ENGLISH SILVER SERVICE

Silver service has been around for hundreds of years. But if you haven’t eaten at luxury restaurants, stayed in the best hotels, or worked in wealthy homes, you may not have experienced silver service dining. Historically, upper class Britons admired and respected silver service. This has become a standard for tables around the globe.

Silver service dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries. On Sunday, the regular staff in a private house had the day off. Therefore, the butler became responsible for serving the family’s food. The butler walked around the table, serving the family or guests from his plate directly to the plates. This particular style of service is called “silver service”. It has become very popular in luxury restaurants and 5* hotels nowadays. Those who want to work in luxury homes, 5* hotels, high-end restaurants, lodges, private jets and yachts need silver service skills. It is essential to be familiar with the etiquette of the silver service if you dream of working in one of the fields mentioned above.
Silver service is a method of serving food that is done from the left side. In France, this service is known as “service à l’Anglais”. The guest of the host or manager is served first. Service continues clockwise so that staff do not collide. Plates and glasses are cleared from the right. And the glasses are stacked in a diagonal line to the right.

ETIQUETTE TIPS FOR SILVER SERVICE:

1.  Make eye contact if culturally appropriate
2.  Smile
3.  You should always be presentable
4.  Be patient and give guests time to enter and be seated. This will make your guests relax and they won’t feel like they have to rush
5.  Offer to help with coats
6.  Be discreet and professional and don’t get over-excited by a celebrity. Treat them like any other guest
7.  If a guest offers you their hand to shake, you should always do so. If you are wearing gloves, you should take them off and then shake their hand. As a general rule, never offer your hand first
8.  Be careful. If you see that a guest needs extra help, always offer help
9.  Let the service flow. Make your greetings natural and respectful and don’t force interactions
10.  Read non-verbal signals. If a guest is upset or nervous, try to put them at ease by providing professional service
11.  When guests leave, smile and thank them and help them with their coats
12.  Offer to escort guests to their waiting vehicle, if applicable
13.  If there was a problem, take note of it and follow the facility protocol

Understanding silver service etiquette is vital to getting this art form right. If you would like to take silverware training or sign up for one of our upcoming courses, why not write to me today?