Arts & Sciences Activities

Head of Arts & Sciences: Lady Elizabeth Riverwood

Culinary Challenge Competition “Feast In The Forest”

The Three Challenges

Challenge 1: “Outlaw’s Provisions” – Trail Food

Create period-appropriate portable foods that Robin’s band could carry during long journeys through Sherwood Forest. Your creation should be:
Shelf-stable without refrigeration
Easy to eat while traveling
Nutritious enough to sustain outlaws on the road
Made with ingredients available to medieval forest dwellers
Examples: Hardtack variations, journey cakes, dried meat preparations, portable pottage mixes, travel bread, or preserved fruit combinations.

Challenge 2: “Sherwood’s Bounty” – Foraged Foods

Prepare a dish using ingredients that could realistically be found in an English forest during spring. Your entry should feature:
Wild greens, herbs, nuts, or other foraged items
Period-appropriate preparation methods
Creative use of “found” ingredients
Documentation of what you foraged and where it might be found
Examples: Wild garlic dishes, nettle soups, elderflower preparations, wild mushroom cookery, dandelion salads, or dishes featuring nuts, berries, and forest herbs.

Challenge 3: “The Sheriff’s Spice” – Luxury Ingredient Challenge

Take one expensive “stolen” ingredient that only the wealthy could afford in medieval times and use it to transform a simple peasant dish into something worthy of a feast. Your entry should:
Feature ONE luxury ingredient.
Transform a basic, humble dish
Show how a small amount of luxury can elevate simple food
Demonstrate the contrast between rich and poor medieval cuisine
Luxury Ingredient Examples: Saffron, a period spice blend (i.e. powder fine, powder duke, etc.), fine honey, good wine, aged cheese, or refined sugar.

Judging Criteria

Each challenge will have two winners.

1. Populace Choice Winner – Populace is asked to pick their favorite for each challenge based on presentation and taste.
2. Judged Winner – The winner will be the entry with the most combined points awarded by 3 judges using the judging criteria below:
   Period Authenticity – Use of appropriate ingredients and techniques
   Taste & Presentation – Does it actually taste good and look appealing?
   Storytelling – How well does the dish connect to the Robin Hood theme?
   Creativity – Innovative approaches within historical constraints
   Documentation – Research and explanation of historical context