Gueridon service

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GUERIDON SERVICE.

“A Gueridon” was a piece of furniture that was found in French homes, similar to what we might call a sideboard. This would be positioned in the dining room of a home and would hold most of the equipment used at the table, ie crockery, cutlery, glassware etc.

 

Gueridon service was originally known as ‘Russian Service’ and involved serving large joints of meat, poultry, game and fish. This food would be displayed on a sideboard or side table, then carved or portioned by service staff allowing guest to have as much or little as they wished.

 

During the nineteenth century Gueridon service became more popular especially in the more ‘up-market’ establishments. By the turn of the century Gueridon was an established part of fine dining.

 

Dating back to the Edwardian era, Gueridon (pronounced girradon) is a specially designed service trolley from which food may he carved, filleted, flambéed, or prepared and silver served to the guest. This form of service in Australia is normally found in higher class establishments, yet throughout Europe and parts of the United States varying forms of Gueridon service can be found in all types of restaurants and hotels.

Gueridon service is distinguished by the fact that the food is cooked or completed tableside in front of the guests. The service is quite formal and very elegant. The food is brought from the kitchen on heavy silver platters or chargers and placed on a tableside cart called a ‘Gueridon’. The food is prepared on the Gueridon, which has a small burner for sautéing and tabletop space for finishing the food. Some familiar items prepared in this manner are

·         Steak au Poivre (Pepper Steak),

·         Caesar Salad and

·         Flambéed desserts.

Once the food is prepared, it is served to the guests on heated plates from the gueridon. This type of service is quite labour intensive and at times can require two servers, however, guests usually love the show and it allows the server to spend much more time one-on-one with each table. Usually, the greater the skill level of the server providing the service, the greater the appreciation of the guest, and the better the tip.

The gueridon comes in various forms from gas trolley to plain trolley using methylated spirit. 

Please have a look at various videos related to Gueridon service

https://youtu.be/YC6MpPZRE4Y

https://youtu.be/I3wQNbzj5Ek

https://youtu.be/Xu9xq0Rj-KU

https://youtu.be/xPD-sKGwgSU