Types of Trolleys Used in Hotel Food and Beverage Service
In hotel food and beverage service, trolleys are a common sight. They are used to transport food and beverages from the kitchen to the dining area. There are different types of trolleys used in hotel food and beverage service, each with its own unique features and benefits.
One of the most common types of trolleys used in hotel food and beverage service is the tray trolley. As the name suggests, this trolley is designed to carry trays of food and drinks. It usually has several shelves, and each shelf can hold multiple trays. Tray trolleys are ideal for quick and efficient service, as they allow servers to transport multiple trays at once.
Another type of trolley commonly used in hotel food and beverage service is the wine trolley. Wine trolleys are designed specifically for transporting wine bottles and glasses. They usually have a flat surface on top for carrying the bottles, and racks or compartments for holding the glasses. Wine trolleys are often used for tableside service, where the server pours wine for guests directly from the trolley.
Types of Food Service Trolleys Used in Hotels and Restaurants:
- Carving Trolley
- Cheese Trolley
- DessertThe sweet course at the end of a meal. can also refer to the fresh fruit and nuts served in this cou... Trolley
- Fruit Trolley
- Gueridon Or FlambeFlambe: To flame a dessert or other food by dousing with potable alcohol and setting alight. Trolley
- Hors D‘ Oeuvre Trolley
- Liquor Trolley
- Room Service Trolley
- Salad Trolley
- Wine Trolley
1. Carving Trolley:
It is used for carving Joints of meat on guest‘s tables. The main function of the carving trolley is to act as an aid to selling. The Carver also known as the trancheur is responsible for the carving done at the buffet table and on the carving trolley. The carving trolley is set up with two methylated spirit lamps & on the lower shelf carry the service plate, Joint plate & carving Knife.
2. Cheese Trolley:
Cheese in European countries is an important part of a meal in the classical tradition. GourmetA person who is very knowledgeable about wine and food and who enjoys savouring it. restaurants still offer this as a cutting edge in their service. When an extensive variety of cheese is to be promoted, the mobility of a Cheese trolley offers obvious advantages. A simple two-tier cart is suitable: the top for display and serving, the lower for mise en place.
3. Dessert Trolley:
The dessert trolley serves as a visual aid for selling desserts. Guests are more likely to order a dessert if the guest can see what is available, particularly if it is well presented.
a) For Sweet items (entremet sucrees) – these are often simple, two-shelved trolleys. They can also be fitted with a top display shelf for a board inset and a transparent, hinged showcase cover. If ice cream or sorbets are carried and chilling is needed, the ale cart may incorporate steel tub inserts, an ice well, or a eutectic plate (capable of holding its temperature for up to 4-5 hours after removal from the freezer). Some trolleys may have a mini-refrigerator compressor powered by a battery built into the top giving up to 24 hours of operation. In any case, mains connection with trailing leads is better avoided.
b) For Pastries (patisseries) – The pastry trolley usually Consists of a fiberglass top that enables the guest to see what is on offer. The surface of the trolley displays the cakes, gateaux, and pastries. 1be bottom shelf is used for the storage of cutlery such as pastry tongs pastry forks and crockery.
4. Fruit Trolley:
Guests may like to round off their meals with fresh fruits. This applies especially to diet-conscious guests who may opt to eat only salads and fruits. Restaurants recognize the health-conscious and have a trolley for this niche public. The server will volunteer to cut the fruits into manageable portions and serve them in the respective service ware.
5. Gueridon Or Flambe Trolley:
A guéridon trolley or Flambè Trolley is a small mobile trolley that holds a portable heating unit called réchaud to serve flambéd dishes that can be placed alongside the guest‘s table. The trolley consists of one or two burners, a gas cylinder and work and storage, space for plates and cooking equipment.
Using this trolley, the food is flambéed at the guest‘s table. To flambé, food means to cook it at the guest‘s table. The food is flambéd with the addition of spirit before it is presented to the guest. Almost any food can be flambed but the more popular; items that are flambéd are fish, meat, fruit, and desserts. Only skilled and well-trained waiters or chefs called the ‘chef du rang’ are allowed to handle this service as there is a high risk of spoiling food by overcooking it, and carelessness can also cause a fire on the premises.
6. Hors D’ Oeuvre Trolley:
Hors-d’ oeuvre is spicy to stimulate the appetite for the dishes that are to follow in the course. Served from a rotating trolley or a tray a small amount of each variety is placed on the plate to make up a portion. Hors d‘oeuvre is the first course of a French classical menu usually consisting of a selection of small Items of egg, fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables in pungent (sharp) dressings.
7. Liquor Trolley or LiqueurLiqueur - Sweet spirits made with re-distilled fruits or extracts. Trolley or Beverage Cart:
A liqueur trolley is an additional attraction in a gourmet restaurant that follows the classical menu preparations. The sommelier would be in charge of this trolley as well.
Trolleys for spirits, liqueurs, and aperitifs display branded bottles standing in wells or ringed enclosures on the uppermost shelf of the trolley to prevent toppling when the trolley is moved around in the restaurant from table to table.
8. Room Service Trolley:
This trolley is known for its versatility. It is used for the service of a large order to guests in their rooms. The waiter sets up the meal covers on the trolley and wheels it into the guest‘s room. This trolley may also be used as a dining table in the Privacy of the guest‘s room.
9. Salad Trolley:
Salads have become an important course nowadays because of an ever-increasing health-conscious exclusive salad public. This change in guest preferences has prompted many restaurants and bars dedicated to this public.
Salad trolleys usually hold a variety of individual salad ingredients and a variety of dressings which the guest will mix and match to create a salad of high-fibre choice that will be prepared by the service staff at the trolley.
10. Wine Trolley:
Wine service is important for its revenue potential. The wine trolley stocks and displays wines and spirits and is wheeled to the guest table to stimulate liquor sales. The trolley service is provided in gourmet restaurants and the person who provides this service is a qualified wine butler or sommelier.
In addition to the tray and wine trolleys, there are also dessert trolleys, tea trolleys, and even room service trolleys. Each type of trolley is designed to meet a specific need in hotel food and beverage service, and they all play an important role in delivering high-quality service to guests.
