The Blue Plate Meal

Service
Group 3. Castillo Idolor Kollin Macalia Malit Sevilla
From: http://www.slideshare.net/ilovesiomai/blueplate-meal-service

The Blue-plate or Apartment Style

Meal Service

A meal service wherein the food is arranged and

portioned in the kitchen
Characterized by the blue-plate, a plate that is
divided into sections.

The Blue-plate or Apartment Style

Meal Service

In contemporary American culture, Blueplate Special refers to relatively cheap

budget meals consisting of one serving of
meat and three servings of vegetables.

The Blue-plate or Apartment Style

Service
Meal
Its origins
may be traced to the early decades

of the 1900s (some sources indicate it

started during the late 1800s), the term blue
plate coming from actual blue plates that
were used in serving the meals.
Comparable to the cafeteria setting.

Advantages of Blue Plate

Convenient
Economical/ Does not occupy too much space
Quick
Ideal for small dining tables
Practical for serving food in childrens parties, when
diners are too young or small to get their own food,
or do not know their appetite (Plate Model)
Also used for entertaining large groups for a sitdown service.

Disadvantages of Blue Plate

Often, since the meal is pre-made, the diner

is forced to choose between combos.
Also, the serving sizes are often fixed.
The no substitution rule is sometimes
enforced.
Designed for a relatively small number of
people.

How is Blue Plate

Performed?

Example: Childrens party

This is a birthday party!

Kitchen Counter

Just imagine that the plates are divided into

portions

How is Blue Plate

Performed?
1.

2.

3.

After the food is cooked, each dish is placed

on a specific portion of the blue plate.
Platters are not used. Instead, each portion
of the plate is filled with a specific dish
directly from the kitchen.
The plates may be served before or after
the diners are seated, either by a waiter or
gotten by the diners themselves.

How is Blue Plate

Performed?
4.

After the diners are finished, each diner may

bring his/her own plate, flatware and
beverageware to the kitchen. In other
cases, waiters do the clearing.

The Blue Plate Table Setting

Decorations may be placed at the center of the table

The dinner plates are not immediately placed at the table

Individual covers are set with the flatware, beverageware

and napkins.
Also, serving flatware is not set on the table.

SAMPLE MENU

Steamed Rice, Fried Fish Fillet, Chopsuey,

Orange Juice

Steamed Rice, Stewed Beef, Steamed

Broccolli, Carrots & Corn, Orange Juice

Significance of the Blue Plate

Style

The Blue Plate style emerged to cater to the

needs of those strapped for time. Since the
food served in the Blue Plate is pre-made
and packaged in a single plate, it is very
convenient for the time-constrained
individual.
Most Blue Plate meals are less expensive
than regular meals.

Significance of the Blue Plate

Style

Blue Plate is considered the precursor of

modern fast-food meals. With the Blue Plate
almost ready-to-eat and conveniently
presented, fast food chains have borrowed
taken many of the factors that made Blue
Plate popular.

Other Meal Services

The Blue Plate style is similar to the cafeteria

or karinderia setting. Some karinderias offer
complete meals, with meat, vegetables, rice
and soup presented in a single plate.
The Tray Service is very similar; the main
difference is that a tray is used instead of the
plate.

References:

Leocadio, Corazon,1986, Essentials in Meal

Management, U.P. College of Home
Economics, Diliman
http://home.comcast.net/~dinerware/bitz21
.html
http://robertsdairy.net/cookbook/basics/mealservice
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-blu3.ht
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