PREPARATION FOR SERVICE

 

            PREPARATION FOR SERVICE

ORGANISING MISE-EN-PLACE:

·       Mise-en-place is a French word meaning preparation for service.

·       This term is used for all the duties that have to be carried out in order to have the room/ place ready for service.

·       A duty Rota is prepared showing the tasks and duties to be completed before service and the member of staff responsible to the duty is indicated along with the duty.

·       Mise- en- place is a list of all the possible tasks and duties which must be done so as to successfully complete the dining service operation.

DAILY DUTIES:

The daily duties are:-

SUPERVISOR

·       Check the booking diary for reservations.

·       Make the seating places for the day and allocate customers accordingly.

·       Make out a plan for various stations and show where the staff will be working.

·       Check all the duties on duty Rota are covered and full term of staff is present.

HOUSEKEEPING DUTIES

These include reception area and involve the following:

·       Everyday vacuum the carpet and brush the surrounding area.

 

·       Clean, polish doors and glasses.

·       Empty waste bin and ashtrays.

·       Perform one of the following:-

Monday - brush and dust tables and chairs.

Tuesday – polish all side boards, windows ledgers and cash desk.

Wednesday- polish all brasses.

Thursday- clean and polish reception area.

Each day on completion of all duties, line up tables and chairs for laying up.

 

Linen/paper:  This includes linen (table, buffet, slip cloth, glass cloth, waiter’s cloth, napkin, dish paper and doilies.

 

Duties include:

·       Collecting clean linen from housekeeping, checking them against list, distributing, and keeping fresh linen folded, neatly in linen basket.

·       Ensuring stocks are sufficient to meet the needs.

·       Providing dish papers and doilies as required.

Hot plate:

                  Items to be placed include- soup plate/consommé cups/fish plates/joint plates/ sweet plates/ coffee cups.

Silver:

·       Collection of cutlery, flatware, hollow ware from the silver room.

·       Polishing and sorting on to trays.

·       Service spoon/ tea/coffee spoon/ fish knives/ fish fork, joint knifes/side knifes & stocking on side boards.

 

Daily cleaning:

                         Heaters/ ashtrays/ trolleys.

ORGANISING MISE-EN-SCENCE OR CLOSING DUTIES:

                                         

In a regular dining hall where all the three meals are served with a pause of few hours, the dinner is over around midnight. At this stage, the cleaning of tables, sides boards, displays and decorative are over. A group of staff with a supervisor carries out the following activities step by step. All doors, windows are opened, curtains are withdrawn. All light are put in the brightest level, in case there is a regulated dimmer. The whole dining room is thoroughly observed and scrutinized. The scrutiny is made on following duties:

·       Check cobwebs.

·       Check for unpolished metal surface.

·       Check for stains on the carpets, curtains.

·       Check for all the electrical gadgets like power points, bulbs, tubes, microwaves.

·       Check for glass panes, water bottles, flora etc.

·       Check for damaged, broken furniture and fixtures.

2. After inspection of the dining room is over, the pantry as well as the front gate is checked.

3. Similarly the tables and chairs are shifted to the other side to complete the floor cleaning and put back as per regular layout plan of the restaurant.

 

 

MISE-EN-PLACE-FOR BREAK FAST

For continental breakfast:

                                             Bread and butter plates and knife (Quarter plate with side knife) as in the left, breakfast cup and saucers with the spoon, tea strainer with drip bowl, 2 quarter plate under liner’s and for hot beverage and second for hot water saucer bowl, butter dish and honey placed on quarter plate.

For English breakfast:

·       Large knife and large fork.

·       Fish knife and fish fork.

·       Dessert knife.

·       Slop basin.

·       Jug of cold milk.

·       Caster sugar in sugar dredger.

·       Cruet set {salt and mustard}.

·       Toast rack or bread boat just before the service.

Types of food service:

A.   Silver service:

                              Silver service is also known as “English service”. This comes in table service in which customer/guest is served at laid cover. In this type of service the presentation and service of food plate or at entrée dish to the meal plate, side of the guest. This may be known as platter – to - plate service.

 

 

 

B. Pre plated service:

                                 This type of service is also known as plate service or American, this type of service of pre plated food is done to the customers from right hand side of the guest. In this meal ordered by the guest is already portioned in the appropriate meal plate with proper garnish and accompaniment from kitchen itself.

 

C. Cafeteria:

                  This type of service is categorized in self service, where the customer is in line formation near service counter choosing their menu requirement in status and loading them on the tray.

 

      D. Room service:

                                   Floor room service varies from basic tea and coffee making facilities in the room and possibility of a mini bar to vending machine on floors or the service of a variety of meal in room. The extent of service in hotel guest room will depend on the nature of the establishment in 5 star hotels; 24 hours room service may be expected where as the two or three star hotels service may be limited to tea and coffee making facilities in the room and only continental breakfast available to be served in the room.

 

       E. Buffet service:

                               This type of service is common in good class establishment. Particularly popular at lunch time for business people. It means that the speed of service depends on the guest’s own wishes; the waiter is responsible for water, bread and buffet {although even this may be placed on the buffet}.

 

 The layup is of the cleaning and resetting of cutlery. The food is laid out in heated containers and guest helps themselves to the food on plate which are provided on or near the buffet.

 

         F. Gueridon service:

                                     Gueridon service is specialized form of table service in which food is served on to the customer’s plate from side table or trolley which may include carving, cooking, preparation of salad and dressing and fish fillet.

                                                          OR    

This means service to the guest by the waiter working from a special gueridon or side table. This side table can be stationary, fold up or trolley type. On this gueridon, the waiter carries out such procedure as filleting and any other food preparation; according to the menu with gueridon service.