The whole story about that delicious dish in front of you at the restaurant!

Stephen W. Ayers.

Before you ever tuck into that piping hot, colorful, delicious looking dish in front of you in the restaurant, please take a few brief moments to consider what and how it arrived at your table. You only see, smell and devour the end result, but there is a whole story behind it, and what a story it is!

For the sake of a little brevity we shall start with the numerous chain of events that married all those ingredients onto your plate.

It all begins with the Executive Chef who put together the menu from which you chose your entrée. How many hours of fine tuning went into making sure that the final result is exactly as he pictured it, how he saw the colors combining, how he imagines the tastes coming together for a delicious, mouth-watering experience in your mouth?

Then the whole process starts, to be repeated every single day.

The Chef requisitions produce from the procurement officer and from the stores.

Upon arrival the deliveries are checked for freshness and correct weights ordered by the goods receiver. These are then processed and prepped for storage either in the store or direct to kitchen for fresh produce, eggs, meat and fish. Storage is conducted in the time honored tradition of FIFO, the First-in First-Out system which keeps the rotation fresh, safe and uses the produce in the timeline that it arrived. Of course the Chef must work diligently to keep stocks at the minimum required to satisfy demand for specific dishes without overstocking.

Requisitioned food for the day will be delivered to the relevant cook who is in charge of preparing the vegetables, the meats, the sauces and so on. A ton of work is involved in this as the produce arrives in many instances raw and in its’ natural state, certainly the vegetables. Every day each cook starts from scratch and makes the ingredients that will come together to make that dish in front of you.

When everything is prepared pre service the cooks will begin their ‘Mise en place’, the prep area in which they finish the part of the dish that they are required to do for the ‘marriage’ on the plate during the actual service periods.

During service the Chef will manage the ‘pass’, or line that produces the dishes ordered in the timely manner that suits its’ delivery to the tables. Much like an orchestra conductor, he guides the cooks on which dishes he needs at what particular time.

But let us stop for a moment and think of the kitchen ‘brigade’, the team that the Chef manages. The kitchen team is made up of the Chef, the Sous Chef (his assistant), Chefs de Partie that are responsible for specific food preparations such as vegetables, butchery, sauces, cold foods (Garde manger), and desserts. Depending on size of establishment these cooks have assistant cooks to help with the workload.

But in order for the kitchen team to function there is the necessity for a stewarding team. They are the ones that constantly work hard to keep the workplace clean and sanitized. The clean everything from the walls, floors, doors and fridges and manage the dishwashing and pot scouring. They are the ones that prepare the utensils with which you eat your meal, the glasses you use for your drinks and the plates you eat from. One dirty plate can ruin everything.

A different team will be in charge of everything within the restaurant. They will keep the environment spotless, the furniture clean, the linen clean and in good order, the carpets, drapery and interior items clean. They will also service the washrooms, a very important part of many patrons’ visits.

Another team will maintain all systems and equipment running smoothly that will allow the operational teams to keep on preparing the food you expect. There is nothing worse than a rickety table or chair!

Last but by no means least are the team that you will meet and interact with the most; the service staff. Their work is not only to provide attentive and courteous service, but also to know the menu in detail, the beverages on offer at the restaurant, and any other pertinent details that will make your meal a great experience. They must be dressed in clean uniforms (whatever the theme), and be there for you, the diner, stepping forward when necessary to help progress the meal.

All this work happens every single day in the restaurant, and must be done well and consistently so that you, the customer, keeps coming back. While food may be the thing that attracts you to the place, the whole experience must be perfect every time from entrance to exit.

Can you now begin to imagine everything, all the details both large and small, that go into making your meal an experience that will keep you coming back? All those team members working in unison, efficiently and correctly are the backbone of a successful restaurant.

When they all work together, when they are treated fairly and well taken care of, when they are rewarded well for a good performance, the result will be what every restaurant owner covets most, namely a great reputation.

So when you next have that plate of food set before you, before you tuck in, take a moment to consider all the chain of events that has to happen, and happen perfectly, to deliver you the satisfaction of a great meal experience.