Chef specializing in catering film production sets
NEW LONDON, Conn. — The most important person on a movie set isn’t always the director, writer, producer, cameraman, sound technician or even the star.
Sometimes, the most important person on a movie set is the chef. This makes Roger Poirier the big man on campus during the filming of the ESPN miniseries “The Bronx Is Burning,” which is taking place at Dodd Stadium.
On a recent Tuesday, Poirier made breakfast and lunch for 190 people. He turned out both meals from a restaurant-quality kitchen housed in a vehicle the size of a UPS delivery truck. Salads, vegetables, starches, chicken, beef and fish were all prepped and cooked in Poirier’s truck and served on a buffet line by his three assistants.
The cooks have been at the stadium since Sept. 23. They all work for Hanna Brothers Catering of Slidell, La., an eight-year-old company that specializes in catering film- and television-production locations. “The Army runs on its stomach, they say, and I think there is some truth to that in the film business as well,” said Jim Hanna, a co-owner of the company. Poirier, 43, has worked for Hanna for seven years, but he has been feeding crews on the sets of commercials, movies and TV shows since his father bought a catering truck when he was a teenager. He is a self-taught cook who keeps all his recipes in his head.
It is almost literally a life on the road. Poirier, who is married with two children, figures he is home in Missouri about two months a year. He has worked TV shows ranging from “Cheers” and “Dynasty” to “Star Trek: Next Generation” and “LA Law.” He has worked just as many movies, ranging from the current “The Guardian,” starring Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher to the upcoming “The Good Shepherd,” starring Al Pacino and Angelina Jolie. more…
