Silver service facts for kids

Silver service is a special way of serving food at a table. Imagine a waiter carefully moving food from a large serving dish onto your plate, right at your table. This is usually done from your left side. Waiters use special serving forks and spoons to do this. In France, this style is sometimes called service à l'anglaise, which means "English service." However, long ago, "English service" meant something different. It was when the host or hostess served food like soup or carved meat, and guests helped themselves to other dishes.

A slightly different way of serving is called butler service.

What is Silver Service?

Silver service is a very formal way to serve meals. It's often used in fancy restaurants or at special events. The main idea is that the food is brought to your table on large platters. Then, a trained waiter serves it directly onto your plate.

How Food is Served

• Food is always served from the guest's left side. Even gravy is served this way!
• The meals are served from big platters, not already put onto plates in the kitchen.
• The first person to be served is usually a female guest sitting to the host's right.
• The serving then continues around the table in an anti-clockwise direction. The host is always served last.
• When plates are cleared, they are taken away from the guest's right side. This also starts with the guest to the host's right.

Setting the Table

• Glasses are placed above the knife blade on the table. They are usually lined up diagonally, moving right and slightly away from the guest.
• Wine glasses are placed in the order they will be used for different courses. The water glass is usually in front.
• Sometimes, a smaller glass might be placed in front so it's easy to reach and fill.

Special Occasions

At a wedding, the bride is served first. Then, the bride's mother is served. After that, the groom is served. The serving then continues around the "top table" where the bridal party sits. It restarts on the other side of the table, with the best man served first.

The Waiter's Skill

Silver service is designed for waiters who are right-handed. A waiter stands behind and to the left of the guest. They hold the serving platter with their left hand. Then, they use their right hand to serve the food. Left-handed waiters might use their right hand too.

Waiters often hold the serving fork above the serving spoon in their right hand. They use their fingers to move the fork and spoon like a pincer. This helps them pick up, hold, and move the food carefully. This serving method needs a lot of practice and skill!

Butler Service

Butler service is a bit more relaxed than silver service. In this style, the butler holds a serving plate, and the diner helps themselves to the food from it. Historically, this type of service was used on Sunday evenings. This was when the regular waiting staff had the evening off, and the butler would help out with dinner. In France, this kind of service is known as service à la francaise ("French service"). This is another example where the historical meaning is different from how it's used today.

See also

In Spanish: Servicio a la inglesa para niños