Silver Service & Advanced Table Service

Independent study. xplor is not an accredited training provider and awards no certificate. Silver service is a physical skill that must be practised and assessed in person.

Free

SILVER-1 · Service Styles and the Rules of the Room

4 lessons

SILVER-1.1 Where the Styles Come From Practice in examiner →

SILVER-1.1.1

Where the Styles Come From

A short history of service a la francaise and service a la russe, and how the modern styles descend from them. Explains why service terminology is inconsistent and what trade-off each style is solving.

SILVER-1.1.2

The Styles Compared: Plated, Silver, Butler, Gueridon, Family, Buffet

A comparison of the six service styles you will meet on board, what each demands of the server, and which yacht occasions suit which style. Covers the real cost of silver service in time and crew.

SILVER-1.2 The Rules That Govern the Room Practice in examiner →

SILVER-1.2.1

Which Side, and Why: Serving and Clearing Conventions

The common professional conventions for which side to serve and clear from, and the reasoning that generates them. Explains honestly that traditions differ and that the yacht own standard overrides any textbook.

SILVER-1.2.2

Choosing the Style for the Occasion

How to match a service style to the occasion, the sea state, the crew count, the dish and the guest preference. Introduces the yacht service standard sheet and when to raise a concern before service.

SILVER-2 · Silver Service Technique, Drilled

4 lessons

SILVER-2.1 The Service Spoon and Fork Practice in examiner →

SILVER-2.1.1

The Clamp: Grip, Fulcrum and Control

How to hold and work the service spoon and fork in one hand: the grip, the fulcrum, opening and closing the jaw, and what controlled clamp work feels like. Includes the common faults and their fixes.

SILVER-2.1.2

Food by Food: Lifting and Placing

How to lift and place each type of food with the clamp, from sliced meat and fish fillets to rice, pasta, asparagus and peas. Covers the plate clock, placement discipline, and when to switch to two spoons.

SILVER-2.2 The Flat, the Guest and the Moving Deck Practice in examiner →

SILVER-2.2.1

The Approach: Posture, the Flat, and Sauce Service

Carrying and presenting the flat, the approach to the guest, posture, the free hand, and sauce service. Includes serving one-handed from a heavy platter on a moving deck and when to stop and plate instead.

SILVER-2.2.2

Pace, Portion and Partnership

Portioning consistently across a table, holding an even pace so guests eat together, two-person and synchronised service patterns, and the correct recovery when you drop something.

SILVER-3 · The Formal Sequence and the Standard

4 lessons

SILVER-3.1 The Full Formal Sequence Practice in examiner →

SILVER-3.1.1

Laying the Formal Cover and the Napkin

How to lay a formal multi-course cover to a measured standard, including cutlery order, glassware placement and the napkin. Covers the discipline of gauging, sighting down the table and handling polished items.

SILVER-3.1.2

The Order of Service, Clearing and the Later Courses

The order of service and how precedence conventions have changed, plus clearing without stacking, crumbing down, resetting, and the cheese, dessert, coffee and wine service that follow.

SILVER-3.2 The Room, the Drills and the Standard Practice in examiner →

SILVER-3.2.1

Two Crew, Twelve Guests: Working the Room

How two crew work a table of twelve: dividing the table, the silent language between servers, where to stand so you can see without hovering, and reading when a guest wants attention or wants to be left alone.

SILVER-3.2.2

Drills, Faults and Holding the Standard

How to drill silver service with the classic sugar-cube exercise, the common faults and their fixes, and the grooming, gloves, polishing and laying standards. Ends with how to hold the standard when exhausted.

Aligned to the IAMI GUEST Program framework. Preparatory study only — assessment and certification are carried out by an approved GUEST Training Provider. Official source (GUEST Program).

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