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New Expectations Lead to New Accommodations: Bringing gourmet-quality cuisine to camp resort consumers
by Joe Langhan
Vice President
Camp Ottomanelli
Many will agree that food tastes better outdoors, not to mention that outdoor activities stimulate an appetite. Food is just one of the many things that campers love about the outdoors but it should not be overlooked. Last year Camp Ottomanelli got involved with outdoor cooking and camping by accident. A company chef, making his first camping trip in an RV, could not find the quality meat he was looking for in any of the parks. We overnighted our meats to where he was staying, and soon many of his new-found camping friends asked where he got it. The idea became obvious - why not make our gourmet meats available to every camper through the camp store?
Of course, it soon occurred to us that we really knew little about camping and campers? We realized we should do cooking demonstrations to find out what people liked and wanted. We have already done demonstrations in Maine, New York and Illinois. The demonstrations are invaluable. Not only do they introduce the food (which is important because they are not used to seeing it in the camp store) but it is also a direct way to get information and feedback. Simply put, people wanted to know how to make their next meal taste like that.
The answer is simple and there is a famous saying within the food world that illustrates the point; “Nobody eats better than peasants or Kings!” What this means is that both have access to these two things that make the best food – good ingredients and the right cooking techniques. The secret for the outdoor cook is the same as for peasants and Kings - keep it simple - but use the best ingredients and know how to cook on your grill or over your fire.
Henry Ford invented charcoal in the 1930s and then the Weber Grill was invented shortly after World War II. An employee of Weber Metal works in Chicago, George Stephen, wanted a better grill, one with a cover. He used a half of one of the buoys he was welding and made it into the first outdoor Weber Grill. When they saw it everybody wanted one and the rest is history. Now outdoor cooking has become so popular that a few years ago the first best-selling outdoor cookbook was published (“Thrill of the Grill” by Chris Schlesinger). There soon followed several cooking shows and many other books.
What did we learn about the cooking demonstrations? Plenty about what people want to know.
“How do you get that sweet smelling smoke?” Use hickory, apple or some other wood chips soaked in water for one hour. If you can, use some old or cheap red wine and soak them in that.
“How long do you cook that steak for?” Take one of these grilling tips handouts for some general instructions. (See handout below. It is good business to give free, helpful information, whether they buy the food or cook what they brought with them.)
“Are you sure this is frozen?” Yes, it does not taste frozen because it is vacuum sealed and flash frozen. This prevents water molecules from expanding and breaking the fibrous structure of the food.
So, it comes as no surprise that people who cook in campgrounds want better food and working with campgrounds we are learning how to provide it. As time goes by, many campers will try the new food in the store, tell their other campers and remember the next time they visit that it is there waiting for them – along with the helpful barbeque tip sheet.