BANQUET
INTRODUCTION
The catering
profession as we know in the twenty-first century has a long and intriguing
history, the beginnings of which are found in the ancient civilizations. The
Egyptian nobility filled their tombs with foodstuffs and cookware to supply
them in the next world, simultaneously covering the walls with murals designed
to record food preparation styles and table settings.
From the
records and art of the Greeks and Romans come depictions of banqueting scenes
filled with food presentations, table customs, decorative arts, and recipes
detailing a range of foodstuffs startling in its variety.
Recently, food and beverage
segment represent a huge and vital part of the hospitality and tourism
industry. Along with lodging, banquets play important role in contributing
revenue. Food and beverage sales such as banquets become an important source of
revenue and contribute almost equally to room hotel revenues as room sales.
As the business grows rapidly,
many details go into managing banquet. Service, therefore, can comprise anything from grand
function and conference to the booking of a folk-dance group that will
entertain guests. In this assignment, all information regarding banquet will be
discussed further:
- What is Banquet?
- How many types of banquet
are there? What are the terms/names for each type of the banquet?
- Define each term/name for
each type of banquet.
- Explain in detail all
types of banquet available.
- Advantages and
disadvantages of the types of banquet available.
- Example/Sample of each
types of banquet.
A function or banquet is an
organized event in the broadest sense, at which all guests eat the same meal at
the same time. A banquet is also defined as a food and beverage service at a
specific time and place, to a given number of people, to an agreed menu and
price. Common types of functions include private family functions; business or
corporate functions; and community, group, and association functions.
Banqueting is a business of
selling space to hold functions. Banquets require large halls with attached
kitchens to provide quantity foods and a banquet brigade who are skilled in the
art of handling large group of people. Banquets halls are found in medium to
large hotels, where banquets business is part of an overall revenue strategy.
The term banquet service
applies to the service of large groups – all of whom should be served at the
same time. This involves serving in a similar way to table service with the
waiting staff watching for the head waiter to give the go-ahead to proceed with
the service or clearing of each course. Banquets service is usually offered in
hotels, resorts, country clubs, casinos, and restaurants.
In hotels, banquets are
typically offered in a separate (function) room rather than in an a la carte
dining room but restaurants do not typically have separate banquet facilities
(although some do). Instead, they may specify an area of an a la carte dining
room or, perhaps, have a separate small room to use for groups ordering from an
a la carte menu or attending a sponsored banquet event. Generally, the banquet
services are of two types- sit-down and buffet with formal, semi-formal and
informal styles of service.
In
formal styles, all degrees of formalities and protocols are maintained and
therefore elaborate arrangements are required to be made. This should be
strictly followed during the function. The service requires more planning,
detailed preparation, and elaborate tableware than any of the other styles. Ensuring
every detail set out is essential to make the atmosphere as formal, spic and
span and welcoming as possible. Starting from the décor to furniture selection,
its arrangement in the space, uniforms of servers, order of meals served,
presentation of both meals and staff in a well communicated yet silent
atmosphere.
Semi-formal style is slightly
different when a part of the function is formal whereas the rest can be
informal in its own sense. The function is conducted on formal lines followed
by a get together dinner or lunch which is informal. This style is used more
often than formal. The preparation and service of this style are not as
elaborate as the formal style and require less time, facilities and personnel.
The individual place settings are almost similar to those used for the informal
style. Few centre items are used other than salt and pepper shakers, sugar
bowls, and creamers. The method of serving
meal items are distinguishes semi-formal from informal styles.
As for informal style of
service, there is no set plan of seating to be followed. Apart from this, no
formality is expected from the guest side in terms of maintaining the
protocols. The style is set in a more casual environment, in a room or hall
with fixed counters where guests choose what they want and help themselves
partly or wholly, or they may be served by a waiter on table arrangements.
Every arrangement provides on aura informality, a little personal touch, and an
assurance of freshly prepared quality food. The functions normally include
entertainment.
Sit-Down
Sit-down is a type of service
where guests have their food served directly to them. Guests are served by
waiters at in formal and semi-formal styles. Dishes are often pre-selected. Since
guests are not required to get the food for themselves, sit-down banquets are
often more elegant than buffets. French Service, Russian Service and Sit-Down
Buffet are the example of sit-down which are commonly used in formal and
semi-formal styles.
·
French Service
Originated for European
nobility, French Service is a personalised service and formal. Usually, the
service is witnessed in case of Head of states hosting function in honour of
visiting dignitaries.
In the French Service, the
food is either served or prepared at a food wagon, tableside by Chef de Rang or
Chief Waiter who demonstrate culinary skills in front of the guests. The food
is brought from the kitchen to the dining room on heavy silver platters and
placed on a cart called guéridon. The guéridon is covered with a cloth and is
placed side-by-side with the table.
Réchaud, a small heater is
used to keep the food warm. The food is completed by cooking, deboning,
slicing, and garnishing as necessary and served to the guests on heated plates.
Only those foods that can be cooked, assembled, or completed in a reasonably
short time are prepared in front of the guests. Typical specialities that may
be served in the French style are L Salade César (Caesar Salad), Le Toumedos au
Poivre (pepper steak), and Les Crépes Suzettes (crépes in orange sauce).
French Service employs two
servers working together to serve the meal and may include a captain to seat
guests and a wine steward to serve wine. Chef de Rang or Chief Waiter prepares
some of the food with flourish at the guests’ table, and assistant waiter or
Commis de Rang picks up the food and carries the plates and serves the guests,
clears the dishes, and stands ready to assist whenever necessary. All food is
served and cleared from the right of the guests except for butter, bread, and
salad, which should be placed to the left side of the guests.
Finger bowls-bowls of warm
water with rose petals or lemon slices in them-are served with all finger foods
at the end of the meal. The finger bowl is set on an underliner, a small plate
with a doily, and placed, with a clean napkin, in front of the guests. Soiled
dishes are cleaned only when all guests have completed their meals.
The advantages of French Service
are the atmosphere is gracious and leisurely; guests are given a great deal of personalized
attention they much enjoy, the food is extremely delicious and the service is
extremely elegant.
The disadvantages are that
fewer guests may be served, ample space is necessary for service, many highly
professional servers are required, and service is time-consuming. This style is
also expensive because it involves professional waiters to serve properly and
slowly.
·
Russian Service
Russian Service comes from the
era of the Tsars of Russia in St. Petersburg who believed in pomp and ceremony.
The service is a very formal and elegant type of service. It employs the use of
heavy silver serviceware, and the table setting is identical to French setup.
Only one server is needed and food is fully prepared and attractively arranged
on silver platters in the kitchen. The service is not much use nowadays but it
is ideal for grand functions and state banquets.
To serve, the server places a
heated place before each guest from the right side, going around the table
clock wise. Then the server brings the platters of food to the dining room from
the kitchen and divided into individual portion and passed to the guests and
each one serves himself at the table. Other than that, the food may be served
in individual dishes and placed before the guests by the waiter.
Standing to the left of each
guest and holding the platter of food in the left hand, the server shows each
guest the food and then, using a large spoon and fork in the right hand, dishes
up the desired portion on the guest’s plate. The server continues serving
counter clockwise around the table and then returns the remaining food to the
kitchen. As in French service, finger bowls and napkins are served with the
meal, and soiled dishes are cleared when all guests have completed the meal.
The advantages of Russian Service
are that only one server is needed and that this service is as elegant as
French Service, yet faster and less expensive. A waiter can quickly serve many
guests while providing the perception of personalized attention. Using this
type of service, a skilled waiter, trained in the service procedures, can
easily maneuver around tables and through the banquet hall. No extra space is
needed for special equipment, such as the gueridon. Furthermore, the guest is
given considerable personal attention.
The disadvantages of Russian Service
are the large investment in silver serviceware and the number of platters
needed, especially when every guest in a party orders a different selection.
For this reason, Russian Service is particularly useful at banquets where every
guest receives the same food selection.
Furthermore, this form of
service does require skilled employees. Mastering the skill of handling the
multiple, repetitive tasks involved in this serving style requires practice and
time. Another disadvantage is that the last guest served at the table must be
served from less well-displayed food remaining.
·
Sit-Down Buffet
Sit-Down Buffet is commonly
used in semi-formal, when the very nicest appointments are used, with the least
service. In formal, tables are laid out with crockery, cutlery and linen. The
guests may serve themselves at the buffet table and return to eat at the guest
table laid out. A few courses like the appetizer and soup may be served at the
table by the waiter. Banquet service personnel serve the guests at the table
either with pre-plated food or brought in ornate salvers and served to the
guest.
The Sit-Down Buffet table is
set as it would be for dinner, with the exceptions of the plates and the main
course, which are placed on the sideboard for guests to serve themselves. Table
decorations are as elaborate as any at the most formal table. The napkins,
silver, glasses, salt and pepper, butter plates are all in place on the table.
Place mats are usually used, and a centrepiece. If small tables-card tables-are
used instead of the larger table, the centrepiece is small, to save space.
The dessert silver may be in
place above the space for the plate, and butter plates are a matter of
convenience. When dessert is served from the kitchen, the desert silver is on
the dessert plate. The hostess will serve soup as the first course, and this is
in place on the place plate when guests sit down. The hostess will remove used
plates before guests serve themselves at the sideboard; later she will remove
other plates. Coffee may be served at the table.
At very large buffets, the
coffee service, water, wine, and glasses are placed in convenient areas, with
guests helping themselves. The service is often used at conference, meeting,
office gala dinner and etc.
The advantage of Sit-Down
Buffet is when the service is fast. Guests do not have to wait for long time to
be served.
The disadvantage of Sit-Down
Buffets is when the water goblets which are set at the guest table need to be
replenished regularly. Another disadvantage of this service is when the food
must be replenished in time. The service staff has to be alert to empty dishes.
Buffet
Buffet is another type of service
where guests serve themselves from a food display table. Buffets are pre-set
and informal than sit-down. The service usually combines both methods-the
guests select relishes, salads, and vegetables themselves, and the meat is
carved and served to the guests by Buffet Chefs whom are standing behind the
buffet tables.
Silverware and napkins may be
conveniently located on the buffet table for the guests to pick up with their
meals, or a complete cover (usually American), including rolls, butter, and
condiments, may be present at the dining table. The guests then stand or sit at
tables pre-set with cutlery, glassware and linen.
An alternative to this style
is just chairs arranged along the walls of the hall. In stand-up buffets guests
are forced to stand and eat. The main feature in buffet service is the buffet
table which is decorated with fruit displays, ice sculpture or butter sculpture
base on price and the occasion.
The traffic flow at a single
buffet table layout as shown at Fig. 10 will be from left to right. This layout
is used when there are guests below 50. Fig 11 gives a dispersed layout when
guests are over 50-75 persons. The numbers correspond with the diagrams as
follows:
- Half
Plates, dinner plates and cutlery
- Appetisers
and salads display
- Soup
Kettle
- Chaffing
dishes with hot meat and vegetable preparations
- Rice
and breads display
- Dessert
display
Buffet service is preferable at
weddings, large social occasions, and dinner dances etc. A common fault that
must be avoided in large functions is to have only one buffet table. It is
advised to have multi-buffet tables of identical nature spread around the room
for every 75 guests. This disperses people and prevents long queues at the
buffet table. Another variation is to have the appetisers, salads and soup at
one buffet table, at the chaffing dishes (food warmers heated by dry fuel) with
hot foods at another and finally the desserts at a table separated from the
rest.
There are many advantages of
using buffet service. Buffets are ideal to cater a large groups. It requires
less staff to render the service needed and at the meantime, the servers can
attend to many guests at one time. Food presentation can be in a very
attractive manner and more food items can be offered. Buffet service may be
economical too because guests choose the items that they want to eat, resulting
in less waste.
However, there are also
disadvantages of buffet service. Care should be taken to keep food selections
fresh and complete. Maintaining cleanliness-since guests help themselves, they
are bound to be spills. These spills have to be cleaned and managed to make the
buffet look clean. There is also the issue of removing soiled dishes as they
present the ugly sight.
Moreover, food items in the
service line may take longer to serve than the rest, resulting guests queue
hold-ups when the service is in progress. Food on the buffet table have to be
replenished when empty and clear dirty plates, glassware and cutlery. Even
though the staff can attend to many guests but they receive less personal
attention than with table service.
Several arrangement for rooms
set up can be chosen in a banquet room, where the tables and chairs are
arranged according to customers’ desires. However, the arrangement of furniture
in a restaurant usually does not change. The most common arrangements are E-Shaped
setup, U-Shape setup, and Banquet Round style.
The E-Shaped Table or Classic
Banquet style table placement consists of long rows of rectangle banquet tables
with seats on both sides. This setup will allow for the most seats in a room.
It is ideal when there is a large delegations of guests who must be seated at
the head table.
The
U-Shaped setup works well for presentations where there will be interaction
between the guests, and the speaker. The speaker can walk up and down the
hollow box inside the “U” interacting with the guests. This style setup can be
used for meetings and dinners.
Round
tables offer a more formal look to banquet space. In order to maximize the
amount of round banquet tables that can fit in a room, the placement should be
in diagonal rather than lateral rows.
Round
tables offer a more formal look to banquet space. In order to maximize the
amount of round banquet tables that can fit in a room, the placement should be
in diagonal rather than lateral rows.
CONCLUSION
Banquet is defined as a food
and beverage service at a specific time and place, to a given number of people,
to an agreed menu and price. Common types of functions include private family
functions; business or corporate functions; and community, group, and
association functions. There are two types of banquets; sit-down and buffet.
Sit-down is more elegant when
guests are served by waiters. Sit-down comprises French Service, Russian
Service and Sit-down Buffet. The French Service and Russian Service are often
used in formal styles to honour dignitaries, at grand functions and state
banquet. However, the Sit-Down Buffet is always perfect for both formal and semi-formal
styles at conference, meeting or office gala dinner.
In Buffet, guests serve
themselves from various dishes displayed on a buffet table. Buffets are pre-set
and informal than Sit-Down. Buffet service is preferable at weddings, large
social occasions, and dinner dances etc. Buffets are able to cater a large groups,
requires less staff, able to attend to many guests, very attractive food
presentation and economical.
In conclusion, banquet service
involves serving a meal to a group of people who are celebrating, gathering for
a special occasion, or honouring special guests. The menu, number of guests,
and time of service are predetermined, and the banquet is well organized in
advance.
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Types of Banquet.
Retrieved from http://www.unileverfoodsolutions.co.id/en/our-services/chefmanship-academy/12-banqueting/2-types-of-banquet
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