GUERIDON SERVICE

DEFINITION:
The definition of the term guéridon is a movable service table or trolley from which food can be carved, filtered,
flambéed or prepared and served. It is, in other words, a movable side board which has sufficient equipment for the
immediate operation in hand; however it should also carry essential equipments required for service.for eg crockery,
cutlery service gears
 HISTORY:
“A Gueridon” was a piece of furniture that was found in French homes, similar to what we might call a sideboard. This
would be positioned in the dining room of a home and would hold most of the equipment used at the table, ie crockery,
cutlery, glassware etc.
During the nineteenth century Gueridon service became more popular especially in the more ‘up-market’ establishments.
By the turn of the century Gueridon was an established part of fine dining.
Flambé dishes first become popular in the Edwardian Era i.e. the first claimed flambé dish was crêpes Suzette which was
invented by Henri Charpentier working as a commis at the café de paris in Monte Carlo (1894) in honour of the Prince of
Wales girlfriend  named Suzette.
TYPES OF TROLLEYS
 Hors d’oeuvre Trolley - It displays 10 to 12 varieties of appetizers. The containers holding appetizers are placed over
ice. The trolley is designed in such a way that it has provision for holding ice and containers. It has adequate cold half
plates, necessary service gear to transfer the hors d'oeuvre selected by the guest on the cold half plate, and the appropriate
accompanying sauces. The plated food is served to the guest from his/her right-hand side.

Salad Trolley
It has half plates and bowls, under plates, containers with prepared ingredients, salad dressings, and seasonings that are
required to prepare the salads. Salad dressings may either be prepared on the trolley in the presence of guests or in the
kitchen. Most restaurants make the dressings in the kitchen and the dressing of salads is carried out on the trolley in the
restaurant.
Food Preparation, Carving, and Flambé Trolleys
These have a gas burner or flare lamp which is fixed on the trolley to the level of the top surface. Carving trolley has
carving board which is placed over chafing dish during carving to retain the heat of the meat. A trolley may have single or
double burner. Double burner trolley is necessary when the partly finished food is to be held hot during the preparation.
One burner is used for keeping the food hot while the other is used for cooking.

Cheese trolley
It has variety of cheese, cheese board, and cheese knife for cutting cheese and appropriate accompaniments for cheese.
Surface of the trolley is normally in marble and has translucent dome to cover the top. Cheese selected by the guest is
portioned and plated on the gueridon trolley, and then served to the guest from his/her right.

Liqueur Trolley
At the moment the customers finish their last course, the liqueur trolley comes into action. In a profit-orientated
restaurant, the liqueur trolley should be presented to every table, whether coffee is ordered or not.  It is one of the best
selling aids in a restaurant. The basic types of spirits for a liqueur trolley are:
Cognac Liqueurs
Armagnac Port
Calvados
The following equipment is needed on the trolley:
Assorted glasses Ice bucket
Measures Sprit and liqueur bottles, etc.
 Dessert trolley
It has a static cooling system and uses refrigeration gas.
ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS OF GUERIDON :
Advantages of guéridon service:
1. Creates atmosphere of sophistication.
2. Provides entertainment.
3. Provokes demand due to impulse buying.
4. Ensures food service at requisite temperature as dishes can be prepared a la minute.
5. Ensures freshness & quality of ingredients.
6. Novelty of flaming, aroma attraction of cooking smells, caramelizing sugars - all these attract the attention of the
customers.
7. Personalized form of service hence flatters customers by focusing attention on their table.Encourages guest interaction
& participation. Where possible the dish can be customized.
8. Motivates staff, stimulates creativity & innovation. Enhances job satisfaction, improves gratuities.
9. Highly profitable as it encourages higher check averages.
10.Ensures high standards of cleanliness & hygiene.
11.Can be a unique selling proposition if the competition is yet to catch on.

Limitations of guéridon service

1. Time consuming, slows down pace of service & table turnover.
2. Extravagant use of space, labour & equipment.
3. High capital investment due to use of highly specialized equipment.
4. High training costs.
5. Efficiency of operation is limited to experience, knowledge & skill levels of staff.
6. High food costs. Commodity control and costing is difficult.
7. Can disturb other guests who may resent intrusion.
8. Accident hazard due to live flaming, obstruction to traffic in aisles

SPECIAL EQUIPMENTS USED ON GUERIDON TROLLEY:

Flare lamps:
These are an essential item of equipment for guéridon service and are used in re-heating, cooking and flambéing dishes.
The lamps used today are fueled in three ways:
1. Methylated spirits: This has a good flame but one must trim the wick to avoid fumes.
2. Flammable gel
3. Calor gas-odorless gas, butane propane mixture, already fitted into the trolley

The maintenance of the flare lamps is very important and should be carried out very carefully, ensuring each part is fitted
together correctly, that it is fitted to the correct level with methylated spirit and then the wick is of sufficient length to
give adequate heat where in use.
The flare lamp should be cleaned regularly with the aid of plate powder. Regular timing of the wick is essential to avoid
methylated spirit fumes baking out and spoiling the aroma of the food. The lamps are usually 20-25 cm high with a grid
of diameter 15-20 cm. In a purpose built the same working height all along the trolley tap. This I much safe for the waiter
as he/she works since there is less chance of accidents. The lamps here are generally color gas.
Gas stove:
It has advantages over flare lamp. Trimming of wick and filling up the fuel is not necessary for the trolley having gas
stove.

Chaffing dish:
It is a container holding hot water on which food container is kept to retain the temperature of the food. It is also used to
cook custards for certain sweet preparations.
Suzette pans:
The shallower pans used for flambe are called Suzette pans. They resemble frying pans in shape and size and have a
diameter of 23-30 cm with or without a lip. The lip is usually found on the left hand side. The pans are generally made of
silver plated copper as this gives an even distribution of heat.
Hot plates:
The hot plates main function is to keep food hot before it is served to the guest. They are always positioned on the side
board and the guéridon they come in a vast range of sizes and may be heated by gas, electricity or methylated spirits and
there are even infra red ones available.
Gueridon trolleys are used for visual merchandising of foods as well as to facilitate tableside cooking, carving, etc. The
minimum size of a trolley is 1.5 ft X 2ft (45.75cm X 61cm). The trolley usually consists of plated silver, copper or
stainless steel or a chrome plated metallic body on a wooden or metal frame, mounted on castors. The wood may be
mahogany or beech. The dimensions of the trolley need to be compatible with doorways. The trolley must be sturdy with
easily maneuverable castors. The worktop must be of table height. It should be built in storage space for equipment &
supplies. Spill trays help maintain cleanliness. The worktop must have a minimum area of 16in X 6in.
Miscellaneous equipment
Cloche ( bell shaped glass or metal plate cover), chopping boards, carving boards, salad bowls, peppermill, sea salt
grinders, shashlik swords, fondue set, yakitori set,

CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF THE EQUIPMENTS:

1. All equipments should be spotlessly clean and polished daily
2. Trollys should be wiped down between each use
3. Trolley should not be positioned closed to the curtain or any loose soft furnishing.
4. Sprits should never be kept near naked flame.
5. Sprits should be handled carefully while flaming.
6. Lamps should be checked on the daily basis to ensure they are in good working condition.
7. Trolley should not be moved around with food or equipments on it.
SUCCESSFUL AND SAFE GUERIDON WORK :
1          Mise en place
Talk with the kitchen to ensure all mise en place for each gueridon menu item is complete.
2          Equipments
 Make sure all the equipments are clean and ready for service. Make sure Gueridon/Trolley and all equipments are
stable. Check level of lamp before cooking.
 Don’t refill gueridon lamps while it is hot.
 Pan handles should not stick out over edge of trolley or table
 Space tables/sideboard/restaurant decor and displays for easy (and safe) movement of trolleys/table around the
restaurant.
 Push; never pull a trolley (you can’t see where you are going).
 Get help from another waiter to manoeuvre trolleys applying the brake when in position.
3          Knives
 Use the right knife for the right job.
 Always use sharp knives 
 never cut on silver or stainless steel platter; use a cutting board or plate
 Carry knives with point to the floor.
 Position knives safely on Gueridon when not in use.
4          Flaming and Service
 When flaming spirits or liqueurs always pour into the pan from a port glass/heat resistant glass.
 Pouring directly from a bottle is not recommended as the bottle might explode.
 Use service cloths to protect your hands from heat eg plates pan handles
 Don’t flambé beneath a heat sensor or fire sprinkler.
 Clean up spills immediately
 Work as a team (of at least two)
5          Personal
 Hair should be kept tied back (hair gel, hair spray is very flammable)
 Wear long sleeved cotton/woollen clothing (less flammable than synthetic)
 Wear bow tie - not a standard tie (which could catch alight)
 Avoid inhaling cooking fumes (e.g. vinegar/lemon juice reduction)
 Cold liquids into hot pans cause splatters and spits.
6          Customer Safety
 Position Gueridon a safe distance from customers.
 Be aware that butter and oil can burn and splatter customers.
 Warn customers when about to flame.

 GUÉRIDON SERVICE PROCEDURE:

Certain qualities and attributes are expected are expected of a waiter in carrying out this forms of service. It is as well to
bear the following in mind at this stage.
Taking the order:
Suggest to the customs, item on the menu, focusing attention to the dishes you may wish to sell. Use the carving trolley
and sweet trolley as visual selling aid.
You must always have a good knowledge of the menu so as to give good guidance to the guest of the dishes available.
Recognition of the host is an important factor.
•Stand to left of the host, each guest should be able to interact with you for reference purposes.
• Do not position yourself too close to the guest as this may cause embarrassment.
•Size up your host and guest according to age’s dues and nature of the party. This should then give you some indication as
to the type of dishes you may suggest.
•Take all order through the host. Try to ascertain the length of time available for the meal as this could determine the type
of dishes sold.
•Take note as to whether the party is all male, female or female and male combined with the varying age groups.
•Always take the order as precise as possible to avoid any errors later and to confer to the requirements of the guests
needs.
Service Procedure:
•Guéridon service is a job of either a chef/commis or a steward who is also responsible for doing the service.
•Always push the guéridon trolley but don’t pull it helps the avoid accident.
•The guéridon should be kept in one position during the service of a complete course.
•The trolley should never be kept near the service door as it is may be  an obstruction to the waiter.
•The filling or carving should not be done on silver dish but on the carving board or hot joint plate.
•Dirty plates should always be cleared from the guéridon trolley.

CHECK LIST 
Gas lamps:
• Ensure both the jet and burner and free from soot and dirt.
• Clean by appropriate method – silvo or  plate powder – but remember do not even immerse in water.
Spirit lamps:(not used mostly today)
• Check the amount of methylated spirit.
• See that the air hole is free.
• Trim the wick and check it for length.
• Clean of any excessive dirt and spent matches.
• Ensure all moving parts move freely.
• Clean by the appropriate method – but remember do not immerse in water.
• Any decoration of equipment should be checked carefully and if necessary cleaned with a toothbrush.

MISE-EN-PLACE FOR GUÉRIDON

Where necessary, the top and under shelf of the guéridon should be covered with a folded table cloth. This, of course
depends on the nature of guéridon itself and its general appearance for convenience of working the cutlery and flatware
layout be similar to that of the side board. This saves time and speed up the service from right to left.
• Service spoon and forks
• Sweet spoon and forks
• Soup, tea and Coffee spoons
• Fish knife and fork, special equipment including a soup and sauce ladle
• Joint and side knife
The hot plates or table heaters are generally placed on the left hand side on the top of the guéridon. This heater may be
gas, electricity or methylated spirit. If it is a heater the coffee saucer  should be placed under the burners, Also on the top
there should be a carving board ,knife for carving and filtering .A selection of basic accompaniments such as oil and
vinegar, Worcester sauce, English and French mustard and castor sugar should be available .
The under counters will be stacked with service plates and platters , side plate and some joint plates, for dirty tableware
there should be a bin for collection. When an operation is being carried out, there should be some silver cutlery and
doilies; useful in presentation of sauces and other accompaniments.