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Garde Manger in Catering
Appears in
By Jaclyn Pestka, Wayne Gisslen and Lou Sackett
Published 2010
Catering involves serving large numbers of guests with a planned menu of dishes. Different service styles are utilized for various types of events, including passed or butler service, buffet service, and banquet service (see Table 1.1 for details). While the garde manger staff participates in all of these service styles, buffet work gives the garde manger chef the true opportunity to shine.
In buffet work, the garde manger chef primarily works on platter presentations. Platter presentations must be especially attractive and artfully arranged. For large buffets serving hundreds of guests, platters may be set up and replenished on a service line dedicated solely to buffet work. The garde manger department is generally responsible for the edible decorations, such as aspic and chaud-froid showpieces, ice carvings, and fruit and vegetable arrangements, which give each buffet its special character.