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Thursday, July 15, 2010

MISE-EN-PLACE

Mise-en-place, the French term means to “putting in place” is
attributed to the preparation of a work place for ultimate smooth
service. It is widely used in the food and beverage service
department in everyday hotel operations. Before service
commences, the staff should ensure that the station is in total
readiness to receive guests. A station comprises of a given number
of tables which are attended by a given team of waiters. Thus a
restaurant may have several stations, each with a team of waiters. In
a large restaurant, each station may be headed by a Chef-de-rang.
Mise-en-place involves:
· Side stations should be stacked with sufficient covers for
resetting the restaurant after the first sitting is over. Extra
linen, crockery, cutlery, glassware and ashtrays should
be kept handy so that they are readily available for use.
· Cruet sets should be cleaned and filled on a daily basis.
· Sauce bottles should be filled and the necks and tops of
the bottles wiped clean.
· Butter, condiments and accompaniments for service
should be kept ready for use when needed.

MISE-EN-SCENE

Mise-en-scene, the French term means to prepare the
environment of the outlet before service in order to make it pleasant,
comfortable, safe and hygeinic. Before each service session, the
restaurant should be made presentable enough to receive t h e
guests. The supervisor or team of waiters should ensure the
following mise-en-scene:
· Carpets are well brushed or hovered.
· All tables and chairs are serviceable.
· Table lights or wall lights have functioning bulbs.
· Menu cards are presentable and attractive.
· Tent carts or other sales material are presentable.
· Doors and windows are thrown open for sometime to air
the restaurant. This should be followed by closing the

windows and doors and setting the air-conditioning or
heating to a comfortable temperature.
· Exchange dirty linen for fresh linen.
· Table cloths and mats are laid on the tables.
· Replace wilted flowers with fresh flowers.

PREPARATION AFTER SERVICE

i) Pull out the chairs or the table to enable guests to
move out comfortably.
ii) Wish them warmly and request them to visit again,
saying - Do visit again, sir / madam.
iii) Clear the table immediately and reset for the next
guest.
iv) Have the side station cleared and restacked for the
next sitting.

PREPARATION DURING SERVICE

i) When the guests arrive greet them warmly, by wishing
them the time of the day.
ii) Escort the guests to the table and seat them promptly
by pulling the chairs out to ease seating. If need be,
the table should be moved so that very little
inconvenience is caused to guests when they seat
themselves.
iii) Ensure that children have high chairs and special
attention is paid to the elderly.
iv) Remove extra covers, if any.

v) Serve water and present the menu card, if the captain
is busy.
vi) If the order has to be taken, offer suggestions to the
guests on the choice of food and beverages and
repeat the final order to avoid possible errors.
vii) Do not leave the station unattended, as nothing
annoys a guest more than not being able to find a
waiter, when something is needed.
viii) If the table cloth has to be changed during service, the
table top should not be exposed. Any articles on the
table should be cleared to the side station and not
placed on chairs or on the next table. The soiled cloth
should be brushed using a service cloth and a
crumbing tray or plate.
ix) Do not neglect little things such as lighting a guest's
cigarette, responding to a request and showing
interest in the guest's needs.
x) Ensure that service is fast, efficient and pleasant.
xi) Before serving dessert, clear and crumb the table.

PREPARATION BEFORE SERVICE

The service staff should check the following before service:
i) The tables and linen are clean.
ii) Tablecloths are evenly spread on the table.
iii) Chairs are dusted and properly arranged.
iv) The table set up is appropriate and pleasing.
v) The silver is polished and the china and crockery are
spotlessly clean and befitting the occasion.
vi) Cruet sets, sugar bowls and flower vases are filled
and placed on the table suitably.
vii) The floor / carpet is clean and dry.
viii) The restaurant and back area are in a state of
readiness before the service session commences.
ix) The side station is fully equipped for service and the
following should be checked:
· Condiments tray is cleaned and refilled.
· Napkins are folded and kept handy for the
particular session.
· Salvers, extra linen, cutlery and service equipment
necessary for the session are stacked up.
· Water jugs and ice buckets are filled and kept
ready.
· Coffee pots ready with freshly brewed coffee / tea.
· Sugar cubes, butter and butter plates ready.

PREPARATION FOR SERVICE

Restaurants not only should attract potential customers but
also should strive hard to entice them to become frequent and
regular customers. This can be done in a number of ways, such as
through the type of menu, the glamorous and attractive name of the
place or atmosphere within the food service area.
The customer’s first impressions of a restaurant are the most
important and these are largely determined by the professionalism of
the service staff and their preparations prior to service. These preservice
preparations are known as mise-en-place and are vital in that
they create the right and pleasing environment by the setting and
controlling of temperature, lighting and equipment.



The serving food and beverage to the anxiously waiting
customer needs professional expertise. The service should follow a
sequence and have a plan of action based on the practices of the
professional catering industry. The service staff should be expert
performers of certain tasks before, during and after service. Deligent
and courteous service would certainly transform a satisfied customer
to regular customer.

SPARE LINEN STORE

The spare linen store is the service area where linen
materials are stored in a cupboard. This spare linen stock is held
near the food service area in case of emergency. The linen is
changed when necessary on a basis of ‘one clean for one dirty’. This
is normally the responsibility of a senior member of the food service
staff and is kept locked for control purposes. Generally, 50% of the
total inventory is stocked up in the spare linen room.

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