Formal and informal methods of meal service

Formal methods of meal service:

Formal meal service should be an elegant event. A multi-course menu includes the
choicest seasonal delicacies and finest wines.
The table setting is resplendent with
translucent porcelains, sparkling crystal,
gleaming silver, and pristine linens. Menu
cards are laid at each place setting or offered
to guests between place settings. After-dinner
entertainment is planned.

The order of service:

The guest who is served first;

 Years ago it was traditional to serve the host and hostess first, a custom that originated in
the middle Ages to demonstrate that the food was not poisoned. Today the custom is
observed only in a few instances: to demonstrate to guests from a foreign country the
correct way to proceed; when a hostess is dining alone with her family; or if a hostess is
dining with a group of younger women.

 The honored guest is served first, a courtesy that affords a selection of the choicest food
from an untouched platter. Service begins with the lady of honor seated to the right of the
host, proceeds counterclockwise, and ends with the host

 Ladies served first. At a large formal dinner, or one where strict protocol is followed,
service may commence with the women, starting with the lady of honor. Although this is
a courteous method of service, it is slow, as each butler must circle the table numerous
times and crisscross around the room.

 Service in the order of progression. At a small formal dinner where less help is provided,
service in the order of progression commences with the lady of honor seated to the right
of the host and proceeds counterclockwise around the table, ending with the host. The
hostess is served in the order of progression and commences to eat as soon as she is
served so that others may begin to eat while the course is at its proper temperature. The
butler does not double back around the table, and the meal is not delayed.

 Service for a single hostess and an acting host. When a single hostess asks a gentleman to
act as her host, he is seated opposite her. The lady of honor is seated on his right hand and
is served first. The hostess is served in the order of progression and the acting host is
served last.
 Service for a single hostess without a host. The lady of honor is seated at the end of the
table opposite the hostess, and she is served first. The order of service proceeds from the
lady of honor counterclockwise. Because there is no host the hostess is served last. As the
arrangement is not balanced with al ternate male-female seating, this form of service is
rare.

1. Duplicate and triplicate service:

To ensure that each course is served at the proper temperature, when more than six guests are
seated at the table, duplicate and triplicate services are presented simultaneously.

Duplicate service: The lady of honor is served first, and the guest seated directly opposite
her to the left of the host receives duplicate service. The remaining guests are served in the
order of progression (counterclockwise on the right side of the table, clockwise on the left),
regardless of gender. The host and hostess are served last. Alternatively, duplicate service
begins with the lady of honor and the lady seated diagonally opposite her at the other end of
the table. If the man of honor is extremely important, duplicate service begins with him.

Triplicate service: When the ladies are served first, triplicate service begins with the lady of
honor and two ladies seated equidistant from her. If service is in the order of progression,
triplicate service begins with the lady of honor and the guests seated one-third the distance
from her, regardless of gender.

 Time lapses between services of courses:

A multi-course meal takes time to prepare, serve, and clear, an interval that prompts leisurely
dining and promotes good conversation. Depending on the number of courses served, and
whether they require sauce or extra attention, a formal dinner may last 4 or 5 hours, or more.

 Inspection of the meat platter:

Traditionally, the main course at a formal dinner is a
roast of beef, fowl, or game. To expedite service, a
combination of food is presented on the platter, such
as prime rib with potatoes, asparagus, and parsley.
Because the main course is the most important
course, at a formal dinner held in a private
residence, the meat platter is presented to the hostess
for inspection, a courtesy that enables her to make
sure nothing was omitted from the platter, that the
food is arranged attractively, and that the platter is
tidy. With a nod or a comment she indicates
approval (or disapproval) and service begins. However, the custom is followed only for the
main course. Because the courses that precede and follow the main course do not include a
combination of food, the approval of the hostess is not needed. Moreover, in a club or hotel,
the meat platter is not presented to the hostess for inspection; instead the job is performed by
the maitre d' hotel.

 Service of watery vegetables:

To absorb liquids that flow from food, vegetables that leave fluids on the bottom of a dish,
such as asparagus, are served on a folded napkin.

 When to clear each course:

Years ago, so that guests didn't have to look at a table filled with soiled plates, plates were
cleared as soon as each guest laid his or her eating utensils in a finished position. By the time
the last guest ceased to eat, the table was cleared. However, the method tended to rush slow
eaters, and the custom changed.

Now the time to clear the course depends on the number of guests seated at the table. At a
small dinner party, plates are cleared after the last guest is finished. At a large dinner party, to
expedite service, plates are cleared as soon as the majority of guests are finished. When
dinner guests are seated at several tables, plates are cleared first from the tables at which the
host and hostess are seated (as these tables are where the honored guests are seated). To
speed service at a banquet, plates are cleared as soon as two or three diners at a table are
finished.

 Clearing the table:

To keep the noise level low in the dining room, rather than stack several plates together or
clear them on a tray, servers carry plates to the kitchen or pantry one at a time. However, at a
large affair, to speed clearance one butler may carry a soiled plate to a sideboard, for another
to take to the kitchen.

 Service of sweets:
Special sweets, such as fine chocolates and glaceed fruit, are presented in compotes and
placed on the table as part of the table decor. The compotes remain on the table throughout
the meal and are offered to the guests during dessert. However, in the long lapse between
courses, oftentimes the guests help themselves to a bite or two from the compote placed
nearest to them.
2. Service of a formal six-course meal:
Although a four-course menu is the minimum number
served at a formal dinner, for illustration a six-course
menu is presented step-by-step. Each course follows
the same sequence of service: presentation of the
course, sauce, wine, and water (replenished as
needed).

 First Course, Hot or Cold:

Hot soup. To eliminate the awkwardness of ladling soup from a tureen held by a butler, the
soup plate is filled in the kitchen and laid on the service plate. Soup may also be served from
a cart that is rolled around the room.

Cold appetizer. A cold course, such as fish, is presented to the guest on a platter. The butler
places a plate before the guest who serves himself or herself from the platter.

Rolls. Rolls are served dry in a low container lined with a linen doily or a napkin. Guests
remove the roll from the container and lay it on the tablecloth. In Europe, rolls are
occasionally placed in the fold of napkins or are laid on top of napkins, a method that
eliminates the need to pass rolls with the first course. However, because the roll may drop to
the floor when the napkin is lifted, the method is used less today.

 Second Course:
Immediately after the first course is cleared, the butler slides a fresh plate into place and
carries the soiled plate to the kitchen. After all the plates are cleared, the second course is
presented on a platter. Wine is poured. If croutons or toast are served with the second course,
they are presented, usually by a second butler. Water is replenished.

 Main Course:
After the second course is cleared and the dinner plates are in place, the meat platter is
presented to the hostess for approval (only in a private residence). To steady the platter, and
to insulate his hand from the heat, the butler either covers the palm of his right hand with a
napkin folded in a square or a rectangle or wears white cotton gloves. In England years ago,
servants wore thumb guards rather than gloves.

To eliminate traffic in the room, the meat platter is filled with a combination of foods, namely
a roast, starch, vegetables, and garnish. Vegetables may also be offered separately, one or two
bowls at a time. When bowls are carried two at a time, the butler presents the first bowl with
the left hand, while holding the second bowl in the right hand, behind his back. After the first
bowl is presented, the butler presents the second bowl in the right hand and holds the first
bowl behind his back.

After the meat platter has been passed, the butler presents sauces and condiments served in
sauceboats or small bowls carried on a salver. Wine is poured. Water is replenished.

 Salad Course:
At a formal dinner, a prearranged salad is served from a platter, followed by an optional
presentation of a cheese tray, toasted crackers, and butter served at room temperature.
Because silver is subject to scratches, a wooden cheese board is placed on a silver tray. A
separate knife is provided for each type of cheese. The guests cut a slice of cheese and place
it on the side of the salad plate. The service of crackers and butter follow. The guests remove
a cracker or two, place it on the salad plate, and take a slice of butter. Because the acidic
quality of salad dressing competes with wine, a new wine is not introduced with the salad
course. Water is replenished.

 Dessert course:
To prepare the table for dessert, the butler clears items that do not relate to the dessert course,
and the table is crumbed.

The butler then slides a dessert plate before the guest. A finger bowl is presented on the
dessert plate or on a fruit plate.

Firm dessert, such as torte, is pre-sliced and served on a platter. Soft dessert, like parfait, is
preserved in tall, narrow glasses, brought to the table on a tray, and placed before the guest.
The dessert utensils are laid on the dessert plate.

Dessert wine is poured. Water is replenished.

 Fruit Course:
At a long rectangular table, two to four bowls of fresh fruit flank the centerpiece in positions
that alternate with the compotes of glazed fruit, chocolates, and nuts and smaller floral
arrangements.

The fruit plate is laid before the guest, along with a fruit fork and a fruit knife. Guests help
themselves to fruit from the fruit bowl. But if the fruit bowl is inaccessible, the butler
presents it to the guest. The hostess may also request sliced seasonal fruit passed on a platter.
After the fruit course, compotes of candy and nuts are passed.
 3. English service/Silver service:
This usually includes serving food at the table.
It is a technique of transferring food from a
service dish to the guest's plate from the left.
Food is placed in the serving platters by the
chef and transferred on to the plate to the guest
by the waiter. It is a highly personalized service
which adds to good will. It gives the guest the
choice of selecting and quantifying the food
served to him.  However skilled waiters are required for silver service. In addition to this high
capital investment, maintenance cost is involved as silver service requires a great attention
and care.

Following are the disadvantages of silver service-

•   When last portion is served, the food on the platter looks scattered and unappetizing. Even
portions can be miscalculated, ending up in giving more or less to the last guest due to
uneven distribution of food. After the service the platters and service gear gets piled up on the
sideboard.
•       Time consuming
•       Difficult to maintain the service temperature of the food
•       Service charge is generally high
•       High capital investment.

4. American service/Pre-plated service:

Method of serving food in which the food are placed on plates in the kitchen by the chef and
is served to the guests by the waiter/waitress from the right side of the guest.It is quick and
simple service which involves less capital investment, labour and maintenance cost.
Garnishes are maintained on individual portions,
which don’t involve much skill.

5. Buffet service:
The word “buffet” is a French word which means a
refreshment table which in English means “service
from a side table”. 
In this type of service the food is placed on a
common table from which the guest can help themselves. It is a common method of feeding a
large number of people with minimal staff in a short span of time. The option of unlimited
portion makes the buffet style popular.

Informal methods of meal service:

To provide a general guideline for the service of an informal dinner, four methods are
presented: host style, French style, English style, and professional style. Each method adapts
easily to suit individual needs.

1. Host Style Service:

Guests chat while the hosts serve the meal, a method that creates a relaxed, convivial
atmosphere. Although the guests are left alone temporarily at the table with an empty space in
front of them, by the time the meal is served they are engaged in conversation and the
absence of the hosts is unnoticed.

The host and hostess serve the meal from a buffet or the kitchen. The host carves the meat or
serves the casserole. The hostess dishes up the vegetables, serves the plates, and clears the
table.

2. French Style Service:

The meal is placed on the table all at one time and the guests pass the serving dishes.
Although French service saves steps for the hostess, unless covered serve ware is used, the
food cools faster this way than in other service methods. Moreover, the excessive handling of
serve ware by the guests disrupts the conversation.

A meat platter or casserole is placed in front of the host. The plates are stacked above the
meat platter, slightly to the right for easy handling. The host asks guests for the cut of meat
they prefer and repeats the name of each guest as he passes the plate. Those who prefer an
outside piece or a well-done cut are served before those who prefer a rare cut.

3. English Style Service:

A small table adjoins the dining table, and the hostess remains seated throughout the meal.
Although this method enables the hostess to remain seated throughout the meal, it entails
excessive handling of the plates, disrupts conversation, and is seldom used today.

A small table, such as a card table or a tea cart, is placed next to the dining table to hold a
salad bowl, salad plates, dessert, and dessert plates. The meat platter or casserole is placed
before the hostess, and the dinner plates and serving utensils are laid above the platter. The
hostess serves the plates. The first plate is passed to the lady of honor seated to the right of
the host. To reduce the number of times the guests handle the plates, the second plate is
passed to the host. Service proceeds up one side of the table and down the next. The hostess
is served last. At the end of each course, the guests pass their plates to the hostess, who stacks
them on the adjacent table. To reduce the noise level in the room, the plates are not scraped.

4. Professional Style Service:

Host and hostess remain seated throughout the meal. Professional service is reserved for posh
affairs cooked entirely, or partially, by the hosts. Professional help is engaged to serve and
clean up. One maid serves six to eight guests. When more than eight guests are seated, the
hosts and professional work together as a team to expedite service. The following variations
may be adjusted as needed.

5. Russian Style Service:

The Most Formal way to Entertain Informally. A maid presents each course to the guest from
the left side, and returns the serve ware to the kitchen.

Water and wine are served in the same manner as a formal dinner.

Rolls are served by the maid and placed on a bread-and-butter plate or the rim of the plate.
Butter dishes are placed at each end of the table for the guests to pass. Or a container of rolls
is placed at each end of the table for the guests to pass. Or pre-buttered rolls are passed.

At a table of eight people or more, the maid fills the salad plates in the kitchen before she
serves them. At a small dinner of six or fewer, the maid places an empty salad plate before
the guest and presents the salad bowl. Or she presents a platter filled with prearranged salads
to each guest.

The roast is carved in the kitchen by the maid and presented on a platter to the guests. The
platter is returned to the kitchen to keep warm. The maid carries two vegetable bowls at one
time or holds a divided bowl and offers it to the guests. The main course is passed twice.

The maid serves and clears plates two at a time. The smaller plate is removed first with the
right hand. The larger plate is carried with the left hand.

The table is not crumbed unless unusually messy. Dessert is presented on a platter or pre-
served on individual plates. The maid serves coffee, clears the table, and cleans up.