Silver service (in
British English
British English (BrE, en-GB, or BE) is, according to Oxford Dictionaries, "English as used in Great Britain, as distinct from that used elsewhere". More narrowly, it can refer specifically to the English language in England, or, more broadl ...
) is a method of
foodservice at the table, with waiter transferring food from a serving dish to the guest's plate, always from the left. It is performed by a waiter by using service forks and spoons from the diner's left. In France, it appears to be now known as ''service à l'anglaise'' ("English service"),
although historically that meant something else, with the hostess serving out the soup at one end of the table, and later the host carving a joint of meat at the other end, and diners serving themselves with other dishes.
A modification of silver service is known as butler service.
Features
* Silver service food is served from the left. Gravy is served from the left.
* Meals are served to the diner from platters, not plated in the kitchen.
* The guest to the host's right is served first, usually a female guest.
* Service continues anti - clockwise ending with the host.
* Plates are cleared from the right,
[http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/nqfdocs/units/pdf/14438.pdf ] glasses from the right; again by starting with the guest to the host's right.
* Glasses are positioned above the knife blade and stacked in a diagonal to the right and away, with
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented grapes. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different ...
(by course) in order and then water glass in front. This is dependent on the size of the glasses used as a smaller glass sometimes goes in front so it can be filled easily and the diner can reach it.
* At a wedding, the bride is served first, followed by the bride's mother, then the Bridegroom, then to the left of the "top table" with the bridal party, restarting again at the other side of the table with the best man first then any other member of the bridegroom's party.
Silver service, like all formal food service, is oriented for a right-handed waiter, left-handed waiters may use their right hand: to serve the food, the waiter stands behind the guest and to the guest's left, holds or supports the platter with their left hand and serves the food with their right hand. It is common for the waiter to hold the serving-fork above the serving-spoon both in the right hand, and use the fingers to manipulate the two as a
pincer for picking up, holding and transferring the food. This technique or form requires much practice and dexterity.
In butler service, the diner helps themselves from a serving plate held by the butler. Traditionally, this type of service was used on Sunday evenings, when the
waiting staff
Waiting staff (British English), waitstaff (North American English), waiters (male) / waitresses (female), or servers (North American English), are those who work at a restaurant, a diner, or a bar and sometimes in private homes, attendi ...
had the evening off and the butler helped out at dinner. In
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, this kind of service is known as ''
service à la francaise'' ("French service"),
again a very different meaning from the historical one.
See also
*
Table setting
Table setting (laying a table) or place setting refers to the way to set a table with tableware—such as eating utensils and for serving and eating. The arrangement for a single diner is called a place setting. It is also the layout in which ...
*''
Service à la russe''
*''
Service à la française
(; "service in the French style") is the practice of serving various dishes of meal at the same time, with the diners helping themselves from the serving dishes. That contrasts to (; "service in the Russian style") in which dishes are brought ...
''
References
External links
{{Meals_navbox
Serving and dining