TYPES OF SERVICE

                                                                                                                                                                       

There is a whole range of types and styles of table service used in restaurants. The serving of a meal may be carried out in many ways, depending on a number of factors: the types of restaurant, the type of customer, the time available for able meal the type of menu, and the cost of the meal

Each type of service has particular distinguishing features, although some restaurants combine two or more serving styles to suite the menu the facilities and the image of the restaurant.

The attitude of the serving staff and timetable setting or cover greatly contribute to the various services.

The main services are the guerdon service, the English service, the silver service the plate service. The French service and family service.

GUERIDON SERVICE: It is a formal and elegant type of service. The food is brought from the kitchen to the dining room on heavy silver plates and placed on a trolley called guerdon. A small sprint stove, the rechaud  is used to keep the food warm. specialty dishes are cooked at the table and food is prepared by deboning slicing and garnishing it as necessary, and served to the customer on heated plates.

The menu is a ’la carte with all the dishes individually priced. This service employs two waiters working together to serve the meal and includes the head waiter who seats the customers and the wine steward who serve the wine.

Guerdon service is the most complete form of food service and required skilled waiters able to carry out procedures, such as filleting carving and flambéing.

ENGLISH SERVICE: All food is preferred in the kitchen and arranged either on hot or cold silver plates or dishes as appropriate. It is then taken into the dining room by the waiter who serves  food on to the customers plates which are already on the table.

SILVER SERVICE: The meat or fish control of each individual dish is plated in the kitchen. The individual dishes are then taken into the dining room and put in front of the customer. While the vegetables are prepared on silver on China service dishes and saved at the table with the water.

PLATE SERVICE (AMERICAN SERVICE): All dishes are prepared and plated in the kitchen, complete with all accompaniments according to the order given to the waiters by the customers on right hand side of the customers.

FRENCH SERVICE:                The plates are placed at each cover and the food prepared on plates is presented to the customers in turn, so that they may help themselves.

FAMILY SERVICE: This type of service is used in gust hoist houses and simple hotels and is similar to the French service. Here the main course is placed in the table on a plate winner for the customers to help themselves.

WASH-UP

Organization

The wash-up is a most important service area and must be sited correctly so that the brigade can work speedily and efficiently when passing from the food service area to the kitchens. The waiter should stack trays of dirties correctly at the side-board with all the correct sized plates together, and table-ware stacked on one of the plates with the blades of the knives running under the arches of the forks. All glassware should be stacked on a separate tray and taken to a separate wash-up point.

The wash-up services area should be the first section the waiter enters from the food service area. Here he/she deposits all the dirty plates, stacking them correctly and placing all the tableware in a special wire basket or container in readiness for washing. The waiter must place any debris into the bin or bowl provided. All used paper serviettes, doilies or kitchen paper should be placed in a separate bin. The China itself may be washed by one of two main methods.

Dish washing methods

MANUAL (TANK)METHOD

The dirty china is placed into a tank of hot water containing a soap detergent. After washing the plates are place into wires racks and dipped into a second sterilizing tank containing clean hot water at a temperature of approximately 750⁰E (197⁰). The racks are left for two minutes and then lifted out and the China left to drain. It sterilized in water at this temperature the China will dry by itself without the use of drying up cloths. This is therefore more hygienic. After drying the China is stacked into piles of correct size and placed on shelves until required for further use.

MACHINE METHOD

Many of the larger establishments have washing up machines. These are necessary because of the high turnover rate of china. The instructions for use of washing up machine are generally supplied by the manufacture together with details of detergent to be used and in what quantity. These directions should be strictly adhere to. The China itself has any debris removed and is then placed into either wooden or wire racks. The racks are then passed through the machine the china being washed, rinsed, and then sterilized in turn. Having passed through the machine the China is left train for two to three minutes and is then stacked and place on shelves until required for further use As with the tank method the plates do not require drying with tea cloths.

PREPARATION FOR SERVICE

                                                              

                                                                                                                                                  

MISE-EN – SCENE: Refers to preparing the environment of the area in order to make it pleasant, comfortable, safe and hygienic, for the waiter, the restaurant is the service area. Before each service session, the restaurant should be made presentable enough to accept guests. The supervisor or team of waiters should ensure the following mis -en -scene.

1.       Carpets or floor are well brushed or hovered

2.       All tables and chairs are serviceable le

3.       Light have functioning bulbs

4.       Menu cards are presentable and attractive

5.       Others sales material are presentable

6.       Doors and windows are thrown open for some time to air the restaurant.

This should be followed by closing the windows and doors and setting the air -conditioning to a comfortable temperature

7.       Exchange dirty linen for fresh linen

8.       Table cloth to be laid on the tables

9.       Waiter flower are discarded and fresh flowers requisitions.

MIS-EN-PLACE:

Mise- en – place means “Putting in place “and is the term attributed to the preparation of a work place ultimate smooth service.

To ensure that the restaurant is ready for service the waiter make sure that his station has been efficiently prepared for service.

A station comprises of a given number of table which are attended by given team waiters

Thus, a restaurant may have several station each with the of waiters. In large restaurant each station may be headed by a captain or chef -de- rang