BANQUETS
DEFINITION OF BANQUET
Banquet is taken from the French word “baunc” which means bench. According to Indian connotation, it is “bhog, dawat or wazwan”. In simple language, “banquet refers to service of special functions for specific group(s) of people at an assigned time, the food, beverages and other facilities offer being predetermined.
In other words, “The term banquet means formal meal with toast and short speeches. However, in the hotel industry, it refers to all kinds of function catering. The banquet department of the hotel is one of the major revenue-producing departments. Earlier, the banquet business in the hotel was seasonal but today, it is round the year business, producing more revenues with substantial profit percentage.
TYPES OF FUNCTION/BANQUET:
There are three types of functions in banquet:
- Formal function/Banquet: in formal function, there are certain procedures, such as seating the host, chief guest, guest of honor, and the invitees, and serving the food and beverages are decided by the host. A formal function always includes speeches at a specified time which is mostly at the end of the meal just before the service of coffee. Dress code for the invitees may be insisted upon. Controlled behavior of the guests prevails in the formal function catering.
Functions hosted by the head of the country or state, military, formal wedding breakfasts are some of the examples of formal functions.
- Informal function/Banquet: in this type of function, no formalities and procedures are followed on seating, serving and the dress code. The service is indiscriminate of sex and rank. These functions normally consist of entertainment. One can witness casual behavior of guests in informal functions. Nowadays, more informal functions are being organized such as birthday parties, cocktail parties, wedding anniversaries, club members’ meets, alumni meets, and so on. The informal functions are such as :
- Social function: purpose is to meet people, make new friends, entertain oneself and build relationship. Such as cocktail parties, wedding anniversaries, birthday parties, wedding receptions, dine and dance parties etc.
- Public relations: these are organized by the business houses in order to make the consumers aware of their presence and to establish relationship with them for example: Exhibitions, contests for home makers, fashion parades, dealer’s meetings etc.
- Conferences: the purpose of this type of function is to share the knowledge and expertise and to discuss on matters of concern. For example: political conferences, trade union conferences, international and national conferences on important issues.
The following are some functions normally organized by the banquet department of a hotel:
- Workshops
- Conferences
- Fashion parades
- TV shows
- Wedding receptions
- Birthday parties
- Alumni meets
- Club member’s meets etc
- Seminars
- Exhibitions
- Beauty contests
- Training sessions
- Wedding anniversaries
- Graduation days
- Cocktail parties
FUNCTION MENUS
The following factors need to be kept in mind for planning menus:
- Cost
- Feasibility of various styles of service
- Profit contribution
- Culinary skills of the kitchen staff
- Service equipment available
- Dietary needs of various age groups
- Service skill available
- Availability of ingredients
- Most demanded dish
The host chooses the menu considering the following:
- Budget
- Religious faith
- Type of people to attend the function – veg/non veg, age group, Indian, foreigners etc.
- Type of function
The banquet supervisor may assist the host for selecting dishes at the time of booking the function.
The categories of dishes offered in Indian menus are as follows:
- Salads
- Soups
- Fish
- Mutton
- Potatoes
- Chicken
- Paneer
- Vegetables
- Biryani/pulao
- Dal
- Sweets
- Ice cream
Continental menus may have the following categories:
- Appetizers – hot and cold
- Soups – hot and cold
- Fish – poached, grilled and fried
- Poultry
- Meat
- Accompanying potatoes and vegetables
- Cheese
- Sweet
- Coffee – with choice of petit fours.
- The menu file should also have cocktail snacks that are available during the alcoholic beverage service. Limited snacks may be offered at a fixed price or it may price individually.
SERVICE METHODS IN BANQUET:
The type of service method selected depends on the following:
- Host’s wish
- Time available for service
- Type of function – formal or informal
- Service skill available
- Number of people to be served
- Service equipment available
Food may be served in any one or a combination of some of the following styles of food service:
- Silver service
- Plate service
- Family service
- Buffet service
EXAMPLES OF INFORMAL BANQUET
Road-show/ Exhibition
This is basically a display of a particular product. This may be from the same company- different types, for example, a range of Akai TV or maybe different company TVs displaying their range of products. The set up for all road-shows or exhibitions will differ from product to product. In this sort of an event, a hall hire is charged to the concerned as guests keep coming and going. There will be an ad in the newspaper regarding the timing of the roadshow & guests will choose a convenient time to visit. The hotel high organize a coffee tea service for all the guests who come in.
Examples
An exhibition of sarees will require a platform or a stage in each stall to display the entire saree with a lot of spotlights so that the color is not hidden. They will also require tables behind to store the sarees. There is one man per counter from the company as a salesman displaying. A computer road-show will require stalls as in cubicle with spotlights highlighting the product & a display table with focus light to display the catalogs of the product. They would also require a lot of extension cords to operate the computers & printers & a three-phase power supply available at all times. In this sort of roadshows, no one speaks, but each stall has a salesman who takes care of getting the
addresses of the guests who are interested to buy the stuff. These guests are approached at a later date by the company for sales.
Product Launch
This type of function mainly is for a company that has just launched a new product on the market. This will mainly consist of a presentation regarding the product to the dealers. May it be a medical product, toothpaste or a computer or a new toffee. The presentation will be done by a single person who knows the product well & is confident in handling the questions which may come up by the dealers. The seating will necessarily be a theatre style with a visual aid. After explaining the product, the
product is displayed for the guests to see. Spotlights will highlight the product. The dealers can go see the product & take samples & ask the company representatives questions regarding the product. A cocktail & dinner will follow this. This is a very prestigious function for any company. No compromises are generally made on the quality of the hotel & the food. Usually, the best is chosen, as this is a time for the company to create an image of itself. Bigger the product, the bigger the type of function & the greater the product awareness in the market.
Seminar
These are basically lectures given regarding a subject. After the researchers do esearch on a particular subject, they present the results & what they have found during the research to the other people in the same field. For example, a seminar on “Cancer” will necessarily have doctors, journalists & druggists attending it. Doctors & druggists for sharing the knowledge & the journalist for bringing it to the rest of the world. This also involves a lot of visual aids & the seating will be either theatre style or classroom style. In this sort of a conference, there will be a panel of guests who will be pioneers in the subject & will sit on a stage waiting or present their papers regarding the subject. Each one of them will present what their views are on the same subject & then answer to the question asked by the audience.
Press Meet
This is done if a company is making its shares public or a new company is being launched so that the press can be called & the vital statistics of the company can be discussed so that the company is projected through newspapers to the public. This is a very food way of advertising. To call the press & let the press spread the word around through newspapers to the other residents of the country. This is a theatre-style of seating, but a very small gathering. This might involve a visual presentation to the press & follow by a question-answer session by the press directed to the board of directors of the company.
Political Parliamentary Delegation Meet
This happens when a parliamentary delegation meets the tip officials of a Government concern or of a company. For example- Parliamentary Delegation of Railways will necessarily have the Railway Minister of state & the other Cabinet Ministers & the members working for the railway. They usually meet for a tea meeting or a luncheon meeting. The seating is usually two I shapes facing each other. One I shape for the ministers & the other one for the railways. Each member of the ministry will have a mike & the proceeding will be recorded. It is a very high profile function with name for each member present in the I shape. The hotel coordinates with organizers regarding the names & the itinerary of the entire function.