A banquet is a formal dinner or dinner party. Banquet service

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

A banquet is a gala lunch or dinner organized on some important occasion. The event involves the presence of a large number of guests and is often held in a restaurant or on a specially organized site in nature. The modern industry offers various forms of banquet, each of which has its own characteristics.

A bit of history

Celebrations, gathering a large number of people at one table, are widespread in England. In Russia, the word "feast" was used for such events. The term "banquet" came into use towards the end of the 17th century, but was not widely used until the middle of the 20th century. And as the restaurant industry developed towards the end of the 20th century, the “banquet” replaced the usual “dinner party”, “grand dinner”.

A banquet can be organized on the occasion of an important private event in life - a wedding and its anniversary, the birth of a child, a birthday. It is also part of a political or social event associated with the presentation of variousawards.

Formats

Organization and servicing of banquets directly depend on the format of the event. It is customary to distinguish six main types:

1. Full service banquet.
2. Partial Service Banquet.
3. Combination banquet.
4. In cocktail format.
5. Banquet buffet.
6. Banquet tea.

Full Service Gala Reception

The most difficult is considered to be a solemn dinner party or dinner with full service, which implies strict adherence to the rules of etiquette. A distinctive feature of this type of banquet is the absence of ready-made dishes on the tables and the ability to choose them at your discretion. All guests are offered the same dishes, which the waiters take out at the same time. So that guests can find out what they will eat, everyone is offered a menu, which provides a list and the order in which dishes are taken out. An organized solemn event of this type is distinguished by stiffness, therefore it is arranged on especially important occasions, sometimes of national importance.

Partial Service Gala Reception and Combined Banquet

Tables are served not only with crockery and cutlery, but also with various dishes. Guests serve themselves, filling their plates with the most preferred dishes. The filling of the glasses is usually also done by the guests. The task of the waiters is to take out hot dishes and desserts with tea. In addition, they remove extra plates, empty bottles and bring drinks if they are required. This typeis the most common type of restaurant banquets for birthdays and weddings.

Sometimes the event takes a lot of time and includes several types of banquets. For example, it begins with a welcome cocktail. Usually during this time the maximum number of invitees should gather. This is followed by a traditional banquet in a restaurant, culminating in tea. Banquet tea has its roots in England and its old tradition of five o'clock, that is, a tea ceremony held around five o'clock in the evening. In addition to tea and various desserts, it is permissible to drink alcoholic beverages, but in a rather limited amount. This event was considered purely feminine and was often the final part of the meetings of various women's organizations. But over time, the boundaries were erased, and men can take part in them. Holding a combined banquet requires large financial costs, so it is arranged quite rarely and on the most significant occasions.

Buffet

This type of event appeared in France, and the name comes from the word "fork" - a cutlery used by all buffet guests. Its distinguishing feature is the free movement of guests around the hall, a joint meal at the tables and the availability of seats is not provided. Snacks and drinks are usually arranged on separate tables. Everyone can put whatever they like on their plate. Banquet-buffet is a rather young type of events in Russia, but practicallyinstantly became very popular. This format is ideal for receptions with a large number of guests and a small space.

Buffet features

When planning a buffet table, it is important to pay attention to a sufficient amount of dishes. As guests move around the hall and communicate, they can leave plates and glasses in a variety of places. At the same time, if they want to eat something else, they will not remember where they put their dishes, and they will prefer to take a new one. Therefore, it should be at least twice as many as those invited. Serving banquets by waiters in the buffet format boils down to two tasks: picking up dirty dishes and treating guests with drinks. They are usually poured into glasses and placed on trays that the waiters carry among the guests, and they take what they prefer.

You can do without waiters or fewer of them if drinks are also placed on a separate table.

Another nuance of this type of banquet is the right height of the tables. The standard height that the average banquet furniture has is insufficient and may cause inconvenience to guests. Tables for snacks and drinks must be a meter high.

The menu for such a banquet is snacks that are compact in size and easy to eat. When forming them, tartlets, skewers, bowls, special spoons, piles are used. Despite the fact that forks and spoons can be used among cutlery, it is betterthink over the menu in such a way that you can do without them.

Because being on your feet for a long time is quite tiring, the buffet is usually designed for no more than three hours.

Buffet options

Buffet, organized in the form of a cocktail banquet, is often held on the occasion of important fashion events. For example, after the opening of a new boutique or the presentation of a clothing collection. There are no tables here, all the work on servicing the banquet is done by waiters. They serve drinks and light snacks to guests.

Coffee breaks are often arranged between meetings, conferences and lectures. Their duration is usually no more than half an hour, and they are organized in the format of a buffet with full self-service. Special tables are served with cookies, sweets, sandwiches. Each guest pours their own tea or coffee.

A banquet is an occasion to bring important people together for some occasion. The format of its holding can be very different. The choice is influenced by the number of invitees, the occasion, the official or secular event planned, its duration and budget. In addition, personal preference and time of year are also important. So, in summer, open areas are more in demand, and in winter, indoor areas.