Food Service

1 Greet customers and take orders

• Customers: with special requirements, without special requirements
• Customer requirements: number of place settings, special seating requirements, nominated seating, dietary requirements
• Menu: à la carte menu, table d’hôte menu, specials, afternoon tea
• Information: dishes available, dish composition, ingredients, method of cooking, prices, special offers, promotions
• Products and services: menu items, drinks, accompaniments
• Assist customers: providing information, making recommendations
• Maximising order: menu knowledge, suggestive selling, up-selling, additional items
• Method of order taking: triplicate, duplicate, service with order, point of sale system
• System: manual (check pads), handheld terminals

2 Serve customers and maintain the customer dining area

• Table items: crockery, cutlery, glassware, menus and promotional items, table decorations
• Service equipment: service cutlery, service dishes, flats, sideboards, service stations, trays, trolleys, hot & cold beverage service containers
• Service style: à la carte menu, table d’hôte menu, function, guéridon
• Surplus foods: store, dispose
• Courses: starters, main, desserts, beverages
• Customer service area: dining, waiting areas, sideboards, service station, trolleys

3 Prepare, cook and serve food in the food service area.

• Food Service Equipment: dishes or flats, pans, service cutlery, glassware, crockery and tableware, service cloths or linen, paper items, réchauds, hot stones, chafing dish, lamps, fuel
• Dish: vegetables, salads, pasta and rice dishes, fish and shellfish, fruits and desserts, fondue preparations, garnishes and accompaniments
• Cooking and Finishing Techniques: sautéing or shallow frying, blending and combining, caramelisation, flaming with alcohol, addition of cream and other ingredients, portioning and presenting
• Communication: spoken e.g., tone of voice, terminology, body language

4 Carve, fillet, joint and serve food in a food service area

• Equipment: carving and sharpening equipment, flambé lamp, hotplates, carvery trolley, serving dishes or flats, service cutlery, crockery and silverware, service cloths or linen, paper items
• Dish: poultry bone in, poultry bone out, poultry stuffed, meat bone in, meat bone out, fish bone in, fish bone out, game bone in, game bone out, accompaniments and garnishes
• Techniques: carving, jointing, skinning, filleting, portioning, arranging, presenting

5 Work as an effective member of the team

• Communication:
• ~spoken e.g., tone of voice, terminology
• ~written e.g., documents, forms, reports, presentations
• ~body language e.g., posture
• Situations: formal, informal, queries or requests, complaints
• Codes of conduct: workplace policies, rules and procedures
• Reporting: supervisor, line manager, challenges, issues, queries

6 Follow health and safety procedures

• Common workplace hazards: slips, trips, falls, breakages, hot surfaces, chemicals
• Health and safety procedures: following fire regulations, fire drills, evacuation, manual handling, safe use of chemicals, report accidents, first aid
• Workplace emergencies: accidents, fire, breaches of security, illness
• Emergency procedures: raising alarm, calling emergency services, firefighting equipment, evacuation procedures
• Security procedures: control of keys, electronic systems, surveillance, control of entrances and exits, staff and visitor identity badge, reporting of suspicious persons and packages to line manager

7 Follow hygiene procedures

• Personal hygiene:
• ~clean clothing, footwear and headgear
• ~hair neat and tidy
• ~wear a head covering e.g., hairnet, hat
• ~washing hands
• ~no jewellery
• ~cover cuts and grazes
• ~report illness and infections to the proper person
• Cleanliness of work areas: clean cloths for wiping and cleaning between tasks, equipment used for preparing, displaying and serving food are clean and in good condition, waste disposed of promptly, hygienically and appropriately, use of correct cleaning chemicals
• Handling and storing food:
• ~covering food, separation of raw and cooked food, contact surfaces and equipment
• ~storage temperatures e.g., fridge, freezer
• ~food labelling and dates
• ~food temperatures e.g., cooking, serving re-heating
• ~cleaning and washing-up procedures
• ~handling of food waste