Buffet

The buffet [ [byˈfɛt]] (esp. österr. u. schweiz. Buffet [ [bʏˈfeː], bes. schweiz. ˈbʏfe]; from French le buffet, "sideboard, counter") is a direct way of presenting food in gastronomy. Instead of serving a menu sequence (e.g. starter, main course, dessert) at the guest's table, in a buffet the food is laid out on a counter or table and the guest can serve himself according to his preferences. In addition to self-service, there is also partial service at the festive buffet (chefs serve) or combinations of à la carte and buffet offerings. A special type is the so-called flying buffet without buffet set-up.

Types

A distinction is made between buffets with exclusively cold dishes, buffets with exclusively hot dishes and combined buffets with cold and hot dishes. Cold buffets include, for example, cheese, sausage and fish platters, salads, baked goods and butter as well as smaller cold dishes and various desserts. Hot buffets include hot soups, a variety of hot meat and fish dishes or vegetarian options, and a variety of hot side dishes.

There are several types of buffet:

Banquet buffet

Banquet buffets, also called festive or gala buffets, are characterized by special culinary features. Show effects are achieved through visually appealing arranged show plates. Banquet buffets are given to special personal or business occasions, for example New Year's Eve banquets, company anniversaries, engagements etc.. Banquet buffets are usually given with partial service. The elaborate assortment corresponds to a menu sequence of cold dishes.

Restaurant buffet

Cold and warm buffets have been part of the offer of hotels, restaurants, catering companies and also butchers for decades. The buffet can be provided as a breakfast, lunch or dinner buffet as well as an all-day buffet or for special occasions.

International buffet and theme buffet

International buffets are classified as both restaurant and banquet buffets. Themed buffets are limited to a limited selection of dishes (based on a given theme) and the buffet is decorated accordingly. Examples are:

• Danish buffet (roast dishes, cold dishes from sea products; bread variations, wheat biscuits; beer, buttermilk; red fruit jelly, marzipan biscuits)
• English buffet (meat, game and poultry served in one piece, egg and cheese dishes, pies, condiments, mixed pickles, salted nuts; hot soups, dishes and desserts)
• Italian buffet (pizzas, Italian ham, salami, cheese and salads, aspic dishes, fresh fruit, white bread, minestrone, pasta dishes and Mediterranean fish)
• Smörgåsbord, the Swedish buffet (selection of marinated and smoked fish, seafood, elk meat)
• Russian buffet (sakuski appetizer buffet, caviar, salmon, shellfish, suckling pig, ham, mushrooms, vegetables, sparkling wine, vodka).

Hybrid forms

Stand-up buffets are suitable for large festive events that are limited to a duration of 1-2 hours. The food should be able to be eaten comfortably while standing up, should be consumable with cocktail skewers or with only one piece of cutlery. Standing tables only are used, but no chairs. The service is mostly done by the chefs, they serve and advise.

It is also possible to offer only individual parts of a meal sequence as a buffet, for example by combining soup buffets, salad buffets, dessert and/or cake buffets with the à la carte service.

Structure

Stationary buffet

Smaller buffets are usually set up asymmetrically, with guests walking from one side. Large buffets are often set up symmetrically from the centre to both sides. A central eye-catcher on the buffet can be a display plate, a flower arrangement or an ice sculpture. Near this are the fish and meat platters with matching sauces, then appetizers and salads, followed by cheese, fruit, and desserts on the sides or on extra tables.

There are different ways of positioning the crockery and cutlery on the one hand and the food on the other in the room or even the rooms and leading the guests along the buffet:

• A standard method is the double-linear one: starting with napkins, cutlery and crockery, the dishes are lined up in the order in which they would have been served in a conventional menu sequence (the tables are not necessarily in a straight, but closed line). In principle, the guests are also required to line up in a row and "walk down" the buffet. Leaving the line is accepted at any time, pushing in is not.
• A variant of this places the tables - individually or in groups - behind and next to each other in a kind of sawtooth pattern from the outset, in order to make it clear that it is possible to enter the sequence at different points (e.g. skipping the starter).
• A clear (possibly also spatial) separation of the individual buffet components signals their independence, so that guests can act according to their personal preferences.

Flying buffet

In addition to the stationary buffet, there is also a so-called flying buffet without buffet construction and without seating. Finger food is served "on the fly" on trays according to a set menu sequence, and the guests eat while standing. All dishes (soups, salads, main courses, desserts) are suitable for a flying buffet, as long as they can be offered in bite-sized and mini portions. This type of service, which originated in the USA, is suitable when space is limited or for special events such as the opening of exhibitions, concerts, trade fairs, etc., but it requires a lot of staff.