FBS

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 into other glasses.

 Shot Glass − It is a small glass used to consume fermented or distilled alcohol directly. It can
also be used to pour distilled alcohol into other glasses for mixing with water or sparkling
water.
 Snifter − It is used to serve spirits.
 Thistle Glass − Its silhouette is shaped like a thistle flower. These glasses have tapered
broad rims with round cups attached to a stem and disk. It is used to serve ales and aerated
drinks.
 Tulip Glass − It is used to serve beer, cocktail, or mocktail.

Food & Beverage Services - Use Of Linen

The linen at any food and beverage service outlet is either disposable or non-disposable.

Disposable Linen

This includes items that can be used only once. These items are made of recycled paper with high
absorbing capacity. For example, table napkins, restroom tissues, wrappers, and facial tissues.
Facial tissues soaked in Cologne water are given to the guests. It is considered a good welcome
gesture. Disposable table linen is usually offered to guests in trains or aircrafts before meals.

Non-Disposable Linen
The items in this category are made from flax. This includes table cover, dinner napkins, tea napkins,
and table runners. Non-disposable linen must be clean and pleasantly scented. It must be starched if
required.

Non-Disposable linen must be placed on the table tidily. The staff can fold them and arrange them in
decorative shapes or just put them through decorative linen rings to catch guests’ eyes and start
imparting warm experience to them at the table.

F & B Services - Pantry Equipment

Pantry is the adjoining area or room to the kitchen from where the finished food or a drink is ready to
be served. This area serves as an ancillary capacity of the kitchen. The food is given final touch-up
for presentation, and then handed over to the serving staff. The pantry is often equipped with a sink
attached with normal water and hot water taps. The pantry mainly keeps the following necessary
items −

 Refrigerator
 Electric oven
 Toaster
 Coffee Brewing Machine
 Blender
 Electric food whisk
 Knives and chopping boards
 Hollowware like casserole, bowls, and dishes of various sizes
 Crockery
 Drinkware
 Cutlery
Sideboards in Pantry
Sideboards are mainly shelves with drawers. These can be used to store hollowware and glassware.
The following are the different varieties of sideboards −
 Buffet − It has high legs than the sideboard.
 Credenza − They are the storage cabinets without legs. They mostly have sliding glass doors.
 Server − A server is smaller, shorter, and more formal than a buffet or sideboard.
 Sideboard − It has short legs.

Trolley
It is a serving cart used for serving as well as storing. It has wheels which enable it to move easily
around the kitchen. It is also used in elite food and beverage outlets for serving the guests. It is
available in various designs, sizes, and shapes. You can choose on number of shelves and sections,
and burners. When not in use, it is preferably parked at the wall.
 F & B Services - Cleaning & Maintenance
When the food is ready to arrive in the pantry, used utensils for food preparation are cleaned
immediately and wiped off dry for later use. If any other ancillary serving item such as electric hand
blender is damaged, it is reported to the concerned manager and replaced with a working one at the
earliest.
When the guests complete their meals and leave the table, it is required to prepare the table
immediately by clearing the used tableware. If any tableware is found broken or damaged, it is
reported to the concerned store department and a request is made for its replacement. The table
covers and runners are checked and replaced with fresh ones if need be.
The used tableware is handed over to the cleaning and washing staff. The linen is also handed over
to the laundry department in the hotel. In case of other F&B Services businesses, the soiled linen
can be stored separately and given away to contracted laundry service.

Point-of-Sale Equipment in F&B Service

Today, many restaurants use Point-of-Sale (POS) equipment, a computer-based technology to take
orders, record them, accept payments, and display or print their receipts. Restaurant servers,
bartenders, and cashiers can use POS systems to enter and record food and beverage orders
easily.
A POS system in the F&B Services can increase convenience and accuracy in order tracking, and
can save time during rush hours. It can smoothly perform the following functions −

 Calculating cash due for every order entered for a table.

 Recording the method of payment.
 Tracking balance cash.
 Creating periodic sales reports.
 Calculating labor and payroll data.
 Recording daily check averages for each worker.
 Tracking the number of balance and sold food items.
 Recording information of repeat customers.

Food & Beverage Services - Food Garnishing

The guests’ experience of food and beverage starts when the serving staff brings beautifully
garnished food with the appropriate accompaniments on their table. The service staff turns a
guiding hand to the guests in suggesting which accompaniment will go well with the main food the
guest is interested in having.
There are numerous interesting pairs of foods with their garnishes or accompaniments. Let us see in
detail about garnishing, food accompaniments, and some typical food-garnishing paired with
accompaniments.

What is Garnishing?
It is the way of decorating the food or beverage so that it is aesthetically appealing for the
guests/customers. It works on the plate. Garnishing also harmonizes color, flavor, and taste of the
main dish.
Chopped herbs or small twigs of herbs, leafy vegetables, twirls of carrots or tomatoes, swirls of fresh
cream, fruit glaze, chopped nuts, seedless berries, and lemon zest or slices are used for garnishing.
Desserts are garnished with dried fruits, fresh fruit zests, glazes, roasted or candied nuts, frostings,
chocolate curls, chocolate coated buts, or small pieces of sugar arts.
Drinks like cocktails and mocktails are garnished using fruit pieces and zests, mint leaves, and
castor sugar. Milk based drinks are garnished mostly with fruit pieces, cherries, chocolates, or nuts.

Do’s and Don’ts of Food Garnishing

The following are some important Dos and Don’ts to be understood in food garnishing −

 Place it where it seems just perfect.

 Contrast color schemes work best for garnishing.
 Do not overdo garnishing; this overshadows the main food.
 Do not reuse the garnish.
 Avoid being too elaborate.

What is Accompaniment?
There are dishes that come along with accompaniments. These accompaniments complement the
main food and enrich its taste. It provides an aesthetic value to the main dish. The accompanying
food or beverage itself can have a garnish of its own. An accompaniment can be inside the main
dish or in a separate bowl.
The following are a few different types of accompaniments −
  Sauces and Dips
 Pickles
 Dressings
 Chips and Wedges
 Salads
 Gravies
 Beverages such as soft drinks or wines
 Breads

For example, grilled Hake fish served with potato chips and Pizza served with garlic bread, cheese
dip, and a carbonated beverage.

Popular Food Items with their Accompaniments

The following are a few popular food items with their garnishing and accompaniments −

Food/Dish Garnish Accompaniment

Soups Chopped Cilantro/Fresh leaf of Salads/Breads/Crispy starters

Basil/Croutons/Cream swirls

Bouillabaisse Chopped herbs Country bread slices spread

with Rouille, a spicy mayonnaise.

Farineaux Spaghetti Fresh basil leaves Grated cheese, pepper powder, and
Neapolitan tomato sauce.

Veg/Non-veg burger Not essential Potato/ Sweet potato chips, aerated

drinks or ale.

Indian Snacks Idli, Vada, Chhonk of clarified butter with mustard and Coconut-Cilantro-Green Chili
and Dhokla cumin seeds, and curry leaves. Chutney. Idli and Vada are often
accompanied with lentil curry called
 ‘Sambar’.

Indian Onion or Chili Not essential Tomato sauce or hot and sour
Fritters (Pakoras) chutney.

Mutton/Chicken/ Veg Chopped coriander and caramelized onion Liquid gravy with lemon wedges and
Biryani stripes. onion-tomato-cucumber salad in
curds.

Indian one dish meal Pao- Pao is garnished with butter and Bhaji with Onion-Tomato-Cilantro salad with
Bhaji (Pao=bread, chopped cilantro and butter. lemon wedges and mango pickle.
Bhaji=Spicy Stew)

Barbequed/Braiied Herbs Sauces

Beef/Game Meat

Roast Beef Herbs, Butter Horse Radish sauce

Fruit Salad Castor Sugar Yogurt

Irish Stew Herbs Worcestershire sauce and Pickled

red cabbage.

Poulet Grille Americain Herbs in butter. Addition of grilled dices of tomato,

(American Grilled mushroom, capsicum, and potato.
Chicken)

Sage and Onion Stuffed Pieces or Stripes of salad vegetables. Apple sauce and roast gravy.
Goose

Fromage Assorti Castor sugar for crème cheese. Celery, Radish, Water Crest, and
(Assorted Cheese) Cracker Biscuits.

Veg/Non-veg Stew Chopped fresh coriander Steamed Rice or Bread

Ice Creams Vanilla/Chocolate/Raspberry/Strawberry Sauce, Waffle sticks or stripes.

chopped nuts, Colorful candies, Rose Petals

Cheese and Wine Pairings

There are no stringent rules for which wine goes well with which cheese but one must observe the
following guidelines while pairing wines with cheese −

 Select wine and cheese originating from the same region.

 Dessert wines accompanying the desserts must be sweeter than the dessert itself.
 Cheeses go well with wines of contrast taste.

Wine Cheese

Champagne Brut, Extra Brut (Dry) Brie, Camembert

Champagne Sec, Demi-Sec, Doux (Sweeter) Cheddar, Gouda, and Parmesan

Shiraz Cambozola

Red Bordeaux Cheddar

Chenin Blanc Blue, Camembert

Pinot Blanc Baby Swiss, Brie, Camembert, and Feta

Cabernet Sauvignon Blue, Cheddar, Gorgonzola, Gouda, and

Parmesan

Cabernet Franc Blue, Brie, Cheddar, Gorgonzola, and Goat

Cheese

Chianti Mozzarella and Parmesan

Port (hails from Portugal and sweeter than other Blue and Gorgonzola
wines)

Chocolate and Wine Pairings

Lighter chocolates contain more milk based-products and less chocolate. Chocolates with light and
elegant tastes are paired best with light-bodied wines. The ones with more bitter taste are paired
with intense flavored full-bodied wines.
Standardized Recipes
A critical standardized recipe is one that, “has been tried, adapted, and retried several times for use
by a given food service operation and has been found to yield the same good results under same
procedures, equipment, and quantity and quality of ingredients.”
Generally, popular menu items are developed using standard recipes, ingredients, and presentation.

Benefits of Standardized Recipes

A standardized recipe can bring in the following benefits −

 Consistency in food quality.

 Consistency in nutrients per unit serving.
 Increase in customer satisfaction.
 Control on cost of food.
 Prediction of accurate yield.
 Reduction in food leftover and record keeping.
 Increase in the confidence of employees.

Components of a Standardized recipe

A typical standardized recipe is composed of the following description −

 Recipe name/title − It is the name that describes the recipe in brief.
 Recipe section − It is the section that the recipe should be classified under (grains, starters,
desserts, etc.)
 Ingredients − Types (fresh/canned/cooked/uncooked/ground, etc.)
 Weight and measures of ingredients
 Method − This is a set of instructions to prepare a particular recipe. A method includes
guidelines for steps such as mixing, selecting pans, and setting the right cooking temperature.
 Time − This includes preparation time, cooking time, and serving time.
 Serving size − It is the portion of food to be served.
  Critical Control Points (CCP) − They are control measures taken to avoid food safety
hazards. Every CCP includes control of time, preparation, and cooking temperature.

Critical Standardized Recipes

Predicting the total yield for a particular number of customers and calculating weights of ingredients
accordingly is important in standardized recipes.
For recipe to be prepared for new lot of customers, the total yield changes. The new yield can be
calculated in the following two steps −
Step 1 − Calculate conversion factor as −
Conversion Factor = New Yield / Old Yield
Step 2 − Multiply the measure of each ingredient by the conversion factor to obtain the new yield −
New Yield = Old ingredient quantity x Conversion factor

F & B Services - Beverage Service

Beverages play an important role in accompanying food. Beverages also enhance flavor of main
dish and help to cleanse the taste buds in between bites, and complement the dish.
Hot beverages such as hot tea or coffee, and hot chocolate are prepared in the kitchen and
generally served from the kitchen pantry. Cold beverages such as mocktails and alcoholic beverages
such as spirits, liquors, and cocktails come to the guests’ tables from bars.

Types of Bars
A bar is a place where non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages are served. It is equipped with a back
bar with necessary equipment such as bar tools, and glassware to serve the beverages. The
customers sit on tall push-down chairs around the counter. The barmen or barmaids commonly
known as bartenders prepare drinks and serve them to the customers. There are some typical types
of bars −
 Public − It is a bar in a public house which is open for public and not exclusive.
 Service Bar − It is for the staff.
 Portable − They are compact bars easy to set up for off-premise catering.
 Mini − It is a private bar located in VIP rooms, suites, or penthouses of the hotel.

Bar Tools
The following tools are necessary to serve beverages from bar −
 Bar Linen and Cocktail Napkins − They are used to save work area from any mess while
pouring the beverage.
 Pouring Spouts − They make smooth serving of beverage apportioned equally into the
glasses.
 Juice Containers − They are useful to save bartending time by keeping most demanded
juices handy.
  Cocktail Shaker Tins − They are suitable for mixing the ingredients of cocktails and martinis
well.
 Short Shaker Tins − They are used to shake small amount of drinks efficiently.
 Cocktail Strainer − It is used to sieve cocktails before serving.
 Corkscrew or Wine Opener − They are used to open corks of wine bottles.
 Bottle Opener − They are used to open caps of bottled beverages.
 Jigger − It is an alcohol measuring two-sided cup.

 Lemon Zester − It is used for cutting lemon zest.

 Bar Spoon − Also called muddler, is used for mixing beverages briefly.
 Masher − It is used to mash ingredients to help release oils and flavors effectively.

Dram Shop Liability

The Dram Shop Liability in US is the body of law that governs the liability of alcohol stores and the
commercial establishments where alcohol is served. This body endeavors to protect the society from
the unpleasant outcomes of serving alcohol to minors and intoxicated people.

Verifying Legal Drinking Age

The legal age of drinking alcohol is different in different countries. The minimum age to purchase and
consume alcohol ranges from 16 years to 25 years. In some countries, this age limit varies according
to strength of the alcohol, premises of consumption, or whether the young customer is accompanied
by an adult.
When the customer looks underage, the beverage serving staff is compelled to ask for the
customer’s driving license or any reliable identity card from a well-recognized institution as a proof of
age before serving the alcohol.

Monitoring Alcohol Intake

It is up to the serving staff who has had enough drink as the drunk persons themselves often fail to
be composed and know their own state. To keep the account of how much the customers are
drinking, the bartenders must use standard measures for pouring drinks.

Cutting off Alcohol Service

The bartending staff needs to cut off alcohol service if the customer is on the way of binge drinking
and seems not able to handle it. Refusal of alcohol service should be −

 Executed professionally by speaking firmly and clearly with the drunk/under-aged customers.
 Denied quietly without notifying other customers.

Food and Beverage Services - Preparation

Imparting an out of the world meal experience requires a lot of preparation beforehand. Food and
beverage businesses work to bring out the best possible experience for their guests and customers
to achieve maximum customer satisfaction. All operations regarding food and beverage service need
preparations by anticipating guest arrival at any time during working hours.
Let us see what all basic preparations are required to be done.

Mise-en-scene
It is the activity of preparing the environment in the F&B Services establishment so that the guests
and the service staff find it hygienic and pleasant.
To prepare the environment, the staff carries out the following activities −
 Opening all windows and doors before working hours to let fresh air and sunlight enter the
venue.
 Ensuring menu cards and promotional material are presentable.
 Removing the furniture that needs servicing and handing it over to the maintenance
department or any outsourced agency.
 Vacuuming carpets if any.
 Switching on all lamps to check the fused ones.

Mise en place
It is the activity of putting things in place to make the subsequent F&B Services smooth. The
serving staff carries out the following duties −

 Removing all soiled linen and replacing them with the fresh ones.
 Ensuring that the side board is well-equipped.
 Replenishing condiment containers, shakers, and water jugs.
 Polishing cutlery and glassware.
 Replacing pale flowers with the fresh ones.

Preparing Side Boards (Dumb Waiters)

It is a piece of furniture with numerous compartments and shelves to keep condiments, water jug or
bottles, cutlery, food platters, and linens. Side boards are allocated for every station.

To prepare the side boards, the serving staff must place −

 The replenished containers of water, butter, and condiments.
 The dinner plates, side plates, glasses, mugs, and fingerbowls in the lower shelves.
 The linen, napkins, and dolly papers neatly and stalked.
 The cutlery in the appropriate sections separately according to the type.
 The condiments containers and shakers, water jug, butter dish, toothpick holders, straw
holders, on the upper shelf or board.

Preparing Ice and Water

Ice and water are the preliminary requirements of any food and beverage service establishment.
Clean drinkable water is obtained from the water purifiers installed in the service establishment. The
purifiers are selected such that they can cater to large number of people per hour.
Crystal clear ice in the shape of large cubes can be prepared in-house if the size of F&B
establishment is large enough to install the required equipment. The ice can also be purchased from
an outsourced ice-making business and stored in the freezers.
When the guests are seated, they are first served water at adequate temperature according to the
season.

F & B Services - Preparing The Table

Table setup plays an important role in contributing to the appearance of the table.

Principles of Preparing Covers

 Each table cover needs space of 24 to 30 inches wide.
 Crockery and cutlery must be placed 2 inches away from the edge of the table.
 Knives are placed on the right of the dinner plate whereas forks are placed on the left.
 Butter knife is placed on the side plate.
 The cutting edge of the knives must be towards the plate.
 Table napkin must be neatly folded and placed on the side plate.

Setting Table for Formal Dining

This type of table setup is required for formal events like corporate lunch or dinner, or a wedding
party. The formal dining contains multiple courses and second helpings are not offered.
This table setup looks as follows −

Setting Table for Casual Dining

This table setup is required for informal events like holiday parties and family gatherings. Casual
dining can contain multiple courses and service staff offers or serves second rounds of helping when
a guest requests for it. This table setup appears as follows −
Setting a Buffet Table
This set up is required for catering to large groups of people. Buffet table setting can be done in
numerous ways depending upon the size and shape of the place, the menu, and the number of
guests.

 The food items are placed in a sequence from lightest to heaviest, starters to desserts, or
coolest to warmest.
 Cutlery is placed on the guest tables.
 Glasses, cups, and saucers are placed on a separate table to avoid congestion.
 Table decoration pieces are placed such that they do not interfere with the food items.
 Plates are stacked not more than 15 plates per stack.
 Paper napkins are placed between the plates.

Preparing Condiments
The condiments are kept according to the theme of the F&B service. For example, if the
establishment is serving Italian food, the staff needs to prepare shakers of dried herbs, salt, and
pepper flakes. In European restaurants, they typically keep salt, sugar, and pepper as basic
condiments.
When the guests leave the tables, the serving staff needs to check the condiment containers and
replenish them if required.

Napkin Folding
Today, there are large varieties of napkins available in different colors and materials. Paper napkins
are used majorly for informal dining whereas for formal dining, linen napkins are preferred.
Napkin can be folded in a number of attractive ways. They can be shaped as a flower, a character,
or some object. A well-folded and well-placed napkin on the plate grabs the attention of the guests.

Food Presentation
Presentation of a food or beverage is equally important as its recipe as the other senses are
stimulated through sight and aroma. A well-prepared dish is complete only when it is presented with
beautiful garnish in an appropriate food container or platter. The serving staff must follow the basic
guidelines for food presentation −
 It must be presented at the required temperature.
 It must be presented according to the serving size.
 It must be presented in appropriate hollowware of suitable size.
 It is also recommended to serve food with the right garnish that adds to the catchiness of the
dish. The garnish in contrast color is quite appealing.
 The garnish or accompaniment should not overshadow the main food.
The cook needs to be creative at presenting the dish so well that the final result comes out as a treat
for not only the taste buds but also for the eyes.

Beverage Presentation
Beverage presentation gains a lot of importance in today’s world. Beverages taste good if they are
presented at the temperature at which they are meant to have. Right from selecting the appropriate
service glassware, creating various pleasant color schemes of the ingredients, and serving the
beverage with creative ideas pays.

For example, the coconut water from a tender coconut can be served in the neatly cut and clean
tender coconut itself from which it is taken out. Also, mocktails or cocktails can be presented with
straws and slices of fruits in different shapes and colors.

Food and Beverage Services - SOPs

When few tasks in an organization are required to be conducted repetitively, it is a good idea to
generate a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). These make the tasks in hand easy and
effective, and save a great deal of time and effort. SOPs also help to train the staff and avoid silly
errors.
Let us understand a few important SOPs set in F&B service establishments −

Laying Out a Guest Table

The procedure is as follows −
 Check the table linen for cleanliness and spread it on the table neatly to remove wrinkles.
 Replace the table soiled linen if required.
 Ensure the dining type before the setting table layout: Formal or Informal.

Formal Dining Table Layout

For a formal table setup, place the tableware as follows −

 Place the dinner plate one inch from the table edge near the chair.
 Place the salad plate above the dinner plate.
  Place the forks on left of the dinner plate. Arrange the forks according to their size with the
largest fork nearest to the dinner plate.
 Place the spoons and knives on the right side of the dinner plate according to their size with
the largest spoon and knife near the plate.
 Place the dessert spoon and fork above the plate horizontally.
 Place the quarter plate on the left side of the dinner plate.
 Place the water and the wine glasses on the top-right corner of the dinner plate.
 Shape the clean linen aesthetically and place it on the extreme left.

Informal Dining Table Layout

For an informal table setup, place the tableware as follows −

 Place the dinner plate one inch inside the table edge near the chair.
 Place the forks on the left side in descending order of their size with the largest fork to be
closest to the dinner plate.
 Place dinner spoon and knife on the dinner plate’s right side.
 Place water and the wine glasses on the top-right side of the dinner plate.
 Shape the clean linen aesthetically and place it on the extreme left on the top of the dinner
plate.

Handling the Telephone Calls

The staff members who handle the telephone calls must be thoroughly aware of the work system.
The procedure for handling calls is as follows −
  Always answer the phone call promptly, within three rings. If it takes time to answer, apologize
to the customer.
 Speak with the caller attentively by avoiding any distractions around.
 Always inform the caller before transferring his call and putting him/her on hold.
 Always talk politely and respectfully to the customers by addressing women as ‘Madam’ and
men as ‘Sir’.
 Ensure that you solve all the customer queries before terminating the telephonic conversation.
 Speak clearly with a cooperative tone; do not speak loudly.
 Avoid domain jargons and informal words such as ‘Yup’, ‘hang-on’ or yeah.’ Instead, use
formal words such as ‘absolutely’, ‘please wait’, ‘Yes’, etc.
 Always end the phone call by saying, ‘Thank you for calling (sir/madam)!’.

Taking the Order

The orders for table reservation or food delivery can be taken on phone. Direct service orders are
placed and taken to the guest table.

Taking Orders on Phone

While taking orders on phone, the visual channel of communication is absent. Hence the staff needs
to listen to the caller attentively while taking order on the phone.
 Answer the customer’s call immediately and take the communication further cordially by
saying, “Good (morning/afternoon/evening), I am (own name); How can I help you?”
 Pay a complete ear to the customer’s requirement of food, beverage, table reservation, or any
specific requirement.
 Note down the order details on a notepad.
 Inform the customer about time estimation of delivery if it is home delivery order. If it is table
reservation, confirm the timing of customer’s arrival and the total number of persons to the
customer.
 Repeat the order to the customer and take his confirmation.
 Ask for the address or confirm the address and contact number if it is already in the database.
 End the conversation by greeting the customer and assuring him the best service.
 Hand over the order to the kitchen staff. Inform the delivery staff member in case of home
delivery. Inform the service staff members to prepare a table for the given number of persons
and the occasion in case of table reservation.

Taking Orders at the Table

This takes place when the guests are already seated.

 Ensure that the guests are seated comfortably.
 At the start, offer them welcome drink if any or chilled water.
  Offer them food and wine menus.
 Greet the guests and ask them courteously, “What would you like to have, (Sir/Madam)?”
 Note down the order carefully.
 Confirm which variant of the food or beverage they wish to have; if there are multiple variants
of the same food item. Help the guests by suggesting the beverage or side dish that goes well
with the main dish if required.
 Repeat the items ordered with their respective quantities.
 Inform the guest about expected time of the order arrival.
 Leave the guest table and send the order to the kitchen.

Rules for Communicating with the Guests

Conversation with the guests is the backbone of any service-providing business. The guidelines for
conversing with the guests are −

 Keep upright posture and smiling face.

 Let them know that you are enthusiastic and eager to serve them.
 Be respectful to elderly guests, friendly with the same-age guests, and jovial with the children.
 Keep the voice of speech audible and clear.
 Apologize if some food item or beverage has run out of the stock.
 While the guests are having their meals, make a brief round at the table to observe if
everything is fine.

Dealing with Unexpected Situations

The service staff actually must remain prepared to handle any unforeseen circumstances which
include −

 Handling spill-over of food or drink while serving.

 Dealing with highly drunk gusts.
 Dealing with guests who are physically challenged or the ones who show difficulty in
communicating.
 Dealing with hyper-active toddler guests.
 Dealing with unwelcomed situations such as large fire hazards.

Loading and Carrying Trays

The service staff needs to be careful while carrying the trays in their hands and going around the
dining area. They need to follow the given rules −

Loading the Trays

 Do not overload the tray.

  Place the items on the tray such that the load is evenly distributed.
 Alter the position of drinks or food promptly every time something is removed from the tray.

Carrying the Trays

 Carry one tray at a time.

 Carry the tray with a firm support of the palm with fingers wide open.
 Hold the tray on the left palm slightly above the shoulder.
 Hold it little away from neck and mouth for hygienic reasons.

Serving Food and Beverage

Following are some meticulous ways while serving food or beverages.
 Bring food to the guest table if it is not a buffet service.
 Present the food from guest’s left side in case of formal dining.
 Prepare the food plates from the kitchen and place them on the guest table in case of casual
dining.
 Ask the guests if they need help to serve the food.
 Serve one food item at a time.
 Serve the eldest lady guest of the group first unless the lady herself is a host. After all ladies
are served, serve the men guests starting from the oldest.
 Always present a dish with its respective serving spoon.
 Tilt the service bowl a little to bring east in serving and take it away after serving.
 Always present the ordered drink in an appropriate glass by informing its name to the guest.
 When same wine is offered in consecutive courses, serve it in the same wine glass. If wine is
changed then replace the glass with fresh one.
 Always tilt the glass while pouring drinks or fuzzy drinks so that its head and aroma is held.
 Do not bend over served plates while serving other plates across the table. Move as near as
possible to the plate in which you serve.

Clearing the Tables

It is important to clear the table between two dining sessions by following procedure −
 Clear the table first when the guests finish their main course.
 Clear it for the second time just before the guests leave the table.
 While clearing, first remove all the pieces of flatware and chinaware except table linen and
center piece. Let the dessert flatware remain in case of first clearing.
 Let wine glasses be on the table even after the main course.
  While clearing, pickup one plate at a time and place on the tray carefully. In case of formal
dining, replace the removed plate by a fresh one so that table cover of the guest is never
empty.
 Do not overload the tray with pile of used plates; make extra rounds to the table if required.

Presenting Bills to the Guest and Settling Them

Before presenting bill to the guest, make sure the guests don’t want to order anything more. There
are many policies of setting guest bills in the F&B establishments. Some prefer the guests pay cash
at the cash collection counter. In such case, the serving staff must accompany the guest to the
payment counter to ensure only the right amount is charged to the guest.
Some F&B Services businesses prefer to bring bills (or checks) to the guests’ tables and get them
settled. While presenting and settling the bill, follow the given steps −
 Ask politely, “Should I bring you the bill, Sir/Madam?”
 Once the guest confirms, ask how he/she would like to pay. It should be either credit card,
debit card, or cash.
 Go to the payment counter to prepare the bill.
 Cashier prepares the bill according to the table number told by waiter.
 Present the bill in a small closed folder to the guest from his/her left side.
 Stand beside the guest till the guest examines the bill.
 If the guest pays by cash, take it and deposit the amount at the payment counter. If the guest
wishes to pay by card, take the guest’s signature on the bill, and take the card and bill to the
payment counter. If the establishment has facility of mobile card-payment service, take the
transaction device to the guest table.
 The cashier returns the balance amount if paid by cash. If the payment is by card, he ensures
the card’s expiry date and accepts the payment.
 Bring back the copy of printed bill and any change or the card to the guest.
 If the guest insists to take the tip, mention your thankfulness with smile.
 When the guest stands up to leave the table, pull the chair backwards by informing him/her to
help to get out of the chair gracefully.
 Thank the guest for his/her visit and invite him/her to visit again.

F & B Services - Hygiene & Safety

It is an extremely important responsibility of every F&B Services to serve their guests hygienic food
and beverages. The guests keep faith in F&B Services businesses that they will provide them the
best food and serve it the best careful manner. The F&B services are bound to provide safe-to-eat
food that is prepared by following hygiene and sanitation practices.

Importance of Hygiene in F&B Service

F&B services have direct access to guests’ health through food and beverages. The working staff
handles every food and drink item closely that the guest is going to eat. Hence, if these services do
not follow proper practices of hygiene and sanitation, the guests might get foodborne diseases such
as food poisoning, nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting.
Food contamination can occur through unwashed vegetables, uncooked meat, soft cheeses, and
unpasteurized milk. If the food preparation and serving equipment used in F&B Services are not
clean, then they become primary source of food contamination.

Types of Food Contaminations

There are three main sources of food contamination −

 Physical − This is accidental in nature and is caused by employee carelessness. The major
culprits are air, dust, smoke, and dirt. To prevent this, food must be properly covered and
stored.
 Biological − This contamination is caused by pathogens and microorganisms such as
bacteria, molds, parasites, and fungi.

 Chemical − It is accidental contamination of food caused by cleaning solvents, pest control

sprays, or other chemicals used in entire food production chain. This food contamination
occurs when utensils or other tableware are not wiped dry after washing them using cleaning
liquids. It also takes place when the food is not stored properly when pest control chemicals
are sprayed.

Hygiene Concerns of F&B Services Staff

Personal hygiene is essential when one handles the food or beverage that the other is going to
consume. The service staff must follow the given basic principles −
 It is said that the hygiene starts from home. Perform your daily cleanliness regime without any
excuses.
 Wash hands and arms immediately −
o When you come from toilet.
o When you sneeze, blow nose, yawn, or cough covering your mouth with hands.
o After eating food, tobacco, or touching animals.
o After you touch hair, scalp, skin, or any body-opening.
 Wash hands with mild cleansing soap and warm water; not merely with running water.
 Wipe sweat often.
  Do not smoke or eat tobacco while working.
 Cover cuts, burns, or wounds on the skin.
 Keep hair and nails trimmed.
 Try using hand gloves as much as possible. Kitchen staff must use toque.
 Do not work when facing cold, cough, or any other contagious diseases. Inform your superior
staff if you are not well.
 Do not touch ready-to-eat food directly. Always use gloves, serving tongs deli papers, or forks
to handle such food.
 Do whatever required to let not your skin, body fluids, or any clothes you are wearing to come
into contact with food or food containers.
 Ensure a clean uniform.
 Do not wear loose jewelry. Avoid wrist jewelry.

Hygiene Concerns of F&B Services Business

Any food business must be concerned about −
 Training all food handling and service staff with a detailed knowledge of food and equipment
hygiene and safety.
 Ensuring food handlers and servers not to handle food in case of contamination possibility.
 Supplying hand-washing facilities with soap, running hot water, and paper towels for its staff.

Food Safety Concerns

Every F&B Services business must also be concerned about food safety and adhere to safety of
food and beverage it serves. It must ensure −
 Marking Date on Food − The perishable ready-to-eat food refrigerated for more than 24
hours must be clearly marked at the time of preparation to indicate the date by which the food
should be consumed.
 Storing of Food − Hot and cold foods and beverages need to be stored at the right
temperature. The food temperature measuring devices must be accurate.
 Cleaning Equipment − The area and facilities allocated for cleaning food preparation and
service equipment must be large enough to immerse the utensils and sanitize them.
 Limiting Cross-Contamination − Storing raw food such as raw meat or vegetables from
cooked food is essential to avoid cross-contamination of the food.
 Employing FSS − The F&B Services businesses must employee at least one Food Safety
Supervisor depending upon the business size.

Safety of F&B Services Staff

Hygiene and safety of food starts right from selecting raw material carefully, preparing food with
health and safety cautiousness, and serving it in the clean environment.
The service staff must −

 Attend duty in clean and tidy uniform.

 Wear less jewelry while working. This avoids entangling articles and calling for trouble.
 Be aware of the equipment and their appropriate application.
 Be careful of handling hot food and beverages.
 Clear spillages on the floor immediately.
 Never run in the workspace.