1st sem F&B notes practicals Care & Maintenance of F&B Service equipment.

Care & Maintenance of F&B Service equipment.

 Management invests substantial amount in supplies and equipment. Service staffs are, therefore, expected that the equipment is handled gently and carefully. Staff should be sanitation and safety conscious. Equipment should be handled in the right spot stemmed glass by the stem, tumblers by the base, flatware by the handle. Bowls should never be held by the rim, use appropriate under liners. The thumb should never show on the plate. When setting up cutleries, as well as glassware, avoid leaving finger marks by using trays or by securing them inside a cloth napkin.

To prevent breakage, be conscious of the rules of equipment handling. Breakages are usually caused by the following factors:

1. Mechanical Impact -- results from object-to-object collision. This is induced by stacking of glassware and chinaware, overloading of bus pans and trays, putting cutleries inside glasses.

2. Thermal Shock -- result of sudden change of temperature. This happens when hot water is placed inside a chilled / cold glass and vice versa, abrupt use of glassware after coming of the dishwashing machines, heating chilled bowl in a microwave.

3. Improper Handling and Misuse of Equipment -- using the equipment for a purpose it was not intended for such as using a glass to scoop ice, using knives for opening cans, etc.

4. Inattentiveness or Absent-mindedness -- accidents often occur when service personnel are absent-minded or are inattentive in executing services especially when they are carrying breakable equipment.

5. Environmental Factors - greasy / wet floor, slippery floor, broken tiles, blind doors.

Measures to Avoid Breakages

·         Use trays when serving and bussing.

·         Proper system should be followed in stacking and storing equipment.

·         Use appropriate door for entry and exit. A separate door for entering and exiting         should be installed to prevent collision.

·         Use appropriate glass racks. Make sure that the glasses are conveniently, but not tightly inserted in each rack.

·         Buss out glasses separately from chinaware.

·         Avoid overloading trays and bus pans.

Do's and Don’ts of Equipment Handling

·         Dump ice out of the glass; preheat the glass before pouring hot water. Don't pour hot drinks in chilled or cold glasses.

·         Stack dishes according to size and kind. Never stack too high.

·         Handle stemmed glasses by the stem and tumblers by the base. Never handle glasses in bouquet.

·         Remove glass/china from bus pan one at a time. Don't unload china, glasses at random.

·         Use ice scooper for scooping ice. Never use the glass for scooping ice.

·         Never put cutlery into glasses, put them in appropriate containers.

·         Make sure of an adequate back-up supply of glassware for rush periods.

·         Always be on the lookout for cracked or chipped glassware and remove them.

·         Never allow glass-to-glass contact on overhead racks, keep distant from each other.

·         Never overload the tray / bus pan. Load only what it can conveniently accommodate.

·         Never buss glasses in the sink. Buss them directly onto divider racks.

·         Never stack glasses. Use trays and avoid overcrowding them to prevent breakage.

     

Sanitation Standards in Handling Service Equipment

·         Use clean and sanitized glasses, flatware, chinaware and other equipment for service.

·         All service equipment must be wiped dry with clean cloths to avoid watermarks. The cloths used for this purpose must be segregated from other wiping cloths.

·         Bowls should be underlined with appropriate underliner and never to be served with the finger touching the rim.

·         When serving straw serve them with their wrappers or in their respective dispensers.

·         When serving additional utensils or napkin, place them in a small plate to avoid direct contact with hand.

·         The thumb should be kept away from the plate to avoid touching the sauce, meat or dish.

·         When setting up flatware and glasses, avoid leaving finger marks; carry them in trays or with a cloth napkin.

·         Never serve food using cutleries that have fallen on the floor.

·         To avoid contamination, food must be covered when it is not served immediately.

HYGIENIC HANDLING OF

CUTLERY

Cutlery is that service equipment which guest use most while having his meal, so special care should be given while handling cutlery. Following are some points:-

1)      Cutlery should be properly polished and cleaned before service.

2)      Always hold cutlery from base, never touch the tip of cutlery.

3)      One should use hand globs, if possible.

4)      One should make sure that his hands are properly washed and cleaned before touching cutlery.

5)      After use of cutlery, it must be properly washed and polished.

CROCKERY

1)      Chinaware has a high breakage rate and therefore needs careful handling.

2)      It should be stored on shelves.

3)      It should be stacked properly so that it does not topple.

4)      It should be stored at a convenient height to store and retrieve to avoid accidents.

5)      It should be kept covered to avoid dust and germs.

GLASSWARE

1)      Empty glass containers must be stored inverted in single rows with paper on the shelf to    prevent slippage.

2)      Glass racks are good ways to store glassware. They are rubber lined and have individual compartments to prevent glasses from moving in transit and storage.

3)      In a restaurant, glasses must be kept on trays with tray cloth to prevent slippage.

4)      Glasses with stem must be held by the stem and stored inverted.

5)      Glasses must be held against the light to detect smudges or water spots.