Tools
Tools that do the arithmetic for you
The things every camp works out from scratch each spring. The calculators and the food lookup run right on their pages, no email needed. The templates arrive by email so you can hand them to whoever runs the kitchen next year.
- Calculator Cost per camper-day calculator Enter headcount, session length and meal pattern. Returns a defensible food budget range. runs on the page · open →
- Calculator Staffing calculator Crew size and station plan from your meal windows and dining hall flow. runs on the page · open →
- Calculator Recipe scaler Scale any recipe from its yield to your headcount, with seasonings handled honestly and kitchen-unit roll-ups. runs on the page · open →
- Lookup USDA food & nutrition lookup Scan a barcode or search by name: serving sizes, label nutrients and ingredient statements with common allergens highlighted. runs on the page · open →
- Template · XLSX Three-week cycle menu A working rotation with diet variants, ready to adapt to your equipment. by email · open →
- Template · XLSX Allergen matrix Ingredient-level allergen tracking that survives a staff handover. by email · open →
Two ways forward
The same module on every guide, so it reads as advice rather than an ad.You have the people
Run the kitchen on systems instead of memory
Camp Kitchen Pro holds the recipes, par levels, allergen flags and production plans, so a new crew inherits the last one’s work.
- Scale recipes to any headcount
- Allergens flagged at the ingredient
- Orders built from the menu
You cannot keep a crew
Have the whole kitchen staffed for you
Summer Camp Cooks recruits, trains and manages the crew, with a food service manager on site who owns the outcome.
- Crew recruited, trained and managed
- A food service manager on site
- Camps of 100–900 campers and staff
Disclosure: both companies are owned by the publisher of this site. They solve different problems, and we will say which one does not fit you.
Off-season letter
One guide a week, through the planning season.