All Guild Members begin as General Members or Novices. Rise in rank requires mastery of a number of categories.
To master a category, a dish must be produced for an event to help feed those attending (serving five or more), or may be presented to members of the cooks’ local group or other SCA group at any official advertised event such as meetings, A&S events, fighter practices, tourneys and feasts.)
Period recipe documentation must be provided and any adaptations noted. The presentation and taste of the dish must be commented upon, preferably by fellow members of the local Guild chapter, or by members of the cook’s local group or other SCA group. Comments from a minimum of three tasters are required.
The Recipe Submission Form is used to record the cook’s name and details, the recipe used, any adaptations to the original recipe, and comments by tasters. This form and all documentation for each recipe submission must be sent by the cook to the Guild Administrator in order to count toward Guild ranking. Members must keep copies of their submission paperwork.
Individual Guild members are responsible for ensuring their progress and submission forms are dispatched to the Guild Administrator. However, a Chapter may appoint a local co-ordinator for paperwork if this is agreed to by the majority of local members. (Copies of all paperwork are to be held by individual members and local Chapter co-ordinators in case of non-receipt by the Administrator due to unforseen circumstances like postal errors.)
Guild members are to be aware that all requirements for ranking level must be fully completed prior to advancement to the next level.
The levels are:
General Member: To become a general member of the Guild, you must show an interest in cooking or researching Medieval/Renaissance food, fill in an application form, and dispatch it to the Guild Administrator. Acceptance of membership will be verified electronically or by mail by the Guild Administrator.
Novice: To become a novice you must show an interest in period cooking, cook one dish and serve it at a feast or official SCA event and forward all required documentation and commentary (as above) to the Guild Administrator. (Keep a copy of documentation and commentary for your own records.)
Apprentice: To become an apprentice, the novice must master the cooking of five categories (five separate dishes), present them at official SCA event(s) and forward all the required documentation and commentary (as above) to the Guild Administrator. (Keep a copy of documentation and commentary for your own records.)
Journeyman: To become a journeyman, the apprentice must master the cooking of a further five categories (five separate dishes, differing from those presented as an apprentice), present them at official SCA event(s) and forward all required documentation and commentary to the Guild Administrator. (Keep a copy of documentation and commentary for your own records.)
Master/Mistress Cook: To become a Master or Mistress Cook, a journeyman must:
* be the Head Cook or Feast Steward for an official SCA event (such as a feast)
* organise a period menu for one feast and provide complete documentation for each dish served at the event
* personally cook at least two dishes for the feast (above) and get commentary on the taste and presentation of these
* write an article for publication in a Kingdom newsletter or magazine (e.g. Pegasus, Cockatrice, Tournaments Illustrated etc.) OR teach on the topic of period cooking at an official SCA event and send a report, including all notes, handouts and documentation to the Guild Administrator.
Keep a copy of all documentation and commentary for your own records.
Having completed the requirements, each rise in rank becomes valid upon written notification from the Guild Administrator.