Attributes of a waiter : Departmental Organisation and Staffing

The restaurant staff is the front-line staff expected to manage, serve and satisfy clients walking in for food and beverage dining experience at a price. The restaurant staff should be extremely well groomed projecting high standards of hygiene, sanitation, professionalism and style while handling clients.

With combination of soft skills (verbal and non verbal) the F&B staff is expected to meet with all customer needs starting from taking order for choice of food and beverages, to serving them with joy, clearing the table and settling the bill to taking improvement feedback and seeing off them.

The etiquette that a waiter exhibits in a restaurant should comprise the following:

1. Receiving guest promptly with warm smile and wishing them.
2. Announce your name and welcome them with the name of the F&B outlet.
3. Call guest by name if regular to the outlet.
4. Offer assistance.
5. Be polite and courteous through the conversation.
6. Walk the guest to the table and help the ladies seat first.
7. Provide extra cushions or special chairs for children.
8. When speaking to a guest do not interrupt him/her if he/she is speaking to another guest.
9. Do not overhear conversations.
10. Avoid mannerisms such as touching hair, scratching, nose picking, etc.
11. Stand straight and at all times.
12. Gentle bow at the time of service is permissible.
13. Never slouch or lean.
14. Remember the preference of guest such as the favourite dish and remind them that you know; ascertain whether he/ she would like to order it again.
15. Be attentive to guest call and attend enthusiastically.
16. Offer to light a cigarette for a guest.
17. Avoid arguments with guest or staff in the restaurant.
18. Always carry pen in the pocket.
19. Desist chewing gums, beetle leafs (paan) or smoking.
20. Never talk with colleagues unnecessarily or group around the sideboard.
21. Avoid soliciting for tips.

Organisation of F & B Department : Department Organisation and Staffing

Defined duties and responsibilities for every profile in the industry helps people to understand their role and provides clarity about the aims and expectations of the industry and how to reach them. It is important to run the industry properly and systematically as each person can’t do everything. It also helps in the growth of the industry.

Duties and Responsibilities of Various F & B staff are as under:

Restaurant Manager

Reports To: Food and Beverage Manager / General Manager

Job Summary: To recommend and meet budgets and goals by leading a service “I” with personalised guest attention.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Recommend and monitor a budget and plan for the year.
• Lead, train and motivate a service team.
• Conduct daily briefings ensuring two-way communication, training and policy information
• Check mise-en-scène and mise-en-place done by the team.
• Control expenses of the restaurant.
• Develop innovative ways to create sales of the restaurant by up-selling menu items, food promotion merchandising, etc.
• Meet and greet guests and develop a personal guest database to ensure continued patronage.
• Schedule staff rotations and duties and organise extra hands when required.
• Ensure the safety and hygiene of the restaurant.
• Maintain discipline and conduct staff appraisals
• Coordinate with the chef for menu offers and operational coordination.
• Coordinate with other departments for the smooth supply of operational supplies.
• Responsible for proper billing and cash recovery for services rendered.
• Resolve guest and staff complaints and grievances
• Represent the restaurant in Food and Beverage meetings.
• Conduct periodic competition analysis

Coordinates with

• Kitchen: on food preparation matters.
• Kitchen Stewarding: for the supply of clean service-ware.
• Housekeeping: for cleanliness and supply of linen and flowers.
• Accounts: for budgets and depositing daily sales.
• Engineering: on matters of maintenance and safety.
• Security: on matters of security and safety.
• Marketing: on matters of sales and promotions.
• Stores: for the supply of alcoholic beverages, operational supplies.

Supervises:-  Senior captain, captain, hostess, Servers, and apprentices

Senior Captain (Restaurant Supervisor)

Reports To: Restaurant Manager/ Food and Beverage Manager

Job Summary: To organize, supervise and train all service personnel in the restaurant with a view to providing quick and personalized food and beverage service to guests.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Deputise in the absence of the Restaurant Manager and ensure the smooth functioning of the restaurant.
• Schedule weekly/fortnightly staff duty shifts with the approval of the Restaurant Manager ensuring that work exigencies are met and the staff is rotated fairly.
• Allot daily duties to subordinate staff to meet work exigencies ensuring equity of work.
• Conduct daily briefing using it as a vehicle for two-way communication, training and corrective action.
• Attend to guest complaints and ensure guest satisfaction through immediate action.
• Inspect the mise-en-scene and mise-en-place to ensure the smooth flow of operations.
• Ensure the maintenance and aesthetic upkeep of the restaurant in close coordination with engineering and housekeeping.
• Organize the training of staff for meeting the standards of service.
• Develop restaurant sales through upselling, guest contacts and ensuring good service.
• Ensure that the restaurant is free from work hazards.
• Supervise food service with a view to ensuring speed, quality of service and personalization
• Appraise staff performance and recommend rewards to the restaurant
• Control costs by applying food control principles.
• Serve wines and beverages according to international practice.
• Motivate staff through fair leadership.
• Prepare flambe items, if applicable to the restaurant, with showmanship and authenticity.
• Maintain and control the par stocks of cutlery, crockery, linen, supplies, and equipment.
• Assist the accounts department in stocktaking.
• Hand over lost and found properties to the Housekeeping as per rules.

Supervises: Restaurant Captains, Hostess, Servers and Apprentices.

Captain (Head Waiter)

Reports To:-  Senior Captain/ Restaurant Manager

Job Summary:- To organise and supervise an assigned restaurant station with a view to providing fast and efficient food and beverage service.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Train and supervise restaurant servers to give high standards of service in terms of time, quality and personalisation.
• Supervises the mise-en-place of the assigned station to ensure a smooth service during operation.
• Inspect table layouts in the station ensuring that they meet the standards set.
• Check and ensure the serviceability of equipment and furniture.
• Sell food and beverage so as to meet restaurant budgets.
• Take food and beverage orders correctly.
• Give wine service according to international practices.
• Prepare flambe items, if offered by the restaurant, with showmanship and authenticity in preparation
• Control the inventory of cutlery and service equipment allotted to the station.
• Assign duties ensuring equity of work.
• Ensure that staff meets hygiene and discipline standards.
• Ensure that the station is free from dust.

Steward (Waiter)

Reports to: Captain/Senior Captain

Job Summary: To provide quick and personalised food and beverage service to guests at allotted tables as per standards service laid down and according to guest satisfaction.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Attend briefings prior to the restaurant opening, well-groomed and equipped with the basic aids of operations
• such as bottle openers, pens, pads, and matches.
• Learn the du jour items, not-available items, menu preparations, and their presentation.
• Complete mise en scène and mise-en-place before the restaurant opens.
• Check all the equipment and furniture at the station for their serviceability and maintenance requirements.
• Clean and polish allotted silverware, cutlery, glassware, and chinaware.
• Stock the sideboard with proprietary sauces, jams, salt and pepper shakers, butter dishes, linen, and other service ware.
• Lay table covers as per standards set.
• Fold napkins as per prescribed attractive styles.
• Requisition fresh linen and flowers from housekeeping.
• Air the restaurant and ensure that the station is clean.
• Receive, greet, and seat guests.
• Present wine-lists and menu cards and take orders.
• Serve food and beverage by the standards of the restaurant.
• Up-sell food and beverages.
• Present the bills and receive payment correctly.

Supervises:- Assistant Waiters, Busboys and Trainees

Restaurant Hostess

Reports To: Senior Captain/ Restaurant Manager

Job Summary: To receive and record table reservations requested for the restaurant. To extend warm and courteous welcome and hospitality to guests visiting the restaurant and allot them a table.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Collect the restaurant reservation register from the overnight caretaker and mail from Food and Beverage Office.
• Receive and post table reservations in the register ensuring equity of load between stations.
• Clean and arrange the hostess desk and menus cards.
• Attend briefings before the restaurant opening.
• Attend to all telephone calls of the restaurant in the shift.
• Receive guests and lead them to their reserved tables.
• Handout Wine Lists/Menu Cards to the guests.
• Take orders from guests if required.
• Provide guests with hotel information.
• Go to the guest and enquire whether the food and service are up to their satisfaction. Handle any complaints
• Wish greetings to every guest when leaving and invite them to come again.
• Record the names of guests in the daily cover register.
• Page guests if phone calls or messages come for them.
• Maintain guest history

Wine Butler (Sommelier)

Reports To: Senior Captain / Restaurant Manager

Job Summary: To present and serve wine and spirits to guests as per the standards of the establishment

Duties and Responsibilities

• Requisition of the wines and spirits from the bar.
• Display wines and spirits on the trolley.
• Stock the trolley with the accessories
• Present trolley to the seated guests and up-sell the wines and
• Prepare and serve ordered beverages as per international
• Replenish orders and remember guest preferences.
• Raise Order Tickets for the cashier

Structure of the Catering Industry: A Brief Description

The structure of the catering industry includes both commercial and non-commercial catering establishments. Some of the more popular and common ones are as under:

Five Star Hotels

These usually have several restaurants, grill rooms, ethnic (Indian, Chinese, Italian, etc. among the most popular), European and coffee shops are included. Service in these hotels is usually attentive and entertainment is nearly always available. Prices in these establishments tend to be high.

Medium Class Hotels

Similar to the five-star hotels, though surroundings are less luxurious and prices are reflected in this.

Free Standing Restaurants

Often quite high class, offering good Ala Ca rte menus- service is usually of a high standard.

Snacks Bar

It is popular with the working public offering everyday fare, at very reasonable prices.

Fast Food Centres

The “eating out” of 80’s growing in popularity in India especially with the young, these restaurants offer fast, clean service at popular prices. Service is minimal and turnover is high.

Night Clubs

It usually situated only in larger cities and offering high-class entertainment with food.

Industrial Canteens

Industrial canteens are operated as a facility to staff in large factories or similar. Food of a high standard but managements working to tight budgets. Food cost is usually subsidised consequently staff pay minimal prices.

Institutional Catering

Usually, hospitals are serving high nutritional standards of food.

Airline Catering

A big business operation, serving good quality food in difficult and limited service areas. Competition is tough in this sector to maintain high standards.

Railway Catering

It is similar to airlines, and although this was a prestigious area of catering. The fifties to the seventies saw a gradual decline which fortunately is being rectified as the 80’s progress.

Outdoor catering

It is a growing industry within the industry. Many Service staff involved in these sometimes complicated operations.

Welfare Catering – Industrial/ Institutional/ Travel : The Hotel and Catering Industry

Welfare Catering

The provision of food and beverages to people to fulfil a social obligation, determined by a recognised authority, is known as welfare catering. This grew out of the welfare state concept, prevalent in western countries. It includes catering in hospitals,

schools, colleges, the armed forces and prisons.

Welfare Catering is mainly about providing food at minimal costs. It does not serve the purpose of generating revenue. This kind of establishment does not promote a lucrative food menu. They mostly follow a Cyclic Menu that is good enough to fulfil the nutritional requirements of the customer.

Industrial Catering

The provision of food and beverages to ‘people at work,’ in industries and factories at highly subsidised rates is called industrial catering. It is based on the assumption that better fed employees at concessional rates are happy and more productive. Catering for a large workforce may be undertaken by the management itself, or may be contracted out to professional caterers. Depending on the choice of the menu suggested by the management, catering contractors undertake to feed the workforce for a fixed period of time at a predetermined price.

Institutional Catering

The provision of food and beverages to ‘students in schools or colleges’ at highly subsidised rates is called institutional catering. It is the responsibility of the institutes to provide the students with a complete balanced diet. This kind of catering establishment may be under taken by the management itself or may be contracted out to professional caterers. The food menu in this type of establishment is Cyclic and is mostly based on the seasonal availability of ingredients.  The concept is not to earn revenue but to serve their own social responsibility.

Travel Catering

The provision of food and beverages to passengers, before, during and after a journey on trains, aircraft and ships and in buses or private vehicles is termed as transport catering. These services may also be utilised by the general public, who are in the vicinity of a transport catering unit. The major forms of modern day transport catering are airline-catering, railways catering, ship catering and surface catering in coaches or buses which operate on long distance routes.

Airline Catering

Catering to airline passengers on board the air craft, as well as at restaurants situated at airport terminals is termed as airline catering. Modern airports have a variety of food and beverage outlets to cater to the increasing number of air passengers. Catering to passengers en route is normally contracted out to a flight catering unit of a reputed hotel or to a catering contractor or to the catering unit operated by the airline itself as an independent entity.

Railway Catering

Catering to railway passengers both during the journey as well as during halts at different railway stations is called railway catering. Travelling by train for long distances can be very tiring; hence a constant supply of a variety of refreshment choices helps to make the journey less tedious. On-board meal services are also provided on long distance trains.

Ship Catering

Ship catering is catering to cargo crew and passenger ship passengers. Ships have kitchens and restaurants on board. The quality of service and facilities offered depends on the class of the ship and the price the passengers are willing

to pay. There are cruises to suit every pocket. They range from room service and cocktail bars to speciality dining restaurants.

Types/ Classification of F & B Operations : The Hotel and Catering Industry

Role of Catering establishments in Travel/Tourism Industry : The Hotel and Catering Industry

Catering dates back in the 4th millennium BC in China. The culture of grand eating and drinking was also present in old Egypt at that time. Most of the services were provided by slaves. The ancients Greeks are credited with making catering a trade by offering free services at their inns and hostels which continued into the Roman Empire, primarily to serve soldiers. In the Middle Ages catering centred on monasteries and the Christian pilgrimages in Europe. The trade spread during the reign of Charlemagne. By late Middle Ages the new bourgeoisie (people of the city) and a monetary economy helped the popularity of catering to flourish. When the industry drew the attention of German legislators in the 14th and 15th century, food and beer regulations began to take form. But much of the industry was still primarily seen in feasts and celebrations for kings and other noblemen. After the French revolution in the 18th century and the lack of an aristocracy, catering guilds were forced to find new ways to sell their talents and the first French restaurants were started.

The food sector or catering industry is one of the most important elements in the travel and tourism industry. This includes restaurants and take-away outlets, but it can also include catering providers to hotels and airlines.

Catering and food service industry plays an important role in the promotion of local food features and culture of tourism destination through providing catering products and services for tourists.

Many countries have designed and developed catering and food brand with own features and style, such as the Beer Festival of Munich in German, Pickled Cabbage Festival in South Korea, series unique meal of cactus and corn in Mexico, Samba Carnival and characteristic barbecue in Brazil and so on.

As an important part of tourism industry, catering and food service industry is the important carrier of the brand and culture for a country or region with the characteristics of wide market, extensive influence and more employment opportunities.

In recent years, the development of global catering and food service industry maintains a rapid and healthy momentum of tourism development. A wide variety of catering products and different styles of food culture has been shaped in the background of different regions and cultures.

These food service groups provide a fast catering and food service for the consumers all over the world. It can be seen that the gradual development of catering market has helped with the rapid development of economy and society.

In many countries, catering establishments are regarded as a means of developing wealth and creating employment, especially when traditional activities are on the decline. It is expected to contribute significantly to increasing GDP and providing jobs in the tourism sector.

The core activity in tourism is the hotel and catering industry, which includes business and leisure tourism, as well as the everyday business and leisure activities of local inhabitants.

Catering is still perceived as an opportunity available to people of all ages which do not require much capital investment or many qualifications. Anyone can open a restaurant, and only some of those working in the trade to take a basic training course in manufacturing and processing. Thus, in a way the development of hotel and restaurant chains is gradually increasing the amount of wage-earning jobs available, which may come to further increase the economic development of Tourism/ Travel industry.

F & B Service Equipment - Miscellaneous Equipment

Miscellaneous equipments and their uses are as under:

Name	Uses	Storage Area
Trays Salvers Water jug Entrée dishes Platter Bread basket Butter dish Butter knife Cruets Bud vase Menu stand Table number Ashtray Tureens Soup ladle Sauce boats Sauce ladle Ice bucket Wine cooler Champagne cooler Wine cradle Decanter Carafe Coffee pot Teapot Tea strainer Creamer/milk jug Sugar bowl Sugar tongs Toast rack Preserves dish Preserves spoon Cosy Candle stand Fruit stand Straw holder Chafing dish Salad bowls Cheese knife Grapefruit spoon Caviar knife Carving knife and fork Snail dish Snail fork Snail tongs Asparagus tongs Finger bowl Oyster fork Grape scissors Fondue fork Pastry fork Gateaux slice Corn on the cob holder Nut cracker Cocotte dish Chinese cruet Ice cream scoop Pastry tongs Toothpick stand Egg stand Ravier Ramekin Coupe Lobster cracker Lobster Pick Corkscrew Salad plate	For transporting cutlery, glassware, hollow-ware. Dishes, and so on. Rectangular shape.For transporting glassware, drinks, coffee, and tea service. Round shape. For the service of water. For portioning out dishes and taking to guests’table. Different portion sizes are available. For transporting food to the guest table. Cane basket for holding bread rolls/bread, Indian breads such as roti, naan, kulcha, and so on. Lined with aluminum foil or napkin. To hold butter cubes or curls. Placed on table just before service. Comes with butter dish. Used for taking butter. Salt and pepper cellars. Salt cellar has few holes and the pepper many. Mustard pot is also a part of cruets. Few establishments keep this on table. For keeping small flower arrangement on the dining table. To hold table d’ hote menu card. Small-sized piece of metal with number printed, kept on the table. For cigarette or cigar ash. Not kept on dining table beforehand. Placed just before coffee service or when customers want to smoke. For holding large quantities of soup, to portion out into soup bowls at the table. To serve soup form the tureen. To present accompanying sauces and serve. To serve the sauce from the sauce boat. To hold ice cubes or ice shavings. To hold ice shavings to keep white wine chilled. To hold ice shavings to keep the champagne chilled. To hold red wine bottle. To decant red wine. To serve carafe wine and to hold carbonated water. Tall slender pot to hold coffee. Short, stout pot to hold tea. To strain tea. To hold milk and cream. To hold sugar cubes/granulated sugar. To pick up sugar cube. To present toasts. It is a rack with 8-10 slots to hold toasts. To hold preserves-jam, marmalade, honey. For taking preserves. Made of thick cloth and cotton used to cover the tea and coffee pots during service to retain heat. For holding candles. Placed on the dining table. To display fresh fruit. For holding straws. Placed on the dining table. To keep food warm during service by using chemi-fuel/gas /electricity. Wooden /glass /china bowl, to dress & serve salads. Kept on cheese board/trolley to cut and pick cheese. Used with grapefruit. Tea spoon can be substituted. Used with caviar. Slightly curved blade. Fish knife can be substituted. Found on carving trolley or sideboard. Used for carving joints of meat, poultry, and game. Round dish with 8-10 indentations to hold snails. A two-prong fork, used to pick flesh from shells. To pick and hold snails. To pick asparagus. Bowl of warm water with a piece of lemon to wash fingers after a course/meal. It is presented on an under-liner. To open oyster shells. To hold and cut bunch of grapes. A long-handled fork with two prongs. Used to dip cubes of meat, bread, and so on, in hot oil or melted cheese. Fondu in French means melted. Three pronged fork, left prong being broader than the other two. Used to cut and eat pastries. Used for serving pastries/cake. Found on a gateaux trolley/tray. Trident-shaped equipment pierced into the cob while serving. Used to crack walnut, almonds and so on. Earthenware dish, eggs are cooked and presented in the same dish. Bowls containing chilli vinegar, soya sauce, and chilli sauce. Offered with Chinese Dishes. To scoop out and serve ice cream. To pick and serve pastries. To hold toothpicks. To serve boiled egg. Oval or rectangular dish used for presenting hors d’ oeuvres, pastas, rice, and so on. Used for baked eggs, custards, soufflés. Available in various sizes. Used for fruit and sea food cocktails and ice cream. To crack claws of lobster. To pick flesh of lobster. Use for opening the wine bottle. Crescent-shaped plate, used for serving salads.	Sideboards Sideboards, pantry Sideboards, pantry Hot plate/pick-up counter Hot plate/pick- up counter Hot plate/pick-up counter/still room Pantry/still room With butter dish Sideboards Sideboards Sideboards Sideboards Sideboards Hot plate / pick-up counter Pantry Pantry Pantry Pantry Pantry Pantry Pantry Pantry Pantry Still room Still room Still room Still room Sideboards/still room Sideboards/still room Sideboards/still room Pantry/still room Pantry/still room Pantry Sideboards/ pantry Still room/main kitchen Sideboard Pantry Garde manger Cheese trolley/pantry Sideboard Pantry Sideboard Pick-up counter Pantry Pantry Pantry Pantry Pantry Pantry Pantry Pantry Pantry Pantry Pantry Main kitchen Sideboards Pantry/still room Pantry Sideboards Still room Garde manger/main kitchen Sweet section Pantry/garde manger Pantry Pantry Sideboards Pant

F & B Service Equipment: Flatware and Hollow-ware

Flatware

Flatware are any equipment that is used to cut or pick food and has a flat surface.

The purpose of these types of equipment is to cut, pick or tear food while eating.

Examples: – Spoons, Forks, Knives, etc.

Hollow-wares
Hollow-wares are equipment such as sugar bowls, creamers, coffee pots, teapots, soup tureens, hot food covers, water jugs, platters, butter pat plates, and other items that go with the flatware on a table. It does not include cutlery or other metal utensils. Hollow-ware is used to hold food and must have a hollow space.

F & B Service Equipment: Glassware

F&B service outlet uses a variety of glasses for different types of drinks. It is the most delicate and expensive of all equipment hence should be treated accordingly. Glasses are made using glass and other substances which are heated at a very high temperature to form a molten mass, which is either then blown or molded into different shapes.

Types of Glasses

S.no.  Name of the Glass         Size (1fl oz = 28.4 ml)            Uses

1   Cocktail glass                 4-12 fl oz              Used for all kind of cocktails
2   Pony tumbler/ juice glass 4 fl oz                      Used to serve all kind of juices
3   High ball glass                 8-10 fl oz              Used to serve water
4   Beer mug                         10-12 fl oz              Used to serve beer
5   Beer goblet                         10-12 fl oz              Used to serve beer
6   Brandy balloon/snifter         8-10 fl oz              Used to serve brandy or liqueurs
7   Champagne (saucer/flute/tulip) 6-8 fl oz              Used to serve champagne or sparkling wine
8   Water goblet                         8-10 fl oz              Used to serve water
9   Pilsner                                 10-14 fl oz              Used to serve the cocktail, juices, and beer
10   Sherry capita                         1.75fl oz                      Used to serve sherry or other sweet wine
11   Old fashion glass                 8 fl oz                      Used mainly to serve whiskey
12   Red wine glass                 8-14 fl oz              Used to serve red wine
13   White wine glass                 8-14 fl oz              Used to serve white wine
14   Tequila shot glass                 1 fl oz                      Used to serve tequila
15   Vodka shot glass                 1 fl oz                      Used to serve vodka

16   Margarita                         5-6 fl oz                      Used to serve cocktails

F & B Service Equipment: Crockery

China is a term used for crockery whether bone china (expensive and fine), earthenware (opaque and cheaper) or vitrified (metallised). Most catering crockery used nowadays tends to be vitrified earthenware, which is very durable and haven been strengthened. Chinaware is made of silica, soda ash, and china clay, glazed to give a fine finish. Chinaware is more resistant to heat than glassware and can be found in different colours and designs which are always coated with glaze.

There are many classification of catering china they are:

· Bone china: Bone china is porcelain made of clay mixed with bone ash. This is very fine, hard china that is very expensive. The decorations are to be found under the glaze only. The price of bone china puts it out of reach of the majority of everyday caterers, and only a few of the top class hotels and restaurants would use it. The range of design, pattern and colour is very wide and there is something to suit all occasions and situations.

· Porcelain: Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating selected and refined materials, which often includes clay of kaolin clay, to high temperatures. The raw materials for porcelain, when mixed with water, form a plastic body that can be worked to a required shape before firing in a kiln at temperatures between 1200°C and 1400°C. The toughness, strength, and translucence of porcelain arise mainly from the formation of glass at high temperatures and the mineral palate within the fired body.

· Earthenware: Earthenware may sometimes be as thin as bone china and other porcelains, though it is not translucent and is more easily chipped. Earthenware is also less strong, less tough, and more porous than stoneware, but its low cost and easier working compensate for these deficiencies. Due to its higher porosity, earthenware must usually be glazed in order to be watertight.

· Stoneware: Stoneware is a hard pottery made from siliceous paste fired at high temperature to vitrify (make glassy) the body. Stoneware is heavier and more opaque than porcelain. The usual colour of fired stoneware tends to be grayish, though there may be a wide range of colours, depending on the clay. It has been produced in China since ancient times and is the forerunner of Chinese porcelain.

1. Quarter Plate 6’’(15cm diameter) - Used to keep bread, cheese or as an under-liner. It is also known as B&B Plate (bread & butter, under plate, side Plate)

2. Half Plate 8’’ (20 cm diameter) - Used to serve starters, pasta, dessert, fish etc. It is also known as dessert plate, fish plate

3. Full Plate 10’’ (25cm diameter) - Used to serve main course. It is also known as dinner plate, joint plate, meat plate.

4. Soup bowl 250ml - Used to serve soup, breakfast cereals

5. Soup cup 250ml - Used to serve thin soup. It is also known as consommé cup and has two handles.
6. Soup Plate 8’’ (20 cm diameter) - Used to serve both thick and thin soup. Half plate is used as an under-liner. It is not in use nowadays.
7. Breakfast cup 240-300 ml (8-10 Fl oz) - Used to serve all Tea and coffee during breakfast
8. Tea Cup 200 ml (62/3Fl oz) - Used to serve tea during the day
9. Coffee cup 97-100 ml - Used to serve coffee after lunch or dinner. It is also known as demi-tasse.

Other china ware are

1. Salad crescent
2. Egg cup
3. Ashtray
4. Creamer
5. Coffee / tea pot
6. Sugar basin
7. Milk jug

F & B Service Equipment: Cutlery

Cutlery implies implements used for cutting and eating food. It includes knife, fork and spoon. There are different types of knives, forks and spoons. A complete cutlery set may include butter knife, soup spoon, seafood fork etc.

Knife

Different knives are designed to serve specific tasks. Choosing the right knife makes it easier to perform that task. A knife can be designed for striking, chopping, tearing, dicing, spreading, carving or slicing. The difference lies in the blade of the knife whether it is pointed, blunt, serrated etc.

Dull blades are used to cut soft or cooked food while serrated knives are easy to cut meat. Non-serrated steak knives allow for a cleaner cut while pointed knives help in cutting or paring fruits. Knife with a broad flat blade is suitable for eating fish while knife with blunt ends is used to spread butter, cheese spreads, marmalades etc.

Dinner knife

Dinner knife is sized between 9 ½ and 10 inches. It is used to cut and push food. It also serves as a replacement for salad knife if latter is not available.

Steak knife

A steak knife can be used in place of dinner knife or in addition to it. It can be serrated or non-serrated depending on specific steak cuts. It is usually four to six inches long.

Luncheon knife

Slightly smaller than dinner knife, luncheon knife is used with luncheon plate to suit the size of the plate. Dinner knife is equally acceptable when luncheon knife is not available.

Fish knife

Fish knife is used when fish is served for dinner. Fish knife measures 8 ¾ inches with a wide blade and dull edge. The tip of fish knife aids in separating layers of fish and lift bones.

Dessert knife

Dessert knife can be used for dessert, fresh or candied fruit. It can be used to cut cakes and pastries. It goes together with the dessert spoon.

Fruit knife

Measuring between 6 ½ and 7 ¼ inches, fruit knife has a pointed tip and a narrow straight. The blade can be serrated or slightly curved. It is meant to cut and peel fruits.

Butter knife

Small in size at 5 to 6 inches, butter knife has a rounded point so that it does not scrape the bread while spreading butter. Dinner knife is equally acceptable if butter knife is not available.

Spoons

Spoons are used to transfer food from platter or bowl to mouth. There are different types of spoon for specific tasks.

Teaspoon : It is meant for stirring coffee, tea, soups and eating.

Tablespoon : A tablespoon is bigger than a teaspoon and is used for serving food from serving bowls.

Place spoon : It is an all-purpose spoon bigger than a teaspoon but smaller than a tablespoon.

Soup spoon : A large rounded spoon used for eating soup. An oval spoon is used in case soup contains meat, vegetables, bread crumbs etc.

Dessert spoon : It is used for eating sweet dishes and puddings.

Sundae spoon : Long spoons to reach the bottom of sundae glass and eat liquid or semi-liquid food like ice-cream toppings, floats, jelly etc.

Fruit spoon : Fruit spoon has an elongated bowl and a pointed tip that aids in cutting fruit and eating fruits like grapes, oranges and melons.

Forks: The two-tined fork is used cut meat while there or four-tined fork has other uses.

Dinner fork : Meant for the main course, dinner fork measures around seven inches.

Salad fork : Used for eating salad, in salad fork outer tines are notched, wider and longer than inner tines. It is six inches in length.

Forks with extra long tines : Such forks are meant for eating spaghetti, noodles.

Dessert fork : It is used for eating cake, pies and pastries. It is more or less similar to salad fork.

Fish fork : It is used for holding and serving fish. Tines are uniform in width and length.

Sea food fork : Sea food fork is ideal for eating crustaceans. Also called crab fork, lobster fork, it serves two purposes. The double-pronged slim end is used to pick sea food while the curved scraper is used to scoop out the meat.