The Importance of Good Food for Crew
Food for your event crew is critical.
The energy and effort that goes into running an event or festival are immense.
Behind every seamless stage change, well-executed lighting sequence, or smoothly managed crowd is a hardworking crew.
While the adrenaline and passion for the job often drive event workers, one essential factor required to keep everyone going is food.
Food isn’t just fuel for the body
It’s a vital component of maintaining productivity, morale, and overall well-being.
In this blog post, we’ll explore why food provision is critical for event crews, share tips for individual workers on maintaining healthy eating habits, and highlight some best practices for organisers to ensure their crew is well-fed and ready to perform.
Everybody wins when the people working on the event are well fed.
This picture is the menu board at Soundstorm this year, 2024.
We’ve worked on this event since 2021. That year, the food offering for Crew was good but lacked choice.
As you can see now, MDLBEAST has very much addressed the issue of choice.
This is a lunch time menu on a Friday.
Why Good Food Provision Is Essential
1. Sustains Energy Levels
Working at events and festivals often involves long hours, high physical demands, and irregular schedules.
Proper nutrition ensures that crew members have the stamina to keep performing at their best throughout the day.
This picture is a typical lunch meal here at Soundstorm. This day I opted for Chicken Korma and rice and lots of other good stuff.
2. Boosts Mental Focus
Hunger and poor nutrition can lead to decreased concentration and slower reaction times.
As Event Safety specialists, we definitely see the value in food in this regard.
We want everyone operating at their best and staying sharp to help avoid accidents.
Providing regular, balanced meals helps keep crew members sharp and focused on their tasks.
3. Supports Morale and Teamwork
A well-fed crew is a happy crew.
Quality food provision shows that the organisers value their team, boosting morale and fostering a positive work environment.
Shared meal breaks can also encourage camaraderie among team members.
When we worked on Soundstorm for the first time in 2021, it was at lunchtime that we really got to know everyone. We could find John in X company or Mary in Y company and get to know them and it served us really well.
4. Prevents Fatigue and Burnout
Lack of proper meals can lead to energy crashes, irritability, and even physical illness.
Adequate and nutritious food helps prevent these issues, keeping the crew healthy and engaged.
Speaking for our team, you’ll definitely get the most out of your Event Safety partner if you feed us well.
Tips for Event Workers: Eating Well on the Job
While organisers bear much of the responsibility for providing food, individual workers can also take proactive steps to ensure they eat well while working.
After all, not every event can provide lavish crew catering.
In fact, many events may struggle to even offer decent crew catering.
Therefore, as event workers, we need to take some of this responsibility on ourselves.
1. Plan Ahead
First and foremost, bring non-perishable snacks like nuts, granola bars, or dried fruit to supplement meals provided on-site.
Without a doubt, these can be lifesavers during long shifts.
Additionally, always have something on hand that you can nibble on to keep your energy up.
Since events are unpredictable, it’s likely that something will come up, and you won’t make it back to Catering for food.
Thus, being prepared is essential.
2. Stay Hydrated
Moreover, always carry a reusable water bottle.
Undoubtedly, staying hydrated is just as important as eating well, especially during outdoor events or physically demanding shifts.
In short water goes a long way in keeping you energized and focused.
3. Prioritise Balanced Meals
Whenever possible, focus on meals with protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates to sustain energy levels.
By doing so, you can avoid energy crashes that often result from sugary snacks or fast food.
Ultimately, balanced meals keep you performing at your best.
4. Time Your Meals
If your schedule permits, eat smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day to maintain consistent energy levels.
Admittedly, this isn’t always possible in the fast-paced world of events, but even a quick, healthy snack can make a difference.
5. Be Prepared for Delays
Finally, remember that meal breaks don’t always happen as planned.
In such cases, having portable, nutritious options like trail mix or protein bars can help tide you over until the next meal.
Because of this, keeping emergency snacks in your bag is always a smart move.
Best Practices for Event Organisers: Crew Catering Done Right
For organisers, providing food for the crew isn’t just about ticking a box – it’s an investment in the success of the event.
Here are some industry best practices for crew catering:
1. Offer Varied, Nutritious Options
Include a mix of proteins, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats in meals.
Offer vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options to accommodate dietary needs.
In the same way we are Event Safety specialists, there are specialists within the Crew Catering field too.
Some do 1 thing and do it well.
Others do a range of options and that’s their offering.
2. Provide Snacks and Hydration
In addition to main meals, make snacks like fruit, granola bars, and nuts readily available.
Ensure plenty of water stations are set up around the site, and consider offering electrolyte drinks during hot weather.
For some people working on site, their norm won’t be 3 square meals a day.
They’re better eating smaller amounts of food more regularly.
We are all different.
3. Schedule Meal Breaks Strategically
Align meal times with the natural flow of work shifts.
Ensure that all crew members have adequate time to eat without feeling rushed.
This is hard to do in events but it’s important to do.
People need time to eat, refuel, decompress etc.
4. Create a Comfortable Dining Area
Set up a designated space for crew meals that’s clean, shaded, and equipped with seating.
A comfortable break environment enhances the meal experience and boosts morale.
We regularly work in the Middle East and shaded areas are critical, as you can imagine.
On events like Aravia and Balad Beast etc. as well as providing an indoor Crew Catering location, there are shaded areas provided around the sites.
5. Communicate Clearly
Provide clear information about meal times, locations, and menu options.
This ensures the crew knows when and where to eat, reducing unnecessary stress.
Taking a step back – clearly communicate whether crew catering is provided at ALL, so at least people can plan.
I posted on LinkedIn when writing this article. I was looking for people to send me pictures of bad food they’d gotten as crew on events. In one comment, Naomi Butler noted that she worked on events where no food was provided for crew.
6. Get Feedback
After the event, ask the crew for feedback on the catering.
Understanding what worked and what didn’t can help improve future events.
If you, as an organiser, genuinely want to provide good food then getting feedback on what you offer is key.
You want to know what works and what doesn’t.
This picture is of one of the Crew Catering setups at Soundstorm. What they achieve here to feed thousands and thousands of workers really well impresses me year on year.
We consider the organisation of good food for crew to be an element of Safety by Design.
Your team can do their jobs better, when well fed and content. It’s as simple as that.
A Final Note on Food and Gratitude
Food is more than just sustenance — it’s a sign of appreciation.
When organisers prioritise crew meals, they demonstrate their respect for the hard work and dedication of their team.
For individual workers, being proactive about nutrition can make a world of difference in how they feel and perform on the job.
To be clear – I am a firm believer in personal responsibility.
We can’t expect all events and all organisers to lay on superb crew food. It’s not realistic, for lots of practical reasons.
So do look after yourself and have options, even if you have come to expect that a particular event will feed you well, for instance.
A well-fed team is a strong team, ready to tackle the challenges of any event.
Whether you’re organising or working, let food be the fuel that powers your success.
We’ve had some people send us some great photos of BAD crew food offerings on foot of this LinkedIn post. The photo there is one of the ones we got in.
Related Content
Here are some other articles we’ve written giving advice on event-related topics.
The Importance of Testing Event Plans