Clear from the Right. This Is the Practice

- clear from the right. This is the practice.

- serve everyone in the party the same course at the same time

- fill water and beverage glasses, replace cutlery, clear away side dishes, bring bread - before being asked.

- serve drinks before food - many customers enjoy a drink while waiting for the meal and with their meal. The wine for a particular course should be served immediately before or after the food

- collect the items on plates when needed - too soon and hot food becomes cold while cold food gets warm. It is a hygiene risk to have food waiting at the wrong temperature

- collect plates before or with the food - otherwise the food has to wait around?

- pick up dropped items as soon as you can - but avoid unnecessary interruption in the service. Do not leave cutlery retrieved from the floor in a place where they might be mistaken for clean items.

- Clear as quietly as possible. Handle the cutlery gently but firmly. Do not bang plates when scraping or piling them even if there are no customers in the room.

ORDER OF SERVICE

When a man and a woman are eating together, the lady is served first.

When two couples are eating together, the lady on the host´s right is served first, then the other lady, other gentleman, and the host.

When more than six persons are eating together, the person on the host´s right is served first and then the quests are served counterclockwise. Alternatively, the lady

on the host`s right is served first then the lady on his left, then all the other guests, continuing around to the right regardless of sex.

In other situations, the old are served before the young, ladies before gentlemen, and children after ladies.

PRESENTING AND SERVING DRINKS

Drinks and wines are always served from the right. Before serving the unopened bottle is presented to the host from the right. This gesture enables the host to confirm that the drink is the one ordered. After this confirmation, the waiter opens the bottle on a serving table in front of the guests. A small quantity of wine is poured into the host´s glass. If the wine is up to expectations, it is then served to the guests, starting with the guest of honour or the oldest lady or gentleman, followed by the other guests and then the host.

For white wine and rose wine the glass is half filled at its most. These wines need to be filled more often and thus the wine will always be at the right temperature and fresh. The red wine glass is filled to the widest point, no more than half full, so that the aroma can develop at the point with the largest surface. Sparkling wine and champagne are served at a temperature of 8°C to 10°C. The bottle must be brought to the guest´s table in an ice bucket, in ice or water, without being shaken. If this rule is not followed, the wine will "go wild", the cork will pop and the wine will spill out of the bottle Pour a small quantity into each glass, and the glasses are then filled to a maximum of two thirds full.

SERVING THE FOOD

Customers expect their food and drinks to be served in a certain order. Menus are built around the accepted order of dishes, moving from the light and delicate to the more substantial. The dessert or sweet course will be designed to finish the meal. But because customers` appetites will depend on what they have eaten, the sweet order is not taken until the preceding course has been finished.

CLEARING DURING THE MEAL

Customers do not want to feel hurried. Leave a slight pause after everyone at the table has finished the course.

Sometimes it is better to clear the plates as customers finish, for example. Remove a plate which has been pushed aside, or is being hit noisily by a child.

Clear quietly yet efficiently. To take many plates at a time and stack them on the sideboard or carry them out of the room, is the quietest method. Plates are normally removed with the right hand from the right hand side of the customer. Glasses, cups and saucers are also removed from the right.

STACKING PLATES AS YOU CLEAR

With practice you can stack plates as you clear them from the table. For most people eight main course plates is the maximum that can be managed at one time, three or four if there are leftovers (e.g. bones and other items) on the plates.

For clearing side plates (e.g. bread plates) it may help to take a clean dinner plate to the table. Use this as the first plate, to stack cutlery and collect leftovers.

For soup plates with liners, collect two plates at a time and take them to the sideboard for stacking. Clearing more than this is difficult and noisy, as you have to keep rearranging the piles of liners, bowls and cutlery.

ONCE CUSTOMERS HAVE LEFT THE TABLE

Use a tray, unless there are only a few items to remove. Remove napkins, wipe any spills. Leave cloth-covered tables covered. Replace the cloth with a clean one before the table is reused. All cutlery and crockery left on the table should be collected for washing. Do the same for linen napkins.

CHECKLIST FOR WAITER

• WAS THE RESTAURANT CLEAN AND TIDY

• WERE DAILY SPECIALS APPETISINGLY DESCRIBED

• WAS THE STAFF SUITABLE DRESSED, NEAT AND TIDY

• WERE ALL MENU ITEMS AVAILABLE

• WAS THE MEAL SERVED PROMTLY

• WAS ALL TABLEWARE CLEAN

• WERE ACCOMPANIMENTS AVAILABLE

• WAS THE FOOD AT THE CORRECT TEMPERATURE

• WAS THE PRESENTATION OF THE MEAL APPEALING

• WERE TABLES CLEARED PROMPTLY BETWEEN COURSES

• WERE THE GUESTS ENCOURAGED TO ORDER A SWEET OR COFFEE

• WAS THE GUEST ASKED IF THE MEAL WAS TO HIS/HER SATISFACTION

• WERE TABLES CLEANED AFTER THE GUESTS HAD EATEN

Ensuring that linen and service items are ready for service

To avoid running out of service items and equipment during service, it is essential that stocks be thoroughly checked during Mise en Place. Some establishments may have a list of suggested stock levels. If your organisation does not have a list, you will need to check with your supervisor to find out the following information:

• How many guests are expected?

• What type of table service is being used? E.g. table d'hôte or á la Carte.

• Are there any special guest requirements?

Once you are familiar with the type and range of service being offered you need to ensure that you have sufficient supplies. It is also essential to check that linen and service equipment is clean and free from damage. Items to be checked may include:

Linen

• table coverings

• table napkins

• service cloths

Service items and equipment

• crockery, cutlery and silverware

• glassware

• ashtrays

• service dishes and flats

• hot plates and plate warmers

• refrigerated units

• hot and cold beverage dispensers

• trays or trolleys

• table decorations

When setting up with these items it is important that you inspect each one carefully. Any unclean service items should be returned for washing. Any damaged items must not be used for service. They should be reported to your supervisor. Your establishment may have in place a procedure for recording damaged items. This helps maintain a constant supply and keeps track of items to avoid wasting company funds.

During Mise en Place, you may also need to turn on equipment such as hot plates and warmers or drink dispensers. If using a coffee machine, make sure you have enough filter paper and coffee for the service period. Make sure that all equipment is working correctly. It is also important to check that all refrigerated units in the service area are at the correct temperature. Any faulty equipment should not be used and should be immediately reported to your supervisor.

Thoroughly completing all stages of Mise en Place prior to service will assist you in the following ways:

• You will not waste time during service looking for items.

• Customers will not be bumped or made to feel uncomfortable by your frantic rushing.

• You will be able to offer a more relaxed service to your customers.

• You will not add unnecessary stress to the working environment.

Common Napkin Folds

Preparing and storing condiments and accompaniments

Condiments and accompaniments refer to those items, which are placed on the table or offered to the guest to enhance or complement their meal.

Each establishment will offer a set range of condiments and accompaniments and they may include any of the following:

• salt (table, sea salt)

• pepper (white, cracked or milled)

• sugars and sweeteners

• prepared sauces and dressings (mustards, ketchup, pickles, jams, vinegar, oil, mayonnaise, vinaigrette and other salad dressings)

• prepared breads (rolls, melba toast, breadsticks, croissants or speciality breads)

• Butter or margarine.

Before the start of service, it is important that you check to see that you have enough condiments and accompaniments. All containers need to be filled up and you need to check that they are clean and free flowing.

Each establishment will have set ways that they prefer to present their condiments and accompaniments, but there are some general rules you must follow.

Salt and Pepper

The containers used to hold salt and ground pepper are called cruets. They should be clean and polished. Salt shakers in humid conditions require some rice grains mixed inside to keep the grains separate. All cruets and pepper mills should be filled and tested before service.

Butter

Use a thin long bladed knife to cut butter into the shape required in your workplace. Different shapes can be made in advance and placed in a bowl of ice and water in the refrigerator. All butter portions should be garnished according to the requirements of the organisation.

Sauces and dressings

If these are commercially prepared, you should check the recommended storage and serving instructions from the supplier. If they are made on the premises, check with the chef for information on storage and serving. Any sauces/dressings past their use-by date should be thrown out and reported to your supervisor. The outside of sauce and dressing bottles must be wiped clean before service and you must make sure that all bottles are full.

Sugar and sweeteners

Sugar containers should be carefully checked before each service. Make sure that the sugar grains are separate and ensure that moisture or humidity has not affected the sugar. Check that dirty teaspoons with coffee or tea have not tainted sugar. It is also important to check that there has been no insect contamination–insects like ants, which are attracted to the sweetness of sugar.

Wipe the outside of the bowl and fill with sugar.

Types of service

Restaurant service –

Usually in a restaurant the management determines dining area the room layout, type of decorations and service equipment. The tables should be set up identically to present an image of neatness to the customer. Occasionally, a large booking may have a special request for restaurant arrangement, but in most cases your establishment will have a routine system for setting up the dining area.

Functions and banquets –

For large functions, banquets, conferences or meetings, the arrangements will have to be agreed with the organisers in advance. They will work together with management to decide on the following:

• food and drinks to be served

• room layout

• seating arrangements

• table decorations and types of table setting.

Laying table settings correctly for food service

The first stage in setting a table is to lay the tablecloth. Care must be taken to keep tablecloths in good condition.

Whatever the table size or type of cloth, there are a number of points to remember:

• cloth must be clean with no stains

• cloth must have no tears or frayed edges

• all sides of the cloth must hang equally over the edges of the table (approx 30 - 45 cms)

• handle the cloth as little as possible to avoid creasing or marking it

• never allow the cloth to touch the floor

• cloth must be right side up

• if overlays are used over the tablecloth, they should hang equally over the edge of the table

• if table mats are used, they should be placed with the bottom edge in line with the edge of the table and should be directly in front of the customer's seat.

Type of table setting

The two standard settings used in a dining area are á la Carte and table d'hôte. Regardless of which setting is required, some basic principles apply.

• The guest's napkin or a dinner plate is placed in a central position in front of the customer's chair. This acts as a centre guide.

• All cutlery should be cleaned and polished.

• Lay the cutlery from next to the plate, moving out according to the number of courses being served. Cutlery should be 2.5 cm from the edge of the table.

• Position a polished side plate to the left of the setting, approx. 2cm from the edge of the table.

• Side knives are positioned on the right side of the side plate (to allow for the service of rolls and bread).