Types of Meals and Covers

Meals

Meals fulfill many functions. People enjoy eating for many reasons and in many different environments, it can provide a focus for social events, and can be used as a reward, for bribery or for comfort. It is also a fuel supply for the body and has an important role to play in promoting heath. The nutritional aspects of foods re important but no caterer can afford to lose sight of the basic qualities which ensure enjoyment of the food. ll meals should look inviting, smell appetizing, and taste pleasing with regard to flavor, seasoning and texture. The 1983 NACNE ( National Advisory Committee on Nutrition Education) give clear practical guidelines for adults to shape their eating patterns for the future.

• Energy (Calorie) intake should be enough to maintain optimum body weight and adequate exercise.
• Total fat should be no more than 80-85 gram/ day.
• Saturated fat should be no more than 20-23 gram/ day.
• Sugar should be no more than 50 gram/ day.
• Dietary fiber should be increased from an average of 20 gram to 30 gram/ day.
• Salt should be no more than 5 gram/ day.

For caterers, therefore, these recommendations now provide a yard stick against which the meals prepared can be assessed for their nutritional content and hence their healthiness. Caterers have a major role in maintaining the people's health. As professional, caterers have the skills and knowledge to make healthier meal options more appetizing and inspiring. In the developed countries, about one- third of all meals eaten each day are prepared by caterers. There is a widespread belief held by providers of meal that there are no bad foods only but eating patterns. This can encourage caterers to think that it is acceptable to provide dishes loaded with fat and sugar because their ill-effects will be balanced by the food customers eat at home.

Their is an increasing consumer demand for healthier meals and response by some sectors of the catering industry has been highly imaginative. Integrating healthy changes into a catering operation involves a serious of stages, but these are not insurmountable. Menus, recipes, production and service techniques, the type and range of meal items with its service styles provide healthier food choices to consumers. 

Types of Meals

1. Breakfast
2. Brunch
3. Lunch
4. Hi- Tea
5. Supper
6. Dinner

1) Breakfast

Breakfast is the first meal of the day. It starts from 7:00 AM & goes up to 11:00 AM. It is a heavy meal of the day. It consists of six to seven courses including such items as juice, cereals, Bread rolls/ toast, egg, meat, vegetable & hot beverage. Breakfast is traditionally a British term, which means breaking the fast of earlier night by taking food in the morning. The current trend to hotels is to serve a continental breakfast inclusive in a Room rate. The service may be offered in any F&B outlets, or in the guest's room. This may be from A la Carte, Table D' Hote or Buffet breakfast menu.

Sequence of courses for Continental, English & American breakfast

• First course- fresh or can juices (orange, mango, pineapple, etc)
• Second course- cereals (cornflakes, mausli, oats, etc.)
• Third course- Toast, croissant, etc with preserves (Butter, jam, marmalade & honey)
• Fourth course- egg (boiled, poached, scrambled, fried, omelette, etc)
• Fifth course- Meat & fish (ham, bacon, veal, etc)
• Sixth course- Hot Beverage (Tea or Coffee)

Types of Breakfast

• Continental Breakfast
• American Breakfast
• English Breakfast
• French Breakfast
• Indian Breakfast

Continental Breakfast

The traditional continental breakfast originated in France, consist of any juice, bread products with preserves & hot beverages. This is the lightest breakfast. There are two types of continental breakfast, i.e. Cafe simple & cafe complete.

Cafe simple consists of only tea or coffee & nothing else to eat where as cafe complete consists of any juice, bread products with preserves and hot beverage.

Cover for a Continental Breakfast

This meal consists of hot croissant/ brioches or hot toast, butter, preserves & coffee or tea. With this in mind the cover would be as follows:

• Side pate
• Side knife
• Serviette, normally placed on the side plate & under the side knife
• Bread basket containing the croissant or brioche in a serviette to keep them hot or a toast rack on a under plate
• Butter dish on a doily on a side with butter knife
• Preserve dish on a doily on a side plate with a preserve spoon
• Breakfast cup & saucer & a tea spoon
• Stands for under plates for coffee/ tea pot & hot milk/ hot water jug
• Ashtray
• Table number
• Sugar basins & tongs
• If tea is to be the beverage then the following additional items will be needed
• Tea strainer
• Jug of cold milk

American Breakfast
The American breakfast is originated in America & consist of any juice, breakfast cereals, egg to order with meat & fish (Bacon, ham or sausages) & Tea or Coffee.

Cover for American Breakfast
The full American breakfast consists of a number of courses, usually three or four, with the choice of dishes from within each course. The cover will be therefore be a modified Table D' Hote cover as follows:

• AP knife & fork
• Fish knife & fork
• Sweet spoon & fork
• Side knife
• Side plate
• Breakfast cup, saucer & teaspoon
• Jug of cold milk
• Sugar basin & tongs
• Under plates for teapot/ coffee pot & hot water jug/ hot milk jug
• Butter dish on a doily paper on an under plate with a preserve spoon
• Cruet set
• Ashtray
• Serviette placed on the side plate under the side knife
• Table number
• Bread basket containing the croissant or brioche in a serviette to keep them warm

The majority of the items listed for the American breakfast should be placed on the tables as a part of mice-en-place, before the guest is seated. A number of items, however, are not placed on the table until the guest is seated, and these include:

• Butter dish & butter
• Preserve dish with preserve
• Jug of cold milk
• Bread basket with hot rolls

English Breakfast

The traditional English breakfast originated in Britain is the heaviest breakfast. It consists of three to seven courses. It includes any juices, cereals, bread products with preserves, egg to order, meat & fish, vegetables & hot beverages.

Cover for Table D' Hote breakfast

• AP knife & fork
• Fish knife & fork
• Sweet spoon & fork
• Side knife
• Side plate
• Breakfast cup, saucer & teaspoon
• Jug of cold milk
• Sugar basin & tongs
• Under plates for teapot/ coffee pot & hot water jug/ hot milk jug
• Butter dish on a doily paper on an under plate with a preserve spoon
• Cruet set
• Ashtray
• Serviette placed on the side plate under the side knife
• Table number
• Bread basket containing the croissant or brioche in a serviette to keep them warm

The majority of the items listed for the English breakfast should be placed on the table as part of the misc-en-place, before the guest is seated. A number of items, however, are not placed on the table until the guest is seated, and these include:

• Butter dish & butter
• Preserve dish with preserve
• Jug of cold milk
• Bread basket with hot rolls

Indian Breakfast

An Indian breakfast will differ from region to region though it will be vegetarian. The two most popular breakfast are north & south Indian breakfast.

North Indian breakfast includes lassi, juice & aloo/ bhaji (peas & potatoes) or chana with bhatura or vegetable parathas with chutney & tea or coffee or hot milk. 

South Indian breakfast includes Juice, Idli/ dosa/ uttapam with sambar & coconut chutney & tea or coffee or hot milk.

2) Brunch

Brunch is the combination of breakfast and lunch. It is also called as pre-lunch or late breakfast. Generally it starts after 11 AM & goes up to 12 noon. Generally, served in a buffet, where guest help themselves. Food are displayed of varieties of breakfast & lunch menu.

3) Lunch

Service of lunch may take place in any F&B outlet & could include food variety of cuisines. Patterns of service may be as buffet, A la Carte or Table D Hote.

4) Hi- tea (Afternoon tea)

This is service of tea or coffee with some light snacks such as sandwiches, biscuits, cookies, sausages, etc.

In department stores and popular price restaurants a high tea may be available in addition to full afternoon tea. It is usually in a modified A la Carte form and the menu offer, in addition to the normal full afternoon tea menu, such items as grills, toasted snacks, fish and meat dishes, salads, cold sweets and ices. The meat dishes normally consist in the main of pies and pastries, whereas the fish dishes are usually fried or grilled.

Cover for Hi- tea

• Serviette
• AP knife and fork
• Side plate
• Side knife
• Cruet set
• Teacup, saucer and teaspoon
• Sugar basin and sugar tongs
• Teapot and hot water jug stands or under plates
• Jug of cold milk
• Preserve dish on a doily on an under plate with a preserve spoon
• Ashtray

Note: As for the full afternoon tea cover, the jug of cold milk and the preserve dish should only be brought to the table when the guests are seated and are not part of the mise-en-place. Any other items of tableware that may be required are brought to the table as A La Carte cover.

Cover for Afternoon tea

• Side plate
• Paper serviette
• Butter knife
• Dessert fork
• Teacup and saucer and a tea spoon
• Sugar basin and tongs
• Teapot and hot water jug stands or under plates
• Jug of cold milk
• Preserve dish on a doily on an under plate with a preserve spoon
• Ashtray

Note: The jug of cold milk and preserve dish should only be brought to the table when the guests are seated, and are not part of the mise-en-place.

5) Supper (early dinner, light dinner)

Supper is a light meal that is taken in the evening. It is an informal meal. It is generally taken if the dinner is taken early or light snacks with hot beverages are taken late night.

6) Dinner

It is like lunch, served in most F&B service outlets & consists of food from several styles of cooking. Patterns of service may be as buffet, A La Carte or Table D Hote. 

The cover & types

A cover is the space allotted on the table for cutlery, cookery, glassware & linen for each person. Generally a cover requires 24" * 18" space. There are two definitions of cover according to the context.

When laying the table in readiness for service there are varieties of place setting which may be laid according to the type of meal & service being offered. We refer to this place setting as a certain type of " cover" being laid. For example A la Carte cover, Table D Hote cover & breakfast cover, etc.

When discussing how many guest a restaurant or dining room will seat or how many guests will be attending a certain party, we refer to the number of guests concerned as so many covers. For example, a dining room will seat a maximum of 40 covers (guests), there will be 80 covers at a certain party, this will seat a party of eight covers guest on round table.

Removal of Spare covers

The cover should be removed in the correct manner or as per establishment rule using a service plate or a service salver. When this has been done the position of the other covers should be adjusted if necessary 7 the table appointments re- positioned.

Relaying of tables

It is often the case in a busy restaurant or dining room that a number of tables to be re- laid in order to cope with the inflow of customers. The table should be firstly be completely cleared of all items or equipment & then crumbed down. At this stage if table cloth is a little soiled or grubby, a slip cloth should be placed over it. It can then relay in the appropriate manner.

Types of cover

• A La Carte cover
• Table d' Hote cover
• Outlet standard cover
• Breakfast cover
• Continental cover
• American breakfast
• English breakfast
• Indian breakfast
• Brunch cover
• Hi- tea cover
• Supper cover
• Special cover

Rules of laying A La Carte, Table d' Hote cover

The following rules should be followed while laying cover on the table:

1. Before setting up the table, the tables and chairs should be in their correct position.
2. The table in which cover is to be laid should be checked first to know weather it is in service position or not.
3. The table top should be clean and the table in level, with care being taken to ensure that it does not wobble.
4. Moulton should be fixed properly before laying tablecloth for the following reasons:
   a) To protect guest wrist and elbow from the sharp edges of the table.
   b) To protect the tablecloth from slippage.
   c) It absorbs if liquids spills on the table.
   d) It reduces noise while placing cutleries and crockery's on the table.
5. The correct size of table cloth should be collected. Table cloth are folded in as a screen fold. The waiter/ ess must stand in the correct position to lay up the table cloth properly that is between the legs of table,
6. Table cloth should be laid firmly on the top of Moulton cloth.
7. Make sure that the corners of the table cloth cover the legs of the table and do fall between the table legs.
8. The table cloth folded in the screen fold has one inverted fold and two single folds and should be opened out across the table in front of the waiter/ ess with inverted and two single folds facing him/ her and with the inverted fold on top.
9. The table cloth should be then being laid in the correct manner.
10. On the top of table cloth, slip cloth should be laid to make it attractive.
11. If a table cover is being laid then the first item set on the table should the serviette or side plate in the center of each cover. If the side plate were laid in the center of each cover it would be moved to left- hand side of the cover once all the cutlery and flatware have been laid. The purpose of placing something in the center of the cover is to ensure the covers are exactly opposite to one another and that the cutlery and flatware of each cover are to same distance.
12. Cutlery and flatware should be laid from a service salver or service plate. An alternative to this is to use a service cloth and hold the items being laid in the service cloth giving a final polish with waiter's cloth.
13. In some instances a cutlery is used for storing the cutlery and tableware and this should be pushed around the tables and then the cutlery and flatware lay after a final polish with waiter's cloth.
14. The cutlery and flatware should be laid from the inside to the outside of the cover. This ensures even spacing of the cover and normally lessens the chances of having to handle the items laid more than necessary.
15. While laying knives and spoons , it should be placed on the right hand side of the cover and fork on the left hand side of the cover. Cutleries for dessert should be placed on the top of the cover.
16. Side plate ( B&B plate) and butter knife should be placed on the left hand side of the cover.
17. Serviette should be placed in the center of the cover between the cutleries.
18. After the covers have been laid, the table layout should be completed by the addition of the following items: cruet set, ashtray, table number, etc.
19. The waiter/ ess must ensure that where applicable, all cutlery and flatware is laid (1/2 inches) from the edge of the table and that badged crockery has the badge or crest at the head or top off the cover.
20. The glassed after polishing should be placed upside down at the top right hand corner of the cover.

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