Basic Terms in the Hospitality Industry


What does Mise en Place mean?
It is the process of organising the table and putting glasses, cutlery, china, pepper & salt all in the right position for the customer, before organising your area (station) to be ready for service.
What is a cover?
It is the whole set that will be used by one client in the meal and the client itself.
What is a station?
It is the place where items are stored ready to use e.g. the bread, glasses, plates, cutlery and drinks.
How do you polish cutlery & glasses?
Polish using steam from hot water and a dry cloth.
Menu terms
Appetizers/Canapes: Served as small tasters usually on a platter or as part of a function.
Starter: Small amount of food that is served before the main course of a meal.
Main course: It is the main dish, with a larger amount of food than the starter.
Dessert: Sweet food eaten at the end of a meal.
Styles of Functions
Champagne & Canapes: Most of the time a function starts with a reception where drinks and canapes are served to guests.
Buffet Service: The guests/ customers go to the station to select food, sometimes they may help themselves to the food on offer and other times you may be required to serve a particular element of the food offered.
Silver Service: This is the term given to the serving of food to seated guests at a table.
Plated Service: This is when the Chef serves the food on the plate before it is delivered from the kitchen to the seated guests at a table.
Drinks
Water
Often served at the start of the meal, also to be served as the customer requires.
Wines
Serve white wine in the smaller glass.
Serve red wine into the taller, larger glass.
When do you begin serving? Your Manager will advise when to serve wine.
To who and how is the wine served to? It is normal to serve ladies first, or the person who ordered the wine.


When pouring wine:


Make sure the label is visible.
Pour it from the right hand side.
Move in clockwise direction around the table.
Fill glass to two thirds full only.
Pour water after wine.
If it is a different kind of wine, we ask that you use a clean glass!
Coffee/Tea


Serve coffee and tea after dessert.

Place coffee cups in the centre of the setting.
Serve coffee from the right hand side.
Serve cream & sugar from the right hand side (ask first) with or without cream and if they want sugar).


Order of Service


Service in all of our clients venues vary but all follow the same basic principles as set out below:
1. Serve Bread
2. Serve Starter
3. Clear Starter
4. Top up wine and water
5. Serve Main Course
6. Clear Main Course
7. Top up wine and water
8. Serve Dessert
9. Clear Dessert
10. Serve tea and coffee
Plated Service: food is served from the right hand side of the guest and cleared from the right hand side.
Silver Service: food is served from the right hand side of the guest and cleared from the right hand side.
Beverages Service: All beverages are served from the right hand side of the guest and cleared from the right hand side.