Table setting: mise-en-scène, mise-en-place, laying a table and covers
Mise-en-place readies the service area and equipment; mise-en-scène readies the room's atmosphere. A cover is the space and tableware laid for one guest.
Mise-en-place vs mise-en-scène
Basic rules for laying a table
- 1Check that the table and chairs are clean, level and steady.
- 2Lay the baize (silence) cloth to deaden noise and protect the table, then the tablecloth: centre crease down the middle of the table, equal drop on all sides.
- 3Mark each cover (about 60 cm wide), with covers facing each other across the table.
- 4★Lay cutlery in the order of use from the outside in: forks on the left; knives (blades facing the plate) and soup spoon on the right; dessert spoon and fork above the cover.
- 5Keep cutlery about 1.25 cm from the table edge, handles in a straight line.
- 6Place the side plate on the left with the side knife on it; glasses above the tip of the main knife.
- 7Place the folded napkin in the centre of the cover or on the side plate; cruet set, table number and flower vase at the centre of the table.
- 8Check from a distance that all covers are straight, clean and polished; set chairs so the seat edge just reaches the tablecloth.
★ one-way, controls the pace
What a cover means
A cover has two meanings: (1) the space on the table for one guest's crockery, cutlery, glassware and linen, about 60 cm wide; (2) the number of guests to be served, so a '200-cover banquet' feeds 200 people. An à la carte cover is a basic cover; cutlery for each dish is laid only after the guest orders. A table d'hôte cover is laid in full for the set menu before guests arrive.
À la carte and table d'hôte covers
| Item | À la carte cover | Table d'hôte cover |
|---|---|---|
| Principle | Basic cover; cutlery for each course laid after the order | All cutlery for the set menu laid before service |
| Centre | Fish plate or show plate, with napkin | Napkin (space for the main plate) |
| Right side | Fish knife | Joint knife, fish knife, soup spoon |
| Left side | Fish fork | Joint fork, fish fork |
| Above the cover | Nothing until ordered | Dessert spoon and fork |
| Side plate | On the left, with side knife | On the left, with side knife |
| Glass | Water or wine glass above the knife | Water or wine glass above the joint knife |
| Table centre | Cruet set, table number, bud vase | Cruet set, table number, bud vase |
Napkin folding (for your practical)
- Use clean, starched, well-ironed napkins of the same size.
- Fold on a clean surface with clean hands and minimum handling.
- Use simple folds (fan, cone, bishop's mitre, crown) for daily service; elaborate folds (rose, lily, candle) for banquets.
- Place all napkins on a table in the same fold and direction.
In a hospital private ward or a hostel guest dining room, a neatly laid cover with clean linen and correctly placed cutlery makes even a simple therapeutic meal look cared for, which helps patients eat better.
2 marks: “Distinguish between mise-en-place and mise-en-scène.” Mise-en-place is preparing the service area and equipment before service; mise-en-scène is preparing the environment: cleanliness, lighting, temperature and decor.
5 marks: “Draw and explain a table d'hôte cover.” Plan view: napkin centre; joint knife, fish knife and soup spoon right; joint fork and fish fork left; dessert spoon and fork above; side plate and knife left; glass above knife; explain that it is laid in full for a set menu.
10 marks: “Explain the basic rules for laying a table. Describe à la carte and table d'hôte covers with diagrams.” Mise-en-place and mise-en-scène; the rules from cloth to final check; definition of cover; both covers drawn with differences.
Place = things (equipment ready); Scène = scene (room and mood ready). Cutlery goes outside-in in order of use: forks left, knives and spoons right, dessert above.