Server / waiter

A real shift

Pre-shift briefing on specials, eighty-sixed dishes and allergens, then set-up and polishing. Service is a loop of greeting, ordering, checking back, clearing and billing across several tables, with side work and resets at the end.

Skills that matter

• Menu knowledge and upselling
• Allergen handling
• Multitasking across tables
• Carrying plates safely
• EPOS systems
• Warmth and stamina

Qualifications

• No formal requirement
• Level 2 Hospitality Team Member apprenticeship
• Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene for Catering
• WSET Level 1 in Wines (useful)
• Personal licence holders not needed, but age-verification training is common

Where it leads

1. Server / waiter
2. Head waiter
3. Chef de rang
4. Restaurant supervisor
5. Sommelier

What we'd ask on the show

• The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 and where your service charge actually goes
• Worst table ever, told by the people who served it
• Why servers are the best salespeople nobody trains

Work as a server / waiter? Come on the show