Jobs in Providing Food and Drink
You don’t need to go far in any town or city to find places to eat or drink. From fast food cafes to pubs, tea rooms and restaurants, there is somewhere to suit every taste and budget.
Providing meals and drinks to customers usually involves a number of people performing different functions, from those who work ‘behind the scenes’ buying and preparing food or drink, to those who serve it.
Careers involving providing meals and drinks often involve working shifts. Evening and weekend work is also common.
Barperson
A barperson serves customers with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. They may also sell snacks and food.
At the start of a shift, the barperson makes sure that there are enough bottles on the shelves, and that the bar is clean and tidy. When customers have finished their drinks, the barperson collects the empty glasses and puts them in a glass-washing machine.
A barperson may also take orders for, and serve, bar meals. They also take payments for food and drink, operate a till and give change.
Catering/Restaurant Manager
Catering/restaurant managers are responsible for the smooth running and profitability of a catering or restaurant operation. They may work in restaurants, hotels or fast food outlets. They are responsible for customer satisfaction, the standards of service and the quality of food.
Catering/restaurant managers organise and supervise shifts to make sure that enough staff are on-call to serve meals and wash up at each sitting. They may deal with customers personally, for example, welcoming guests, organising table reservations and dealing with complaints.
They set budgets to achieve sales and profit targets and promote the restaurant to potential customers. They are also responsible for health and safety, and maintaining standards of hygiene and quality control.
Chef/Cook
Chefs/cooks prepare and cook food. They work in many different organisations; the job title varies depending on where they work. For example, chefs normally work in hotels and restaurants, while cooks work in schools and hospitals.
In large kitchens, there are different types of chef. Head chefs run the kitchen. Sous chefs deputise in the absence of the head chef and supervise the kitchen.
Chefs de partie run a section of the kitchen, such as sauces, vegetables or pastries, and they are responsible for preparing, cooking and presenting a range of dishes.
Commis or trainee chefs prepare and cook the less complicated dishes. They may also clean equipment and wash up.
Chefs/cooks may have to manage staff and budgets, order supplies and plan menus. All chefs/cooks follow strict standards of hygiene and health and safety in the kitchen.
Food Service Assistant
Food service assistants are involved in various aspects of delivering food to customers, depending on the kind of place they work in. For example, many work in fast food outlets, preparing food, serving customers from behind a counter and clearing tables.
They may work in teams (sometimes called ‘crews’) and spend a couple of hours doing one task, before swapping over with another team member and doing something different.
Kitchen Assistant
Kitchen assistants do the routine work in kitchens. They wash the pots and pans and clean the kitchen. They may receive deliveries, keep the stores and deliver food and equipment around the kitchen.
They may also do basic food preparation, such as preparing vegetables and weighing ingredients. They are responsible, along with the chefs, for the day-to-day cleanliness and hygiene of the kitchen.
Publican
Publicans run places such as pubs, bars and clubs where drinks are served to the public. They train and supervise staff, order supplies, maintain the building and promote the business.
They manage stocks, work alongside the staff and lock up at night. They may also run other services such as serving food and providing entertainment and accommodation.
An important aspect of the work involves the financial side of the business such as budgeting and book-keeping. They are also responsible for keeping up to date with the relevant health and safety, consumer protection and food safety legislation.
Sommelier
A sommelier is a trained and knowledgeable wine expert, who is involved with all aspects of wine service. They work in restaurants and wine bars. A sommelier has more knowledge than a wine waiter.
Sommeliers advise customers on the best choice of wine to have with their meal, according to what they are eating, which types of wine they normally enjoy and how much they want to spend. The sommelier takes the wine order and serves it to the customer.
Sommeliers also buy the wines and work with the chef to decide which wines go best with different dishes. They create and update wine lists.
They also deal with deliveries and storage of the wine, and keep records of the stock.
Sommeliers also visit vineyards abroad and go to wine fairs, where they are responsible for selecting and buying the most appropriate wines.
Waiter/Waitress
Waiters/waitresses serve food and drink to customers. They work in restaurants, bars or hotels.
They clean and lay tables, take orders, recommend dishes, serve food and drink, clear tables, prepare bills and take money.
Head restaurant waiters/waitresses are in charge of the waiting team. They direct and supervise the table service, and are responsible for ensuring customer satisfaction. They may serve important guests or provide dishes which are cooked at the table.