cuul 1124

1. On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary
Fundamentals
Sixth Edition
Chapter 37
Buffet Presentation
Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

2. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Learning Objectives
• After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
• 37.1 identify opportunities for serving food and beverages in a buffet
format
• 37.2 explain the basic principles of buffet planning and set up
• 37.3 communicate event plans with a banquet event order (BEO)
• 37.4 address food safety issues when presenting foods for buffet
service
• 37.5 use a variety of specialized equipment to design and create
appealing buffets
• 37.6 Use a variety of techniques to create and maintain appealing
buffets

3. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Buffets Overview
• Buffets are carefully designed to provide foods
attractively
• And to serve an anticipated number of people within a
specified time
• Requires collaboration between staff
• Chef, catering sales staff, dining room manager, banquet
manager and senior front-of-the-house staff

4. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Planning the Buffet
• The theme
– Sets the tone of the event
– Defines the menu, decorations, props, linens and
dinnerware
• The venue
– Defines and determines details of event
– On-premise events
– Off-premise catering

5. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Menu Planning
• Offer foods and dishes:
– Featuring different principal ingredients
– Cooked by different methods
– With different colors
– With different textures
– That are seasonally appropriate
– That are appropriate for the time of year

6. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Communicating the Plan
• Banquet Event Order (BEO) records event details for
staff
• Includes key details
– Menu, date, time, place
– Set-up instructions
– Table decorations
– Logistics

7. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Designing the Buffet
• Allocate space for the buffet table(s)
• Allocate space for bars, dance floor, stage, podium as
needed
• Buffet should be within easy access to kitchen and dining
tables
• Stage or podium should be within good sightlines

8. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Arranging the Tables
• Decide on shape of buffet table(s)
• Standard table sizes can be grouped
• Buffet tables can be draped with tablecloths
• Use techniques to make serving large groups efficient
• Single-sided or double-sided buffet lines
• Stations

9. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Double-Sided Buffet
• On a double-sided
buffet, the same
foods are served from
both sides of the
table.
• All diners approach
the table from the
same direction and at
the start of the buffet,
the line is split, with
half of the diners
diverted to either
side.

10. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Arranging Food on Serving Pieces
• The chef should consider:
– Height
– Pattern
– Color
– Texture and shape
– Negative space

11. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Arranging Items on a Buffet Table (1 of
2)
• The chef should consider the layout:
• Flow
– Food must be placed in a logical order
• Spacing
– 1 linear foot for each item on the buffet
• Reach
– Place all foods within easy reach of the diners

12. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Arranging Items on a Buffet Table (2 of
2)
• Accompaniments
– Should be located close to the food they go with
• Centerpieces
– Increase the visual appeal
• Decorations
– Nonedible objects and props should be clean and
artfully arranged
• Labels
– Attractively printed cards with the name of each dish

13. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Controlling Costs
• Buffets can cost more per person than plated food
• Large variety of foods to prepare
• To avoid overproduction:
– 1 pound of food per person as a starting point
– Estimate how many ounces of each menu item each
guest will eat
▪ e.g. 1 ounce green salad
– Multiply this by the total number of guests

14. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Keeping Hot Foods Hot
• Serve hot food in small quantities on warm platters
• Exchange them frequently
• Maintain hot foods in covered chafing dishes under heat
lamps
• Choose foods that hold well.

15. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Keeping Cold Foods Cold
• Serve in relatively small quantities
• Place foods on a bed of ice when possible
• Change un-iced items regularly

16. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Serving the Guests
• Event captain responsible for supervising and event
• Directs the crew of staff in set up and service
• Staff replenish buffets or may serve diners at buffet
• Passed foods is called butler service

17. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Safety Alert - Buffets
• Do not add new food to old
• Do not use a chafing dish to heat food
• Check temperatures regularly
• Be careful of steam when changing pans in a chafing
dish
• Provide clean utensils
• Provide an ample supply of plates

18. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012, 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Copyright
This work is protected by United States copyright laws and is
provided solely for the use of instructors in teaching their courses
and assessing student learning. Dissemination or sale of any part
of this work (including on the World Wide Web) will destroy the
integrity of the work and is not permitted. The work and materials
from it should never be made available to students except by
instructors using the accompanying text in their classes. All
recipients of this work are expected to abide by these restrictions
and to honor the intended pedagogical purposes and the needs of
other instructors who rely on these materials.