SOP – Buffet setup and Maintaining in Banquets

Department: Food and Beverage Service – Banquet

Banquet Buffet setup:

The hotel offers different kinds of buffets. Each hotel/outlet category has a number of buffet set-ups to choose from according to the budget and selection of dishes.

Buffets must be rigorously set up according to the pre-established layouts. Any buffet set-up must fulfill the following requirements :

• Efficient for both guest service and replenishment.
• Layout and decoration attractive for the customer.
• Adequate lighting, with colors if required.
• Sufficient power points for connecting all the required electrical appliances.
• Sufficient quantity of alternative heating fuel, e.g., gas, and adequate corresponding safety features.
• The buffet service shall be similar to that applied in the restaurant procedure.
• The buffet shall be ready 15 minutes before the starting time indicated on the BEO.

Maintain Buffets:-

Keep hot items hot:

• If there is less than one quarter of an inch of water in the liners of hot chafing dishes, user a pitcher of water to refill the liners.
• If the chafing dishes are heated by canned, gel type fuel then make sure the cans stay lit, and replace them when they become empty.
• Replace lid on serving dishes when guests are not in the buffet line.

Keep cold items cold:

• Use pitchers to add ice to the buffet as needed to keep the containers holding cold items surrounded by ice.
• Remove ice that gets into the food containers and replace any items that become waterlogged.

Refill Food and water:

• When a container is less than one-quarter full get a full container from the kitchen.
• Remove the old container and replace it with the full one. Do not combine food from the old and new containers.
• Bring the old container the kitchen and give it to the appropriate person.
• Place enough drinking water glasses filled at all time.

Maintain service ware:

• Restock dishes when there are fewer than ten dishes in a stack. Never let a stack get below five dishes.
• Make sure each container has an appropriate serving utensil.
• Return serving utensils to the correct containers.
• Replace utensils that fall on the floor with clean utensils from the kitchen.
• Use a damp, food-safe cleaning cloth to wipe spills on the buffet table.

Training Summary questions:

Q1. Why it is important to have a buffet layout which is efficient for guest service?

Q2. What all items taken care while setting up a buffet?

Q3. How to keep hot items hot in Buffet?

Q4. How to replace / replenish food containers?

Q5. How to maintain service ware during banquet function?