Dinner procedure – The International Institute of Modern Butlers

The Wisdom of Butlers Past

by Steven Ferry

PART 50, Serving the Different Courses

When food was plated by the chef, the person bringing the food had to know who the dish was for, place the cloche or cover over the food, place these on his tray, and then take them to the dining room, where he made sure the right person received the food intended for him or her, and without lifting the cloches. The butler and assistant removed the cloches and gave them to the junior staff to take back down to the kitchen.

A typical meal was a choice of two soups, at which time, beer, water, and bread were also served; followed by a choice of two fish served with cucumber, sauces, and cruet sets (salt, pepper and a paste like mustard) where indicated.

Then a roast joint was presented, with the host carving. The butler stood to the left of the carver, handed him an empty plate, and when it was returned by the carver, the butler handed it to the junior waiter standing to the right of the carver, who then took it to the intended guest. Wine was served with this course.

Instructions are then provided which are rather confusing, on how to serve and clear each course, the basic idea being to make it smooth and efficient. If the writer had had a better idea of how to teach someone to do something, he would have written simple single-action instructions in the sequence in which they needed to be done.

After the roast, the plates and wine glasses were removed and cheeses served (they did not drink wine with cheese, but no mention is made of any fortified wines that became popular later with cheese courses). The cheese was served with butter, salad, and cucumber.

The cheese course was cleared and the whole table cleared and then cleaned using a brush, cloth, and spoon—the main focus being breadcrumbs, as presumably, they did not have side plates. The napkins or side table cloths were then removed by rolling them up—something that must have been quite inconvenient for the guests still seated at their places.

Guests were handed lip and finger bowls if desired and then the silverware and plates for the dessert brought, and the wine glasses. The butler then served wine and ice (a flavoured palate cleanser?) until the dessert arrived, which he arranged to be served once the guests had finished with the ice.

Extracted from the 1823 book, The Footman’s Directory and Butler’s Remembrancer, re-published in hardback by Pryor Publications. You may obtain your discounted copy (with free s&h) by emailing the publisher: Mr. Pryor (alan AT pryor-publications.co.uk).

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.

The Wisdom of Butlers Past

by Steven Ferry

PART 49: DINNER PROCEDURE

Continuing the recommended procedures for a formal dinner, by 6 pm, everything should be ready and it was time to warm the plates, heat the irons in the fire to keep the food warm; heat the water for the hot plates, fill bottles and cut-glass jugs with spring water (no running water from the municipality was used), prepare the drinks on the side table, as well as the bread, salad, cucumber, and cold meats—which were not pre-sliced, but required carving on request by the butler.

At 6:30 pm, the lamps and candles were lit in the dining room and on the route to there from the kitchen, the dish- and plate warmers placed on the table, and the bread in the napkins (in a breadbasket?), the chairs placed in their proper positions, and ice in the ice pails (buckets) for the wine bottles. One has to wonder why a warning was given not to dirty the ice buckets with the ice…. Lastly, hot plates were placed by each setting and soup plates at the top and bottom of the table, to the left of the host and hostess, when they were serving it to their guests.

Lastly, the butler remained in the dining room orchestrating everything while the junior staff brought items to the dining room, and took one final look around to make sure that everything was as it should be.

At this point, the servants, especially those in livery (uniform) had to stand in the hallway for show, and as each guest arrived, the staff member at the front door would announce the names of the arriving guests to the staff member in the hall. The one in the hall would announce the same names to the one at the bottom of the stairway as the guests walked up to the reception room, and the one at the top of the stairs would announce to the one by the reception room, and that one, in turn, would announce the arriving guests to the host and hostess in the reception room. It was important that the front door announcer knew the names of each guest, and the one at the bottom of the stairs kept track of the guests, so that he did not give the names of any arriving guests who sidetracked to deposit their coats or visit the powder room, as belonging to guests who came in right after them. This whole sequence would run smoother if the staff were given the list of guest names and practiced pronouncing them before the guests arrived. The butler was also smart to provide chairs for the staff but insist they remain quiet and not make comments about the guests, not splay their legs out across the hallway and prevent easy passage by the guests. Apparently, this was quite an issue for it to have been mentioned specifically.

When the guests were leaving, the whole procedure was repeated in reverse, with names shouted so that the proper coats could be retrieved, the carriage brought round to the front door, and the footman of that family who came with them, arrive in time to escort them out to their carriage and leave with them. Finally, it was recommended that a constable be brought in to keep order amongst the coachmen.

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.