Handling Crockery by the Stewarding Staff in Hotels and Restaurants

Handling crockery is an important aspect of kitchen stewarding that cannot be overlooked. Crockery refers to ceramic dishes, plates, bowls, mugs, and other similar items that are used in the kitchen. These items are delicate and require careful handling to prevent breakage or damage.

To ensure the safe handling of crockery, kitchen stewards must be trained on proper handling techniques. One of the most important techniques is to handle crockery with both hands, especially when it is heavy or delicate. This helps to distribute the weight evenly and reduces the risk of dropping or breaking the crockery.

In addition to using both hands, kitchen stewards should also be mindful of the way they stack and store crockery. When stacking plates or bowls, they should be placed on top of each other with care, making sure that they are aligned properly. Mugs and other items should also be stacked with care, ensuring that they are not touching each other too tightly to prevent chipping or cracking.

The Executive Chef and Stewarding Manager should be responsible for ensuring that appropriate kitchen equipment cleaning and maintenance methods are followed by the stewarding staff. The hotel training and HRD department should develop and implement proper written Kitchen Stewarding SOP’s to ensure the same is implemented correctly throughout all the food preparation outlets.

By following these guidelines, kitchen stewards can ensure that crockery is handled safely and efficiently, reducing the risk of breakage and damage to these important kitchen items.

Standard Operating Procedures for Handling Crockery:

Note: This SOP is for reference or example only, always follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer for your and others’ safety, and also to avoid any injury while operating this equipment.

1. Storing the crockery equipment in racks:

• Try not to stack items more than 25 cm.
• Arrange and put large items behind the smaller ones.
• Do not place larger crockery objects beyond the appropriate capacity.
• Place larger items on the bottom first.
• Do not stack too many items.
• Always measure the capacity of the rack to contain crockery items.
• Give some space between items to avoid fractures/scratches and the items getting pushed forward. This is useful to prevent the possibility of accidental bumps/fall-downs.
• Make available storage rooms for small items and hollowware.

2. Crockery handling process:

• Always exercise caution.
• Do not stack more than necessary items.
• Take all the crockery from the machines using gloves and with utmost care.
• Before arranging the items, ensure their cleanliness.
• Do not remove them if they are still wet.
• Ensure proper care to avoid the possibility of item damage.

3. Crockery washing process:

• Clean food leftovers (scrapping.)
• Make a grouping of dirty items based on size and type.
• Soak them up.
• Put them into the racks.
• Spray them with a cleaning solution.
• WashWash - 1) Brushing or coating a food item with a liquid such as egg white; milk or egg wash. 2) The ... them up as per the standard.
• Stack them carefully.
• Separate them carefully.
• Store them carefully.

4. Storing of crockery items:

• Separate crockery according to item types.
•  Ensure the crockery storage place is clean and damp-free.
•  Always store crockery items properly and correctly by the bin card.
•  Always use a trolley or any other form of transportation to move items.

Training Summary questions:

Q1. What is the purpose of this SOP?

Q2. What are the steps to handle crockery?

Q3. Explain the procedure for sorting crockery equipment in the rack.

Q4. Explain the crockery handling process.

Q5. Why it is important to give some space between crockery items?

All kitchen and stewarding staff must know the correct procedure for handling, sorting, washing, and storing crockery. The stewarding staff should also clearly understand how important it is to keep the storage room area clean, and hygienic and also to follow proper procedures for handling and stacking the crockery. 
Finally, kitchen stewards should always inspect crockery for any signs of damage or wear and tear before using them. This includes checking for cracks, chips, or any other imperfections that could compromise the integrity of the crockery. If any issues are found, the crockery should be removed from use and replaced as soon as possible.

SOP Number: Kitchen / F&B Production SOP – 37
Department: Stewarding Staff
Date Issued: 22-Feb-2019
Time to Train: 20 Minutes