They Take Their Own Kitchen To Catering Jobs

They Take Their Own Kitchen To Catering Jobs FARM HOME Food Red Barn Catering takes care of events with a 53-ft gooseneck trailer that’s filled with stainless steel counters a double-door refrigerator a freezer double convection ovens and sinks Three slick slide-outs add high value workspace to the trim 8-ft transit width Water tanks and waste tanks hide in the belly of the trailer A 20 kW diesel generator provides power “We do wedding receptions anniversaries seed corn field days and farm appreciation events ” says Dan Batdorf who farms when he’s not catering “The end of August and early September we did 8 separate events and fed more than 1 900 people A local seed company brings in its customers and we serve more than 500 people for them alone ” With most of the food they serve prepared on-site having a semi trailer-sized kitchen is vital However neither the business nor the trailer happened overnight “We started out helping out with a pork producers stand at a local fair ” recalls Batdorf “We ended up taking it over for them and things built from there ” Batdorf’s wife Tawni had gone to school for food service so running a catering business was a natural step For the first 8 or 9 years they used a 24-ft trailer as their mobile kitchen As the business grew they knew they needed something bigger “The trailer had been used as a mobile restaurant at a golf course with the front half filled with 5 booths a kitchen in the back half and a bar in the center ” says Batdorf “We took out the booths and bar recovered the walls and put in a new floor ” They got the state health department on board from the beginning “They were pretty good to work with and have even recommended us ” says Batdorf “They have strict rules that may not make sense but you need to go along with them ” Deciding where to put things was the biggest challenge followed by getting them there In the case of double convection ovens that meant taking them apart and bringing them in on edge and then putting them back together The refrigerator also had to be brought in on its side “I did most of the work myself with some help from a neighbor who does welding ” says Batdorf “He fabricated the stainless steel counters and such ” By the time the trailer was finished Batdorf estimates he had put $50 000 in it The investment made it possible to handle the growing business and necessary workers The trailer has air conditioning and room to work “The old trailer had room for 2 or 3 people ” recalls Batdorf “We can have a dozen workers in this one ” The 3 1/2-ft slide-outs are key to work space When in transit or between jobs there are only 8 in between them Set up on site the additional 7 ft of workspace is priceless “We can have 15 people helping at an event if it is a big enough group ” says Batdorf “Tawni does all the planning and scheduling My job is to get the trailer there supply the water and power and cook the meat The crews are friends from church and elsewhere ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Dan Batdorf 9291 N St Rt 48 Covington Ohio 45318 ph 937 418-2532; dtbatdorf@yahoo com; www batdorfsredbarncatering com

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