That was the thinking at Brockville Primary School yesterday morning, when ex-pupils and board member Tom Arapeta gathered at 5.30am for a hangi planned as a school fundraiser.
Not even the fresh layer of snow and ice - which forced the school's closure - and the threat of more on the way could deter the group, Mr Arapeta said.
Braving freezing conditions, the group lit the fire at 6am and, by 9.15am, had enough chicken, pork and vegetables buried with the hot irons to feed 250 people.
By 2pm, the layer of earth and sacking was peeled back to reveal the food, albeit almost obscured in clouds of billowing steam.
"It's the first time. We have done hangis in the rain . . . [but] it's the first time in white," Mr Arapeta said.
However, far from hindering the cooking process, the snow showers may have helped.
The feast had been planned for 1pm, but the school's closure meant the cooking could continue until 2pm, just "to make sure", Mr Arapeta said.
Pupils and their parents visited the school to collect their share later yesterday afternoon.
Principal Brian Filipo said it was the first time a hangi had been organised at the school, and it was a new experience for many pupils and staff.
The hangi, which had been planned for three weeks, was expected to raise up to $1100 for the school, with funds used, in part, to pay for the school's kapa haka group to travel to Wanaka later this year, he said.
