University of Saint La Salle

Integrated School

TECHNOLOGY AND LIVELIHOOD EDUCATION 9

Fourth Quarter Handout
Food and Beverage Services

Styles of Table Service

French Service
This is a formal type of table service originated for European
nobility and presently enjoyed by few who can afford the time and
expenses in this manner. French service is distinguished by the fact
that food is cooked or completed at a side table in front of the guests.
Features:
● Slow, leisurely and elaborate
● Two waiters usually tend a single station, one prepares and
plates the food. The other gets the food from the kitchen and
serves it to the guest. (Chef de Rang and Commis de Rang)
● The food is brought to the dining room on heavy platters and
placed on the cart called gueridon
● Considers showmanship of highly skilled waitstaff
● Guests obtain high degree of personal attention
● Less turnover of guests

Russian Service
In this type of service, food is fully prepared and pre-cut in the
kitchen and then neatly arranged in silver platters by the chef. These
platters are brought into the dining room by the waiter who serves the
guest by dishing out food from the platter to the individual guest.
Such type of service is ideally used in banquet functions.
Features:
● Generally used for expensive banquets
● The food is served directly from the silver platter
● The guest is given considerable attention
● It employs the use of elegant table appointments
● Food looks impressive when served
● Guests have more space for comfort

English Service
 This service is used occasionally for a special dinner served in
a private dining room of a restaurant but it is more typical of a meal
service served by servants in a private home. The food on platters
and heated plates are brought from the kitchen and place before the
host at the head tables.

Features:
● The host covers the meat and vegetable on individual plates
● The host hand the plates to the guest closest to him and

American or Country Style

This is an old type of service involving serving oneself from a

common pot. It is fairly commonly used for serving family meals.

Features:
● Individual plates at the table are completely laid, including the
dinner plate.
● Serving of dishes of food are placed on the dining table
● Each person serves himself/herself to any dish he/she likes

Apartment or Blue Plate Service

This pattern of service is most frequently used when the group
is small, the dining table is small and the area for dining is small.

Features:
● In this service, plates are served up in the kitchen and placed
on the table just before the diners sit down.
● Eating begins when the host/ hostess signals
● Second portions can be served from the kitchen or offered from
serving dishes that are passed from hand to hand.

Banquet Service
This service is serving meals to a group of people who have
determined the menu, number of guests and time of service in
advance.

Features:
● American or Russian style may be applied
● Each guest has a place setting with all table appointments
needed neatly arranged.

● If American Service is chosen then all the dishes are placed on

the table at once.
 ● If Russian Service is observed then food must be served from
the kitchen one course at a time.

Buffet Service
This is self-service or may be served by an attendant since
guest/s or customers help themselves from a range of dishes placed
on the buffet table.

Features:
● Food is all set up on a counter or table
● The menu may be simple and limited or extensive and
elaborate
● Dinner plates appear first in line
● A long table is provided on which quantity food is displayed
● Showmanship is the key to a successful buffet
● Buffet table may be straight, L-shaped, U-shaped or V-shaped
● Special shapes are round, oblong trapezoid, half round and
oval

General Pointers in Table Setting

Table Setting is influenced by the following factors:

⮚ The style of table service to be used
⮚ The menu to be served which determines the specific
appointments to be placed in a cover.
⮚ The size of the table influences the exact position of
appointments in a cover.

For an attractive and well-set table, everything should be spotlessly

clean and positioned properly so that the table appears well
balanced.
▪ The linen: table cloth, top cloth and napkins, should be free
from stains and wrinkles. It should harmonize with each other.
A silence cloth or pad is placed before the tablecloth is laid on
the table to deaden the noise of the silverware or dinnerware.
The tablecloth should be placed so that the centerfold is exactly
on the center of the table and the sides are of the same
distance from the floor. Top cloth helps in creating the mood for
thematic setting.

▪ Table napkins may be folded simply or into fancy shapes,

though it is suggested that simple napkin folding for formal
occasions may be used.
 Napkin Folds used for Breakfast, Luncheon, Merienda Cena
and Dinner:
Basic (Pyramid), Candle, Rose, Arrow, French Fold,
Bishop’s Hat, Bird of Paradise, Crown, Cone, Fan, Tower,
Split Square, Water Lily,

Napkin Folds Used for Inserting Cutleries:

Pocket, tuxedo, Da Sistio Ma, Cocoon,

▪ The silver, china and glassware should be placed in straight

lines both lengthwise and across the table. All pieces should be
parallel with even spacing between them.

▪ The dinnerware is set up in the middle of the cover.

✔ Soup plates are also placed in the middle, on top of the

dinner plate or with an underliner.

✔ Cereal bowls are placed on the right side or top right of

the cover.

✔ Bread and butter plates are placed on the top left cover
near the tip of the fork with the butter knife or spreader
laid on top.

✔ The salad plate is placed either on the top left or on the

left side of the over depending whether the latter is used.
If the latter is not needed, the salad plate is placed at the
tip of the fork.

▪ Flatware should be free from fingerprints or any dirt that may

indicate unsanitary handling; only the number and type needed
should be set to avoid confusing the diner.
✔ All forks are laid at the left side of the cover with tines up.
The only fork that can be laid at the right side of the cover
is the appetizer fork. When only the fork is to be used, it is
placed on the right side of the cover.

✔ Knives are laid with the cutting edge facing towards the
plate or center of the cover on the right side. When knives
and spoons are set, the knife is placed nearer the plate.

✔ Teaspoons are placed either on the right side of the

spoons for hot beverages or in front of the cover, with
bowls up for desserts. They may be placed on the
saucers when using hot beverages.
 ✔ Serving flatware is generally laid on the right side of the
dish, or may either be placed on either side of the dish if
two pieces are used. In buffets, serving flatware is laid on
top of the saucer, not directly on the chafing dish or table.
Generally it is not recommended to have serving flatware
stuck into the dish at the start of the meal.

▪ Drinking glasses or water goblets are placed above the tip of

the dinner knife or at the right topside of the cover. If the knife is
not in use, it is placed at the tip of the spoon.

✔ Juice glasses are placed on the right side of the water

glass in a diagonal manner.

✔ Wine glasses below the drinking goblet is the red wine

glass, followed by the white wine glass.

✔ Generally no more than three glasses are placed for each

cover.
▪ The centerpiece should be low enough for people to see each
other across the table.

▪ A good and beautiful setting is characterized by simplicity and

elegance. Color should be in harmony with the table
appointments used and well suited for the occasion.

▪ Decorations used must be well selected and should blend

harmoniously with the entire setting.

Standards of Table Set-Up

1. Completeness
All required utensils should be set up before service.

2. Uniformity and Balance

Details such as the spacing of utensils and other
materials such as chairs and covers should be attended
to. Cutleries should be properly aligned.

3. Order
Service equipment should be placed appropriately on the cover.

4. Sanitation and Condition of Table Appointments

Standards for sanitation and hygiene must always be observed.
 5. Eye-appeal
The whole setup should look attractive. Appropriate color
combinations and decors should be used to make it more
appealing.

6. Timeliness
The table set-up should be completed at least 30 minutes
before the start of the function.

The Seven Rules of Service

1. Serve women before men.

In a company of men and women, the latter should be served first.
An exception would be in the presence of children. In this case,
the children would have to be served first, followed by the women
and lastly, the men.

2. Serve food from the left side of the guest with the service person’s
left hand.
This is done to avoid putting the service person in an awkward
position. Serving with the right hand may compel the service
person to reach in front of the guest thus blocking his/her face and
may also cause the person to hit objects with his/her hand.

3. Serve beverages from the guest’s right hand with the service
person’s right hand.
Since a majority of people are right handed. It is logical to serve
drinks on the right side of the guest. However, service persons
must know how to adjust with left-handed guests. In this case, the
service person should serve from the left side of the guest with
his/her left hand.

4. Bring all of the guests’ food at the same time.

All food orders within a table should be served at the same time.
Otherwise the service person may put the guests in a plight where
the guest served first has to wait for his/her companions to be
served their food. This will not only annoy the guests but would
also cause the establishment to be accused of poor service.

5. Remove dirty plates only when the guests are finished with the
meal.
Excellent service is synonymous to a high regard for guests.
Showing courtesy by waiting for all the guests to finish their meals
before cleaning up is imperative.
6. Never scrape or stack dirty dishes on the guests’ table.
This is perhaps the most annoying if not, distasteful act a service
person can commit. Service people should be trained to clear and
clean soiled dishes and silverware the proper way.

7. Clear dirty dishes from the right side of the guest with the person’s
right hand.
This is basically done to avoid reaching in front of the guest that is
a big no-no in food service. The proper way to remove dishes from
the table is to first remove the dirty silverware with the right hand,
to be transferred to the left hand, followed by the dirty plate in the
same manner.

Checklist of Service/ Sequence of Food Service

1. Greet and welcome guest

2. Escorting guest on the table
3. Assisting guest in getting seated
4. Offering/Serving water
5. Presenting the menu book
6. Taking food order up to and including the main course
7. Repeat the order of the guest
8. Serve pre-dinner drinks
9. Open the table napkins
10. Serve food according to food sequence
11. Clearing the table
12. Serving after dinner drinks
13. Serving dessert
14. Setting of bills/payment
15. Bidding goodbye to the guest

Guidelines for Proper Table Service

▪ Serve all dishes with all the left hand and set at the left side of
the guest.
▪ Serve all beverages with the right hand and set the table with
at the right side of the guest.
▪ Check the table setting for complete flatware before serving
the meal
▪ Serve everyone at the table the same course at the same time.
▪ Serve a woman or older guest first as a matter of etiquette.
▪ When there is more than one woman or older guest present,
 serve the one on the host’s right side.

▪ Serve dishes with the fingers away from the plate.

▪ Flatware is to be placed on a tray and then held by the handle
when being set or presented.
▪ Clear or remove dishes, flatware and glasses from the right
side of the guest.
▪ Bread and butter plates and butter knives are cleared from the
left side of the guest.
▪ Serve water goblets and wine glasses by the stem and never
at the rim. Do not fill or refill beverages to the rim.
▪ Never forget to check the quality of presentation of the food
before serving and if it conforms to standard preparation.
▪ Handle moist food with a fork or spoon. Never touch it with
your bare hands.

Catering – It is cooking and serving food for a fee.

2 Types of Catering

❖ On-premise Catering – A caterer preparing food in his or her

own kitchen and serving it in his own dining hall.

❖ Off -premise Catering - A caterer bringing the food, serving

products and personnel to a location other than the premise
where food is prepared.

Caterers employ the following strategies in attracting potential

customers or clients:

● Food Events
● Publicity
● Advertising
● Business Cards
● Portfolio