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THE ROADIE KITCHEN Lighting Crew Chief, Keith Parrott discusses his new venture which creates a better working environment for on-site crew.
Like many of his peers, 2020’s forced hiatus from life on the road gave Lighting Crew Chief, Keith Parrott the time to develop an idea he’d held onto for a few years. Speaking to TPi, the lighting specialist outlined what he had been cooking up while in lockdown – pun very much intended. “I’ve worked in the industry for over 15 years and throughout my time, like many others, I have worked those shows, be it a corporate gig or a festival, where you simply don’t have the facilities to get a drink or a bite to eat – either due to catering not being available or being based in a venue that is away from any shops or restaurants,” he began. “The idea really solidified in my mind while working on a show in London,” reflected Parrott. “There isn’t really much around, so we made a trip to Tesco and bought a coffee machine and a toastie maker.” Once the makeshift kitchen was set up, Parrott couldn’t help but think that there should be a service that catered for this very need; a portable food and drinks station that could be used by crew as and when they needed.
Almost a year later and Parrott proudly unveiled The Roadie Kitchen. The company now offers two fully roadworthy portable setups – the Original and the Compact. Each unit has been designed to fit through any standard single doorway with a discrete footprint, making it ideal for any touring setup. The flagship original station comes complete with a total of 10 appliances you would usually find in most household kitchens offering a wide range of meals and dishes to be made onsite. Each station also includes a basic consumables starter pack, which contains disposable wooden cutlery, cups, plates, bowls and napkins. This ensures you are all set to go on your first day of hire. “As well as offering a neat addition to the touring crew’s setup, these packages really help to improve crew welfare when the industry opens back up,” stated Parrott. “I didn’t start The Roadie Kitchen to compete with or replace traditional catering, but the simple fact is that catering teams do not work around the clock – and nor should they. However, there is a need 16
