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.

 

 

VODKA

VODKA

Vodka is highly rectified spirit made from Sweet Potato, grains and sometimes Molasses. Vodka comes from “Voda” word-- meaning water; as a result vodka is also known as `Little water`, as the product looks like water, is odourless, colourless and usually tasteless.

 

Vodka came into prominence in late 1940`s, aided by fashionable mixes such as Bloody Marry, Screw Driver. Vodka is traditionally drunk neat and being flavourless it is also commonly used in cocktails and mixed drinks, such as the Bloody Mary, the Screwdriver, the Sex on the Beach, the White Russian, the Black Russian, the vodka tonic, and the vodka martini.

 

Traditionally prepared vodkas had an alcoholic content of 38% by volume. Today, the standard Vodkas are 40% Abv (80 proof).

 

Production of Vodka

 

–     First of all, grains are germinated, crushed and steeped with hot water.

–     This is then send to Mash tun where yeast (both natural and cultured) is added and allowed to ferment.

–     Then distillation of fermented Wash takes place in patent still and 95% alcohol spirit is obtained.

–     It is then diluted with distilled water and alcoholic strength is reduced to 38-40%ABV.

–     Vodka is then send/ filtered through bed of active charcoal or fine quartz sand, to absorb trace amounts of substances that alter or impart off-flavors to the vodka. This process is done to make vodka pure i.e. without any impurities.

–     The spirit, vodka, is then bottled and sold.

Note: No ageing is required for Vodka

Flavoured Vodka

Although most vodkas are naturally flavourless; some are artificially flavoured with different ingredients such as lemon, lime, orange, apple, pepper, strawberries, plum, peach, pear and other flavouring agent.

To prepare flavoured vodka, extra ingredients are added to the vodka and are left in a sealed container for a period of time to steep. The period can range from few hours to months, depending upon the ingredients. After this solid additives are removed and the infusion is then filtered. After this, vodka can be left for a period of time to allow flovour to mature.

 

Famous Flavoured Vodka

1.      Zubrowka: Outstanding polish vodka made with an infusion of Zubrowka grass (also known in English as Buffalo Grass Vodka or Bison Grass Vodka) which is aromatic and nutty in flavour. The blade of grass is kept in bottle only.

 

2.      Pretsovka: Vodka flavoured with honey and red pepper.

 

3.      Starka: Vodka flavoured with a hint of Brandy, honey and herbs.

 

4.      Wisniowka: Vodka flavoured with cherries.

Brand Names

1.      Absolut:          Sweden

2.      Skyy:               United States

3.      Smirnoff:         U.K.

4.      Finlandia:        Finland

5.      Belvedere:       Poland

6.      Iceberg:           Canada

7.      Fris:                 Denmark

8.      Zubrowka:       Poland

 

 

 

RUM

RUM

 

Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products “Molasses” or directly from sugarcane juice by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid which is aged in barrels; usually oak and is known as “Ron Viejo- aged rum”.

The majority of the world`s Rum production occurs in and around Caribbean and in several Central and south American countries.

 

Manufacturing of Rum

Unlike other spirits such as Cognac and Scotch, rum has no definite production method. Instead, rum production is based on traditional style that varies between location and distillation. The general production style followed for the production is:

Ø  Sugarcane is crushed between heavy rollers and `Bagasse`- puree of sugarcane and its juice is produced. This is crushed again to extract all juices, then boiled and put in centrifugal which crystallize the sugar.

The sugar is taken away and what is left is known as `Molasses- dark solution`. This liquid is also known as Black strap or Mother liquour.

 

Ø  Molasses is then diluted with water and is then clarified. After dilution, yeast is added which can be either natural or cultured.

 

Ø  After addition of yeast, fermentation process starts. There are two methods of fermentation used based on the style of Rum required.

 

§  Quick Fermentation – this fermentation lasts for not more than 2 days. It is associated with white and light flavoured rum

§  Slow fermentation – this fermentation lasts for 12 days and is associated with dark, heavy flavoured rum. In this fermentation process we use `Dunder`- residue left from previous distillation to impart flavour.

            After fermentation process, alcoholic strength is only 7%

Ø  After fermentation, the liquid / wash is distilled. For distillation, we uses both Pot still and Patent Still method depending upon the type of rum desired.

 

§  Dark Rum- Pot Still method is used for the production of Dark rum with alcoholic strength of 86%. The spirit produced is rich in Congeners, which becomes more prominent as Spirit is matured in casks. The spirit is coloured with caramel and is aged in cask for 5-7 years. Before bottling the alcoholic strength is reduced to 40% by adding distilled water.

§  Light Rum- Patent still method is used for the production of Light Rum with alcoholic strength of 91%. The spirit extracted after distillation is White / clear in colour and less flavored.

o   If the spirit is matured in Uncharred Oak Casks for 1 year, it is sold as White Rum.

o   If the spirit is matured in charred Oak Casks for 3 years, it is sold as Golden Rum. In this rum little amount of Caramel is also added.

 

Styles of Rum

Rum was originated in `Caribbean Island`. Mainly three types of Rum are produced:

1.      Light/ White/ Silver Rum

It is clean, light, crisp rum which is not aged in wood but in glass/ stainless steel container or uncharred Oak Casks for 1 year. This rum is used for making cocktails or served as long cold drinks with Cola or juices.

 

2.      Golden/ Amber Rum

This rum is aged in Oak wood casks for 3 years and is more flavoured than white rum. It has darker colour as compared to White rum.

 

3.      Dark/ Full Bodied Rum

These are dark, full bodied, pungent and a strong aroma and taste rum. These are produced in Jamaica, Demerara (Guyana), Haiti, Barbados and Martinique. This rum is fermented slowly (for 12 days) and aged between 5-7 years which is then coloured with caramel, reduced in proof and sold.

 

Brand Names

Dark Rum	White Rum	Golden Rum
Lambs Navy	Bacardi	Bacardi Gold
Captain Morgan	Ron Rico	Ron Rico Gold
Mount Gay	Barilla	10 Cane
Woods	Dry Cane	Sea Wynde
Appleton	Rhum St. James	Appleton Gold
Baban Court	El Dorado white	Tortuga Gold

 

Terms

Demerara Rum: it is the dark rum produced from the sugarcane grown on the bank of Demerara River in Guyana.

Grog: Grog refers to a variety of alcoholic beverages. The word originally referred to a drink made with water or "small beer" (a weak beer) and rum. Modern versions of the drink are often made with hot or boiling water, and sometimes include lemon juice, cinnamon or sugar.

El Dorado Rum: it is a brand name of rum produced by Demerara distillers in Guyana.