Staff Duties. Duties and Responsibilities of a Waitress

Transcription

1 1 Module # 3 - Component # 4 Staff Duties Duties and Responsibilities of a Waitress A waiter plays a very important part in the success of a lodge operation as he/she is responsible for giving the guests friendly, professional and efficient service. They must always be in full clean uniform, wearing the proper headgear, a clean apron, a shirt that does not have a torn collar, neat and tidy socks and a skirt that is not too long or short. In winter, they may only wear uniform jerseys. They are responsible for the dining room and buffet, which must be kept neat and clean and must have atmosphere. They must be honest in returning valuables left behind in the dining room to a member of senior management. Make sure they know what the rules are regarding what they may take from the kitchen after meals. They must be punctual and on time and make sure the dining table and buffet is ready and decorated on time.

2 2 Duties before Meals Make sure your hands and nails are clean to avoid the transfer of harmful bacteria to the food. Wear your name badge and deodorant when on duty. Find out how many guests and staff you must prepare the table for. Tables and chairs should be polished and cleaned daily. Help the chef and scullery to clean the kitchen before and after meals. Sweep the dining area before every meal. Do not just sweep dirt, paper, etc off the deck onto the ground next to the dining area where it is visible to guests. Keep the dining area free from any spider webs. Make sure all the condiments on the table are neat and clean. Open all the bottles and containers to see that there is enough of everything inside, and that the lids and sides of the bottles are clean. Fill up all the salt, pepper and sugar containers. Make sure there is no dry sugar sticking to the sugar spoon and that there are no bits and pieces of sugar clumps sticking to each other in the sugar bowl. Make sure there are no ants or other insects in the sugar, on the buffet or anywhere in the dining room. If there is, they must notify the maintenance team or management. Make sure all the knives, forks, spoons and glasses are clean, polished and set in the right place. Make sure there are no chipped or cracked cups, mugs, plates or side plates. Crockery may not be used if they are chipped and cracked. Only use clean table mats and cloth serviettes. Your lodge may have a policy that no paper serviettes may be used. Use different tablemats for different meals. Use the most colourful mats for breakfast and brunch, and the more ethnic ones for dinner. Put steak knives on the table if you serve steaks or something similar.

3 3 Put some décor on the table and on the buffet. The catering manager will show you how to do this attractively. Use leaves, driftwood, carvings, wine bottles, different fruits, grasses, baskets, colourful batiks and cloths, feathers, pods, seeds, logs, stones, rocks and wild flowers from the area. Dry flowers make wonderful décor. The buffet must have different heights for different foods. Use wooden boxes hidden under cloth to do this, or whatever else is available. Make sure you use ethnic ceramic clay, wooden or other types of serving dishes that don t have chipped edges. Make sure the dishes complement each other. Don t use 5 or 6 different types of dishes. Make sure you have hot plates for hot meals. When making use of chafing dishes, make sure they are clean and shiny. Prepare a cheese board and make sure the cheese and biscuits are arranged neatly and that it looks inviting. Decorate with fresh parsley if you have, or other greenery which must be washed properly. Keep a clean fly net or two handy to cover food and cheese board. Make sure you have enough water and fruit juice (for certain meals) on the table. Prepare a fruit salad or other fresh food. Get fresh yoghurt, cereals, fresh bread, butter and muffins and make sure they are kept in a clean and fitting bowl. Prepare the fresh fruit and make sure it is washed and packed invitingly into the fresh fruit holder. Make sure there are a few sharp knives in the fruit basket if you don t have any on the table. Make sure the butter is not melting by putting ice in the upside-down butter dishes. Prepare the muesli for breakfast. Prepare percolated coffee for all meals. Prepare salad dressing for the salads. Put on your nicest, friendliest smile Prepare yourself to answer any questions you may be asked by reading and listening. Be neat on your appearance, and wear a clean uniform.

4 4 Duties during Meals Your main function during meals is to make sure every guest is comfortable and has everything they need, and to do this with a friendly smile, with enthusiasm and efficiency. Give guests a friendly greeting. Be service orientated and service aware. Pull out chairs for guests when they stand up from the table or sit down at the table. Serve all foods from the left of the guest with your left hand with your fingers underneath the plate and your thumb on the rim of the plate, not on top of the plate. Offer appropriate condiments with foods, such as sauce with steaks and tartar sauce with fried fish. Serve coffee, water and alcoholic beverages from the right of the guest with your right hand. Offer water, juice and sometimes wine (when assisting the barman in the evening) to everybody. Keep an eye on guests and their needs without staring. Ask the caterer to give you an indication when to serve tea or coffee. Offer tea and coffee, but not too early during the meal, get the timing right on this. Often guests get offered tea and coffee and they accept, but by the time they finish their meal and want to drink their coffee or tea, it is cold already because it was offered too early during the meal. If a fork or other utensil falls on the floor, replace it with a clean one presented on a plate. Offer eggs, which the chef will prepare in front of the guests. Check with guests if they are finished with their meal or if they would like some more before taking their plate away. Before serving dessert, place the dessert spoon and or fork on the right-hand side of the table where the guest is sitting if not already placed. Do not remove side plates before guests have had a chance to get some cheese except if there are cheese plates next to the cheese board. Offer the cheese board and fresh fruit basket to guests.

5 5 Remove used crockery, cups and glasses from the right with the right hand in such a manner that you don t disturb the guests in any way, and only when all the guests have finished their course. All dirty crockery must be removed before the next course is served. Do not remove the crockery too soon after the guests have finished their meal, they will think that you are trying to hurry them up and chase them away from the table. If you see any guests lighting up a cigarette after meals, make sure he/she has an ashtray close by. (Some lodges do not allow smoking at the table unless the camp has been booked exclusively). Do all the above with a big smile. Most guests will appreciate your efforts to serve them efficiently, but some are more difficult to please. Handle each situation, no matter how unusual or unpleasant, with genuine interest in serving the guest the best way you know how. Do not take any unpleasant behaviour towards you by a guest personally. Ask your manager for assistance if he has not seen your problem.

6 6 Duties after Meals Clear the table and buffet and make sure all the chairs are pushed in neatly half under the table. Never walk to the kitchen after a meal empty handed, this saves time. Learn to stack empty dishes on trays so that they are well balanced to prevent breakage. Clean the table and buffet with a wet cloth and polish it if needed. Clean all ashtrays and then wipe them with a wet cloth. Take all leftover food and fruit back to the kitchen and pack it away where it belongs. Pack away all condiments, jams and other bottles in a monkey/hyaena proof and dry area. Assist in cleaning the kitchen and the storeroom if needed. Remove all old and dead branches off the buffet when needed. Do not just throw them off the deck where they are visible to the guests.

7 7 Other Duties You should know what all the duties of the other kitchen staff and barmen are, and help them if needed. Make sure all we care touches in the dining room and tea station area are neat and clean in their proper place. Put out blankets in winter and glass covers in bug season. When your lodge offers bush meals away from the camp you must assist in moving tables, chairs and everything else needed, and perform the above duties at the bush braai. When the camp is quiet with only a few guests or closed for maintenance, you must be flexible and do all other jobs given to you to do. Help prepare snacks to be taken on activities. Always keep the tea station stocked and clean. There must always be boiling hot water, enough tea, coffee, sugar, clean cups and spoons, and a bowl to throw used tea bags away.

8 8 Duties and Responsibilities of a Barman The barman plays an important role serving guests drinks in a friendly and efficient way. He is there to satisfy guests needs and to increase profits. During meals wine, liqueurs and beers stimulate the appetite of the guest and are palatable companions to all types of food. You must always know the policies, procedures and minimum standards of the company, regarding the availability of drinks to staff, complimentary drinks to guests etc. Always be presentable, dressed in full and clean uniform and wash your hands and nails before starting work. Wear your name badge. Be punctual and on time, honest, reliable, trustworthy, and knowledgeable regarding serving all types of drinks and be attentive towards guests. If guests forget any valuables at the bar, give them to a member of management. Be proud of your job and how to look and care about the service you provide to your guests. Always wear deodorant on duty.

9 9 Additional Barman Duties and Responsibilities Make sure the bar is neat and clean. All equipment (such as calculators) should be stored out of sight. If you have electric lights in the bar, clean the inside light covers of dead insects weekly. Clean all we care touches in the bar. Make sure they are in good condition and in the correct places. Do your daily, weekly and monthly stock takes properly and record it on file. Notify the manager if your stock of a certain item runs low. Keep your drinks store neat, clean and tidy and use older stocks first. Make sure you know where all your drinks are stored so that they can be easily reached. Make sure that all your wines are stored horizontally so that the corks always stay wet. Store your wines in the coolest and darkest place in the store. Chill your white (and red if needed) wines before serving. Keep a few ethnic/clay wine coolers handy behind the bar. Clean the fridge daily. A good barman should never say; sorry we have run out of that drink. Stock the bar properly and make sure all drinks are COLD. Keep stir sticks, tot measures and freshly sliced lemon behind the bar. Keep a bottle of Tabasco sauce, Worcester sauce, bitters, salt, pepper, olives and cocktail onions behind the bar. Make sure you have enough ice. If you see your ice machine not making enough ice and you re going to run out of ice, tell your manager to order extra ice from town, get it into camp on the next plane! You MUST ALWAYS have ice in camp Make sure you have a clean cloth to polish glasses. Make sure you have cloths to wipe the bar counter and ashtrays. Keep a few clean material serviettes behind the bar in case a guest spills a drink on his clothes.

10 10 If you have ants in your bar or store, please report to the manager or relevant person in your lodge. If you must store a broom or mop behind the bar, store it somewhere where it is not visible to guests. Keep mosquito repellent behind the bar. Learn how to mix cocktails and which glasses to use for which drinks, which temperature to serve drinks and which garnishes to add and when. Learn how many glasses of wine you can pour from a bottle, how many tots you can pour from a spirit s bottle and how many glasses a bottle of sparkling wine can fill. Usually 4 glasses for Red Wine and 5 glasses for White Wine. There are 30 tots in a Spirit Bottle. Learn how to make different bar snacks to offer guests when they come back from evening activities. Have a wine list of what wines you have on offer. Learn more about the blends of different wines. Do not always rely on your manager to tell guests what the different blends, aroma, taste and vintage are. Display wines on your bar counter if it is big enough, making it more attractive by adding décor like nice ethnic material, carvings, driftwood, leaves, small branches, baskets and other natural materials around, next to and underneath the bottles. Always ask the guest if he wants ice and how much mixture you should put into his drink. Find out from the manager what time and how many guests are arriving that day. Prepare and serve welcome drinks and prepare cold facecloths for the new arriving guests. There must always be a barman on duty while there are guests in camp. Smile and greet guests in a friendly manner. Be service orientated and service aware. Speak clearly to guests, be enthusiastic and keep eye contact with them and project positive body language. Remember the names of your guests, and call them by their names. If you have difficulty in doing so, write their names down next to their room account. Remember what guests drink and offer them another drink before they must ask for one.

11 11 Offer them a clean glass after every few drinks. When guests order a drink on the rocks, put the ice in the glass first and then pour the liquor over the ice in the glass. Learn how to pour a beer with the right amount of head. Show guests the wine list before dinner, and explain that we do have complimentary wine (if appropriate for your camp) with dinner, but if the guests prefer a vintage wine, they can choose a wine from the wine list at the cost indicated on the list. If a guest does buy a bottle of wine, show the guest the bottle and wait for approval, open the bottle in front of the guest and pour a small sample of the wine into their glass standing on their right and pouring the wine with your right hand. Let the guest give their approval, pour wine for the ladies in his group first, starting on the right-hand side of the taster, then the other men in the group, and then lastly you fill up the taster s glass. Twist the wine bottle a quarter turn as you finish pouring to prevent dripping. Never completely empty a bottle, as you may pour out the sediment at the bottom. Serve wine at dinner for guests. Keep the wine chilled on ice or in the fridge rather than just putting it on the bar or buffet. Make sure the wine and water glasses are always full during dinner. Offer after-dinner drinks or liquors to guests after meals. Refer all guest complaints to the manager. Help with organising and setting up of bush meals and bush cocktails and serve drinks at all bush activities. You must be flexible and do all other duties the manager asks you to do. Help guides pack their cooler boxes for activities. Make sure you pack decent, clean plastic glasses if guests ordered wine or other drinks that you would need glasses for. Help guides to pack snacks in the baskets that go on activities. Unpack cooler boxes after game drives, check and record how many and what drinks were consumed during activities. These drinks must be recorded under activity drinks. Take cooler boxes to the kitchen to be washed. Make ice tea for the afternoon tea and meet and greets. You should know what all the duties of the waiters are, and give them a hand when needed. Totalling guest and staff accounts for the manager to add it to their bill.

12 12 You may be required to make sure there are enough torches for guests returning from late activities, and that the torch batteries are still good enough. You may be required to help hand out torches to guests when they arrive from late activities. Depending on your lodge, all drinks may be complimentary. (Ensure you have Johnny Walker Black Label, Chivas Regal and Glen Fiddich in stock under your bar in case someone asks for a special whiskey).

13 13 Duties in the Lounge Keep the lounge clean and neat and sweep or mop the floor twice a day or more if needed. Make sure all chairs and couches are in their right place and neaten and arrange the cushions on the couches and chairs. Clean and dust all we care touches and decorations. If they need varnish or polish for a facelift, mention this to your manager. Make sure there are no spider webs anywhere in the lounge or lounge roof. Make sure all carpets in the lounge are clean and neat and in the right place. Make sure guests in lounge and pool areas are served drinks. Remove dirty glasses from the lounge and pool area and clean used ashtrays. Make sure there are always clean towels at the pool. Make sure there is a lodge info brochure in the lounge area.

14 14 Duties and responsibilities of a (Field) Guide All guides must have a valid guide license or be registered with the local authority where required by law. Where applicable by law, guides and all employees responsible for the transport of other people (be it employees or guests) must be in possession of a valid Public Driver s Permit. All guides driving vehicles must have a valid driver s license, and the safari company will keep a copy. Guides must be aware of the possibility and dangers of dehydration. They should suggest that guests drink at least 3 litres of water per day; this does not include any other liquid refreshment. Ensure that the guests have been woken up in the morning. Do this in a sensible and polite manner. Comply with game reserve rules. Check the tea baskets/cooler boxes prior to activity departures. Sharing their knowledge of the animals, birds, flora and fauna with the guests. Report wildlife highlights and record in sightings book daily. Eat meals with guests and help with the bar in the evenings. Note: This varies from lodge to lodge. Ensure that the arrivals, departures and activities are timely executed.

15 15 Ensure that the vehicle, boat, mokoro, rifle etc. are clean and in good working order. In many lodges, guides are solely responsible for all their equipment and must report damages to management. Fill in daily vehicle checklists. Guides are responsible for the guest s safety and safety talks must be given. Walking guests back to their rooms before and after dinner. In areas where applicable, guides must accompany the poler on Mokoro excursions and acts as the specialist guide, as the poler only has a Poler Guide Licence and not a Professional Guides Licence. WALKING Many lodges insist that guides MUST have a tracker with them on walking trails. He/she must also have a radio or back-up guide, First Aid Kit and drinking water. Company policy will dictate the maximum number of walking guests, but many top lodges stick to 6-8.

16 16 Guides - Game Drives The following are some general rules that apply during game drives: Take other vehicles and guests into consideration at animal sightings, and be particularly mindful of others if you are going to have a drink at the sighting. The opening of cans can be noisy and disturbing to guests on other vehicles and animals. If you must, use your own discretion and move out of the sighting to have your drinks. Under NO circumstances may a guide or any guest disembark from the vehicle, for photographic or any other purpose, while at a predator sighting. Be careful and considerate if you must drive off road for an emergency or whatever reason, and try to keep off road driving to a minimum. DO NOT stand up in the vehicle at sightings. NO guide shall park closer than 15m to an animal or closer than 20m to a den. Guides or guests may not whistle, scratch the vehicle etc. to attract attention of an animal. Lodges and parks have their own rules, but a general guide is that a maximum of three vehicles should be allowed at a wild dog den at any time, except in unusual circumstances. Again, rules at lodges and reserves vary, but a good rule is that a maximum of three vehicles be allowed into a sighting at one time, except in unusual circumstances. If a vehicle is standing by to move into a sighting because there are three vehicles in a sighting already, guides in the sighting must move out of the sighting after 10 minutes to give the other vehicle a chance to move into the sighting. When one vehicle leaves the next one can move in. A vehicle waiting to approach a sighting must not be visible to the other vehicles at the sighting. Once again, different lodges and parks have difference rules, but often only one vehicle at a time may move in on the sighting. When approaching the game at a sighting, move in from the side and not straight on. In all lodges and reserves, NO guide shall drink alcohol while on a game drive. On game drives, if the guests wish to stay out longer, and it is within the park regulations, you should cater for them, within limits. Game drive times should be flexible, again within limits.

17 17 Guests chartering Private Guides Camp managers should not guide guests requiring private vehicles, unless the group takes over the whole camp. Instead, the manager should delegate this duty to a specialist guide and he should remain in the camp. A guide delegated with the responsibility of guiding a private charter, must spend all his/her time with these guests, e.g. have meals with them, sit at the bar with them. Where a guide is designated as a specialist guide for a group of guests, he/she may be required to move from camp to camp with guests. Private vehicle guides must be flexible regarding game drive hours. Guests pay a lot of extra money for this privilege and should stay out longer than normal.

18 18 Duties and Responsibilities of a Tracker Where night drives are offered, a tracker is to accompany the vehicle and shine the spotlight. Only the tracker may sit in the tracker seat. Ensure that the vehicle is fully equipped for activities, pack picnic baskets and cooler boxes. Help carry the guests luggage to and from the rooms. Good knowledge of wildlife and point out animals, birds and other aspects of interest to guests. Wash and polish vehicles. Repair punctures. General help as required by management.

19 19 Duties & responsibilities of a General Assistant Light pathway lights and dining room in the morning and the evening. Raking all the pathways. Cleaning and hanging lanterns. Removal of rubbish from the kitchens, bar and laundry. Some lodges require the camp hand to send bottles/crushed cans back to town on the next truck run. Separating/burning of rubbish. Cleaning of decks and hand rails daily. Pump water into the holding tanks until they are full in the morning and the evening. Check the oil and fuel levels in the water pump. Turn on the generator, check the oil and diesel levels and battery. General gardening such as watering, weeding and planting and cleaning swimming pool. Cutting of wood and setting up campfire in the morning and the evening. Cleaning up the fireplace in the morning. Washing and bleeding of Solar Panels (weekly.) Turn up the sand in the fire buckets and turn fire extinguishers General help as requested by management. Bush Braai Manager.

20 20 Duties and Responsibilities of Housekeeping The housekeeper plays a very important role in the professional operation of a lodge. They make sure guests are staying in clean, comfortable accommodation. They add atmosphere to the rooms and bathrooms and personal we care touches. They must make sure that the room service, the tents, and everything inside the tents comply with all the minimum standards of the lodge. The housekeeping staff are constantly moving in the front areas where guests are, so they must look neat and clean and must be in full uniform at all times when on duty. They must wear their name badges. A good way to motivate housekeeping staff and get the best out of them is to have a competition to see whose tents are the cleanest, neatest and have the most original, attractive and fitting we care touches. They also compete to see who has the best presentations of the towels, soaps and shampoos, books and curtains etc. Housekeeping staff must not just be trained how to clean tents and how to present towels and we care touches but also WHY! WHY do we remove the used soap if there is still half a bar left, but new guests arriving? Why we do we care touches and why they must keep them clean. Why do we fold the ends of the toilet paper every time we go into the bathrooms to neaten it etc. If they understand why they must perform all these different duties, they will be more willing to do them with enthusiasm. They must be proud of the rooms they are responsible for. They must be proud to work for your lodge. They must be honest, reliable, trustworthy and punctual. Never take anything out of the rooms that don t belong to them. If a guest leaves an item behind, hand it over to the manager. They must take guests bags if they are carrying any, and take them to their rooms or reception. When walking past guests, look at them, give them a big smile and greet them in a friendly manner. Learn how to welcome guests when they arrive, give them a rundown on where everything is in the room and tell them about the lodge information brochure. You may ask guests if they want their mosquito coil lit at night and offer hot water bottles in winter. Make sure the pathways have no overhanging branches. Check for open pipes and electrical cables, notify manager if maintenance is needed. Also, report if the pathway needs filling.

21 21 The guest sees the outside of the tent first, it must therefore be clean and free from dust and mud that may have splashed up from the rain. The front verandah floor must be clean and swept. When sweeping, pick up the dirt and remove it, don t just sweep the dirt off the verandah. If the floor needs maintenance (varnish, paint, cracked cement etc.) let your manager know. Make sure that the outside chairs and tables on the verandah are clean and in their proper place. You can put a we care touch on the table. (e.g. small piece of driftwood, nice stones, small camel thorn branch with its thick thorns etc.). If you do not have tables on your verandah, cut a few nice big, straight, flat logs that you can use as a table. If the verandah is big enough put a we care touch on the floor. A big log, carvings, big baskets etc. Make sure the mat is cleaned daily. The tent and flysheet must be hung straight and tight. The door and window flaps must be rolled up neatly and straight, and tied properly. They should be rolled down once a week to prevent spiders and rodents making nests in them. Zip maintenance (for tents) must be done on a weekly basis, by putting candle wax, soap or Vaseline onto the teeth of the zip. Use only green or brown cotton when repairing zips and not white. Ask the maintenance man to add an 8mm piece of latte to the zip handle, it makes opening and closing so much easier, and takes strain off the zip. Neatly roll up and tie with a zip tie all the canvas straps hanging from the tent flysheet. No straps should hang loose at any time in the bathroom or the verandah. Check the flysheets in the rainy season to see if rainwater has accumulated on them. Push this off directly after the rain to prevent the sheet from stretching. The beds must be straight, the duvets neat and clean, the pillows propped up properly, and pillow covers neatly ironed and clean. The linen must not have burn marks on them or be torn. Towels must be well presented and the lodge information brochure must be placed on the bed so that guests have no choice but to pick it up and read it. Fill up tissues daily. Mattresses need to be turned every month. Bed frill and under blankets must be changed and washed at least once a month. Pull bed frills down properly to cover bed bases. Shake out and fold spare blankets once a week in summer when not in use.

22 22 Tent bedside tablecloths must be changed at least once a week or more often if needed. Check the lights in the tent and bathroom when they make up the room every day. Clean light shade cover once a month to get rid of dead insects trapped in the shade cover. Hide all electrical wires so that they are not visible to guests. Get rid of spider webs in the tents and bathrooms and clean and dust carpets daily. Make sure curtains are neat and clean and properly attached to the Velcro. Remove all price tags and stickers from all spray cans, mirrors etc. Arrange shampoos, soaps and other toiletries in a basket, hollow log, wooden bowl or something similar. Add we care touches in the container in a decorative way, don t just throw everything together. Make sure the container gets cleaned once a month. Replace old and tatty nailbrushes with new ones when needed. The dustbins in the bathroom and rooms must be emptied every morning when they do the tents, and in the afternoon when they turn down the beds. Also, remove dirty glasses, fold toilet paper end, re-pack toiletries, prop up the pillows, put whistles next to the bed, clean ashtrays. Clean and polish taps and showerheads as often as needed. Clean shower drains daily of accumulated hair and leaves. Open blocked holes of the showerhead regularly. Make sure each room has a towel policy displayed somewhere easily visible. Always put soap in the soap holder in the shower. Clean mirrors and windows daily or when needed. Fill up the container of soap powder or liquid soap daily. Check toilet paper and make sure there is always at least 2 spare rolls. Replace used sanitary bags with new ones daily. Fill up water jugs and check for chipped mugs or glasses. DO NOT take short cuts between tents. Use only designated pathways. The tent areas look untidy if there are little pathways all over the place.

23 23 Notify the manager if there are ants or termites in the rooms or bathrooms. If it is your lodge policy, take guest torches to the office from the tents every morning. When collecting guests luggage for departure, check the tent for any missing gowns, information brochures etc, if there s anything missing notify the manager. Place departure notes in guests tents and turn down guest beds at night. Place hot water bottles in beds in the evenings. The laundry staff responsible for the bar/lounge toilet must make sure there are always clean towels and soaps etc, and this bathroom should be cleaned at least twice a day.

24 24 Duties and Responsibilities of a Chef / Cook The chefs and cooks in a lodge play one of the more important roles in the day to day operation of a lodge. Your lodge should market the fact that you provide excellent, wholesome, fresh and tasty food to your guests, and you and your staff are the people responsible for this. Good food is one of the comfort parts of a guest s experience while staying in a top lodge. Catering in primitive and very hot conditions is open to one of the worst food service problems imaginable food poisoning. Incorrect food handling procedures are responsible for outbreaks of certain illnesses. Microorganisms grow in food when it is prepared too long in advance of service, held at unsafe temperatures or prepared in an unclean environment. With the above in mind you must remember the following: Cook at temperatures of at least 75 o C. Cooked food not ready for serving should be left to cool for 15 minutes before being refrigerated. Food previously cooked should be re-heated thoroughly at temperatures between 75 o C and 85 o C. Poultry, seafood and minced or boned meats should not be re-heated due to the increased risk of food contamination. If you must store cooked food in the refrigerator, store it at 4 o C and for no longer than 3 days.

25 25 The chefs and cooks must know all the responsibilities of the other kitchen and service staff (waiters, scullery and barman) and assist them in their duties when needed Always be clean and hygienic at work in the kitchen and presentable if serving behind the buffet. Wear full uniform with headgear and apron when on duty and when they are going to be seen by guests. Make sure hands and nails are clean when working with food. If they have any open cuts or sores they must be properly disinfected and closed and wear gloves if needed. Make sure that all food preparation areas and equipment are clean before use and cleaned again after use. Make sure all stores, fridge s, freezers and stoves are always clean and hygienic, and other equipment is stored in its proper place. Take care of all electrical equipment and make sure you are totally familiar with how they operate. Check the fresh fruit daily for anything starting to go off and use it ASAP if you still can. Fresh fruit that has perished must be removed from the kitchen daily. Make sure there is always plenty of fresh fruit available. Assist the catering manager with the checking in of freight, and rotate old stock and new stock so that old stock is used first. Assist with monthly stock takes and weekly fresh orders. Assist with menu planning. You must know how much to cook for how many people. For instance, a 2kg chicken will serve 4 to 6 people, depending how many other dishes you have on the menu. One cup of rice feeds 4 people. When adjusting recipes to feed larger numbers of guests, do not automatically multiply the amount of salt and sugar. You might end up with a very sweet or salty shock. Advise the caterer when food stock is low. Always make sure you have enough stocks to provide top meals per minimum standards. Oversee the cleanliness of the other kitchen staff. Responsible for the preparation, cooking and presentation of quality food and salads. Always taste what you are making.

26 26 If applicable to your lodge, prepare eggs and toast in front of your guests in the dining room, on the grill. When taking egg orders, ask the guest how they would like their eggs done. Egg dishes should include serving omelettes with 2 or 3 different fillings. Learn how to prepare salads properly, how to slice the salad ingredients properly to make it look more attractive. Learn about all the different methods of making salad dressing and of food preparation. Prepare snacks that guides take with on their activities as per the minimum standards. Constantly upgrade your skills, learn new recipes and be open to new catering ideas.