am
bacon and egg pie is good and shepards pie with left over roast meat
lizab,
Apr 5, 2:29am
x1
I cook for the shearers - I don't do breakfast though, they start at 7am.
Morning tea: 9am they have sandwiches (3 types) egg, tomato and meat. Muffins or scones.
Afternoon tea: 2:15 or 2:30 (depending when they start after lunch) More sandwiches and some baking.
5pm - Beer!
Hope that helps you a bit. :)
glenys21,
Apr 5, 3:52am
x1
Yes lizab , that sounds like my schedule as well and very much the menu. Morning teas :alwayssomething hot, mousetraps, savouries and have even had a pot of savouries with lots of buttered bread. Lunch: casseroles anything you can do in a crockpot... chops is a big hit. Roasts, meat loaf. Afternoon teas, :sandwiches, cakes , loaf , piklets.
rainrain1,
Apr 5, 5:51am
x1
Big four quarter going in the oven tomorrow for the shearers lunch, they like it hot, and have ordered a jar of tomato relish to go down to the shed with it, where they make their own sandwiches. Big stews of beef mutton or pork and puha. They don't like mince too often, if at all. They often BBQ chops, they collect their own paua and the mixed up paua and batter is taken already made to the shed. 5pm cutout shower and a beer. Savouries and sandwiches, scones, muffins etc for smokos. Meat and Veg at night and a good hearty pudding
mamy,
Apr 6, 7:40am
Thanks everyone. It sounds like they don't need a lot of variety... just good plain old fashioned food.
lee_bielski,
Apr 6, 7:53am
x1
Breakfast :cereral and fruit followed by cooked breakfast, sausages spargetti, eggs and toast, pots of coffee and tea, Morning tea, scones, savoury muffins and piklets offer cordials with coffee and tea, Lunch: cold cooked meats and salads savoury mince on toast macorni cheese and lots of bread again offer cordials with hot drinks Afternoon Tea: Sweets such as cakes, slicesbanana muffins Dinner Roast Meat and Vegs followed by a baked pudding ie fruit sponge and custard, steamed puddings tec... . . The golden rule savouryin the mornings and sweets in the afternoons this keeps the engery levels up and replaces the sugar levels in their bloods
roys351,
Jan 6, 9:54am
each gang you cook for ask them their needs, wants etc
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