Larder, Garde Manger, Cold kitchen

 

 

The term Garde Manger was originally identified as a storage area. But over the years this term has evolved to mean more than just a storage area. It now also indicates a station in the professional kitchen which is responsible for preparing Cold foods, Buffets, Decorative pieces, etc. and it’s Chefs who prepare them is known as Larder Chef or Garde Manger Chef.

 

This are is also responsible to preserve foods such as: Hams, sausages, bacon, cheese, etc., preparation and arrangement of Cold foods for Banquets and Buffets.

 

Definition

 

The Larder is a department set aside for the storage of all perishable foods both raw and cooked and for processing and preparation of all cold items to be served to the Guests.

 

Points to be kept for Larder Kitchen

 

In order for the Larder to function properly it is essential that:

1.  Larder Kitchen is positioned/ placed separately from the hot Kitchen.

2.  It should be located in a cool place but not very far away from the main kitchen.

3.  It should be well lit, airy and well ventilated.

4.  It should be sufficiently spacious for staff to carry out their duties in a hygienic and efficient manner.

5.  It should be equipped with the necessary fittings, plant and machinery, tools, etc. in accordance with the quality of work.

 

Sub-Sections of the Larder Kitchen (on Volume)/ Breakdown of Work

 

The main responsibility of the Larder Kitchen is to cater to the requirements of the Hot Kitchen for raw materials such as fish fillets, steaks, etc. and to supply the finished products as per the requirement of different sections for all cold dishes.

The work of the Larder is broken down into various sections depending on the volume of work. Depending upon the volume of work, the number of sections will vary and also the staffing. The main section sin which larder is divided are: -

 

 

·         BUTCHERY.

·         FISH MONGERERY (place dealing with raw fish and sea food)

·         HORS D‟OEUVRE / COLD SAUCES.

·         SALADS AND SALAD DRESSINGS

·         COLD BUFFETS.

·         VEGETABLE AND FRUIT CARVING SECTION.

·         SANDWICHES

 

For smaller hotels these sections are usually collapsed/ combined together into smaller units/ sections. And one chef/ commis will be responsible for more than one section.

 

Responsibility of the Larder Chef

 

There are varied and many responsibilities of Larder chef but the main responsibilities are:

1.       He is responsible for the smooth running and operations of the department.

2.       He is responsible for co ordination between staff and work schedule.

3.       He is responsible for the development of the staff through training.

4.       He is responsible for the scheduling and Duty Rotas/ Rosters.

5.       He is responsible for all perishable and frozen food prepared and stored in the Larder.

6.       He is responsible for the coordination with main/ Hot kitchen, satellite kitchen and bakery.

7.       He is responsible for the record maintenance pertaining to the dispatch and re- receiving of the foodstuff.

8.       He is responsible for larder control like checking for quality and quantity, storing, keeping records of issues, daily stock sheets, etc.

9.       He is responsible for maintaining hygiene and sanitation as per HACCP standards.

10.    He is responsible for controlling pilferages

Larder Equipments

 

In order to function smoothly and effectively in accordance with the standards prescribed by the concerned establishment, different/ variety of the equipments are required:

 

Large or heavy-duty equipment

 

·      Refrigeration equipments viz. Refrigerators, walk-ins, pull outs, deep freezers, bottle cooler, ice machines, chillers, blast chiller

·      Buffalo Chopper or bowl chopper

·      Bone saw machine

·      Mincing machine

·      Gravity slicer or meat slicer

·      Food processor/ Vegetable processor

·      Dough mixer

·      Vacuum packing machine

·      Different counters viz. Sandwich counter, Hors d’ oeuvre

·      Hanging rail system.

·      Sausage stuffer

·      Smoking machines

·      Grinding machine

·      Gas/ Heat apparatus viz. Gas range, boilers

·      Steel work tables, Cuboards,

·      Weighing scale

·      Salamander

·      Butcher‟s blocks

·      Fish kettle

·       Storage Rack, Sinks

Tools and small equipment

 

·      Zester

·      Channeller

·      Can and bottle openers

·      Corer

·      Pitters

·      Egg slicer

·      Mandolin slicer

·      Butcher‟s chopper and cleavers

·      Boning knife

·      Filleting knife

·      Oyster knife

·      Buntz knife or wavy knife

·      Cheese knife

·      Mezzaluna or mincing knife

·      Sieves

·      Chinois

·      Pie moulds

·      Terrine moulds

·      Trauchelard

·      Larding needles

·      Trussing needles

·      Perissienne scoops

·      Steak hammer

·      Meat thermometers

·      Brining syringe & pumps

Larder Control

 

For the effective, efficient and economical functioning of the larder, the chef should exercise a strict control over the foodstuff received and stored in the department. This involves:

 

·        All invoices to be checked for quality and quantity against goods delivered to the Larder.

·        To ensure that all goods received must be stored at the right place and at the right temperature.

·        The food is protected from cross contamination all the time.

·        Portion control while pre-preparation must be carried out to ensure yield and required number of portions.

·        Stock of food both raw and cooked must be regularly turned over. (FIFO).

·        The food or raw materials should never be over stocked.

·        Proper record of issues from the Larder both raw and cooked.

·        A daily stock / consumption sheet to be maintained.

·        Ensure complete hygienic standards are followed as per H.A.C.C.P.

·        Precautions must be taken to avoid pilferage.

 

A simple control system should be installed to keep a check. It should be simple/ practical to use otherwise during busy hours, it will be ignored or avoided by the staff and will defeat the purpose of control.

 

STOCK SHEET

 

The stock sheets and the order sheets should be formatted simply to save time and to make the working less complicated. The stock sheets are mostly prepared as soft copies on the computers. The stock sheet is needed for the following tasks:

 

·        This sheet is used for re-ordering the supplies from the stores.

·    It is required to keep the records of the food sent in and returned by the cold buffet. This activity helps in predicting the consumption estimates within a very narrow margins.

Department: Larder

Section: Sandwich

Date:

 

Items	Units	Stock	Unit Price	Cost (in rupees)	Order
Tomatoes	Kg	4
Cucumber	Kg	3
Eggs	Doz	2
Olive Oil	Lts	2
Vinegar	Lts	¾
Sardine	Tin	5

 

Section In charge Signature:           

 

Sample Stock Sheet

 

 

Items Produced in Larder

 

1.     Gelatine products:

·    Aspic

·    Mouses, Mousseline

·    Colees

·    Chaufroid sauces

·    Cold soups

2.     Marinated Products:

·    Salads

·    Brines and Cures

·    Pickled products

·    Smoked Products

3.     Forcemeats for Galantines, Pâtés, Sausages, Terrines, Quenelles, Timbales, Roulades, etc.

4.     Piece Montee or Centerpieces or Non-Edible Displays:

·    Ice carvings

·    Tallow sculpture

·    Salt dough sculpture

·    Fruit and vegetable displays

·    Pastillage

·    Jelly logos

·    Thermocol displays

5.     Cold Hors d’oeuvres

6.     Sandwiches

7.     Specialty items such as, Caviar, Oysters, Snails, Foi gras, cheese, etc.