Finance:Family meal
A family meal or staff meal is a group meal that a restaurant serves its staff outside of peak business hours.[1] The restaurant provides the meal free of charge, as a perk of employment. Typically the meal is served to the entire staff at once, with all staff being treated equally, like a "family".[2] The restaurant's own chefs (traditionally, but not always, the lowest in the pecking order) prepare the meal, often using leftover or unused ingredients. As a result usually the meals don't involve dishes on the restaurant's regular menu.[3] Chefs may also use the family meal to experiment with new recipes, or simply whip up something from their own ethnic backgrounds.[4]
Several cookbooks have been published describing family meals at well-known restaurants. Examples include:
- The Family Meal: Home Cooking with Ferran Adria by Ferran Adrià of elBulli (2011)
- Staff Meals from Chanterelle by David Waltuck (2000)
- Off the Menu: Staff Meals from America's Top Restaurants by Marissa Guggiana (2011)
- Come In, We're Closed: An Invitation to Staff Meals at the World's Best Restaurants by Christine Carroll and Jody Eddy (2012)
See also
References
- ↑ First, Devra (July 29, 2009). "Chef's table". The Boston Globe. https://archive.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2009/07/29/at_the_chefs_table_before_you_arrive_is_the_hungry_staff/?page=full. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- ↑ Elder, Nina (August 4, 2008). "The First Seating". Bon Appétit. https://www.bonappetit.com/people/chefs/article/the-first-seating. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- ↑ Bonesteel, Matt (May 16, 2007). "What Your Waiter Had For Dinner". The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/15/AR2007051500407.html. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- ↑ Rudalevige, Christine Burns (November 25, 2010). "Restaurant "family" meals". The Philadelphia Inquirer. https://www.inquirer.com/philly/food/restaurants/20101125_Restaurant__quot_family_quot__meals.html. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
External links
- Family Meal - A chef describes his experiences preparing staff meals early in his career
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