Silver service

Silver service (in British English) is a method of food service at the table, with the waiter transferring food from a serving dish to the guest's plate, always from the left. It is performed by a waiter using service forks and spoons from the diner's left. In France, it appears to be now known as service à l'anglaise ("English service"),^[1] although historically that meant something else, with the hostess serving out the soup at one end of the table, and later the host carving a joint of meat at the other end, and diners serving themselves with other dishes present.^[2]

A modification of silver service is also known as the butler service.^[3]^[4]

^ "Le dictionnaire de la restauration" (in French). N’S&O. Archived from the original on 30 September 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2015. SERVICE A L'ANGLAISE: Principe identique au service à la Française mais, muni d'un couvert de service dans la main droite, le serveur (ou la serveuse) effectue lui-même le service
^ Strong, Roy, Feast: A History of Grand Eating, p. 296, 2002, Jonathan Cape, ISBN 0224061380
^ "Table Settings". The International Guild of Professional Butlers. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2015. BUTLER: The most time consuming. When seated, warm plates are placed before the guests. The meal is presented to the guest. This service has limited use today. If you are the only one serving, the number of diners has to be kept small. Six is the largest that one person can serve and keep the food hot. Many people are not accustomed to serving themselves from a platter and the delay just lets the food get cold.
^ Rajak, Himanshu (23 February 2018). "Silver Service: Everything You Need to Know - hmhub". Retrieved 9 February 2024.

[service_english-1] "Le dictionnaire de la restauration" (in French). N’S&O. Archived from the original on 30 September 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2015. SERVICE A L'ANGLAISE: Principe identique au service à la Française mais, muni d'un couvert de service dans la main droite, le serveur (ou la serveuse) effectue lui-même le service

[2] Strong, Roy, Feast: A History of Grand Eating, p. 296, 2002, Jonathan Cape, ISBN 0224061380

[butler_service-3] "Table Settings". The International Guild of Professional Butlers. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2015. BUTLER: The most time consuming. When seated, warm plates are placed before the guests. The meal is presented to the guest. This service has limited use today. If you are the only one serving, the number of diners has to be kept small. Six is the largest that one person can serve and keep the food hot. Many people are not accustomed to serving themselves from a platter and the delay just lets the food get cold.

[4] Rajak, Himanshu (23 February 2018). "Silver Service: Everything You Need to Know - hmhub". Retrieved 9 February 2024.

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