I cannot offer insight on a particular price. I also have no wish to be a killjoy. I suggest, however, that those of you who are selling your product consider procuring appropriate liability insurance and including in your pricing a component that reflects the premium for that coverage.
Please understand that in offering this suggestion, I in no way mean to imply that the food prepared by any member of this community would be suspect. Rather, I can imagine a number of scenarios where an attempt could be made to blame you in spite of impeccable food preparation practices. I offer the following examples:
1. An acquaintance who has heard stories about your exploits with a WSM approaches you and asks if you would prepare a pork butt for a party she is throwing for her parents' anniversary. The evening before the party, you buy a butt and immediately begin an overnight cook, carefully observing all proper food preparation techniques. Unfortunately (and you had no way of knowing this), the meat was tainted when you bought it. You deliver the meat to your acquaintance, who then serves it at her party. Having been prepared by an extremely talented pitmaster, the butt is a huge hit - eagerly (and quickly) devoured by most of the guests. A few hours later, a dozen people are sickened. Who gets blamed?
2. You prepare a spectacular pork butt for a customer who serves it with leftover mayonnaise-based coleslaw that sat for two hours out on the patio (in 85 degree heat) the day before. Your customer and his family are sickened by the coleslaw. Who gets blamed?
3. You deliver one of your legendary pork butts to a customer on a saturday afternoon. Just as he and his buddies are about to enjoy it, the phone rings -- your customer's teenage son has been arrested, and the party is over.
Your customer leaves to spring his son from jail, and the pork butt sits untouched on the counter -- until the next afternoon, when your customer decides, incorrectly, that it's probably OK to eat. Who gets blamed?
In each of the above situations, it is certain that you have done nothing wrong, and people were sickened by factors or events outside of your control. It is equally certain that an attempt will be made to hold you responsible. Ultimately, you will be vindicated, but it won't come cheap. Buying liability insurance costs a lot less than paying an attorney out of your own pocket.
Finally, this is not intended as a sales pitch; I do not sell insurance. I just raise this point on the possibility that it might save some TVWBB members some unnecessary grief.
