By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
Mastering these skills ensures smooth and professional service, helping you create a great dining experience that guests will appreciate and remember.
Compiled by: Caroline Mutahi
Performing mis-en-place is a fundamental task for professionals in Catering and Accommodation Operations, ensuring that food and beverage service runs smoothly and efficiently in any hospitality setting. This preparation involves organizing all necessary equipment, materials, and ingredients before service begins. In Kenya, where customer expectations in hotels, restaurants, and conference venues continue to rise, mastering mis-en-place is essential for maintaining high standards of service and operational excellence.
Food and beverage service depends on a wide range of equipment and materials, from the tableware laid at each place setting to the trolleys and machines that move food and drink around the outlet. Knowing each item and how to care for it lets service staff set up and run service smoothly.
Tableware is the equipment placed at each guest's setting to eat and drink with.
Flatware is the collective term for knives, forks and spoons used at the table, each shaped and sized for a particular course, such as a soup spoon, a fish knife and fork, or a dessert spoon. Flatware is washed, dried and checked for tarnish or bent tines before it is used again.
Cutlery refers specifically to the cutting implements among the flatware, principally knives, which must be kept sharp enough to cut food cleanly but handled carefully to avoid injury during service and washing.
Hollowware covers hollow serving items such as teapots, jugs, sugar bowls and sauce boats, usually made of silver, silver plate or stainless steel. Hollowware is polished regularly, since tarnish on a silver item is far more noticeable to a guest than wear on a flat piece of cutlery.
Special service equipment covers the smaller items used for a particular dish or a particular style of service, beyond the basic tableware.
A teapot is used to brew and serve tea at the table, holding enough for several cups and keeping the tea hot while it is poured.
A table number is a small stand or card placed on the table to identify it, used by service staff to match an order to the correct table and by guests to confirm their table on arrival.
A flower vase holds a small table decoration, adding to the atmosphere of the dining room without taking up table space needed for food and tableware.
An ashtray is provided in a designated smoking area away from the main dining room, since smoking is not permitted inside an enclosed dining area.
An ice cream coup is a small, shallow dish used to serve ice cream or a chilled dessert, shaped to show the dessert attractively and often served on an underplate.
A butter knife is a small, blunt knife used to spread butter onto bread, kept separate from the sharper knives used for cutting food.
A cheese knife has a specially shaped blade, sometimes with a forked tip, used to cut and serve cheese from a cheese board without the cheese sticking to the blade.
Crockery refers to the ceramic items used to serve food, including plates, bowls and serving dishes.
Crockery is made from different ceramic materials, each with its own appearance, strength and cost, described below.
Porcelain is a fine, dense ceramic known for its smooth white finish and resistance to chipping, widely chosen for its elegant appearance in formal service.
Hotel earthenware is a thicker, more robust ceramic made specifically for the demands of commercial kitchens and dining rooms, valued for being more resistant to everyday wear than delicate domestic crockery.
Bone china is a delicate, translucent ceramic strengthened with bone ash, prized for its light weight and fine appearance but handled carefully since it chips more easily than hotel earthenware.
Stoneware is a dense, heavy ceramic fired at a high temperature, giving it a rustic appearance and good resistance to chipping, often chosen for a casual dining setting.
Crockery is stacked carefully by size and type to avoid chips and cracks, inspected regularly for damage, and washed in water hot enough to clean thoroughly without causing a sudden temperature change that could crack the piece. Chipped or cracked crockery is removed from service immediately, since a damaged edge can injure a guest or harbour bacteria.
Glassware is the collective term for the different glasses used to serve beverages at the table.
Different drinks are served in glasses shaped for them: a tall glass for water or a soft drink, a stemmed glass for wine, a flute for sparkling wine, and a tumbler for a spirit or a mixed drink. The shape of each glass affects how the drink's aroma reaches the drinker and how the drink is held.
Glassware is washed separately from crockery and cutlery to avoid chips, dried with a lint-free cloth to prevent streaks, and stored upside down on a rack to keep dust out while allowing air to circulate. Chipped or cracked glassware is removed from service at once, since a damaged glass can break further and injure a guest.
Disposables are single-use items used in food and beverage service in place of reusable tableware, crockery or glassware.
Disposables include items such as paper or plastic plates, cups, cutlery, napkins and packaging, chosen for situations where washing and reusing standard equipment is not practical.
Some disposables, such as foil containers and certain paper wraps, are suited to cooking or holding food at temperature, and are stored in a dry area away from contamination until needed.
Disposable decorations, such as paper doilies or decorative liners, are used to improve the presentation of a dish or a tray without the cost of a reusable decorative item.
Hygiene disposables, such as paper napkins and disposable gloves, are used once and discarded, reducing the risk of cross-contamination that can come from reusing cloth items between guests.
Packaging disposables, such as takeaway boxes and wrapping, are used to package food for a guest to carry away, designed to keep the food secure and at a safe temperature for the journey.
Disposable plates, cups and cutlery are used directly in service when an establishment is catering an outdoor event or a high-volume occasion where washing reusable items between guests is not practical.
Disposables save the labour and water that washing reusable items would need, reduce the risk of cross-contamination since each item is used only once, and are convenient for outdoor or high-volume events where reusable equipment is impractical to transport and wash.
Disposables create more waste than reusable items, cost more over time than washing and reusing equipment, and generally give a less formal, less elegant impression than proper crockery, glassware and flatware.
Trolleys are wheeled equipment used to move food, drink and other items around the service area without the server having to carry everything by hand.
Different trolleys are built for different jobs around the dining room, described below.
A salad trolley carries a selection of salads and dressings to the guest's table, allowing the guest to choose and be served a portion at the table rather than from a buffet.
A cheese trolley carries an assortment of cheeses, together with the knives needed to cut them, allowing the waiter to present and serve cheese at the table after the main course.
A liqueur trolley carries a selection of liqueurs and the glasses to serve them in, wheeled to the table after a meal for the guest to choose a digestif.
A wine trolley carries a selection of wines, an ice bucket and the glasses needed, allowing a waiter to present and serve wine at the table.
An hors-d'oeuvre trolley carries a selection of starters or appetisers to the table, letting the guest see and choose from the options before they are served.
A fruit trolley carries a selection of fresh fruit, often displayed attractively, for the waiter to present and serve as a dessert course.
Trolleys are cleaned after each use, checked for smooth-running, undamaged wheels, and never overloaded beyond what they are designed to carry, since an overloaded or poorly maintained trolley is a hazard to both staff and guests moving through the dining room.
An automatic vending machine dispenses a food or beverage item to a guest without needing a server, usually after payment by coin, card or token.
Vending machines are built for different kinds of product, described below.
A snack vending machine dispenses packaged snacks such as crisps or biscuits, selected and released by a guest after payment.
A hot non-beverage vending machine dispenses a hot food item, such as a pre-packaged snack that is heated inside the machine before it is released.
A cold non-alcoholic vending machine dispenses chilled drinks such as soft drinks, water or juice, kept refrigerated inside the machine until purchase.
An alcoholic vending machine dispenses a pre-packaged alcoholic drink, used only in a setting and under controls that confirm the buyer is old enough to purchase it, since Kenyan law forbids selling alcohol to anyone under 18 and forbids selling alcohol through an automatic vending machine.
A vending machine gives guests access to food and drink outside normal service hours, reduces the staff needed to serve a simple snack or drink, and can be placed in areas, such as a corridor, where a full service point would not be practical.
A vending machine offers a limited range of products compared with full service, needs regular restocking and maintenance to avoid breakdowns, and gives a less personal experience than being served by a member of staff.
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Create a free accountThis chapter provides a comprehensive overview of performing mis-en-place in food and beverage service, beginning with the identification and proper use of essential equipment and materials such as tableware, special service equipment, crockery, glassware, disposables, trolleys, and automatic vending machines. It emphasizes the importance of polishing equipment to maintain cleanliness and presentation standards, alongside effective stocking of the sideboard to ensure smooth service flow. The chapter explores various types of linen, their uses, and best practices for storage and maintenance, including techniques for laying tablecloths and folding napkins to enhance table settings. It also covers table accompaniments that complement the dining experience and details the layout of food and beverage service areas and ancillary departments that support operations. Menu knowledge is highlighted through an explanation of different menu types, their characteristics, and the presentation of menu cards or beverage lists. The concept of covers is introduced, outlining different types and their appropriate applications. Finally, the chapter discusses the briefing of food and beverage service personnel, covering introductions, terms of reference, staff introductions, menu explanations, and post-service tasks such as preparing stillroom beverages, all crucial for effective service delivery.
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