Food and Beverage Service

Food and beverage service department is the department which provides foods and beverages to the guest in a hospitable manner according to their order with the help of the waiter. It is an integral place in any hotel industry, which is responsible for providing varieties of prepared food items, beverages, and tobacco in an appropriate hospitality manner through its different outlets to the guest.

Types of food and beverage service

There are various types of food and beverage service, which can be concluded as under:

1. Table service

   

It is a service to the customer laid on a table. It includes:

• Silver service or English service: presentation and service of food to the customer by a waiter from a food platter or dish on the table.
• Family service: the main course is plated with vegetables placed in multi-portion dishes on the table for the customer to serve themselves.
• Plate or American service: service of pre-plated food to the customer.
• Butler or French service: presentation of food individually to a customer by food service staff for a customer to serve themselves.
• Russian service: the table is laid with food for customers to help themselves.
• Gueridon service: food served on a customer’s plate on a side table or trolley, also may include carving, cooking and flambéing in the restaurant.
• Bar counter service: service to customers seated at a bar counter on stools.

2. Assisted service

It is the combination of table service and self-service e.g. Buffet service: It is the service where customers select food from a display or buffet counters and consume it either at table or standing or lounge area.

3. Self-service

Customers help themselves to the food and drinks e.g. cafeteria: customers queue in line formation in front of service counters and pick up food requirements in stages and led them on a tray.

4. Single point service

It is a service to customers at a single point where the food can be consumed on the premises or taken away. For example:

• The ordering of fast food at a point but taking away for consumption.
• Provision of food and beverage service by means of automatic retailing machines or vending machines; e.g. coffee vending machines, Pepsi vending machines.

5. In suit or specialized service

It is a service to the customers in those areas which are not primarily designed for service. Such service may be in:

• Tray: the whole or part of the service on a tray to customers. E.g. hospitals, aircraft, railways, etc.
• Trolley: service of food and beverage from a trolley away from dining areas. E.g. Hospitals, aircraft, railways, etc.
• Home delivery: Food delivered to customer’s home or place of work.
• Longue: service of a variety of food and beverage in a tongue area.
• Room service: service of a variety of food and beverage in guest apartments or meeting rooms.
• Drive-in: customers park their motor vehicles and are served at the vehicles.
• ODC: outdoor catering refers to service provided by the establishment to the areas of guest interest like a guest house, garden or any preferred places outside the hotel establishment.

Food and Beverage Service Sequence

Service sequence refers to the proper order of providing service to the customers or guests. Food and beverage service sequence begin after guests have been seated. It includes the following tasks:

1. Welcome the guest
2. Serve or pour water
3. Present the menu card
4. Take the food and beverage order.
5. Serve the food and beverage items
6. Clear the table
7. Present the bill (don’t solicit for tips)

Mise-en-scene

It is a French term which refers to “prepare the environment and make it presentable”. Food and beverage outlets should be pleasant, comfortable, safe and hygienic to ensure better environment to accept guests.

Mise-en-scene involves cleaning of service areas, tables, chairs, side station, food trolley/ cart, brushing and cleaning of the floor, vacuuming of carpets, door, and windows, etc. this function generally precedes mise-en-place.

The supervisor or team of writers should ensure the tasks of mise-en-scene are well undertaken. The tasks carried out in mise-en-scene are:

• Hovering of the carpet and upholsteries with a vacuum cleaner.
• Cleaning of the service area.
• Dusting chairs, tables, sideboards and other furniture.
• Polishing brass wares, copper wares, and other decorative pieces.
• Polishing door and window panes.
• Arranging flowers.
• Polishing lamp shades and chandeliers.
• Wiping AC and exhaust vents.
• Ensuring that show pieces/ pictures, menu cards, etc. are in position and proper places.

Mise-en-place

It is also a French term which means to “put in place”. Before starting the actual work in the restaurant, everything should be in its place at the right position in a correct way.

It is a preliminary preparation, which includes getting ready both food and beverage equipment and surroundings so that the serving of food and beverage can be carried out efficiently. So, performing mise-en-place refer to keeping ready in advance before the customers’ arrival in the restaurant.

The different areas of Mise-en-place are:

• Restaurant cleaning
• Linen
• Silver wares
• Crockery
• Accompaniments
• Sideboards/ cupboards (all assorted cutlery, crockery, folded napkins, service trays and salvers, soup ladles, bread baskets, etc.)
• Bar/ pubs

Briefing

The briefing is a short and concise instruction about the duty to be performed during each work shift to facilitate two-way communications between the management and the lower level staff. The briefing is taken by the team leader at the beginning of each work shift. It is a daily routine and the presence of all the work related stuff is deemed important.

Briefing of food and beverage staff is important because of following reasons:

• The briefing will help the employee to know their special job of the day.
• It will help them to know the functions, menu, and service.
• Review of general rules and policies is updated during the briefing.
• Likes and dislikes of regular guests can be prioritized.
• Briefing helps to bring employees suggestion on a day to day work for smooth functioning.
• Briefing helps in solving the problem faced by the staff in their work.

References:

Joshi, Basant Prasad et.al., Fundamentals of Hotel Management-XII, Sukunda Pustak Bhandar, Kathmandu

Bhandari, Saroj Sing et.al., Principle of Hotel Management-XII, Asmita Publication, Kathmandu

Oli, Gopal Singh et.al., Hotel Management Principle and practices-XII, Buddha Prakashan, Kathmandu