Warning: this blog contains info about opposing beliefs!
I'm an environmentalist. I volunteer for the Green Party, run an Environment Club at the local elementary school, and I reduce, reuse, recycle and repair. My husband works on the drilling rigs north of Fort McMurray in Alberta. When Alberta can offer my husand work (that pays $25/hr plus overtime) building solar panels, I'll do my best to convince him to change careers - until then, we have to pay the bills!
Blaine (my husband) has gone back to work on the drilling rigs. Recently he sent me some pictures of the food on his camp north of Fort McMurray.
This meal consisted of pork, applesauce from a can, reheated and unspiced frozen beans and baby potatoes. Blaine was excited because he was used to chicken fingers and hot dogs. I'd like to dispell a little myth... Rig Food is not delicious! Blaine has been on plenty of drilling rig camps and always complains about the food. Usually the biggest complaint is the lack of variety. When you're being served chicken fingers 5 or 6 nights a week for 6 weeks... well, that just sounds yucky!
And here we have a chocolate eclaire donut. Yummy! :)
Summary
ambiance - hmmm... A bunch of riggers sitting in a trailer? My rating: Poor!
value - "He works hard for his money, so you'd better treat him right!" (isn't that a song of some sort?)
flavour - repetitive and bland!
That is crazy.
ReplyDeleteYou would think you would want to feed these guys quality food. Quality food will give them balanced energy making them able to work harder, longer, with less injuries because they would be more alert, have more energy, etc.
Not only are they treating their workers poorly it is just plain bad for business. Healthy employees make better workers.
Dan Tatton
www.findmystartingpoint.com
Id like to comment seeing as how I am a camp cook on these oil rigs. First you need a good cook that cares and crews that respect your cook. Most companies provide beef chicken pork and fish for meats and from that a cook has to come up with 28 different entrees a week, do all the baking from scratch and homemade soups every day as well.
ReplyDeleteMy typical day starts at 4 and ends at 8 or later every day, and you will never please everyone out there all the time, but I think camp cooking has come along way. We get Prime Rib in, have steak and seafood nights, consultants can sign for anything extra (we got King Crab in for some meals).
Just wanted to let people know, its not all bad, I have had plenty tasty meals go out my cook shack for the boys!
agree with anonymous. Although not all catering companies will provide King crab or Prime rib every one I have ever worked for do provide the basis for a good variety.
ReplyDeleteYou get lazy cooks just like in any other business but don't tar the whole industry with those feathers please.
That's good that not all camps are like my husbands' camp. Good to hear!
ReplyDeleteHis experiences have been really bad. Like I said above, they serve him deep-fried food almost every night. They have had about 4 different cooks in the 6 months he has been working at this particular camp and all of them have been about the same.
I realize it must be a tough job and they are probably underpaid.
I was simply reporting on my husbands' experiences, I was not trying to "tar the whole industry"! Goodness.
where does one go to apply to cook in a camp ?
ReplyDeleteMy husband is currently living at a "Royal Camp" The website is http://www.royalcamp.com/career_opportunities.html if you'd like to apply for a job there! He currently has a few older ladies as cooks and he says they are super-cranky all the time.
ReplyDeleteI checked out the site, and there are vacancies for all sorts of jobs, but there is nothing stating a salary... do you have any idea what the pay scale ranges at ?
ReplyDeleteSorry Anonymous! Neither my husband nor I have any idea about the salary.
ReplyDeleteUpdate: My husband has been complaining recently about the eggs that taste like fish (when they have fish the night before), and he develops this horribly itchy rash that he scratches til it bleeds when he eats the camp food. He eats a lot of raw veggies when he's at work, since it seems to be the only thing the cooks can't screw up. :(
ReplyDeleteJust some advice. The reason people think you are trying to tar the whole industry is probably because of the following blanket statement you made in your above blog post.
ReplyDelete" I'd like to dispell a little myth... Rig Food is not delicious! Blaine has been on plenty of drilling rig camps and always complains about the food. Usually the biggest complaint is the lack of variety. "
Perhaps if you changed this statement people might understand you are only referring to your husbands rig because as it stands now, it seems like you're talking about all rigs in general.
Rig Pigs. Who cares.
ReplyDelete