PROVIDE FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICES

Unit Descriptor:

This unit deals with the skill and knowledge required to deliver food and beverage service to in house guests within the dining areas of the establishment.

Elements

1. Prepare food and beverage environment for service
2. Set tables
3. Meet and greet guests
4. Take food and beverage orders
5. Serve food
6. Serve drinks
7. Present account to guest
8. Provide departure services
9. Conduct shut down activities

Prepare food and beverage environment for service

• Check cleanliness of the facility
• Set up dining area
• Process incoming reservation

Checking and cleaning customer facilities

You need to be ready for service when the doors open. Areas to check for cleanliness may include:

1. Furniture – tables and chairs
2. Wall hangings – pictures or displays
3. Fixtures – light fittings and door knobs
4. Plants – indoor plants and pots
5. Glass – windows, panels and doors
6. Floor – carpet and tiled areas
7. Work stations – waiter’s sideboard
8. Toilets – rest areas.

Set up dining area

Once the facility is clean and tidy, it is now time to start to „set up‟ the dining area so that it is ready for service.

A floor plan sets out:

Where the tables will be physically positioned

1. The number of covers on each table
2. The table numbers
3. Which waiters will serve which tables?

Reservations

1. Number of guests
2. Size of bookings
3. Customer’s arrival time
4. Special requests
5. Needs of guests.

Allocating waiting stations to staff

There are a number of considerations that will affect this ratio including.

• Types of customers
• Amount of people per table
• Type of service
• Level of service where staff are required to provide
• Experience of staff
• Location of table

Check and prepare equipment for service

The service equipments also have to be prepared suck as:

• Cutlery
• Glassware
• Chinaware
• Service ware
• Coffee machine
• Cups and saucers

Process incoming reservation

Reservation information to confirm

Some information that may be confirmed with the customer may include:

• Status of the reservation – confirmed or cancelled
• Name of booking
• Number of persons
• Expected time of arrival
• Any special requests
• Confirm existing requests

Follow up activities

Once reservations have been confirmed or cancelled, there are a number of tasks that need to be performed. These include:

• Placing reserved sign on the table
• Informing waiters of the tables under their responsibility of reservation details and requests
• Informing kitchen of any requests
• Follow up on any requests such as a birthday cake
• Phoning people on the waiting list if the previous reservation is now cancelled
• Processing charges as applicable.

Set tables

Cover

A place setting for one guest is commonly known in the industry as a „cover‟. „Cover‟ can also be used to indicate the number of guests, as in the phrase “we served 50 covers today”. The settings for these covers will vary depending on the menu, the reservations and specific customer requests.

A la carte setting

A la carte is the term used for a menu that has individually priced dishes. These dishes are divided into entrées,salads,mainsand desserts. A la carte means „from the card/menu‟. This type of setting is popular and usually consists of:

• Main course knife
• Main course fork
• Side plate
• Side knife
• Wine glass
• Napkin
• Centre pieces – salt and pepper shakers, table numbers, vases or tent cards.

Table d’hôte setting

A table d‟hôte menu is a menu that has a set price for a number of courses. All courses are included in the price, A typical set menu may have two to four choices of an entrée, two to four choices of a main and two choices of a dessert.

The setting for this menu would be:

• Main course gear (cutlery) – this is a term meaning main course knife and fork
• Entrée gear – entrée knife and fork
• Dessert gear – dessert spoon and fork
• Side plate
• Side knife
• Wine glass
• Napkin
• Centre pieces – salt and pepper shakers, table numbers, vases or tent cards.

House specials

• Themes
• Cuisines
• Specials of the day
• Promotions
• Favorites or popular items.

Service style

• Silver service
• Family Service / English Service
• Plate Service /American Service
• Buffet Service
• Cafeteria Service (Self Service)
• Gueridon Service/ French Service(Cart Service)
• Banquette Service

Plated service

Plated service is the most common service style where the kitchen plates all the food and the waiting staff carry the plated food to the table.

• Consistency of meals
• Fast service
• Portion control

Silver service

Silver service is where food items are prepared and carved or separated into individual portions and placed on platters by kitchen staff.

The benefits of silver service are:

• Adds a dimension of „entertainment and sophistication‟
• Customers can choose what they like without leaving the table.

Guerdon service

This is where food is prepared or cooked at the table and served using full silver service techniques.

• Is a form of entertainment
• Is interactive
• Allows customers to see the cooking process
• Meals can be prepared to customer’s exact specifications.

Buffet service

The benefits of buffet service are

• Customers have greater choice
• They can have small amounts of different items as opposed to having one type of food
• Service is very time efficient
• Labour demands are reduced
• Food can be prepared in advance.

Cocktail service

This style of service is very popular; this style of service involves waiters providing a range of finger foods and beverages to customers in a stand up event.

The benefits of cocktail service are:

• It can be performed within a limited time frame
• It requires only a small space
• Participants can mingle with each other easily.

Prepare waiter’s station

The main purpose of a waiter’s station is to provide the service staff with a location on the floor from which they can work.

Meet and greet guests

Welcome guests on arrival

When customers arrive, it is the responsibility of the service staff to promptly meet them.

Greet and check reservations

• To greet or welcome them
• To enquire whether or not they have a reservation or booking.

The greeting on arrival

• The weather – a genuine comment: “Isn’t it cold today?
• Sporting events – “Did you watch the game today?”
• A special in-house event – “Welcome to our Grand Winery Tour Dinner, it will be a night to remember!”

Special needs customers

Some guests may have special needs and simple observation will identify many of these: don’t wait to be asked if you think there is a special need. Get proactive and offer:

Seat guests

Greeting and seating guests

• Promptly acknowledge the guests and welcome them with a greeting
• Establish if the customer has a reservation
• Hats, coats, umbrellas or parcels and presents should be taken from the customer if this is standard house policy
• Show guests to their table preference
• At the table(napkin unfold, introduce)

Present menus and wine/drink lists

Once guests have been seated it is now time to present menus and drink lists to customers. Presenting menu has to be followed by SOP of your restaurant.

Provide service advice and information to guests

Once guests have been seated it is now time to present menus and drink lists to customers. Presenting menu has to be followed by SOP of your restaurant.

Provide service advice and information to guests

Most customers who visit a food and beverage establishment will not have the same level of knowledge about the menu offering as staff. Service staff needs to give some suggestion, recommendation and general information to customer.

Combinations of foods and food and beverages may relate to:

• Soup of the day
• Fish of the day
• Roast of day
• The vegetables for the session and how they are cooked
• Any other specials that is available.

Take food and beverage orders

Customer orders need to be taken accurately. Identifies who eating or drinking the items is ordered so that the right item can be served to the correct guest.

Guidelines for taking the order

There are a number of rules you should try to follow when taking and recording an order

• Be aware of signs given by the guests that they are ready to order
• Ensure all orders are recorded accurately
• Orders should be taken with minimal disruption and interruption to guests
• Recommendations or suggestions are made to the customers to assist them with drink and meal selection
• Service staff should always take the guests order from the right
• Guest should be numbered
• Repeat the order to the guest to ensure you have got it right

Wine to complement food

When complementing food with wine, try to select wines that will harmonies well with the dishes and their ingredients general guidelines are:

• Whites with fish, chicken, veal and pork
• Reds with dark meat
• Reds with cheese
• Delicate wines with delicate food
• Full-bodied wines with full-bodied food
• Sweet wines with sweet food
• Champagne can generally go with anything and with any course.

Process for adjusting settings

The process requires you to:

• Obtain the necessary items, which should be stored in your waiter’s station
• Load them onto a clothed service plate ready for carrying to the table
• Carry the clothed plate with all the required items to the table

Adjusting cutlery

• Remove cutlery for courses that have not been ordered
• Add cutlery for dishes that have been ordered where no suitable cutlery has been set.

Adjusting glassware

• Remove the glassware that is not needed
• Replace it with the appropriate glasses.

Serve food

No one likes to wait in everyday life and this is the same when enjoying a dining experience. Commonly bread is served once the orders have been taken.

• takes away hunger pains
• Is seen as added value in the eyes of the customer
• Often to accompany entrees or starters
• May be charged and therefore is a method to increase revenue.

Serving food

Two keys when serving food and beverage are

• Do it quickly without giving the guest they are being rushed or you are in a hurry
• Do it professionally. Serve the correct items to the correct diners, be polite, identify items as they are served, communicate and interact with guests, smile, answer any questions that are asked, check that the items presented are acceptable to the guests.
• The 3-minute check
• Providing additional items(sauce and condiments)

Clear table at appropriate times throughout meal and on completion of meal

Before clearing any plates away, ask the customer if they have finished ensuring the plate can actually be cleared away. A simple question such as “May I take your plate, madam?” or “Have you finished, sir?” is all that is required.

Steps to clearing a table

• Try to start with the guest who has the most scraps left on their plate
• Always clear from the right of the guest, Pick up the first plate, complete with cutlery, with your right hand and transfer and secure it in your left hand.
• Slide the knife, cutting end first, under the fork to secure it and stop it from sliding away

Serve drinks

Serve pre-dinner drinks to table: Traditionally a drink is the first thing to be served to the guest.

Collecting beverages

When picking up the drinks to put on the tray to take to the table, make sure:

• They are what were ordered. Check correct wines (vintage, brand, grape varieties), no ice where requested, long glass where ordered etc.
• Correct number have been supplied in terms of actual drinks, and empty glasses for wine
• They are suitably presented ,The correct glassware is used, Garnishes are appropriate
• Glasses aren’t overflowing such that they will drip down the front of guests‟ clothes when being consumed

Placing beverages on table

There are a number of points to note when serving drinks. Always serve to the right of the seated customer, unless this is obviously impossible.

• When unloading trays, you may have to slightly twist your body with the tray positioned slightly away from your side.
• All drinks should be announced when being placed on the table. Excuse me sir, your Whisky and Coke. Thank you.”
• Drink waiters should work anti-clockwise around the table, and food waiters should work in a clockwise direction
• Use coasters or napkins under drinks when and where required.

Serve wines to table

Besides the service of pre-dinner drinks, common drinks often served to accompany a meal include sparkling and table wine.

Select appropriate glassware and equipment for wine

• Wines and glasses, Waiter’s friend
• Ice bucket (An ice bucket is used for chilling wine and may be presented in a tripod stand)
• Service cloth, Decanting equipment

Serve after-meal drinks to table

There are a number of wines, specialty coffees and spirits and liqueurs that are traditionally served after the main courses.

Present account to guest

Once the account has been prepared it is now time to give it to the customer.

Account settlement options

Depending on the services and facilities provided by your organization customers commonly settle their account by:

• Paying cash
• Paying via credit card
• Using EFTPOS facilities – “Electronic Funds Transfer at Point Of Sale‟
• Charging to their room
• charging a house account – used for functions or corporate events
• Presenting vouchers – for nominated amounts and/or items/services
• Paying by check – either a personal check or traveller‟s check.

Never show annoyance if their preferred method of settlement causes additional work or effort.

Provide departure services

Assist guest in leaving table

Once the customer has settled the account it is now time to ensure they leave the premises in a helpfulmanner.

Providing assistance to customer leaving table

When customers are leaving the table a couple of things to remember include:

• Pull back chairs for customers
• Thank customer for their patronage
• Arrange any take-away containers
• Remind customers to collect any bags, clothes and other personal items left on table, seat of floor
• Help them with putting on coats and jackets
• Remind customer to collect change, credit card or receipt
• Escort the customers to the door

Conduct shut down activities

Remove used linen items for laundering

Collect, sort and count linen

• Napkins
• Table linen
• Service cloths
• Cleaning cloths

Store, stock and replenish, where necessary, for next service session

• Storing in accordance with instructions and regulations
• Replenishing items
• Reordering stock and supplies

Providing handover

There may be times when a shift has to be handed over to an incoming colleague. During such times, all relevant information should be shared with incoming staff. The intention should be to achieve the handover without the guests even being aware that it has happened, or with a minimal disruption to them.

Other Knowledge’s

Dietary needs

Dietary needs can be seen to include any situation where the customer/guest has mentioned that they have special needs in relation to:

• Allergies
• Medications
• Health-related conditions – such as diabetes, heart conditions
• Specific diets that are mentioned.

Vegetarians

Vegetarian requests – this is probably the most common dietary-related request and can include:

• Lacto-ova vegetarians/Ova-lacto vegetarians – these are the majority of „vegetarians‟. They eat dairy products and eggs but not meat of any kind of meat, poultry or fish
• Lacto-vegetarians – they don’t eat meat, poultry or fish. They don’t eat eggs but they eat dairy products
• Pescatarians – people who don’t eat meat, poultry or animal flesh but do eat fish
• Vegan – People who only eat vegetables.

Cultural needs

Jewish customers may wish to eat “kosher” food – meaning food that is deemed by them to be “proper” according to Biblical beliefs and laws.

Muslims eat “Halal‟ food – that is, food which is allowed or lawful.

Foods that are not Halal are referred to as “Haram‟ and these foods include pork and its by-products, any animal not slaughtered according to special requirements, blood, carnivorous animals, birds of prey and animals without external ears.

Muslims may also not drink alcohol. But smokes weed!

Hindus have a great respect for food and the way it interacts with other aspects of day-to-day life. While they are not total vegetarians, they do not each much meat seeing the killing of animals for food as bad karma.

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