Placing the plates
If the food served is hot, the plates must be hot. If the food served is cold, the plates should be cold.
Hold the pile of plates on the palm of your left hand, on a service cloth. This should have one end wrapped around and over the top of the plates.
As you approach the customer, take the plate by the rim and place it in front of the customer from the right hand side.
Do not put your thumb on the rim of the plate.
If there is a company logo, make sure it is at the top of the setting facing the customer.
Portioning
Before you start serving, you must be aware of what the portion size is per customer. This will be determined before service.
There will be a set amount of each vegetable and meat per person, e.g.: 2 spoons of peas, 3 carrots, 2 slices of meat, and 1 roast potato per person.
The meat will generally be grouped probably with a piece of garnish.
You should determine the customer’s requirements before you start serving.
Do not decrease portions as you move around the table.
Presenting the food
At the sideboard or waiter’s station you should remove the cloche (food cover), if there is one. Be careful to tilt it slightly so that any condensation caught under the lid will not drip on the tablecloth or the food.
Your service cloth should be folded and laid along your arm under the whole dish.
The platter is carried in your left hand, your service cutlery in your right hand.
Present the entire dish to the table of customers before serving, so that all the customers can admire the dish.
Always silver serve from the left. Step toward the customer with your left foot between the customers. Bend forward so that the platter just overlaps the customer’s plate. Do not touch the plate, keep it about 2 –3 centimetres above the plate. It is best to bend your knees, not your back.
!!! Always serve the main VIP guest and continue with the guest seating on his/her right and then clockwise.
Serve the guest to the host’s left first.
The Rule of Thirds. Split your plate into three around the face of a clock. Place the main protein in the bottom third – from three to nine on the clock. The carb element in the top left – from nine to 12 . The vegetable element in the top right – from 12 to three.
or
The main item is served first and placed closest to the customer, on the lower centre of the plate. The main item may be meat, fish, poultry or a vegetarian item.
The potatoes are served next to the top right of the plate.
The vegetables are then served at the top left.
Gravy or sauce is served last.
Gravy and sauce is usually served from a sauceboat.
The gravy boat rests on an underplate in your left hand with the lip of the sauceboat facing the customer.
SAUCE SERVICE
Follow the service technique for food.
Hold the service spoon in your right hand.
Fill the spoon by moving it across the sauceboat towards you.
Pour the sauce over the food by moving the spoon away from you. Let the sauce glide over the food.
Do not cover the food more than 1/3.
Other accompaniments such as mustard and applesauce are served to the left of the main item.
IMPORTANT
Do not serve food onto the rim of the plate.
Positioning of food must be the same for all guests and must be worked out beforehand.
PASTRY SERVICE
When you are serving a dish that has pastry, portion the pastry first, then spoon the filling onto the plate. Finally you place the pastry crust on the dish.
When serving sweet or savoury flans, always place the point of the flan towards the customer.
IMPORTANT
You should always ask the guest if they would like sauce, gravy, cream or any similar accompaniment. Do not assume they would like it.
Always keep the serving cutlery above the serving dish to avoid drips.
Move to the right around the table.
The host is always served last.
!!! Always serve the main VIP guest and continue with the guest seating on his/her right and then clockwise.
Serving Soup
Soup is best served from a side table of Gueridon.
On the table make sure you have the soup tureen, soup ladle, enough soup plates and under plates to serve the table.
Hold the soup plate in your left hand; ladle in your right hand.
Gently spoon the soup into the plates and garnish as appropriate.
Gently place the soup plate with under plate in front of the customer.
Buffet Service
These are the silver service advantages:
Personalized service.
Customer satisfaction.
Waiters have the scope to exhibit their service skills.
No plate wastage.
To prepare a silver service buffet, you will need to follow these steps:
- Set up the buffet table: Place the silver serving dishes and utensils on the buffet table. Make sure there is enough space for guests to serve themselves comfortably.
- Arrange the food: Start by placing the main dishes in the center of the buffet table. Arrange them in a visually appealing manner, with the taller dishes at the back and the shorter dishes at the front. Use silver trays, platters, and chafing dishes for an elegant touch.
- Label the dishes: Use small silver place cards or labels to identify each dish. This will help guests know what they are being served.
- Provide serving utensils: Make sure there are appropriate serving utensils for each dish. For example, provide tongs for salads, spoons for soups, and knives for carving stations.
- Add garnishes and decorations: Enhance the presentation of the buffet by adding fresh herbs, edible flowers, or decorative touches to the platters and dishes.
- Keep the food fresh: Use chafing dishes, warming trays, or ice trays to keep hot dishes hot and cold dishes cold throughout the event.
- Maintain the buffet: As guests serve themselves, keep an eye on the buffet table to replenish dishes as needed and ensure everything stays organized and clean.
By following these steps, you can prepare a beautiful and elegant silver service buffet for your guests to enjoy.
Points to remember while Silver Service or English Service:
Serve food from dish/platter onto guest’s plate using service spoon and fork from the left-hand side.
Conduct clearance from the right-hand side.
Serve beverages from the right-hand side.