Camp Oconto is a summer camp in Ontario, run by owners Ted and Bronwyn. Over the past couple of years, we've worked together on the food program, and it's been great to see the changes take hold! Camp Oconto is over 100 years old, and has been serving campers three meals daily, plus staff snacks, each day of its history! Given Oconto’s reputation for incredible food that causes the girls to storm the dining hall doors each meal time, this was a tall order even for a seasoned chef.

We started with a close look at how the kitchen was running day to day: watching service, following food from order to plate, and talking with the cooks about what worked and what didn't. From there, we examined the systems supporting the kitchen, analyzed prep norms, staff schedules, ordering processes, and menu-mix in order to develop a food plan that complemented camp traditions. A more complete budget review also offered a clearer picture of food and labour costs. In wading through these details, we developed new lenses and plans for the Oconto Kitchen, and it was possible to move into a new, data-informed future that leaves less to chance when it comes to planning.

I also helped with the search for two key hires. The first was a term Foodservice Director, who is now completing her two-year term at camp. Under this temporary position, new systems and supports for the kitchen are able to be planned, new documents capture kitchen knowledge so no one person holds it all in their head, and the food program has become more organized and better planned. This term position allowed the new Executive Chef to focus on learning the camp kitchen, acclimatizing to the camp environment, and to try out some new favourite dishes while keeping the girls running back for the classics, too. The Executive Chef is now finishing up his first summer, and food has been a genuine hit with campers!

It's been a wonderful couple of years of updating and evolution for the kitchen at Camp Oconto, and it's in a strong spot heading into next season! It’s wonderful to know that the knowledge required to run the kitchen is being documented systematically to prevent any major knowledge vacuum in the future!