| What is a Silver Service Waiter? | | | | - Meals are served to the diners from platters carried |
| Referred to by the French as "English Service" or | | | | to them, not by laying down plates of food on the |
| service anglais, silver service technique has all but died | | | | table. |
| out in private homes (except perhaps for those of | | | | - The guest to the host's (hostesses) right is served |
| great wealth). | | | | first. |
| Silver service actually describes the process of | | | | - Service is conducted in a clockwise direction. |
| serving diners from a "silver" service dish to the diners | | | | - Food is always served from the left and cleared |
| plate, rather than the more common practise of | | | | from the right. |
| serving the plate to the diner. | | | | - Glasses are served and cleared from the right |
| Thus the silver service waiter or waitress must bring | | | | - Glasses are laid out to the right in a diagonal fashion |
| the food to the guests via a platter and must be well | | | | with the water glass in front of the diner - ordered in |
| acquainted with the appropriate etiquette and | | | | sequence for the wines by course. |
| technique (see below). | | | | Is silver service still popular? |
| Origins | | | | It is a convivial practise although not always particularly |
| Silver service waiting has it's origins in the manors, | | | | practical. This being said - many people really enjoy the |
| country seats and fine houses of the British middle and | | | | sense of history and even grandeur that comes with |
| upper classes of previous centuries. | | | | this rare type of dining and in the right setting it can |
| It has a sister term of "butler service" which emanates | | | | really add style to an event or function. |
| from the age old practise of giving the waiting staff | | | | Where would I be able to find a Silver Service Waiter? |
| Sunday evenings off - the butler, who presumably was | | | | Generally any quality hospitality staffing group or |
| not given the evening off - would serve the diners | | | | caterer should be able to offer you Silver Service for |
| from a silver platter which he carried from person to | | | | a dinner - and occasionally some restaurants too. |
| person. One can easily imagine that the food on the | | | | Certain venues that you may choose for a special |
| platter would be the re-presented meats etc. from a | | | | event, especially those with large private dining rooms |
| large Sunday lunch - perhaps the guests were still | | | | should be able to provide you with appropriately |
| rather full? | | | | trained staff. |
| Silver Service Etiquette | | | | |