TYPES OF FOOD & BEVERAGE SERVICE

A. Service at a laid coverB. Assisted service – part service at a laid cover and

part self-serviceC. Self serviceD. Service at a single point (ordering, receipt of

order and paymentE. Specialised service or service in situ

The five Service methods :

1.Table service:• The customer is served at a laid cover• Includes:

– Silver– English– American/Plate – French/ Guéridon / Butler– Russian

• Also counter Service

Hayes/Ninemeier: Foundations of Lodging Management. (C) 2006 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

– American (Plated) Service– French Service/Guéridon/ Butler – Russian (Platter) Service– English (Family) Service– Buffet (Self-Service)– Counter Service

Service Styles : Table Service

In this category, the guest enters in the area and is seated. Menu lists are given or displayed for orders.The orders are been taken by waiter/waitress. Then the service is done using a laid cover on the table. Thefollowing are types of service come under this category:

1. American / pre-plated service2. English Service3. French service or Guèridon / Butler4. Silver service5. Russian service6. Snack bar or Counter service

American Service or Plate Service

1. It is the fastest. Least labor-intensive service style.2. It is the most commonly used, and can vary from

somewhat formal to casual dining.3. Less formal than the three services (French, Russian

and English)4. Most prevalent service used in restaurant5. Food is dished up on individual plate kitchen

What is American Service?

1. It save time and assures that hot food is hot and cold food is cold.

2. The space required for such service is minimized.

3. Many Chefs welcome American Service.

What are the Advantages of American Service?

American/Plate Service:

1. The American service is a pre plated service, which ‐means that the food is served into the guest's plate in the kitchen itself and brought to the guest.

2. The kitchen predetermines the portion and the accompaniments served with the dish and then balance the entire presentation in terms of nutrition and color.

3. This type of service is commonly used in a coffee shop where service is required to be fast.

American/Plate Service:3. The preparation of food is completed in the kitchen except for salad, the bread and

butter and brought to the guest ensuring fast service.4. American Service or Plated Service – is preferred by the chef, it allows them to

show their creativity by organizing individual food items in an eye catching and appealing style.

5. American Service- can be personalized according to situation such as breakfast, lunch and dinner service.

6. The service requires only one server to serve the meal but with an experienced serving skills.

7. Table setting for breakfast, lunch differs from dinner setting. For instance, breakfast and lunch are simple meals and employ the use of limited service ware, whereas dinner includes more food courses and more service wares.

American/Plate Service:

8. At least 15 covers are placed on the table for a dinner but not more than 25.

9. Number of flatware could vary according to menu but not more than 3 on either side, they are brought before serving the food.

10. In American Service – Coffee is sometimes served with the meal. Some fine dining Restaurant do not allow placing the coffee cups & saucer during the table setting. These items are usually placed on the table just before serving the coffee.

American/Plate Service:

Service Procedure :1. Serve food at the right side of the guest2. Serve drinks at the right side of the guest3. Bread & butter at the left side of the guest4. Servers clear the table and collect soiled dishes course by course

at the right side of the guest. Sometimes servers need to crumb the table before serving the dessert.

• Four Styles of banquet service– Standing Buffet– Passed-Items function– Seated Buffet– Seat Banquet

Banquet Service:

• Buffet– Meal service where food is set out on tables a

guests help themselves

Banquet Service:

• Standing Buffet– Designed for people to socialize– Foods served are finger food– Beverage service provided– Few or no tables or chairs – Popular for cocktail parties and receptions

Banquet Service:

• Passed-Items Function– Designed for people to socialize– Servers walk around with food and beverages on

trays– Food served– Few or no tables or chairs– Popular for cocktail parties and receptions

Banquet Service:

• Seated Buffet– Tables and chairs are set– Guests serve themselves from buffet table– Servers clear dirty dishes– Server may serve beverages

Banquet Service:

• Seated Banquet– Tables and chairs are set– Servers serve all parts of the meal– Everyone eats at the same time– American or Plated Service for the Meal

Banquet Service:

Family Service or English Service:

1. The most basic level of table service is called family service or English service.

2. It originated in the home and is used mainly in family restaurants or coffee shops.

3. All the food is put in dishes and bowls in the kitchen by the food production staff and placed in the center of the dining table by the service staff.

4. The guests serve themselves from dishes and bowls of food placed in the center of the table by the service staff.

1. Food fully cooked in the kitchen2. Plates pre-set3. Host serves soup and passes bowls around the

table.4. Host carves entrée, plates it and passes around

the table.5. Side Dishes passed around for guests to serve

themselves6. FAMILY STYLE – All foods placed on the table in

large serving dishes and guests help themselves.

English Service:

English Service:

1. -foods are place on platters2. -heated plates are brought from the kitchen and

placed before the host or hostess at the head of the table

3. -the host or the hostess carved the meat and dishes up the entry on individual plates

4. -hands the plate to the waiter standing to the left and serves the guest of honor and all other guest

5. -sauces and side dishes and vegetables are on the table to be passed by the guests

English Service:

1. Often referred to as the "Host Service" because the host plays an active role in the service.

2. Food is brought on platters by the waiter and is shown to the host for approval.

3. The waiter then places the platters on the tables.

4. The host either portions the food onto the guest plates directly or portions the food and allows the waiter to serve.

5. For replenishment of guest food the waiter may then take the dishes around for guests to help themselves or be served by the waiter.

Silver Service:1. The table is set for hors d'oeuvres, soup, main courses and

sweet dish in sterling silverware.

2. The food is portioned into silver platters at the kitchen itself, which are placed at the sideboard with burners or hot plates to keep the food warm in the restaurant. Plates are placed before the guest.

3. The waiter then picks the platter from the hot plate and presents the dish to the host for approval.

4. He serves each guest using a service spoon and fork. All food is presented in silver dishes with elaborate dressing.

• Called Tableside or Gueridon Service• Food is prepared, finished, or carved at the

table– Gueridon– Rechaud

FRENCH SERVICE

• Involves lots of employees• Maitre D’Hotel or Captain• Chef De Rang: Front Waiter• Commis De Rang: Back Waiter• Sommelier – Wine Steward

FRENCH SERVICE

• Rules of Service• Serve and clear food from the right with the right hand,

except bread and butter and salad.

FRENCH SERVICE

French Service:1. It is a very personalized service.2. Food is brought from the kitchen to the dining room on a

heavy silver plate and placed on a cart called gueridon3. Food is cooked and completed at a side table in front of a

guest4. A small stove called rechaud is used to keep the food warm5. Food is completed by cooking, deboning, slicing and

garnishing and serve to the guest on a heated plate6. -Employs two servers working together7. All food is served and cleared from the right except bread

and butter and salad to the left of the guest8. Finger bowl of warm with rise petals or lemon slice in them

is served with all finger foods at the end of the meal9. A finger bowls is set on a doily or a small plate called

underliner

ROLES OF WAITER

chef de rang is the principal server who seats the guest when the captain waiter is absent. He presents the checks for payment

-commis de rang -takes the order from the chef de rang to the kitchen- picks up the food and carries it to the dining room as dished up by the

chef de rang.-clears the dishes-stands ready to assist whenever necessary-guest receivers a great deal of attention-service is elegant-fewer guest maybe served-more space is necessary for the service-many highly professionals are required-service is time consuming

1. Amuse Bouche2. Appetizer or Soup3. Fish course4. Sorbet5. Entrée6. Salad or Cheese7. Dessert8. Coffee / after-dinner drinks9. Mignardises ( Mignard- small sweet tidbits )

FRENCH SERVICEsequence of service

– Advantages• Personalized service• Showy, entertaining, elegant• High check average

– Disadvantages• Very expensive high labor and capital costs• Time-consuming/ low turnover• Fire Hazards

FRENCH SERVICE

Guèridon service

Guèridon Service:1. This is a service where a dish comes partially prepared

from the kitchen to be completed in the restaurant by the waiter or, when a complete meal is cooked at the tableside in the restaurant.

2. The cooking is done on a gueridon trolley, which is a mobile trolley with a gas cylinder and burners.

3. The waiter plays a prominent part, as he is required to fillet, carve, flambé and prepare the food with showmanship.

4. The waiter has to have considerable dexterity and skill.

– Also called Platter or Flying service– Food is put on platters in the kitchen and served

to the guests from the platters.

Russian Service:

• Definition of Russian Service1. Russian service is a style of food service in which certain

dishes, such as roast beef, are carved in the kitchen and then reassembled as if whole to speed service during a banquet.

2. Russian service which is mostly used for banquets is less showy than French service, but it is quicker and no less elegant.

3. Speed replaces showmanship, though there is skill involved. 4. The main goal of Russian or Platter service is to assure that

the guest receives fully cooked, hot food served in a swift and tasteful fashion.

5. It is especially expedient for banquets or wherever it is necessary to serve many people attractively presented food quickly but without sacrificing elegance and personal touch.

1. In Russian service all food is fully cooked and artfully arranged and garnished on large platters in the kitchen.

2. With the server’s right hand, empty plates are set – in from guest’s right, beginning with the first woman seated at the hosts left. The servers move clockwise around the table.

3. The platters of food are carried to the dining room by a server and presented around the dining table.

4. The servers then begin with the first woman seated at the host’s right, display the food from the left, and serve the desired portion. The servers transfer the food from platter to guest’s plate by the skilful manipulation of fork on the top of spoon. The servers then continuous around the table counter clockwise. Sauces and garnishes are served either by that same waiter or by another one following right behind.

5. The platter is held in the left and the food is served with the right hand. Note that service and setting – in are done from the opposites sides of the guest, as compared with French and other style of service. Even though the entire meal may not be served in the Russian service style it remains common for waiters to use Russian service to place bread on guest’s plates.

ADVANTAGES OF RUSSIAN SERVICE

1. PERSONALIZED SERVICE2. GRAND STYLE 3. ENTERTAINING4. GUESTS MAY CHOOSE PORTION SIZE5. GUEST MAY CHOOSE QUANTITY OF SAUCES6. SERVER CAN EXHIBIT SKILLS7. STAFF REQUIREMENT AND SKILL ARE DECREASED8. FASTER THAN FRENCH SERVICS9. FULLY COOKED HOT FOOD SERVED AT THE TABLE QUICKLY

DISADVANTAGES OF RUSSIAN SERVICE

1. REQUIRES SPACE IN BETWEEN CHAIRS FOR WIDE PLATTERS2. REQUIRE SKILLED AND PHYSICAL CAPABLE SERVERS3. LESS PORTION CONTROL AND MAY RUN OUT OF ITEMS4. FOOD CAN BECOME COLD AND RAGGED WHILE SERVING5. DANGERS OF SPILLING SOUPS AND SAUCES6. CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN SILVER PLATTER

• Service à la russe (French, literally "service in the Russian style") is a manner of dining that involves courses being brought to the table sequentially.

• It contrasts with service à la française ("service in the French style"), in which all the food is brought out at once in an impressive, but often impractical, display. The Russian Ambassador Alexander Kurakin is credited with bringing Service à la russe to France in the early 19th century, and it later caught on in England. This is now the style in which most modern restaurants serve food (with some significant modifications).

PLACE SETTING AND SERVICE ORDER

For the most correct service à la russe, the following must be observed:

The place setting (called a cover) for each guest includes a service plate, all the necessary cutlery except those required for dessert, and stemmed glasses for water, wines and champagne.

Atop the service plate is a rolled napkin, and atop that is the place card. Above the plate is a saltcellar, nut dish, and a menu.

3. The cutlery to the right of the service plate are, from the outside in, the oyster fork resting in the bowl of the soup spoon, the fish knife, the meat knife and the salad knife (or fruit knife).

4. On the left, from the outside in, are the fish fork, the meat fork and a salad fork (or fruit fork). (If both a salad and a fruit course are served, the necessary extra flatware must be brought out on a platter, as it is bad form to have more than three knives or forks on the table at once, the oyster fork excepted.)

1. Guests are seated according to their place cards and immediately remove their napkins and place them in their laps. Another view maintains that the napkin is only removed after the host/hostess has removed his or hers. In the same manner, the host/hostess is first to begin eating, and guests follow.

2. Then the oyster plate is placed atop the service plate. Once that is cleared the soup plate replaces it. After the soup course is finished, both the soup plate and service plate are removed from the table, and a heated plate is put in their place. (The rule is as such: a filled plate is always replaced with an empty one, and no place goes without a plate until just before the dessert course.)

3. The fish and meat courses are always served from platters, because in correct service a filled plate is never placed before a guest, as this would indirectly dictate how much food the guest is to eat.

4. Directly before dessert everything is removed from the place settings except the wine and water glasses. Crumbs are cleared now.

An example of a twenty-one course dinner follows:

1. Palate cleanser, or amuse. This may be preceded by a refreshing, lightly alcoholic drink, if the diners are to wait or mingle before being seated.

2. Second amuse3. Caviar4. Cold appetizer5. Thick soup6. Thin soup7. Shellfish8. Antipasto9. Pasta (usually short, long pasta being more suited to informal lunches)10. Intermezzo (Sorbet)11. Quail12. Wild mushrooms13. Beef14. Green salad15. Puffed pastry filled with herbed mousse16. Cheese17. Pudding18. Ice cream19. Nuts20. Petit four21. Coffee, liquor (in a home, as opposed to a restaurant, these are properly served in the more relaxed

setting of a drawing room or salon, not at the dining table)

A typical 14-course menu for a formal French dinner in service à la russe style is as follows:

1. Oysters or clams on a half shell. Alternatively, fruit or caviar may be served2. Soup (each guest may choose between clear or thick)3. Radishes, celery, olives and almonds4. Fish, with potatoes and cucumbers with oil & vinegar5. Sweetbreads (or mushrooms)6. Artichokes, asparagus or spinach inside a shell of pastry7. A roast with a green vegetable8. Frozen Roman punch (an alcoholic fruit punch thickened with egg whites)9. Game with salad10. Creamed sweet (e.g. a heavy pudding)11. Frozen sweet (e.g. a sorbet or ice cream)12. Cheeses with biscuits and butter13. Crystallized and stuffed dried fruits served with bonbons14. Coffee, liqueurs, cognac, and sparkling water (at this time cigars may be

smoked)

FORMAL DINING

In formal dining, a full course dinner can consist of five, seven, eight, ten or twelve courses, and, in its extreme form, has been known to have twenty-one courses. In these more formalized dining events, the courses are carefully planned to complement each other gastronomically. The courses are smaller and spread out over a long evening, up to three, four or five hours, and follow conventions of menu planning that have been established over many years.

Most courses (excluding some light courses such as sorbets) in the most formal full course dinners are usually accompanied by ("paired with") a different wine, liqueur, or other spirit; today, craft beers and sakes are increasingly being integrated into the pairings.

2.Assisted service:Customer served part of the meal at a table and is required to obtain

part through self-service (for example in a carvery-type operation)

A carvery is a restaurant where cooked meat is freshly sliced to order for customers, sometimes offering unlimited servings for a fixed price. The term is most commonly used in the U.K. Ireland and australia , but it is also found in the U.S.

Assisted Service

In this type of category, the guest enters in the dining area and helps himself to the food, either from a buffet counter or he may get served partly at table by waiter/ess and he collects any extras he needs from the counter.

Eating may be done on either at table, standing or in lounge area/ banquet hall.

3.Self-service:

• The customer is required to help him or herself from a buffet or counter

• Counters can be:– Straight line counter with payment point at end– Free-flow - customers move at will to random service points– Echelon – series of counters at angles to save space– Supermarket - Island service points within a free-flow area

Cafeteria Service:

This service exists normally in industrial canteens, colleges, hospitals or hotel cafeterias.

To facilitate quick service, the menu is fixed and is displayed on large boards. The guest may have to buy coupons in advance, present them to the counter waiter who then serves the desired item.

4.Single point service:

• The customer orders, pays and receives the food and beverages at a counter:

– At take away; fast food; drive thru; kiosk; food court, vending machine

– At a bar in licensed premises

Single Point Service

In this category, the guest orders, pays for his order and gets served all at a single point. There may bemay not be any dinning area or seats.

The different types are:

1. Take away service2. Vending3. Kiosk4. Food court

Kentucky Fried Chicken

Take Away: Customer orders and is served from single point, at counter, hatch or snack stand; customer consumes off the premises.

Vending: Provision of food service and beverage service by means of automatic retailing.

Food Court: series of autonomous counters where customers may either order and eat or buy from a number of counters and eat in separate eating area, or take away.‐

Kiosks: Outstation to provide service for peak demand or in specific location (may be open forcustomers to order or used for dispensing only)

5.Specialised service(or service in situ):

• The food and beverage is taken to where the customer is.

• Includes: tray service in hospitals, hotels or aircraft, trolley service, home delivery, lounge service, room service and drive-in

A) Grill Room Service: In this form of service various meats are grilled in front of the guest. The meats may be displayed behind a glass partition or well decorated counter so that the guest can select his exact cut of meat. The food comes pre plated.‐

B) Tray service: Method of service of whole or part of meal on tray to customer in situ, e.g. hospitals aircraft or railway catering.

C) Trolley service: Method of service of food and beverages form trolley, away from dining areas, e.g. foroffice workers, in aircraft or on trains.D) Home‐ Delivery: Food delivered to customer’s home or place of work, e.g. Pizza home delivery or Meal on wheels etc.E) Lounge Service: Service of variety of foods & beverages in lounge area.

Snack bar service

It implies serving of food and beverage in guest rooms of hotels. Small orders are served in trays. Major meals are taken to the room on trolleys. The guest places his order with the room service order taker. There are 3(three) types of Room service:

1.Centralized room service2.De-centralized room service3.Mobile room service

Room Service:

Centralized room service: Here all the food orders are processed from the main kitchen and sent to the rooms by a common team of waiters.

Decentralized room service: Each floor or a set of floor may have separate pantries to service them. Orders are taken at a central point by order‐takers who in turn convey the order to the respective pantry.

Mobile Pantries/ room service: 

Some hotels have pantries installed in service elevators. Orders are received by a central point that convey it to the mobile pantry. The pantry has to just switch on the floor and give instant service. For the sake of information, in countries, which have a shortage of manpower, large hotels install mechanized dispensing units in rooms. The guest inserts the necessary value of coins into the machine, which will eject pre-prepared food and beverages for guest consumption.

Guide for serving

1. Silver serve food from the left

2. Serve platter to plate from left

3. Serve plated foods from the right

4. Serve all beverages from the right

5. Clear from the right

6. Bread service to the left side of the guest to side plate.

Guide for general working

Use traysSeparate tasks of:

serving at tablefood/drink collectionsideboard/workstation clearing

Use checklists for tasks required for clearing after service

SEQUENCE OF TABLE SERVICE(A LA CARTE SERVICE) 1. Welcome/greeting the guests 2. Escorting guests to their tables3. Seating the guests4. Offering Before – Dinner Drinks5. Serving of Drinks/water6. Presenting the Menu and Taking the Order7. Placing order to the kitchen8. Completing the table set-up9. Picking up/ assembling the order10. Serving food according to standard Sequence11. 1st - Bread and Butter12. 2nd - Appetizers13. 3rd - Soup14. 4th - Salad15. 5th - Main Course16. Clearing of Table after every finished Course 17. Offering and serving dessert18. Offering/Serving after-Dinner Drinks/Coffee19. Preparing/Setting of Guest Check20. Bidding Good-bye and thanking the Guest………………………………………….All staff

SEQUENCE OF DINING SERVICE – A LA CARTEFINE DINING WITH WINE SERVICE

1. Welcoming / greeting the guests2. Offering Before-Dinner Drinks (aperitifs)3. Serving or Bread and butter4. Presenting the menu5. Serving before-dinner drinks (aperitifs)6. Taking of food order7. Placing/picking up food orders8. Taking wine order9. Completing the table-set-up10. Clearing of aperitif glasses11. Presenting and serving white wine12. Serving appetizers, then soup13. Cleaning of soiled dishes14. Presenting and serving red wine15. Serving the main course and side salad16. Refilling red wine glass17. Clearing red wine glass18. Clearing soiled dishes, crumbing down of tables19. Offering and serving dessert20. Offering sweet cherries/sweet champagne21. Offering/serving coffee and liqueurs22. Presenting and setting the bill23. Bidding goodbye/thanking the guest……………………………………………….. All staff