Welcome to the Tierra Retreat Center

12000 S un itsch Can yon , Leaven worth , WA 98826 – (509) 548-6880

Welcome to the Tierra Retreat Center Kitchen Orientation and Agreement.

We have a great facility that we know you’ll enjoy cooking in… keeping it bright, light and fun with a great assortment of quality infrastructure. Take a look at our kitchen inventory list to acquaint yourself with what you have to work with! Below you’ll find an understanding of use as well as some answers to common questions. Please feel free to contact [email protected] with any unaddressed questions.

Tierra Kitchen Understanding

Food service at Tierra is contracted directly by the rental party. They are ultimately responsible for the inventory and health standards of the kitchen facility. Please recognize that Tierra Retreat Center is a “host-less” facility rental. The rental party has agreed to host their own event. Of course, the kitchen is always at the center of all things good, so you, as food service providers will find yourself in an un-cloistered environment.

For example: you’ve been hired to produce the main wedding meal and you begin early in the day: the wedding party has been using the kitchen facility for the previous two days in a very informal manner and your confronted with a well meaning guest who expects to cook a nice fat brunch (yes, wedding-day morning) for a few friends….

Questions for Caterers to Ask:

What is the check in – check out time for the kitchen? What does this mean for the scope of meals desired at the start or end of event? Who’s washing dishes and busing? Will the host party have other participants using the kitchen and/or refrigeration facilities? Are there clear expectations about when and what space will be yours exclusively? What state of cleanliness can you expect to find the kitchen? What state of cleanliness are you expected to leave the kitchen?

We’re here to help establish good lines of communication. You’re always free to contact us directly with facility needs or questions.

Please note the condition in which the hosting group will find the kitchen when they check-in on day one:

Floor swept and mopped

www.tierralearn in gcen ter.org 12000 S un itsch Can yon , Leaven worth , WA 98826 – (509) 548-6880 Surfaces bleach wiped Ovens clean (clean), walk in and reach in shelves clean Griddle top and sanitizer clean All plates and silverware sorted and very clean

We strive for this standard and expect that, at the guest party’s check out time the kitchen is returned to this state. Any cleaning left for us to do will be expensed to the rental party’s damage deposit at $30.00/hour.

We often have same day turn a-rounds – you may find yourself hot on the heels or someone hot on your tails. Smile. The kitchen check-in and out times are tied to the larger facility rental agreement. Make sure you know when this is for your event and plan accordingly! It’s our job to help food service providers out as much as possible – check in with requests, we have a fair amount of refrigerated and freezer space.

We have a commercial dish sanitizer – no dishwashers. There are instructions posted for use of sanitizer on inside of the adjacent cabinet. Please clean trap and screen after meals. Dishes must be rinsed clean before being run through the sanitizer Make sure you and the rental party have an understanding of whose responsibility it is to bus and wash.

Tierra Retreat Center is all about Stewardship; many groups implement highly effective guest participation help. We have examples of rotating job charts on the main bulletin board. Talk to your party, see how the guests can help you out.

If your party needs to rent additional dishes, or you bring their own, it is your party’s responsibility to leave our inventory exactly as found – and they’ll probably need your help.

Tierra Retreat Center does compost and recycling with a concerted effort. Please take a moment to learn the systems – they’re easy and your help is greatly appreciated.

 Food waste, and non-bleach paper products only in compost, no bones.

 Recycling washed, clean, no caps; please sort as needed and deposit in containers outside. Boxes broken down; please take out back to wood shed. Thanks.

We’ll collect this stuff daily (usually early AM) Trash and compost to the back door along with recycling too.

We Ask Caterers to Provide Paid caterers must provide a valid WA state food handler’s card

All condiments and staples – oil, salt, spices, sugar, pepper All soft goods including:

www.tierralearn in gcen ter.org 12000 S un itsch Can yon , Leaven worth , WA 98826 – (509) 548-6880  Coffee Filters (1.5 Gallon auto-brew – we also have a 55 cup stainless percolator)  Dish Rags and Dish Cloths Please ask kitchen users to not use the clean, white rags we provide in the lodge in order to clean grill grease. May we suggest the caterer/host provide a few rags for this purpose. Thanks!  Garbage Bags 33 gallon and 45 gallon liners  Gloves Required when handling any uncooked food per Chelan County health regulations.  Paper Products desired for food service including napkins, and/or cups, plates. Please use bleach-free if you wish to compost them.  Parchment Paper (16x 24) For use on our large baking sheets to ensure easy clean –up and help preserve the quality of the baking sheet surface. If you would like to use some of our stock, they are $.50 a piece and you can just leave money in the jar in the kitchen.  Saran Wrap (if needed)  Tinfoil (if needed)

COFFEE - We have a nice coffee station for small groups with mini-fridge for storing cream just below the high quality brewer that drips into pump thermoses (provided). Hot water is available here, too. Directions are framed and posted next to this station. We also have a beverage bar that works better for larger groups where our 55-cup percolator can be set up for your use. Hot water can be set-up here in pump thermoses. We have a professional-grade, single pot grinder as well. Tierra does not provide coffee, tea, sugar or creamers.

WATER – Tierra has great water, straight from the Sunitsch aquifer and tested annually. It’s way better than the stuff we could drive to Wenatchee and buy. There are two water dispensers in the lodge, 5 gallon jugs can be re-filled in the back mop sink.

Thanks for cooking for the party! Hope you feel at home and if you haven’t heard, we have an amazingly prolific organic farm running here, please contact Eron & Willy (509.548.6880) and see what fresh produce they could provide you with for your event!

We’re here to help, Tierra Crew

Tierra Kitchen Agreement Signed:

www.tierralearn in gcen ter.org