FUNCTION CATERING- BUFFET

                             National Council of Hotel Management & Catering Technology's 

B.Sc. H&HA- V Semester Syllabus 

FUNCTION CATERING

BUFFETS

A. Introduction

A buffet is a system of serving meals in which food is attractively displayed on counters in a sequence for the guests to serve themselves. The buffets can range from a simple offering of some hot and cold food items to elaborate presentations including ice or tallow (fat) sculptures, fresh flowers, edible vegetable, or fruit centre pieces. Buffets are suitable for serving large number of people in very short time. For this reason they are most popular among institutions, business conventions, and large number of people in very social events. The term ‘buffet’ originally referred to the French term ‘sideboard’, where the food was served, but eventually became applied to the present form.

B. Factors to plan buffets

While planning a buffet, a manager should consider the following factors such as location, structure, shape and aesthetics:

·        LOCATION – The buffet should be located in such a way that soon entering the restaurant or function hall, guest should able to have a full view of it. Buffets should not obstruct the free flow of staff and guests.

·        STRUCTURE – The shape of the function hall and the number of covers the buffet needs to serve should be taken into account before deciding on the structure of the buffet counter. In order to serve food for a large number of people, the buffet counter may need to be quite long. In such cases, it is advisable to split the buffet into many sections, each serving a different course. The tables for the basic structure of the buffet should be chosen keeping in mind their size, strength, stability and ease of transportation. As Waiting staff must be available behind the buffet counter to advice the guests, sufficient gangway must be left between the wall and the buffet tables. This space is also necessary to replenish the food. 

·        SHAPE – Visual impact of the buffet can be created by using different sizes and shapes of tables. Use of square trays, oval flats, glass bowls, various shapes of serving dishes etc., make the buffet look more attractive and eye appealing. 

·        AESTHETICS – The manager should ensure that there is a centre piece in the buffet to attract the eyes of the guests. The centre piece can be a particular dish, a floral display, an ice sculpture or a confectionary display. Proper positioning of items on the table adds value to the buffet. Food items displayed on different levels always look more interesting than on a flat buffet table. Buffet tables can be decorated with specially designed table cloths and slips to enhance the image of the food display. 

C. Area requirement

For the smooth progress of the buffet service, the manager must calculate the area required, considering the factors such as the minimum area needed for staff flow, the space required for guest flow, and the area required for buffet layout. The following general guidelines help you in calculating the area required for a buffet event:

• ·        The minimum space between the wall and the buffet table should be 3 feet.
• ·        A minimum of 15% area of total space is required for staff flow.
• ·        Approximately 25% area of total space is required for buffet layout.
• ·        A separate buffet counter is required for every 75 guests.

D. Planning and organisation

While planning a buffet in the restaurant, the following points should be considered to see the feasibility of introducing buffet service.

• ·        Advantages of buffet service from caterers and guests perspective.
• ·        Marketing considerations.
• ·        Operational considerations.
• ·        Cost considerations. 

Caterer’s Perspective

Buffet service provides service and a wide variety of foods to alarge number of guests within in a short period. It needs less trained staff members when compared to table service. It does not create operational bottlenecks to coordinating departments by their disturbing their schedules, rather makes better use of their services. The area is used without much wear and tear on interior like carpets, walls and floors.

Guests Perspective

A buffet offers a wide range of food items to guests. Guests can pick up their food at their leisure. They need not worry about food not being enough or about portion sizes. Buffet prices fit into the pocket of many as they offer a large variety of food at reasonable price.

Marketing Considerations

The buffet makes the best use of creative skills of the food & beverage team during lean periods. It gives altogether a new look to the outlets like a coffee shops, which would otherwise bore the regular guests. It provides a great opportunity to the show case the organisations specialities or new arrivals by offering theme buffets. In buffet service, there is a great possibility of increasing the food & beverage revenue through food festivals that feature special cuisines.

Operational Consideration

While planning a buffet, manager must consider factors such as size and shape of the room, number of guests to be served, and time available for the service. Buffet that feature live preparations demands careful attention to safety and cleanliness. As a rule of thumb, some manager plan that there is a separate buffet counter for every 75 guests.

Restaurateurs also use scramble system where guests go to separate stations to pick up their food items. In this system, appetizers, main course and desserts are arranged on different stations, so that it can limit the number of people waiting in the single line. The scramble layout needs more set-up space than the conventional style, but it speeds up the service and increases the table turnover rate.

Although there are many options of buffet layouts available, the issue of guests flow and effective presentation of food should be the prime points of concern while designing the buffet layouts. There are mainly four types of buffet layout:

• ·        Scramble Buffet set-up – Buffet counters are scattered around the room, so that there is even distribution of guest flow
• ·        Single line Buffet set-up – Buffet counters are arranged in a single row. This is very common while catering smaller groups.
• ·        Island Buffet set-up – Round or square buffet counters are arranged at the centre of the room. This allows the guests to access the buffet from any side.
• ·        Double Buffet set-up – A long single-line buffet is arranged at the middle of the room which can be accessed from both the sides.

Cost Considerations

The overall cost of the buffet service would be as high as other types of service, if the cost of proper service equipment and centre pieces is taken into consideration. The rate of consumption of food is also high in buffet service than the outlets using traditional silver and American service. However, if buffets get popular, their contribution margins would be higher than those of other service styles. It is important to consider the selling price of the buffet when menu is planned. If the price of the buffet is low, low-cost entrees such as poultry and fish are used. The presentation and spread of the buffet have a great impact on its cost.

E. Sequence of food

Typically, food items are arranged in the following order:

• ·        Appetizers and salads
• ·        Soups
• ·        Main course dishes
• ·        Staple food (bread and rice preparations)
• ·        Sweets
• ·        Fresh fruits

The above sequence generally suits to Indian scenario, but it is just a guideline and there can be variations depending on the organization and the cuisine served.

F. Menu planning

A buffet, whether in a restaurant or a banquet, features a large variety of food items attractively presented. A change in menu is required when the restaurant is often visited by regular guests. There must be a set of menus to choose from in a banquet, so that it offers a wide range of choice to the guests in menu selection.

The factors that must be considered while planning buffet menus include the following:

·        Price of the buffet – the size of the menu is directly related to the price of the menu. While doing that manager must considered the purchasing power of the guest and targeted market segment

·        Food habits of the customer – menus should feature local delicacies and popular dishes to suit the guest’s eating habits and preferences.

·        Meal period – the spread or the length of the menu should match the time available to have the meal. Usually, lunch buffet menus are shorter than the dinner menus.

·         Availability of the ingredients – like any other menu planning, seasonal availability of ingredients should be considered.

·        Menu balance – menu should be balanced in all aspects such as colour, flavour, texture and taste.

·        Quality retention especially during long meal period – once the food is displayed on the buffet counter, it losses its quality as the time passes. Usually, colour-coded stickers are used to replace dishes after certain period and to maintain the quality.

·        Ease of production.

·        Availability of production equipment’s – one must consider the kitchen equipment for its suitability to provide the menu compiled.

·        Proper serving equipment’s are needed to maintain the temperature of hot and cold foods.

·        Skills of the staff – the menu compiled should not have any dishes that cannot be produced or supplied by the regular staff. 

Advantages & Disadvantages of Buffet:-

                                         Advantages:

• ·        A large number of people can be served within a short time.
• ·        Less number of service staff is required.
• ·        Labour cost is very less as the service staff do not need any service skills.
• ·        Better presentation of dishes is possible.
• ·        It increases the sale.
• ·        A great range of choice for the guests.
• ·        Skills of production staff are used to the maximum extent.

                                   Disadvantages:

• ·        Food portion control is not possible.
• ·        If buffet line is not properly organized, it may lead to congestion.
• ·        Dishes may lose eye appeal after repeated servings.
• ·        Personal attention is not given to guests. 

G. Types of Buffet

• Display Buffet
• Sit Down Buffet/ Full Buffet/ Fork ‘n’ Knife Buffet
• Fork Buffet
• Finger Buffet
• Cold Buffet
• Breakfast Buffet

H. Display

The guests select their food and then eat at a table. Here the guests approach the buffet at its various service points to select their requirements course by course. Most ancillary items may also be collected, if needed, at the buffet. These might include rolls, butter, sauces, napkins, tableware and the like. The guests then return to their tables to consume the different parts of the meal. The table layouts are similar to the standard banquet layouts. The clearing of the tables takes place in the same way as for formal banquets.

I. Sit down

Sit Down Buffet/ Full Buffet/ Fork ‘n’ Knife Buffet is a type of buffet where the tables are well laid out with the required cutlery and crockery. The food served in this buffet requires both fork and knife to be used at the table, as it usually consists of large pieces of meat. Guests pickup the food from buffet line and returns to the table for dinning. Usually soups and rolls are served at the table. Once soup is consumed, guests are directed to the buffet counter to collect the main course. Meanwhile, waiter clears the soup bowl and keeps the table ready for the guests to consume the main course. In the same manner, the main course is cleared and table is kept ready when guest goes to pick up dessert course. These kinds of buffets are usually offered in state banquet parties and formal gatherings.

J. Fork, Finger, Cold Buffet

Fork Buffet

It is generally a stand-up buffet where the guests collect their cutlery and food from the buffet table. The dishes on the menu are planned in such a way that a knife is not required to consume the food. Waiting staff would be available to fill the drinks or offer any other helps if required. Some occasional tables and chairs are made available usually for senior citizens and children. Fork buffets would be suitable for casual dinning.

Finger Buffet

This buffet offers light meals and snacks on the menu. The food is prepared in small bite-sized pieces so that it requires no cutlery to consume. Canapés, finger sandwiches, kebabs, tikka, and cocktail samosa are some of the examples which are not messy to handle with fingers. Guests pick up the food from the buffet, clear empty plates, and fill the drinks as and when required. Some occasional tables and chairs are made available usually for senior citizens and children. Fingers buffet is preferred mainly in cocktail parties.

Cold Buffet

A cold section of the buffet is called as cold buffet. The temperature of the buffet should be maintained at 5 Degree Celsius. Generally, the cold section is displayed on a bed of ice, but in modern buffet restaurants, freezer wells or cold wells are most commonly seen. The choice of items available on a cold buffet ranges from salads, cold meats to fresh fruits. The food that is served here is not suitable for traditional Indian meal, but cold buffets are most common in European countries and they are quite popular. Out of all, the Scandinavian cold buffet’s is world famous for its selection.

The smorgasbord is a Scandinavian meal served in an elaborate buffet-style. The Swedish word smorgasbord consists of the words smorgas (open-faced sandwich) and bord (table). It is an old Scandinavian tradition, particularly prevalent in Sweden, of having a few appetizers and a glass of aquavit before a meal. The food offered is bread and butter, herrings in various marinades and cheese accompanied by neat spirits.

Although the dishes are traditionally horsd’oeuvres, the Scandinavians have developed them into a well- balanced full meal. In this part of the world, a large variety of marine food is available throughout the year. So, the buffets are dominated by seafood preparation. Usually smorgasbord consists of the following:

• ·        Sweet and sour pickled herrings
• ·        Processed tongues
• ·        Ham & bacon
• ·        Roast chicken with aspic
• ·        Various salads
• ·        Two to three varieties of strong cheese with accompaniments
• ·        Marinated salmon with scrambled eggs
• ·        Home-made liver sausages
• ·        Roast beef with pickled tomatoes
• ·        Bread and butter

The smorgasbord also consists of small selection of hot food on a warm table called smagarant. The selection is meat balls fried in butter, fried sausages, smoked salmon with egg custard, wild mushrooms served with cream sauce served in crustas, omelettes filled with asparagus, spinach, ham, prawns, etc.

K. Breakfast Buffets

In operational terms, the service of a breakfast buffet is becoming more demanding in modern times. A majority of the guests arrive in a short span of time for breakfast making it impossible to accommodate and serve at the same time. As no guest would like to wait and spend much time at the breakfast table, quick service of food is necessary. A la carte service is least suited in the morning, especially when the hotel caters to business travelers. A buffet breakfast would overcome all these problems, ensuring smoother operations and guest satisfaction.

When it comes to the breakfast menu, Indian hotels are offering a combination of Indian and European dishes to accommodate the choice of guests from various countries. The following is the European buffet breakfast layout with dishes arranged in the sequence:

• Counter 1: choice of fruit juices are offered from a dispenser or in jugs.
• Counter 2: cereals such as corn, wheat, fancy flakes and muesli are offered with hot and cold milk. There can be choice of skimmed milk, soy milk, and whole milk. Hot cereals like porridge is displayed at the beginning of hot counter 4.
• Counter 3: a small selection of cold cuts, salad leaves, and dressings is offered at this counter.
• Counter 4: this is a hot counter which accommodates all hot food items. Dishes such as grilled, fried or smoked fish; vegetable preparations such as baked beans, hash brown potatoes, grilled mushrooms and grilled tomatoes; egg preparations such as omelette, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, and boiled eggs; meat products such as kidneys, bacon sausages, liver are offered from this counter.
• Counter 5: fresh cuts fruits, stewed fruits, papaya boat and grapefruit etc., are offered along with plain and flavoured yoghurts.
• Counter 6: toasted white bread or breakfast rolls such as croissants, muffins, and Danish pastry are offered along with preserves such as honey, jam, marmalade and butter.
• Counter 7: choice of hot beverages such as tea, coffee, and proprietary drinks is offered here from a dispenser.

L. Equipment, Supplies & Checklist

It is necessary for hotels and catering establishments to keep a stock of buffet equipment depending on the level of business, the frequency of buffet service, and the storage space available. Hiring buffet equipment is also a quite common phenomenon because of high capital investment and many other constraints. Buffet equipment are usually classified into major and minor.

Major equipment’s are as follows:

• ·        Buffet tables
• ·        Centre piece stand, display cascades
• ·        Canopies for open air buffet
• ·        Chafing dishes
• ·        Soup warmers
• ·        Electric or gas cooking ranges for live counters

Minor equipment’s as follows:

• ·        Chinaware: plates, soup bowls, tea cups
• ·        Glassware
• ·        Name tags
• ·        Jugs for juices and milk
• ·        Glass bowls
• ·        Cutlery: knives, spoons, and forks
• ·        Serving ladles and tongs
• ·        Bread baskets
• ·        Platters for salad display
• ·        Table appointments

GUERIDON SERVICE

                             National Council of Hotel Management & Catering Technology's 

B.Sc. H&HA- V Semester Syllabus 

GUERIDON SERVICE

INTRODUCTION

Guéridon service is an enhanced form of table service styles such as American service, Silver service and Russian service etc. But the uniqueness of this service is that it is a mobile service table or trolley, from which a partly prepared dish may be dressed, prepared, carved, flambéed and finished in the presence of guests near their table in front of the guest. It is essentially the work of a wait staff, who possesses high level of culinary and service skills but introducing the Guéridon service into a restaurant would optimize revenue to the greater extent. The Guéridon service is more personalized and guest centric. Today, we find this service style in a few fine-dining restaurants where à la carte menu is offered with higher levels of service and the average spending power (ASP) is higher because of its cost factor and lean market segment. Guéridon service may also refer to service using a drinks trolley, carving trolley, cheese trolley or a sweet trolley. The drinks trolley, carving trolley, sweet trolley and cheese trolley may also be used as selling aids as they display the items on offer to the customer.

The Guéridon service can be understood better by recalling on-the-spot cooking which is arranged during buffet service. Egg, paratha, and dosa counters are often set up with burners, necessary cooking and presentation equipment, ingredient, etc., with breakfast buffet and the dishes are cooked to the customers preference in their presence. Guests at the counter feel satisfied as the dishes are cooked according to their choice. The carvery section also carries out carving of meat, poultry, and game using appropriate tools in the presence of guests. The carved portions are served to the guests with appropriate accompaniments. However, these services should not be mistaken for Guéridon service even though in these the cooking and carving activities are carried out in the restaurant in the presence of the guests.

In the Guéridon service, the trolley or the movable side table or service station carrying sufficient equipment for the service requirements, together with any spare equipment that may be necessary is set up near the guests’ table and the work is carried out exclusively for a party of guests seated at that table and the dishes are chosen by guests from the à ala carte menu. In on-the- spot cooking section or carvery, guests go to the counter to collect the food, whereas, Guéridon service usually indicates serving foods onto the customers' plates at the guéridon . Here, the choices available are very limited as the menu offered is table d'hôte. It is more costly as apart from higher level of service skills, there is the use of more expensive and elaborate equipment. and larger service areas to allow for the movement of trolleys.  

HISTORY OF GUERIDON

The origin of Guéridon service itself is hard to trace. There is no solid evidence regarding the birth of this speciality service. As the term 'Guéridon' is from French language, and most of the gastronomical advancement happened in France, this service might have originated from the same land. It is only a possibility but not conclusion. Not only the term Guéridon, but the service style is also imported and extensively used in English. Now a day we find this fascinating style of service in the rest of Europe and Western countries as well.

It is considered that carving of meat in front of the guest is the oldest act in the Guéridon service where as the Flambé dishes first became popular in the Edwardian era. The first claimed flambé dish was Crêpes Suzette which was supposedly invented by Henri Carpentier when working as a Commis at the Café de Paris in Monte Carlo (1894). 

DEFINITION

Guéridon means "movable service table" or 'movable side table' or trolley, from which food may be served. Any service that is offered from a trolley which is stationed near to the guest table can be called as Guéridon Service. 

GENERAL CONSIDERATION OF OPERATIONS

Following few points are important in relation to the decision of introducing guéridon service in an outlet:

(a)    The service is suitable to an outlet with given infrastructure, and

(b)    Its compatibility with present service design scenario.

The following points would help in arriving to a conclusion:

• Mostly the restaurant staff is responsible for guéridon service, but the pre-parations are done by the kitchen staff. So, a great deal of coordination is equired between both departments.
• In this service the preparation trolley must move around the tables, and a considerable amount of extra space is required in the restaurant.
• A clear and accurate market survey is required for potential guest as it still has a lean market segment.
• It requires special design of ventilation system.
• Keeping the trolley clean and hygienic all the time is a challenge.
• Consider safety while serving from the trolley. 

Guéridon Service in comparison to American (Pre plated) Service:

GUÉRIDON SERVICE	AMERICAN SERVICE
Final preparation and presentation done in front of the guest.	Food is prepared and presented in the kitchen.
Increases the visual appeal.	No showmanship.
It gives high quality impression as the ingredients are displayed.	Guest must depend on final product to gauge quality of the food.
All guest preferences are taken care.	Only some requests are possible to serve.
Personal attention and more chances of interaction are possible.	Minimal interaction would not give importance to the guest.
It boosts the impulse buying.	Less or no chances of impulse buying.
Food cost can be higher.	Portion control and cost control is possible.
Special planning and highly skilled manpower is required.	High-skilled labour is not mandatory to serve food from kitchen.

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

Although the guéridon service is very luxurious, famous and popular, it has its own advantages and disadvantages, that one must consider before planning to introduce the guéridon service into a restaurant.

ADVANTAGES	DISADVANTAGES
Provides visual appeal to the guest.	Requires more space and special planning.
Gives high-quality impression.	Increases labour cost as it requires highly skilled persons.
Gives the staff a chance to pay personal attention to each table.	Takes long time to prepare and serve a dish.
Can make the atmosphere more luxurious and specialty dining.	Special attention is required on safety.
A great marketing tool.	Comparatively more expensive.
Creates an affect of impulse selling.	Getting right ingredients would be difficult.
Increases profitability by increasing contribution margin of a dish.	Not possible in all decors.
Helps presenting skills and creativity of staff members.

TYPES OF TROLLEYS 

Different types of guéridon trolleys are in existence for different purposes. They can be classified by the shape, design and purpose.

• Flat Work Top Trolley It is mainly used for making simple salads and serving cheese. It is a basic trolley with two levels- the top level is for preparation and presentation purpose and the bottom level is to carry necessary crockery and bottles.

Hors d'oeuvre Varies Trolley

It displays 10-12 varieties of appetizers. The containers holding appetizers are placed over ice. The trolley is designed in such a way that it has provision for holding ice and containers. It has adequate cold half plates, necessary service gear to transfer the hors d’oeuvre selected by the guest on the cold half plate, and the appropriate accompanying sauces. The plated food is served to the guest from his\her right-hand side.

Salad Trolley

It has half plates and bowls, underplates, containers with prepared ingredients, salads dressings, and seasonings that are required to prepare the salads. Salad dressings may either be prepared on the trolley in the presence of guests or in the kitchen. Most restaurants make the dressings in the kitchen and the dressing of salads is carried out on the trolley in the restaurant.

Cheese Trolley

It has a variety of cheeses, cheese board, and cheese knife for cutting the cheese, and appropriate accompaniments for cheese. The surface of the trolley is normally made of marble and has translucent dome to cover the top. Cheese selected by the guest is portioned and plated on the Guéridon trolley, and then served to the guest from his\her right.

 Dessert Trolley

• Trolley with Hot Plate This trolley has provision of hot plate which is used to keep the finished or to be finished food hot. Sometimes vegetables and potatoes are kept on the hot plate until service. This trolley cannot be used for flambéing.
• Beverage Serving Trolley As the name denotes this trolley is extensively used for preparing drinks and cocktails. This is also called liquor trolley. This trolley has provision to hold bottles and glassware.

Liquor Trolley

It has a assorted glasses, measure, ice bucket, spirit and liqueur bottles, carafes, etc. It may also have cigars, cigar, cutter, and a lighter.

Food Preparation, Carving & Flambé Trolley

These have a gas burner or a flare lamp which is fixed on the level of the top surface. The carving trolley has a carving board which is placed over chafing dish during carving to retain the heat of the meat. A trolley may have single or double burner. Double burner trolley is necessary when the partly finished food is to be held hot during the preparation. One burner is used for keeping the food hot while the other is used for cooking.

• Carving & Presentation Trolley This is used for jointing or carving of meats. This trolleys is equipped with a wooden carving board on work top along with a set of carving knives. This can have hot case to hold the meat and vegetables. Meat is carved in front of the guest and presented.

• Flambé Trolley This trolley is mainly used to make sauces and flambé dishes. This is equipped with flare lamp or gas burner and a bottle rack.

Parts of a common Guéridon Trolley

Gas Hob or Hot Plate	Cold Cabinet
Hot Chambers	Plate Stacker with Clean Plates
Cutlery Racks with Clean Silver	Waste Bin

Set up of a Guéridon Trolley

Efficiency of the Guéridon service depends on set-up of Guéridon Trolley. A well set and presented trolley not only looks attractive to guest but also reduces the load on staff. The trolley set-ups would change according to the purpose of the trolley. For example, a 'Salad trolley' set-up would not include a gas burner, but a 'flambé trolley' must have it. In the same way, the mise-en-place of a pasta trolley is different from a dessert trolley.

FACTOR TO CREATE IMPULSE, BUYING- TROLLEY, OPEN KITCHEN

An impulse purchase or impulse buy is an unplanned decision to buy a product or service, made just before a purchase. One who tends to make such purchases is known as impulse buyer. 

Research findings suggest that emotions and feelings play a decisive role in purchasing, triggered by seeing the product or upon exposure to a well-crafted promotional message.

The following factors create impulse buying:

• Showmanship About 40% of the Guéridon service is based on showmanship. So, this can increase sales by helping impulse buying.
• Well Presentation of Dish Guéridon service helps in better presentation and display of the product. A well presented dish can be popular selling dish.
• Personal Attention Everyone craves for recognition. The Guéridon service gives importance to each and every table which in turn can get more orders from other tables.
• Attractive Display In a specialty restaurant, a well-arranged trolley could improve sales by 20%.
• Quality Impression A dish made in front of the guest can impress more than the one made in the kitchen. It gives a feel of high-quality product. 

By considering the above factors and careful practice, one should be able to tempt clientele to order something special for which they have not planned earlier. The Guéridon style service can catch the attention of guest and make them buy something extra. This successful impulse selling would earn high profits to establishments.

Guéridon Arts

Carving or Jointing of meats is an art. To perform this act in front of the guest, one must have extra skills and practice. When carving meat on the trolley, try to avoid touching with hands. Hold the meat with a service fork in the left hand which gives greater grip while carving. Use an appropriate sharp knife to cut through joints. The service staff must know and practice how to carve different types of fish, bird and meat.

Flambéing is finishing a dish with flaring, by the addition of spirit or wine. Flambéing enhances the taste, flavour and appearance of a dish. Care must be taken while flambéing as it can cause serious fire accidents. The alcohol bottles must not be placed near the naked flame. Controlling of flame in the pan is very important. Flambéing for long time may burn the dish and give unpleasant flavour. Short flambéing leaves more alcohol which ruins the actual pallet.

GUERIDON EQUIPMENT

Flare Lamp/ Methyl Spirit Lamp

This piece of equipment is operated with methylated spirit and has reservoir for fuel, a wick with an adjustment knob, a chimney, and a grid. It is 8-10 inch high with a grid of diameter 6-8 inches.

The reservoir should be filled with methylated spirit to the correct level and the wick should be trimmed regularly to prevent fumes emerging and spoiling aroma of the food. Equipment made of silver or cooper look attractive on the trolley but they are expensive. The flare lamp is used for food preparation, carving and flambéing.

These lamps lost their popularity because of high maintenance and low safety factors.

Fuel Gel Lamps/ Burners 

These are second generation lamps used on Guéridon trolleys. They have the advantage of occupying less space and low maintenance, but safety is still the concern.

Gas Stove

Many establishments prefer gas stove over flare lamp as it has advantage over flare lamp. Trimming of wicks and filling up the reservoir with fuel are not necessary for a trolley having gas stove. The gas burner is lowered to the level of the trolley top and the gas cylinder or bottle is placed under the gas burner in a chamber and connected to the stove. The gas control knob is near the burner at a convenient position for the waiter to control the flame. The burner head should be cleaned periodically with pin to ensure free flow of gas and should be free from soot. This is incorporated in carving, preparation, and Flambé trolley.

Chafing Dish 

It is a container holding hot water on which food container is kept to remain the temperature of the food. It is also used to cook custards for certain sweet preparation. A chafing dish with safety valve or steam outlet is used in carving trolley. The carving board is placed over the hot water container and the meat is carved on it. This process retains the temperature of the food being carved.

 Suzette Pan

It is a sauté pan with thick bottom and a lip. It is normally made of cooper lined with corrosion resistant, non-reactive metal, such as tin, nickel, and stainless steel. It is used for flambéing and cooking. It is advisable to use separate pans for flambéing and cooking.

Carving Board 

Carving of meat and poultry should be carried out on a carving board and for each category of meat and poultry, a separate carving board should be used. After the use, it should be thoroughly washed.

Hot Plate

Various types of hot plates are available for use (e.g., electrical , gas and induction). The main purpose is to keep food and crockery warm until service.

Hot Case

These are mainly electrical which are unplugged while trolley is in movement. These cases are used to hold and maintain the large meats (to be carved meats) and vegetables at proper temperature.  

Maintenance of Trolley Equipment

All piece of equipment and tools that are required for Guéridon service should be maintained regularly for efficient performance.

• ·        Clean all parts of the lamps regularly.
• ·         After cleaning, reconstruct the parts and check the lamp for working condition.
• ·         Never replace gas bottles near a naked flame.
• ·         Check the gas bottles for leaks.
• ·         Check the length of the wick and make sure it is trimmed regularly.
• ·         Do not check the spirit level in the tank of the lamp near a naked lamp.
• ·         Avoid overfilling the lamp.
• ·         Wipe up immediately any spirit which may have been spilled while filling the reservoirs.
• ·         It should be handled only by trained staff.
• ·         Clean pans, chafing dishes, and other equipment used on the trolley well daily so as to make them presentable.
• ·         Clean cutting, carving, and cheese boards well after the service.

GUERIDON INGREDIENTS

Sauces & garnishes	Flambé pans
Carving knife	Cutlery (cooking and serving)
Service crockery	Towel for hand cleaning
Bowls (for garnishes and ingredients)	Brandy or spirit
Flatware (cutlery)	Carving boards
Linen	Fuel
Lighter

Items That Can Be Offered From Guéridon Trolley

There are no set rules to describe about the dishes which can be served from Guéridon Trolley. All those items that one has option of choosing from a wide variety can be offered from trolley (e.g., cheese, fruits and wines). The dishes preparation that creates visual appeal and 'wow' affect can also be served from trolley (e.g., flambéed desserts, carved meats and cigar presentations).

• Hors d'oeuvres and appetizers
• Meat and poultry
• Fish and seafood
• Desserts and sweets
• Condiments and accompaniments
• Sauces
• Garnishes
• Cheeses and dairy products
• Fruits
• Salads
• Wines
• Spirits
• Coffees
• Petite fours
• Cigars

Steps Involved In Guéridon Service

    The Guéridon service is a little complex in design and there are no set thumb rules to follow. However, following are suggested three important and standard steps that should help in smoother operations and better satisfaction of guests:

Step 1

Prepare and maintain Guéridon trolleys and equipment

• Stock trolleys and display them correctly with clean utensils and linen.
• See that hygiene, sanitation and safety rules are followed.
• Select food, alcohol and other ingredients in accordance with dishes offered and set them on to mise-en-place trays.
• Check ingredients for quality and condition prior to display on the trolley.
• Present and display foods effectively to attract customers.
• Position trolleys appropriately for customers to view.
• Check all pre-preparations are ready in the pantry before the start of service.

Step 2

Recommend and sell menu items to customers

• Educate customers on the menu and explain about the elegant preparation and presentation to them. Use appropriate language and terminology to assist them in the selections of dishes.
• Name, explain and show ingredients of dishes and preparation methods correctly to customers.
• Tell them about the sauces and accompaniments of the dish before asking for their preference.
• Use selling skills to promote high-priced dishes.

Step 3

Prepare, present and serve dishes

• Prepare Guéridon dishes correctly according to standard recipes in harmony with hygiene and safety procedures.
• Carve and serve meats, fish and poultry as required according to customer preferences.
• Consider guest requests while carving and presenting.
• Serve appropriate accompaniments and finishing ingredients.
• Encourage customers to involve in the preparation process.
• Take feedback from the guest for any improvements for next time.

Note -- While performing flambé, use only shallow pans. When preparing the meat, to catch flame on to the pan, add spirit before pouring sauce. When preparing sweets, add castor sugar to caramelize and this helps in flambéing.

Service Points of the Style

The Guéridon Service is a combination of product preparation, presentation and restaurant service. Because of this reason, it requires highly efficient and skilled personnel with showmanship. The following are tips on the Guéridon style service.

• Always push the trolley, but never pull. This helps in better control and stability.
• Avoid moving a fully loaded trolley. Always move the trolley to the table and get the mise-en-place tray to load it.
• The Guéridon should not be moved while preparation.
• When more than two covers are served from Guéridon, only the main dish is presented from the trolley and vegetables and potatoes are served from the side station as it helps in speedy service. The same is followed for sauces and condiments service.
• Unlike other service styles, while serving Guéridon, one should hold the service spoon and fork in either hands. This is more convenient to handle and present food. The left hand has fork to hold the meat while carving and presenting, and the right hand has knife while carving and a spoon while presenting.
• The trolley must be stalked with appropriate service crockery. Cutlery must be arranged in cutley rack in a sequence that is easy to handle. It is suggested to have service fork and spoon at the right most cutlery slot, and then respectively joint knives, dessert fork and spoon, tea/coffee spoons and tongs towards left.
• Any dish served from the Guéridon trolley must be placed with appropriate cutlery. Cover is not laid in advance for the course.

Compiled & Created by: Rukmini Ganguly

                      Lecturer- IHM Gurdaspur

                       rukmini_puja@yahoo.co.in

SOURCE:  

FOOD & BEVERAGE SERVICE by D. Lilicrap & J. Cousins

F&B SERVICE SIMPLIFIED by Mr. Vara Prasad & Mr. Gopi Krishna

FOOD & BEVERAGE SERVICE by Mr. R. Singaravelavan