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SILVER SERVICE
 How To Provide A Silver Service
Silver service is a type of service that adds a certain amount of style to an occasion. If it
is done well with flair, customers will be impressed and think very highly of your establishment.
In order to become proficient at silver service, you must practice, preferably not on customers.
One of the best places to practice is at home. You can very easily silver serve dinner to your
family every evening to become comfortable and efficient at this technique. This will ensure that
you will not be nervous when you serve customers and that they can enjoy the ceremony of
having the beautifully presented food on the service platter transferred to their own plate.

In a restaurant the food is taken to the customer’s table on a serving platter called a flat.
You will already have placed hot dinner plates on the table. The food is then transferred from the
presentation platter to the dinner plates with the use of a fork and spoon, two forks or even two
spoons depending on the type of food that is being served.

Some restaurants may use a part silver service, where they may only serve particular items such
as the bread or maybe the vegetables that accompany a main dish.

When providing silver service at a banquet, it is very important to work very quickly, as
you will be serving 10 –12 people and the food must be served hot to all of them.

It is extremely important to follow all relevant health and safety principles and food
hygiene principles. You must also be comfortable with silver service techniques in order to
provide service that meets customer’s expectation.

Good Knowledge Of All Service Procedures

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 Always work within specified areas to avoid disturbing the workflow of others.

 Plan your work to avoid unnecessary movement. E.g. if you are going to the bar or
kitchen, never go empty handed – there is always something that needs to be removed
from the restaurant.

 Organise your work area to establish an efficient workflow. Always have all service
items and equipment ready for use to avoid unnecessary trips.

 Always clean as you go and go as you clean, as this will avoid unnecessary cleaning and
time wasting at the end of your shift.

 All preparation areas should be kept clean at all times.

 Smooth workflow and following of organisational requirements will ensure that

customers are satisfied at all times. Customers expect efficient and organised work
practices and good service at all times. This ensures that they will return and hopefully
advertise the establishment through positive word of mouth advertising.

 Remember that in restaurants there are sharp implements such as knives and waiter’s
friends and hot and heavy service equipment which must all be treated with the utmost
care at all times.

 In the case of silver service, you must always take the greatest care in serving the
customers to avoid spilling or dropping any of the food that you are serving on the
customers.

 It is also important to remember to cause the least amount of disturbance to customers,

especially as you are working very close to them. Try not to lean on or over the
customers or hover for too long.

 The longer you take in silver serving the more chance there is of the food cooling down,
so you must work quickly and efficiently at all times.

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Silver Place Settings

Place Fork
for all meals, entree or roast
Salad/Pastry Fork
salad, fish, pies, pastries cold meats
Dinner Fork
essential to the formal dinner where more than one fork is needed, also
used as a serving fork
Cake Fork
for desserts and pastries
Fish Fork
used when a fish course is served - Hollow Handle
Strawberry Fork
longer three tine fork for fruit/melons
Place Knife
for all meals, entree or roast - Hollow Handle
Individual Steak Knife
used at place setting for cutting meats - Hollow Handle
Fish Knife
used when a fish course is served. Hollow Handle
Dinner Knife
essential to the formal dinner where more than one knife is needed.
Hollow Handle
Tea Knife butter, jams, jellies marmalades - Hollow Handle

Butter Spreader jams, jellies or for hors d'oeuvres or on a cheese tray

Cream Soup Spoon soups in dishes or bowls, serving sauces, cereals

Small Teaspoon may be used as a child's spoon and as a coffee spoon

Teaspoon
coffee, tea, fruits, and some desserts
Place Spoon

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dessert, cereal, soup, small serving spoon

Dessert/Oval Spoon
soups, desserts, cereals small serving spoon
Demitasse Spoon
after dinner coffee, condiments, caviar
Ice Cream Fork
ice cream pies, cakes, or frozen desserts
Round Bowl Soup Spoon
soups, cereals, small serving spoon
Iced Beverage Spoon
iced coffee or tea, fruit drinks, parfaits
Grapefruit/Melon Spoon
grapefruit, melon, jellies, jams relishes
Individual Salt Spoon individual serving spoon used with saltcellar

Before The Service

All service items and equipment must be inspected before use to check that:

♠ they are clean

♠ they are free from chips, cracks and other damage
♠ they are polished, especially the silver that must not be tarnished. Silver must be cleaned
properly on a regular basis in order to keep it shining
♠ linen must not be torn, stained, frayed, or have holes in it.

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♠ linen is neatly pressed.

♠ Placement of all service items and equipment is extremely important.

♠ Most items will be stored on a sideboard or service station.

♠ You must have enough of each item to last throughout service.
♠ Items such as silver service cutlery may be kept in the kitchen close to where you will
collect the food. You will need a new set of service cutlery each time you take a platter of
food to the restaurant.
♠ Hot plates will be brought from the kitchen or you may have a plate warmer situated next
to your waiter’s station.
♠ Waiter’s cloths must be folded and ready for use according to organisational
requirements.

Clearing Finished Course

Type of food:

 Soup
 Starter
 Main course
 Dessert.

 When the whole table has finished eating, it is time to clear the table. This will be
apparent when all customers have placed their cutlery together on their plate. If you are in
doubt, check with the customer if he/she has finished.

 Start clearing with the person on the host’s left, moving around the table to the right,
finishing with the host.

 Stand to the guest’s right, lean forward and pick up the plate with your right hand.

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 Move away from the guest and transfer the plate to your left hand.

 Grip the plate with your thumb on the rim and your first and second fingers
underneath.

 Point your third and fourth finger upward to form a platform.

 Prevent the cutlery sliding around by placing your thumb on the end of the fork
handle.

 Place the knife under the fork pointing in the opposite direction.

 Move onto the next guest and pick up his/her plate with your right hand.

 Transfer the plate to your left hand onto the platform created by your third and fourth
fingers and forearm.

 The fork is placed next to the fork.

 Use the knife to scrape the food scraps onto the first plate. Then place the knife under
the forks next to the other knife.Clear the rest of the table the same way.

 When you have finished, take the dirty dishes to the kitchen or wash-up.

Clearing The Table

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After clearing each course you must clear all the crockery and cutlery that the customer no
longer needs.

 After entrée remove the entrée cutlery that has not been used.
 After the main course, make sure that all the side plates have been cleared.
 Remove the cruets and other condiments.
 Remove all other crockery that may have been used such as finger bowls, extra plates
and butter plates.
 Remove breadbaskets if they have been used.
 Remove any main course cutlery that may not have been used.
 If the dessert cutlery is not already on the table, you will have to set the table for
dessert.
 Carry the cutlery on a plate and place the cutlery on the table according to
organisational requirements. The fork on the left and the spoon on the right.

 Do not lean in front of guests when laying down the cutlery. Go to both sides of the
customer to place the dessert cutlery.

 Make sure that ashtrays are also changed when there are a maximum of 2 butts in the
ashtray. This must be done continually during service. Some people may wish for you
to take the ashtray away during the courses.
 Once the dessert plates have been cleared you should remove everything from the
table except for glasses that are being used, decorative items and ashtrays.
 At this point you should ‘crumb down’. Use a folded napkin to brush all the crumbs
from the table onto a plate. At this time you should also remove any other food debris
and waste such as cigarette packets and wrappings from the table.
 Coffee may be served after the dessert. You will then need to bring sugar, milk and
all other items associated with the service of coffee, tea and hot chocolate.
 All table clearing and removal of crockery, cutlery and service items should always
be removed, replaced and checked according to organisational requirements.

BUFFET SERVICE
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 How To Provide A Buffet Service

Carveries and buffets are based on a style of service where the customers come to the table
with food presented on it and help themselves or are served by a chef or waiter. The food is not
brought to the table for them. They must get up from their seat in order to choose their own food.
Buffets and carveries appeal to customers for a variety of reasons:

⇒ It is an interactive type of service where customers can help themselves and can also
be served by waiting staff.
⇒ Customers have the opportunity to mingle with other people and possibly meet them.
⇒ Customers can choose exactly what and how much they want to eat.
⇒ On unlimited buffets and carveries, customers can return and eat as much as they like.
⇒ Carveries and buffets are generally less expensive than an a là carte restaurant or
bistro, and people think they get better value for money.
⇒ Customers enjoy the ‘showmanship’ of the buffet, especially the presentation of it
including the centrepieces and the way the food has been arranged on the table.
⇒ Customers also enjoy watching the waiter or the chef carve their meat for them or
cook the food, such as omelettes for breakfast.
⇒ Buffets and carveries can be a fairly efficient form of service, as people can move
through quickly, or if they prefer, at a leisurely pace.
⇒ Customers can approach the buffet when and how they want to, as there is no
restriction on time, except the start and the finish of the buffet.

It is extremely important to follow all relevant health and safety principles and food hygiene
principles. You must also be comfortable with silver service techniques in order to provide

service that meets customers expectation.

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Good Knowledge Of All Service Procedures

o As there is always the chance of running out of food items, it is extremely important to be
aware of when to replenish the dishes on the buffet/carvery table.

o Always work within specified areas to avoid disturbing the workflow of others.
o Plan your work to avoid unnecessary movement, e.g. if you are going to the bar or
kitchen, never go empty handed – there is always something that needs to be removed
from the restaurant or carvery/buffet area.
o Organise your work area to establish an efficient workflow. Always have all service
items and equipment ready for use to avoid unnecessary trips.
o Always clean as you go and go as you clean, as this will avoid unnecessary cleaning
and time wasting at the end of your shift.
o All preparation areas should be kept clean at all times.
o Smooth workflow and following of organisational requirements will ensure that
customers are satisfied at all times. Customers expect efficient and organised work
practices and good service at all times. This ensures that they will return, and
hopefully advertise the establishment through positive word of mouth advertising.
o Remember that on buffets and carveries there are sharp implements such as knives
and hot and heavy service equipment which must all be treated with the utmost care
at all times.
o Be aware of customers, as you will be working amongst them at all times. You will
be replenishing the buffet/carvery and clearing tables continually during service.
o Buffets and carveries attract families, so you must be very aware of children amongst
the guests. Be careful not to fall over the children, or fall over them whilst you are
carrying hot items around the restaurant.

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Before The Service

Service items and equipment:

♠ Dishes or flats – these include any type of dish that food will be served in such as bowls
for soup or semiflat dishes for vegetables. Flats are generally large oval dishes of
stainless steel that food is presented on, on the buffet or carvery. They can present cold or
hot food.
♠ Service cutlery – this is the cutlery that you will find on a buffet or carvery with which
the customers will serve themselves, or the waiting staff will serve the customers. They
can be forks, spoons different types of tongs or a mixture of all of them. Knives are
usually only used by the waiting staff or the chefs.
♠ Crockery – this includes plates, bowls and other items that customers use to serve
themselves food onto.
♠ Glassware – glasses, that are used for different types of beverages that customers
consume at their table. This will also include glassware that is used for savoury cocktails
and desserts
♠ Cutlery and silverware – cutlery can be either already on the guests’ table, or
sometimes the customers need to collect their cutlery at the beginning or end of the
buffet/carvery. There will be a collection of knives, forks, spoons, cocktail cutlery and
dessert cutlery.
♠ Service cloths and other linen – this must all be clean and without holes or tears. The
buffet or carvery table will be draped in a cloth and there will be cloths to stop people
burning themselves when they touch hot items. There will also be cloths on the tables and
probably napkins for the customers.
♠ All service items and equipment must be inspected before use to check that:

♠ they are clean

♠ they are free from chips, cracks and other damage
♠ they are polished, especially silver which must not be tarnished. (Silver must be cleaned
properly on a regular basis in order to keep it shining).

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♠ linen is not be torn, stained, frayed, or have holes in it

♠ linen is neatly pressed.

Customer’s tables:
Before setting the buffet or carvery you must also set the tables for the customers:

 The procedure will be similar to the restaurant set up – you must follow
organisational requirements.
 Tables must be positioned with chairs, clean cloths or place mats, and napkins that are
all clean and undamaged.
 You will need to check the booking sheet as to the exact requirements for large tables
and other bookings.
 Cutlery will be set according to the type of buffet and your organisational
requirements. Generally you will have a knife on the right, a fork on the left, a side
knife on the side plate on the left, a napkin and a wineglass at the tip of the knife.
 Salt and pepper cruets will be in the centre of the table.
 Ashtrays are placed on the table if it is a smoking area.
 You may also have flowers, candles or another types of table decorations that must be
clean, neat and positioned according to organisational requirements.
 Any promotional material and table numbers must be correctly placed, clean, not torn
or stained.

Buffet or carvery table:

The buffet or carvery table will be arranged on the size and configuration of the room. It will
also depend on the number of people to be served the amount and type of food and how many
courses are to be served at a time. There are many other factors that must be considered:

 The table is usually clothed in large (white) cloths. Some establishments may have
special buffet cloths, which have decorative frills and are very easy to put on the
table. The traditional cloth wraps around the table, falling to the floor in the front, and
being made into a ‘box’ around the sides. Sometimes throwaway paper cloths are
used, that come on a large roll. Slip cloths, or small squares, often-colourful cloths are
placed over the main cloth to provide a contrast. If a number of cloths need to be

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used, the overlaps must all face the same way. This makes it more visually acceptable
for customers.
 Customers must have easy access to the buffet/carvery.
 Customers must be able to move freely around the buffet/carvery.
 Staff must be able to serve the customers comfortably.
 The food must be easy to access.
 Customers should not have to fight their way through other customers.
 The buffet/carvery should not be too wide, as customers will not be able to reach.
 Plates must be the first things that customers pick up, and there must always be
enough for all the customers. Sometimes the plates are on a separate table at the
beginning of the buffet/carvery. The hot plates must be near the hot food, the soup
plates near the soup, dessert plates near the dessert. The one thing worse than running
out of food, is running out of plates or cutlery.
 Cutlery may be wrapped up in a napkin, or will already be on the customers’ table.

Clearing The Table

Clearing the table for buffet style service is very similar to clearing tables in a à la Carte
setting. In this case though, it is not always necessary to wait until the whole table has finished
eating. Often people on the same table may have finished a course and while the others are still
eating, they will return to the buffet for more food. You must clear the table of dirty plates at all
times, not just when the whole table has finished, otherwise you may find that there is a whole
collection of dirty plates on the table. You will know when a person has finished, as they will put
their cutlery together.

Clearing Side Plates

At the same time as the main plates:

• Continue around the table a second time.

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• Pick up the side plates and knives with your right hand.
• Place all the side plates on the pile of plates that are supported by your arm.
• Use the knives to move leftovers onto the first dinner plate.
• Place the knives on the first plate with all the other knives.
• Continue until you have finished clearing the table.

Separately from the dinner plates:

• After you have cleared and taken all the dinner plates to the wash-up, return to the
table with one clean dinner plate. Use this plate like the first clearing plate.
• You will put leftovers and knives onto this plate.
• Collect all side plates in the same manner as dinner plates.
• If you are clearing odd shaped plates, only clear what you can carry in two hands. Do not
try to stack plates as they may fall.

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PLATE SERVICE
 How To Provide Plate Service

While uses for the term of plate lunch may vary from one location and culture, there are
some very specific examples of what people mean when a meal is referred to as a plate lunch.
Here are a few examples of how this simple but often well-rounded meal appears in different
settings.

The origins for describing a meal as a plate lunch appear to hail from Hawaii. More
properly known as pa mea ’ai, plate lunches within this setting generally refer to three
components. A Hawaiian food plate lunch will consist of a helping of macaroni salad, white rice
and some sort of meat entrée, usually broiled or baked.

This form of the plate lunch is often referred to as an example of a syncretic menu,
meaning that it draws the elements from more than one culture or geographical region. Certainly
rice is a staple in many cultures and helps to give the plate lunch a bit of pan-Asian flair.
Macaroni or pasta is certainly a favorite across the world. Meat selections can range from
anything to ground beef to lamb, chicken, or ham. The result is a tasty meal that draws on a nice
cross section of what the world has to offer.

In the southern region of the United States, the plate lunch is usually associated with an
arrangement of a meat entrée and three vegetables. Southern culture dictates that a proper plate
lunch will include are least one green vegetable and never more than one starch per meal. Thus,
the Southerner wishing to honor tradition may choose a green vegetable and rice or a potato, but

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never rice and potatoes at the same time. Some people will refer to go with a starch, a green
vegetable and choose carrots or something similar to complete the picture.

A plate lunch in the Midwestern United States is similar to the Southern version, but
without any restrict ions on the choices of vegetables. Thus, a proper Midwestern plate lunch
could easily consist of a meat, potatoes, rice, and macaroni. In fact, there is often an array of
starches found on buffets in many Midwestern restaurants.

Variations of the plate lunch are often impacted by local customs and also dietary
preferences or needs. For example, the so-called California plate lunch could be a vegetarian
delight that might include an entrée that is either soy-based or made with tofu, a raw garden
salad, and marinated legumes.

The plate lunch is a favorite offering in many restaurants, as it allows the kitchen to
prepare larger amounts of selected foods that can be dished up quickly when patrons place an
order. To the hungry customer, a plate lunch menu offers the ability to make some quick and
easy choices that will result in a tasty meal for a relatively low price. The end result is a lot of
happy people all the way around.

Step 1:

Customers should be acknowledged within thirty seconds of arrival and fully greeted within one
minute. Attention should be given to factors such as:

• reservations
• preference for smoking or non-smoking
• customers with small children
• customers with special physical or dietary needs
• customers with communication difficulties.
Step 2.

Once the party has been shown to their seats, assistance should be offered in seating customers.
Clean, well-presented menus should be given to guests and you should explain any items on
special or any promotions.

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Step 3

When the guests are ready, you should take their order, making sure to offer advice when
necessary. At this stage, you will have the chance to promote food and drink items and to make
suggestions regarding the menu.

Step 4

Once the order has been relayed to the kitchen, it is your job to adjust the place settings making
sure that each guest has the correct cutlery and service equipment.

Step 5

When the kitchen indicates that the food is ready, there are several things that must be checked:

• food must be well presented

• food must be served at the correct temperature
• food items must be exactly what the customer ordered.
Step 6

When carrying the food to the table, be sure that your hands do not come into contact with the
food or the upper rim of the service dish. This would increase the chances of bacteria transferring
from your hands to the food.

Step 7.

When all the guests have finished their meal, you must aim to clear their table quietly and
efficiently. In some establishments, this may include “crumbing down” which is the method of
removing crumbs from the table either by using a folded napkin or a small brush. Soiled linen
should also be removed from the table.

Step 8

At all times during service, it is important to keep the dining area clean, tidy and organised. This
must be done with minimum disturbance to customers.

Presenting menus to customers:

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• Never give a dirty menu to a customer, as this would create a bad impression of the
establishment.

• make sure that you have enough menus for everyone at the table
• start with the ladies first, presenting an opened menu to each customer
• explain to the customers, which items are on special or promotion – you should have
previously consulted the chef with regard to these items
• let the customers know if there are any items that are not available
• inform customers of any items that are not listed on the menu, i.e. what the soup of
the day is or how the fish of the day is cooked.

Carrying Plates

With experience, you will be able to carry two, three or four plates to the table at the one
time. Never attempt to carry more plates to the table than you can confidently carry. Ask your
supervisor if the establishment has a preferred method of carrying plates. Regardless of the
technique being used, the following points should be observed.

 A tripod effect should be used to evenly balance the plates.

 The upper arm or body should never support plates, as these plates will be unstable as
you walk.
 Stand slightly behind the left shoulder of the customer. Plates should be picked up in the
reverse order you want to put them down; i.e. the first plate that you pick up from the
kitchen will be the last plate that you put down at the table.
 Always use your right hand to put plates on the table as you move around the table.

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First plate grip First Plate Position

Second plate position

Third plate position

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Three plate clearing method:

o The first plate is picked up with the right hand.

o Transfer plate to the left hand and hold between the thumb and the index finger –
making sure to hold the handle of the fork securely.
o With the knife, move any leftover food to the back of the plate.
o Place the knife at right angles to the fork, with the blade under the bridge of the fork.
o Pick up the second plate with the right hand and position it in the crease of your left
palm.
o Place the second fork beside the first fork.
o Use the second knife to slide the scraps from the first plate to the second plate –
which now becomes the ‘scrap plate’.
o Position the third plate on the flat of the forearm.
o Place the fork with the other forks.
o Use the knife to slide the scraps down with the other scraps.
o Continue this process using the plates in the following way:
o first plate – cutlery
o second plate – scraps
o third plate – stack dirty plates.

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GUERIDON SERVICE
 How To Provide Gueridon Service
A variation of silver service is called Gueridon service. In this case, a trolley is placed
next to the customer’s table and food is served onto plates from this trolley. Gueridon service
also refers to cookery at the guest’ table. In this case the waiter will do the actual cooking of a
dish next to the customer. Popular Gueridon dishes include Crepes Suzette and Steak Tartar.

The definition of the term guéridon is a movable service or trolley from which food be
carved, filtered, flambéed or prepared and served. It is, in other words, a movable side board
which can give, sufficient equipment for the immediate operation in hand; whatever it should
also carry much special equipment in case of emergency if necessary. The guéridon service
itself come in various form i.e. calor gas, trolley, specially made for the purpose, a plain trolley
or even a small table.

The origin of guéridon service itself is hard to trace. It includes carving salad
preparation, filtering preparation of fresh fruit and so on. This form of service the cost of the
dishes being priced individually and the average cost of the meal being therefore higher than a
table d’hote meal. Another reason for higher cost with an a’la carte type of meal is that demand
a skilled service and this form of service of labour cost. In itself is much higher and is include
within the cost that the guest pay also made expensive and elaborate form of equipment must be
used fro the service to be carried out.

• Miss-En-Place For Guéridon

Where necessary, the top and under shelf of the guéridon should be covered with a folded table
cloth. This, of course depends on the nature of guéridon itself and its general appearance for

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convenience of working the cutlery and flatware layout be similar to that of the side board. This
saves time and speed up the service from right to left.

• Service spoon and forks

• Sweet spoon and forks

• Soup, tea and Coffee spoons

• Fish knife and fork, special equipment including a soup and sauce ladle

• Joint and side knife

The hot plates or table heaters are generally placed on the left hand side on the top of the
guéridon. This heater may be gas, electricity or methylated spirit. If the heater the coffee sauces
should be placed under the burners. Also on the top be found a carving board knife for carving
and filtering and selection of basic accompaniment such as oil and vinegar, Worcester sauce,
English and French mustard and castor sugar.

Underneath will be found a service plate and service salver, side plate and some joint plates for
dirty tableware. When an operation is being carried out, there should be some silver. Under
plate or doilies is useful for a prevantals of sauces and other accompaniments and cheese pads
will on the waiters’ of all side board, together with a silver plate of all the guéridon equipment
in case of emergencies.

• Special Equipment:

Flare lamps:

These are an essential item of equipment for guéridon service and are used in re-heating,
cooking and flambéing dishes. The maintenance of the flare lamps is very important and should
be carried out very carefully, ensuring each part is fitted together correctly, that it is fitted to the
correct level with methylated spirit and than the wick is of sufficient length to give adequate
heat where in use.

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The flare lamp should be cleaned regularly with the aid of plate powder. Regular timing of the
wick is essential to avoid methylated spirit fumes baking out and spoiling the aroma of the
food. The lamps are usually 20-25 cm high with a grid of diameter 15-20 cm. In a purpose built
the same working height all along the trolley tap. This I much safe fro the waiter as he/she
works since there is less chance of accidents. The lamps here are generally color gas.

Chafing dish on suzette pans:

The true chafing dish in rarely seen now days. This was deeper, had a led and was made to fit
into A’s own individual heating unit. The shallower pans which are used today are called
Suzette pans. They resemble frying pans in shape and size and have a diameter of 23-30 cm
with or without a lip. The lip is usually found on the left hand side. The pans are generally
made of silver plated copper as this gives an even distribution of heat.

Guéridon (Calor gas):

A guéridon may use a gas lamp connected to a calor gas cylinder. The service top is flat the
upper casing. This makes it much safe when working dishes or carrying out any form of flambé
work at the table. The top of the trolley is stainless steel which allows for easy cleaning other
facilities are the control switch for the gas lamp, the drawer for the surplus equipment, the
cutting board for use when cooking dishes at the table the bracket on the lower tray used for
holding bottles of spirit and liqueurs and the identification on top of the trolley for holding
accompaniments.

Care and maintenance of equipment:

These are many reasons why all equipment should be maintained on a regular basis. Primarily,
it is because of Hygiene and presentation in front of the client and legal suspects of the food
Hygiene Regulation, 1970; the Food Act 1984; the Food safety Act 1990, and the Food and
Drug act.

Work performance: Efficiency of performance is lost and possibly as a result loss of custom
and therefore revenue.

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Work safety: The legal aspects of the health and safety at work 1974 would apply here as well
as applicable insurance acts.

To ensure the above takes place a daily inspection and cleaning rota as schedule. This work
should then be carried out by the food service/personnel during the normal mis-en-place period
and under the supervision of a senior member at the team of brigade.

• Check List

Gas lamps:

• Check that all moving arts move freely.

• Ensure both the jet and burner and free from soot and dirt.

• Clean by appropriate method – silvo or geddards plate powder – but remember

do not even immerse in water.

Gas bottles:

• Ensure at all times there is no heated equipment or naked flames near the lamp.

• Follows at all times there is no heated equipment or naked flames near the lamp.

• Checks all taps are in the off position.

• During storage all gas bottle should be kept cool.

Spirit lamps :

• Check the amount of methylated spirit.

• See that the air hole is free.

• Trim the wick and check it for length.

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• Clean of any excessive dirt and spent matches.

• Ensure all moving parts move freely.

• Clean by the appropriate method – but remember do not immerse in water.

• Any decoration of equipment should be checked carefully and if necessary

cleaned with a toothbrush.

Certain qualities and attributes are expected are expected of a waiter in carrying out this forms
of service. It is as well to bear the following in mind at this stage.

Taking the order :

It has to be remember first and foremost that you are a sales person. You must sell the dishes,
which will involve you in work at the table. Suggest to the customs, item on the menu, this
focusing attention in dishes. You may wish to sell. Use the carving trolley and sweet trolley as
visual selling lid.

Your must always have a good knowledge of the menu so as to give good discipline to the
guest of the dishes available. Recognition of the host is an important factor.

• Stand to left of the host, Each guest should have one yourself for reference
purposes.

• Do not positioning yourself too close to guest as this may cause embarrassment.

• Size up your host and guest according to ages dues and nature of the party. This
should then give you some indication as to the type of dishes on may suggest.

• Take all order through the host. Try to ascertain the length of time available for
the meal as this could determine the type of dishes sold. Warm customer of waiting
times.

• Take note as to whether the party is all male, female or female.

• Always take the order as score as possible.

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Points to be kept in mind while doing guéridon service :

• Guéridon service is job of chef who also responsible for doing the service.

• Always push the guéridon trolley but don’t pull it helps the avoid accident.

• The guéridon should be kept in one position for the service for the complete
course.

• The trolley should never be kept near the service door as it is may be obstruction
to the waiter.

• When more covers are being served only the main dirt should be served fro the
guéridon potatoes, sauces, vegetables should be served in normal manner.

• Service spoon and fork are not used as in the silver service but held with spoon in
one hand and fork in the other.

• The filling or carving should not be done on silver dish but on the carving board
or hot joint plate.

• Dirty plates should always be cleared from the guéridon trolley.

Alcohol used in guéridon trolley :

Spirit (Brandy & Rum) To flambé

Fortified wines To sweeten
Sparkling wines To colour

Presentation of Trolley :

Where in use the carving trolley must be presented in between the customer and chef which
ensures that the customer can see every operation performed and appreciate skill performed. It
should be position in such away that the lid is drawn from trolley towards the waiter and safety
wall is positioned on the side away from the waiter.

Mis-en-place :

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Following mis-en-place should be placed on the caving trolley.

(a) Carving board

(b) Carving knife and fork

(c) Sauce ladles

(d) Service gears

(e) Joint plate for dirties

(f) Flat ware

(g) Spare serviette and serviette cloth

Method of serving a dish at the table :

First present the dish to the customer then return to the guéridon. Place on the side of the trolley
with the food for service standing on the hot plate. The food for service is then carved as
filtered if necessary and is placed on the plate of the guest. Unlike silver service, when the
spoon and form are used together in one hand, guéridon service requires that the spoon and fork
are used one in each hand.

The vegetables and potatoes are then placed on to the plate by the waiter while the plates are
still on the guéridon. The sauces are placed on to the plates by the waiter and plate are then
placed in front of the guest.

It should be noted that, when there are more than two person at one table, the main dish is
served as describe, but the vegetable and potato dishes are as for normal silver service and will
kept hot in readiness for service on the hot plates on the waiter side board. During this
operation it will be the commis or dibarrasreurs’s function to keep the guéridon clear of dirty
dishes and equipment.

Safety points :

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Never place the lamp or the hot plate outside the four trolley legs.

Never move the trolley near to drapes.

Note : The main course does not need to be placed on the hotplate if the service in quick only
the potatoes and vegetables for a short period.

Serve with a spoon in one hand and the fork in another hand.

Sequence of Service :

Presentation of all dishes for all courses is very important both before the actual service
commences an din placing the meal upon the plate, especially when filtering and carving.

Hois d’oeuvres or subslitutes : There are served in the normal way except for speciality dishes
dish such as pâte de fougras, which may have to be cut into slices.

Soup : Always served from the guéridon whether in individual soup tureens or in larger soup
tureens requiring a ladle. All accompaniment passed.

Fish : Filleted where necessary and served from guéridon.

Meat : Carved where necessary and served from the guéridon.

Potatoes and vegetables : Served as previously mentioned together with sauce and
accompaniment.

Sweet : Served from the guéridon in a flambé type dish or from the cold sweet trolley. All
accompaniment passed.

Savoury : Served from guéridon.

Coffee : Normal silver service unless speciality coffees are required.

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• Example Of Gueridon Cart

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