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

  1. ↑ First, Devra (July 29, 2009). "Chef's table". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  2. ↑ Elder, Nina (August 4, 2008). "The First Seating". Bon Appétit. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  3. ↑ Bonesteel, Matt (May 16, 2007). "What Your Waiter Had For Dinner". The Washington Post. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  4. ↑ Rudalevige, Christine Burns (November 25, 2010). "Restaurant "family" meals". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  • Family Meal - A chef describes his experiences preparing staff meals early in his career
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