This document discusses different methods of food and beverage service. It begins by defining the catering industry and describing the five main service methods: table service, self-service, assisted service, single point service, and specialized service. It then provides details on each method, including examples. Table service styles like French, Russian, English, American, and gueridon are explained. The document also covers banquet types and buffet styles like display, breakfast, full, fork, and finger buffets. Customer processes are summarized in a table outlining ordering, selection, consumption, and clearing areas.

1. Food and Beverage Service
Methods

2. CATERING INDUSTRY The food service industry Is also called as
catering industry in British English.
Encompasses those places, institutions
and companies that provide meals eaten
away from home. This industry includes
restaurants, schools and hospital
cafeterias, catering operations, and many
other formats, including ‘on-premises’ and
‘off-premises’ caterings. Catering
management may be defined as the task
of planning, organizing, controlling and
executing

3. Types of service

4. Five F & B service methods
• All modern food and beverage service
methods can be grouped or categorized under
the customer process:
a) Table service
b) Self-service
c) Assisted service
d) Single point service
e) Specialized service (or service in situ)
 In group A – D of the customer processes, the
service is provided in areas primarily designed
for that purpose, such as a restaurant or
takeaway.
 In customer process E, the service is provided in
another location, where the area is not primarily
designed for the purpose, for example, in a
guest room, lounge or hospital ward.

5.  Table service: the customer is served at a laid table. This type of service,
which includes plated service or silver service, is found in many types of
restaurant, cafes and in banqueting.
 Self-service: the customer is required to help him or herself from a
buffet or counter. This type of service can be found in cafeterias and
canteens.
 Assisted service: the customer is served part of the meal at a table and
is required to obtain part through self-service from some form of display
or buffet. This type of service is found in carvery type operations and
may also be used for functions.
 Single point service: the customer orders, pays and receives the food
and beverage, for instance at a counter, at a bar in licensed premises, in
a fast food operation or at a vending machine.
 Specialized service (or service in situ): the food and drink is taken to
where the customer is. This includes tray service in hospitals or aircraft,
trolley service, home delivery, lounge and room service.

6. Group A: Table service
Service to customer at a laid over
1. Waiter a) Silver/
English
Presentation and service of food by waiting staff, using a
spoon and fork, onto a customer’s plate, from food flats or
dishes
b) Family Main courses plated (but may be sliver served) with
vegetables placed in multi-portion dishes on tables for
customers to help themselves; sauces offered separately
c) Plate/
American
Service of pre-plated foods to customers. Now also widely
used for banqueting
d) French Presentation of food service dishes individually to customers
by food service staff for customers to serve themselves
e) Russian Table laid with food for customers to help
f) Guéridon Food served onto customer’s plate at a side table or trolley
may also include carving and fish filleting, the preparation of
foods such as flambage
2. Bar
counter
Service to customers seated at bar counter (often U-shaped)
on stools

7. Group B: Assisted service
Combination of table service and self-service
3. Assisted a) Carvery Some parts of meal are served to seated customers; other parts are
collected by the customers from a buffet.
b) Buffets Customers select food and drink from displays or passed trays;
consumption is either at tables, standing or in lounge area
Group C: self-service
Self-service of customers
4. Cafeteria a) Counter Customers queue in line formation past a service counter and choose
their menu requirement in stages before loading them onto a tray
b) Free-
flow
Selection as in counter to random service points; customers usually
exit area via a till point
c) echelon Series of counter within a free flow area thus saving space
.

8. Group D: Single point service
Service of customers at single point – consumed on premises or taken away
5. Takeaway Customer orders and is served from single point, at a counter, hatch or
snack stand; customer consumes off the premises; some takeaway
establishments provide dining area
6. Drive-thru Form of takeaway where customer drives vehicle past order, payment and
collection points
7. Fast food Commonly used nowadays to describe type of establishment offering
limited range menu, fast service with dining area, and takeaway facility
8. Vending Provision of food service and beverage service by means of automatic
retailing
9. Kiosks Outstation used to provide service for peak demand or in specific
location; may be open for customers to order and served, or used for
dispensing to staff only
10. Food
court
Customers may either order and eat or buy from a number of counters
and eat in separate eating area, or takeaway
11. Bar Term used to describe order, service and payment point and consumption
area in licensed premises

9. Group E: Specialized (or in situ)
Service to customers in area not primarily designed for service
12. Tray
Method of service of whole or [art of meal on tray to customer in situ, e.g.
at hospital beds; at aircraft seats; at train seats; also used in ODC
13. Trolley
Service of food and beverages from a trolley, away from dining areas, e.g.
for office workers at their desk; for customers at aircraft seats; at train
seats
14. Home
delivery
Food delivered to customer’s home or place of work, e.g. ‘meal on
wheels’, pizza home delivery. Or sandwiches to offices
15. Lounge Service of variety of foods and beverages in lounge area, e.g. hotel lounge
16. Room
Service of variety of foods and beverages in guest bedrooms or in meeting
rooms
17. Drive-in Customer park their motor vehicle and are served at their vehicles

10. Styles of Table Service
Waiter service

11. Table Service
 The manner of presenting a meal to the guest

12. Styles of Table Service
 Styles of Table Service include:
 French/Butler
 Russian
 English/family /silver service
 American/plate/
 Guéridon

13. Service Styles
 French Service-service à la française
 Louis XIV -1680
 It is a very personalized service. Food is brought
from the kitchen in dishes and salvers, which are
placed directly on the table. The plates are kept near
the dish and the guests help themselves
 Advantages
 elegant, showcases food, high check average
 Disadvantages
 need highly trained staff, high labor costs, capital
investment in cart, fewer turns of tables, fewer
tables in dining room.

15. Service Styles
 Russian Service: An elaborate silver
service much on the lines of French service
except that the food is portioned and carved
by the waiter at the Guéridon trolley in the
restaurant in full view of the guests. Display
and presentation are a major part of this
service. The principle involved is to have
whole joints, poultry, game and fish
elaborately dressed and garnished,
presented to guests and carved and
portioned by the waiter
 Advantages
 elegant, faster than French service
 Disadvantages
 need trained staff, capital investment in
silver platters

16. Silver Service:
 The table is set for hors d'oeuvres, soup,
main courses and sweet dish in sterling
silverware. The food is portioned into silver
platters at the kitchen itself which are placed
at the sideboard with burners or hot plates to
keep the food warm in the restaurant. Plates
are placed before the guest. The waiter then
picks the platter from the hot plate and
presents the dish to the host for approval. He
serves each guest using a service spoon and
fork. All food is presented in silver dishes with
elaborate dressing.

18. Service Styles
 American Service: The American service
is a pre-plated service which means that
the food is served into the guest's plate in
the kitchen itself and brought to the guest.
The portion is predetermined by the
kitchen and the accompaniments served
with the dish balance the entire
presentation in terms of nutrition and
color. This type of service is commonly
used in a coffee shop where service is
required to be fast.

20.  Gueridon Service: This is a service where a
dish comes partially prepared from the
kitchen to be completed in the restaurant by
the waiter or, when a complete meal is
cooked at the table-side in the restaurant.
The cooking is done on a gueridon trolley
which is a mobile trolley with a gas cylinder
and burners. The waiter plays a prominent
part, as he is required to fillet, carve, flambé
and prepare the food with showmanship. The
waiter has to have considerable dexterity and
skill.

24. Banquets

25. Introduction
The word banquet has possibly come from
the word ‘Banc’ which means bench.
Banquet signifies a sumptuous or grand
meal given to a large number of guests on
a festival or a ceremonious occasion or it
is given to bring together people of the
same tastes religion or political ideas or of
the same social status or profession.

26. Definition
A banquet is a large public meal or feast,
complete with main courses and desserts.
It usually serves a purpose, such as a
charitable gathering, a ceremony, or a
celebration, often preceded or followed by
speeches in honor of someone.

27. FORMAL BANQUETS
As the name suggests the type of
atmosphere at such banquets is very
formal. There has to be very high
standards of service at these types of
banquets. The guest will either be seated
on round tables placed in a symmetrical
fashion or on a table placed in an E, T, V,
or U shape, with the host or top level
delegates seated at the head table.

28. Semi Formal Banquets
 These take place at company board-
meetings. A head table is allotted at which
the senior –most guest are seated
according to there ran

29. INFORMAL BANQUETS
 As compared to the above this type of
banquet is very informal

30. TYPES OF BUFFETS
Display buffet
Breakfast buffet
Full buffet
Fork buffet
Finger buffet
Sit down buffet formal Buffet

31. DISPLAY BUFFET
 Some large restaurants set up a display
in the center of the room to catch the
customers eye. These displays include
an arrangement of flowers or fruits in
season or shellfish on ice or other
delicacies. Sometimes an arrangement of
cheese, wines and spirits are also
included. The sole purpose of the display
is to show customers some of the items
that the restaurant can offer and to
decorate the room. Display buffet also
give the chefs and the F&B staff a chance
to display their creativity.

33. BREAKFAST BUFFET
 Many international hotels offer in-house
guests and other customers a breakfast buffet
with a wide selection of dishes organised on a
self-service style with the exception of hot
beverages, which are ordered from a waiter.
The selection available will vary from one
hotel to another. A breakfast buffet would
normally include different type of breads,
preserves, fruits, cereals, veg and non-veg,
cheese etc. Normally many hotels follow the
American buffets.

35. FULL BUFFETS
 A full buffet is normally a main meal. For a
full buffet tables and chairs are essential for
all guests and these should be fully laid with
all crockery, cutlery and glassware. Since
the food is displayed on the buffet the Chef
gets a chance to show his skills in
decorating a dish. It must be remembered
however that if the guests are to collect
their own food the garnishing cannot be
elaborate otherwise the last guest will have
to face a far from appetizing site. Simple but
effective garnishing should be done

37. FORK BUFFET
 Fork buffets has been defined as a
meal, which can be eaten standing up
with a plate in hand, and fork in the
other. These events are ideally suitable
when space does not permit tables and
chairs for all

39. FINGER BUFFET
This title is self explanatory and finger
buffets are the least formal type of
buffet. Like in the fork buffet they are
particularly suitable when the host
feels that the guest will mingle with
each other. E.g. High tea’s and kiddies
parties

41. Assisted service
 Combination of table service and self-
service
 Carvery: some parts of meal are served
to the guest on the table for other he may
have to go to buffet
 Buffets:

42. SELF-SERVICE
Cafeteria
Service of customers at a single point-
consumed on premises or taken away.
A)Counter service
B) Free flow
c) Echelon
D) supermarket

44. Single point service
 Take away :Customer orders and is served
from single point at counter, customer
consumes off the premises.
 Drive-thru: form of take away where
customer drives vehicles past order, payment
and collection points.
 Fast food: customer receives a complete
meal, offering limited range menu, fast service
with take away facility.

47. Single point service
6. Vending – provision of food service and
beverage service by means of automatic
retailing.
7. Kiosks – outstation to provide service for
peak demand or in specific location.
8. Food court – series of autonomous
counters where customer may either order
and eat or buy from a number of counters
or eat in separate eating area or take
away.
9. Bar – describe selling point and
consumption area in licensed premises.

49. GROUP E: SPECIALIZED
Service to customer in area not primarily
designed for service.
1. Tray – whole or part of meal on tray to
customer in situ. (Hospitals, aircraft).
2. Trolley – service of food and beverage
from trolley away from dining areas
(aircraft or on train)
3. Home delivery – food delivered to
customer’s home or place of work.

51. 4. Lounge – variety of food and beverage in
lounge area.
5. Room – variety of food and beverage in
guest apartments or meeting room.
6. Drive-in – customers park motor vehicle
and are served at the vehicles.

54. Customer process
The effects of variation in the five
customer service characteristic and the
resource utilization can be considered as
follows.
 Service Types
 Availability- whether the food that they
order available or not.
 Level of service – method of service,
speed of service, accept credit card or not.
 Reliability – serve the customer properly
or not.
 Flexibility of the service.

55. F&B SERVICE ORDERING/ SERVICE DINING/ CLEARING
AREA SELECTION CONSUMPTION
Customer enters From menu By staff to At laid cover By staff
area and is seated customer
Customer enters From menu,
Combination
of Usually at By staff
area and is
buffet or passed
trays both staff laid cover
usually seated and customer
Customer enters Customer selects Customer Dining area Various
own tray carriers or take away
Customer enters Ordered at Customer Dining area Various
single point carriers or take away
In situ From menu Brought to Where served By staff or
or predetermined customer customer
clearing
SIMPLE CATEGORIZATION OF THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICE PROCESS