LARDER OR COL D KITCH EN

Learning Objectives
be able to
After rea din g this chapter, you should
en
• trac e the bac kgro und of a larder kitch
tts importance in the kitchen division
• defi ne the term lard er kitchen and r kitchens
er kitchen and how they support othe
• analyse the various sections of a lard set up to work efficiently
the larder kitch en and how should it be
• get on insight into the basic layout of
and effectively
equipment used in the larder kitchen
• iden tify various kinds of tools and orm ed by eac h section
erst and the hier arch y of a lard er kitchen and the specific jobs perf
• und
head

INTRODUCTION
s of
first vol ume of this boo k-F ood Prod uction Oprmtions--focused on the vruious type
The g met hod s
hen s in the hos pita lity indu stry ru1d the range of commodities and coo kin
kitc
ed in pre par ing food . The seco nd Yolw n e-QJtantity Food Production Operations and
involv pla nni ng,
an Cui fine ---conc entr ated on qua ntit y food production. vol um e forecasting,
Indi , tandoor,
Ind ian cuis ine. It also cov ered cuis ines from different regions, dum cooking
and us volumes
ian swe ets, and hom e styl e food . Thi s book is an extension to the two pre vio
Ind al cuisines
is aim ed at pro vid ing stud ents \.Vith an und erst and ing of va1ious inte rna tion
and cuisines,
a bro ade r pers pec tive . It esse ntia lly covers the cold kitchen , inte rna tion al
on men t.
anc ed pas try, in add itio n to pro duc tion man age men t and pro duc t dev elop
adv , in
d for storage. The cold or lard er kitchen
Larder essentially means a cool place use such as
l indu stry par lanc e, incl ude s app etiz ers, sand\'.,iches, and salads and cold cuts
hote
 -
. t f Lh , col d kitc hen . ln
, , flw fi tst fo urc hap tn:: ,o ft hi .~ buo k ro \ er va.n ous aspcc so t..:
rhm ru ta11 . \ . t ·1 I lrde r kitc h en mea n s.
thi s ch.1pter , \\ c "ill lea n:': l,~ ' ~ri :.P t at
ion W<.lS not ve ry com mo n , or rath er non
In th e' olde n tHTl l' 5, \\ ht n ll.: . g ex1~tent.
.1i ci·d plar r::,
l t . pur chased from the ,na rkeL 1 hese
p«:-oµk used to bm ' spc " to ::,to re pro c uc s
d . . wrr e use d to :,lor.P cl1ec se, , ,e Lab les me at pro duc Ls, and eve n
veg
pl,u: l'S, call eel lar e t s, ,
.
•. r l)u1· a nce stor s were pre dm nm ant1 f· d thei r h arv este d produce h ad to
win • y arm ers an lan l su l
. ~ sum ptio n for lon g pe ri.od s o f· tim • e. H
bt~ ~tor r d tor l on um .an n eed s for· con s PP Y
,
• l , 1 d to tlw pra cti ce of farm ing and · · • · als but also of
o l food not o n : r dom es ltca lmg anm1
_ · f d The y mas tere d tlw a rt of pre . .l · 1
un g, cun n g, and dry ing it
serv in g fi sh b y sa. · r
prese t v,ng 00 - · , _
. usr \ \'ith the c.lisc ovc r)' ol ::ip1c . .
f01 fu l uie es and vm ega rs, th ey b ega n lo P ick le foo d item s
· .
and \eam l the art of ::i rn ok mg and cun . ·
n g foo d. l n fact, cut.·mg o f foo d go e s bac k to 300 0
B.C . \\'c will discuss lh esP as pec ts in the
n ext ch apt er o n charcuterie pro duc ts._
ln the hotel indu stry, lard er kitc hen rdr .
rs lo a se par ate d ep artm e nt Lhat 1s asso
wi lh the pre par atio n of co ld foods. ciated
ll is also kn own as gar de manger, whi ch in Fre
·keepi ng cold fo r eat.ing late r'. Thi s d e par n ch m ean s
tm ent pre par es var iou s ilem _s, such as
~tarters , com m onl y knu wn as !t ors d'oe sala ds and
uvres in Fre nch . Th e lard er k1tch en also
co ld mea t , such as sau sag es, force m eats pre par es
, pates, an d lcrr in es , tha t we will disc
in Cha pter 3 on app e ti ze rs. T he lard e uss in d etail
r k itch e n also sp ec ializ es in pre par ing
item s, sur h as but ter scu lptu res and ice d eco rati ve
car vin gs, lo d eco rat e th e buf fet. H owe
now a dying arl, as it is hig h ly labo u r inte ver , it is
nsiv e and req u ires a gre at d eal of skHl
th e adv ent of m ould s and spe cialized . Als o, wit h
too ls for car vin gs, this sk ill h as furt her
Mo reo ver , mo der n buf fets pre fe r lo fo dim inis h ed .
cus mo re on qua li ty foo d rath er tha n
whi ch dra in Lhe tim e and ene rg;y of th exo tic item s
e staff.
Garde mauger or the lard er is tl1e sup por t
k itch en and is alw ays loca ted in the
kitch en of the ho tel. It cale rs to b oth a m ain
la car te as well as buf fet op era tion s. It
imp orta nt th.al the lard er kitc he n be in is thu s ver y
clos e vicinity of the h ot kitch en to ena
coo rdin atio n belv,,een lhe two kitc h en ble clos e-
s and tim e is no t spe nt in run nin g aro
the m . For ex amp le, a san dwi ch m ade und bet wee n
in the cold kitch en is gen eral ly acc om
Fre nch fri es th at wou ld com e fro m the pan ied b y
h ot kitch en.

\ R0ERWORK
Lar der kitchen is a u niq ue kitc hen w hich
pre p are s all typ es of cold me at, fish , and
f~r buf fets '.or resLau ~an ts, ? ~ quets, as ~ veg etab les
ell as ala c~r te . !tis a mu ch spe cial ize_d
kitch en as 1t deals w1th arti stic pre sen tati ar. ea o~ the
ons of foo d . )q'h1s dep artm ent has van ous
suc h as salads, hor s d'oe uvr es, fi sh pre sect ions
par atio n area , but che ry, cold sau ces ,
and buf fet dec orat ions . Lar d er also incl san dwi che s,
udes sev eral sec tion s tha t are inv olv ed
pre par atio n and fab ricatio n or cold foo in pre -
ds, whi ch can eith er be use d for sala
pro cessed rnec~t. can also be use d by the ds, or the
h ot kit.c he~ C erta in sect ions of the lard
can b e ope rati ona l on a 24-h our s basis. er kitc hen
Lar der is one of th e mo st imp orta nt sect
the kitch en as it is resp ons ible for the ions of
first cou rse of mea l that a gue st enc oun
sets the mo od for the rest of the m eal. ters and
A lard er che f is ther efo re, a ver y skilled
has mas tery of not only cold fo od pre che f who
par atio n but also has an in-d ept h kno
the culi nar y skills rela ted to bas ic cookin wle dge of
g, su ch-a s blan chin g, poa chin g, stew ing,
and so
 on. Many of the food item . . d. . .
·· s prepar e m the cold k.1.tchen are first cooked by hot cooking
method and then cooled -1 d d
. · . , g aze , an covered witl1 various toppings and sauces such as
aspzc, chaud frozd, and jellies. ·

SECTIONS AND FUNCTIONS OF A LARDER KITCHEN

I~ hotels, the larder kitchen has many roles to play. It is a unit which acts as a support
kitchen to several other units such as the hot kitchen, bakery, and pastry. The work in th·e
garde m_anger is varied and requires a huge amount of skill as well. ,The scale of f!!:rde manger
operatwns depends upon the type and volume of business .. In a traditional set-up, a larder
kitchen would comprise different sections, which h~~e-specific responsibilities and tasks
to carry out on a daily basis. The various sections of a larder kitchen along with the _tasks
undertaken in each of them are discussed in the following sections.

Sauces and Soups Section

This section is responsible for preparing cold soups and sauces for appetizers as well as
some hot main courses. The salads are generally made in the garde manger, hence different
types of dressings are also made and stored in this section. Garde manger also prepares the
sauces and condiments required for cold buffets. Vichyssoise, chilled _Cl].~UIDber, and mint
soup are f~w _e_~amples of commonly served cold soups fro~ the cold kitchen. It also
supplies s;uces, such as tartare sauce and rriayorfnai~t~ -the hot kitchen, which serves
these as accompaniments ~ food. """ r ·--

Salads Section
This is one of t.'he most important parts of the larder kitchen. It prepares a range of simple
and compound salads that are served in a l~ arte as well as in panquets and buffets. In
this -;ection, all cold and hot salads are prepared and readied for· service. In the modem
fine dining service styles, the meal is usually started with a very small portion of an
appetizer known as ~muse bouche, which is prepared by the larder kitcheU:_We shall read
about appetizers in Chapter 3. Apart from salads, the larder kitchen also prepares cold
fruit platters for breakfast and other meal periods. In many hotels, the larder also prepares
the fruit baskets that are sent to guest rooms as amenities.

Sandwich Section
This section of the larder kitchen prepares cold sandwiches and cold plates with salads,
sauces, and condiments for hot sandwiches that are dished out -from the hot kitchen.
· A range of sandwiches that can be used for high tea, a la carte, or even sold packed in
gourmet shoppe outlets in the hotel can be prepared in this section. We will discuss the
range of different types of sandwiches in Chapter 4. Various accompaniments, such as
pickles, salads (such as coleslaw and garden greens), and sauces (such as tartare sauce) are
served with sandwiches. These accompaniments are =als-o prepared by the garde manger.
All these condiments and pickles are also served with salad bars in buffet and the same is
prepared by this section.
 Charcuterie Section
Th. . e of the most skilled areas of a cold kjLchen . It prepa res vario us kinds
of cured
an~s s1::~ ed food. Hot and cold smok ed food is prepa red an_d serve
d as salad s or even
. di nt to b- e used in a sandwich. In earlie r limes, this was one of the
as an mgre e areas that
• f -
a larder kitchen was amous 01 . mo f - s ked meal ilems
, such k d l
.as smo e sa mon, smo. e
k d
f turkey brined and cured pork loin, are some of the most popu lar
breas t o , . . preparat1~ns.
Q'h.is section also makes forcemeats for sausages, galantines, ternn • ~t- t s
es, pa es, e c. , me~
this section is the most specialized area of larder, il is often locate
d as a se~ar ate uml
altogether. Many hotels purch ase ~se produ cts from such places.
Charcutene produ cts
are discussed m detail m Chap ter 2j

Carving Section
Th.is section of larde r kitchen is also a highl y skilled and speci alized
area, that makes
various kinds of decor ative structures from fruits and veget ables or
even from soften ed
butter or margarine . Large ice blocks are carve d to mal_<e logos for
event s or just used as
props in elegant functions. For compai1y-related events, large glass
platte rs with colou rful
gelatine figurines repre sentin g the logos of comp anies are prepa red
in this section. This
section is the busiest of all in festive occasions such as Chris tmas or
any large banq uetin g
event which requires a display of such artistic show pieces. How ever,
trns art is fadin g
away slowly due to the shortage of skilled labour.

Chee se Section
Variety of cheese from all over the world is serve d in hotels and
speci ality restau rants.
The cheese section of the larde r kitchen specializes in prepa ring chees
e platters for buffets
as well as a la carte orders. Vario us kinds of cheese are store d at
ambi ent temp eratu re
and in separate areas as che~ e can pick up stro~g odou rs from other
ingre dient s. This
section also prepares cheese platters for any room amen ities and also
as packa ged item to
be sold to guests . Some of the dishes prepa red by this sectio n are discu
ssed in the sectio n
on international cuisines later in the book.

Appetizers and Hors D'oe uvre s

This section of the larde r kitchen specia lizes in prepa ring appetizers
for snacks, banqu ets,
as well as restaurant orders. yario us kinds of cold appetizers also know
n as h ors d~ vres
in Fre~_ch ~re prepa red and dishe d out from here . Sever al other popu lar
appe tizers , such
as a~tzpa.stz from Italy, mea,e from Leba non, and tapas from Spain ,
are prepa red from this
sect10n. The hot appetizers are prepa red in the hot kitchen, but
the cold appe tizers are
prepa red in the larde r.

Butchery
This is usually a part of th e larde r kitchen but it is separ ated from
the main section,
as it is advisable to process raw and cooke d food separately to a
void conta mina tion.
Various types of meat are cut and portio ned here and suppl ied to vario
us kitch ens. ~~:h
 arc also cut and pro cessed here; but.
in man y
, fish is
CHEF'S TIP hotels, du e to health and hygiene rea~ons
from th e
When the cold kitchen prepares mayonna
ise gen erally pro cessed in an area sep arat e
y form s
butche ry section . In som e hotels, butcher
s, which can be
it accumulates lots of egg white
omm es. If the ove r the
used by hot kitchen to clarify cons
of yolk a par t of th e food stor es to h a ve a control
egg whites do not have a single drop a part of
In them, they can also be used in the
bake ry exp ensive mea t, but in som e hotels it is
of the
kitchen to prepare desserts such as meri
ngues.
the kitchen and directly und er the control
lard er kitch en.

LAYOUT OF A TYPICAL LARDER

cold
garde manger is typi call y an area used for preparing, processing, and storing
Th~
section is also responsible for
ked state. This
pen sha ble food, bot h in raw as well as coo
me at and fish that are eve ntu ally use d by other sections of the hotel to mak e
pro ces sing ed
sauces, etc . are prepared, stor ed, and serv
dishes. All types of hors d'oeuvres, salads, tly,
ctions to be carried out smoothly and efficien
from her e. Therefore, for such crucial fun
l-planned and laid out.
it is imp orta nt that the lard er kitchen is wel
n kitchen as it not only serves a la carte and
Lar der kitchen is always a par t of the mai ny
que ts but is also resp ons ible for roo m amenities, welcome drinks to guests, and ma
ban
por t role s for oth er kitc hen s. Tra diti ona lly the larder kitchen also comprised a
oth er sup
fish pre par atio n area , but with the pas sage of time the con cep t of lard er
but che ry and por t
prepares salads, appetizers, and oth er sup
kitc hen got restricted to a section which es.
the butchery section comes und er food stor
job s for the hot kitchens. In some hotels, the n
stored back into the stores. The me at is
The me at is received and processed and me at
ed to eac h sep ara te kitc hen on a stor eroom requisition. This is don e because
issu
ry to control its use.
bei ng an exp ens ive com mo dity it is necessa
decorative props on the buffet such as
The garde manger is also responsible for are no
lptures, and ice carvings. Tho ugh the re
veg etab le and fruit carvings, but ter scu low
ara te sec tion s allo cate d in the lard er kitc hen for this particular wor k bec aus e of the
sep
of suc h job s, in the eve nt of suc h fun ctio ns, the ice carving is usually don e at a
freq uen cy elling
area. This is don e as it involves a lot of chis
pla ce whi ch is sep ara te from the kitchen
cause slipping.
of ice tha t can spr ead ove r large areas and hen.
is imp orta nt to kee p the wor k flow in min d while pla nni ng the lard er kitc
It
of job s wou ld be per form ed her e at the sam e time so it is imp orta nt to
Various kinds nation.
cessed food to avoid any cross-contami
kee p the raw food sep ara te from the pro ch
1.1 sho ws the mo st trad itio nal layo ut of the garde manger of a five-star hotel, whi
Figure tion
rations of a restaurant. Not e tha t eac h sec
caters to ban que ts as well as a la carte ope clearly
from others. The following sections are
in the lard er kitchen has bee n sep ara ted
bot tom com er; mo vin g anticlockwise.
dem arc ated , starting from the right-hand

Section for Peeling

the pre -pro ces s sec tion whe re all the veg etables and fruits are sanitized and pee led
Thi s is as
stor ed in a refr ige rate d col d roo m kno wn
for further use. The pee led vegetables are our ing
lk-i n' unt il furt her use. The pee ls can be pas sed on to the hot kitc hen for flav
'wa
 /~-y@/ G Veg juicer Bread slicer Gra vity slicer
Pic k-up

I~ f s.n'~')\..409 m~'l<-ilinc:>
counter
Sa ndw ich
counter

0 Banquet
sec tion
Fruit
sec tio n

Re3d Hn Sa lad sectfo n

I
' COO:t>~ It:> s1ora
II Ca nap es
Deep
free zer

Walk-in
Ca rving
I salads a"'a table for storing
f dre ssi ng s vegetables

Q
Cupboard
for
storing tools

s Dough mixer
H
Jui cer Space
E allocated
L tor
peeling
V
E □
s

ar hotel
rde m an ge r of a five -st
Fig l . l Tra ditiona l layout of the ga

d safe. Th is se cti on is us ually at the en tra nc e of the

a.re clean an
stocks, provid ed the peels on.
dir t is ca rried in to th e se cti
kitchen , so that no soil or
Tools and Equipment
Storage Space for Small rd s an d
ls an d eq ui pm en t in a se pa ra te cu pb oa rd . Cu pb oa
too
It is important to store sm all ri ca ted in wo od , as they br ee d germs. On
ly
ould neve r be fab
ot he r such storage ar eas sh
to be used.
stainl ess steel ca binets are

Pick-up Counter up of
od or de rs on a Ia ca rte basis, it is ter me d as pick-
ecutes fo
W he n the garde manger ex ow n as distribution system.
kn
It is
pe ns ed for banquets, it is
foo d. W he n th e food is dis a pl ac e th at is ne ar er to the restauran
t as well
ar ea is loc ate d in
im po rta nt that tl1e pick-up fo r pi ck in g up all the a la carte an d banq
uet
This ar ea is us ed
as th e ban qu et pr em ises.
 ord ~r_s of salads, appetizers, and also sandv.riches. This is a complete refrigerated unit wilh
a refngerated top as well as cabinets to store mise en place. Such a ve rsatile unit allows the
chef to dispense al1 orders from a single place without having to move around too much.

Table for Mise en Place

This table can have equipment such as gravity slicers, juice machine, etc. that will enable
chefs to do mise en place. The sliced meat can be then stored in the pick-up count er or
in the walk-in designated for salads and cold cuts. The table on the left top corner can
be used for mise en place for meat. Buffalo chopper and other related machines can be
installed here.

Other Sections
The central table is used for preparing salads for banquets and functions. Canapes and
bulk sandwiches for the functions can also be prepared here. The prepared salads and
dressings are stored in a separate walk-in until pick up. This table can also be used for
various other purposes such as carving and making decorative show pieces.
This is just a basic set-up of a larder kitchen, but in any establishment the set-up of
sections in a larder can be different. However, there is one thing that is common, that is,
the efficient work flow without any crossing of traffic in the larder.
The cold kitchen can be segregated from the main kitchen and located in a cool
place, but it should not be far away from the main kitchen as it directly supports other
departments of the kitchen. It is important that this area is well lit, airy, and well planned
for the staff to carry out their responsibilities efficiently and effectively.

LARDER EQUIPMENT
Due to the wide variety of tasks performed in the cold kitchen, various kinds of tools and
equipment are used in the larder kitchen some of which are unique to it. These could be
large equipment as well as small tools. As basic tools in the larder kitchen can be used
to perform many intricate tasks, larder chefs become very possessive about the tools and
equipment in their kitchen. Although we would discuss the sections of larder in detail and
cover all basic tools and equipment in later chapters, Table 1. 1 gives an overview of the
most commonly used large equipment and small tools in a larder kitchen.

Table 1. 1 Equipment and tools used in larder kitchen

Equipment/Tools Description Photograph

Buffalo chopper This is a versa~le equipment used for chop-
or bowl cutter ping meat. It cons~sts of a large flat bowl
with a' cutter blade attached vertically. When
the machine is in operation, the bowl moves
and the sharp bl_ade ~otates simultaneou.sly
to cut the meat pieces mto desired size. This

(Contd)
Table 1. 1 (Contd)

Equipment/Tools Description Photograph

machine is particularly used for chopping
meat.a.sit cuts the meat including the sinews.
The meat can then be ground and used for
various preparations such as colcl meat and
sausages.

lV!enJ mincer This equipm ent is used for mincing meat. It

has a spi ral metal rod, a cutting blade, dye,
and closing rim as shm-vn in Fig. 1.2. The
dye is a perforated attachment, which varies
depending on the size of the perforations.
vVhen mtncing meat, it is sensible to begin
with using the lasger dye and subsequently
arriving at the smaller dye. The functioning
of the meat mincer is different from tl1at of
the bowl cutter- this machine is unable to
cut the sinews into smaller pieces.
Bone saw machine This machine is generally used in the butcher
section of the larder kitchen. It has a sharp
saw tooth shaped blade that cuts the bones
of the m eat without splintering them. This
machine should be used with extreme
caution and saJety guidelines should always
be followed when using it. It is common to
see chefs use stainless steel netted gloves
while working on the bone saw to protect
themselves from any injuries. Bone saw machine

Stainless steel glove

G ravit y slicer or m eat It is one of the most commonly used
slicer machines in the larder kitchen. This
equipment is used for slicing meat and other ••;t~ .·,if•.
.r:.; ·-_ ~ .>
commodities such as vegetables and bread.
"V _.,.-
It is commonly used to slice cold cuts for
salads and platters. It is important to clean
,\~
and disinfect this machine after every use in 't
order to prevent contamination.

(Contd)
 Equipment/Tools Description Photograph
Vegetabl e processor It is us~d for various cuts (slicing, shredding,
chopping, etc.) so as _to obtain desired and
uniform shapes and ·sizes of vege tables. It
is generalJy used in an establishment that
operates on volume operations as .it helps
in saving time and manpower. And the end
product is also consistent. This equipment
is available in various capacities and one
should choose the model according to the
kind of operation.
Dough mixer Although this equipment is more often
associated with the bakery. It comes handy in
the cold kitch en too. Here it is used to make
emulsified sauces such as vinaigrettes and
mayonnaise. Many kinds of dough are also
required for certain cold preparations and
the same can be prepared in this machine.
Vacuum packing The main purpose of this equipment is to
machine pack raw or co9~ed products without any
' air so as to pre;erve them for their flavour
and freshness . These days it is also used for
vacuum pack!_ng foods, for sale in the-r etail
market. Some chefs use this equipment to
seal the meat and flavours in a plastic bag
which is then poached in water to prepare
the dishes. This style of cooking is known
as sous vide and is the latest trend to cook
healthy food. Thick plastic bags are used.
The commodity to be packed is put inside
the bag and kept in the machine in such a
way that the opening of the bag protruds
out of the machine. When the lid is closed
and the machine is put on, it first pumps air
into the bag and then extracts all the air with
pressure to vacuum seal the bag. The plastic
pouch can then be labelled and stored in a
freezer or refrigerator.
Sandwich counter This is a refrigerating unit that has cabinets
and a refrigerated open counter top in
which the mise en place can be stored in
small gastronome pans. This set-up helps to
store the mise en place at hand and allows the
chef to dispense the guest orders of salads
.
appetizers, and sandwiches efficiently and
'
effectively.

(Con
 Pho togr apn
~""C'rlption
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S...'.:::~ ,°):..· 6~ c-o.::-_mon h- used ones are :
JJ:_. . .._~ _,:-!..;,.,...~ f'C!ler .\ micr o plan e grat er
:t:t3 2 ~.:.1.2."F :oo: h and its slee k shap e help s
:.._') ::::n:n:·"t,r 2. grip ,,·rul e grat ing spic es and
:.._"):::::::.=:va:ac'"s '5'". .1cb as nucm eg. lem o n, and
e:-½ ~S-. c~ c.
Zm r T '1 ·~ mol is used fo r rem o,in g zest
:::1..~:::: c~c:--1..15 fruilS ruch as lem on and oran ges.
h c.as a s.righd~- cun ·~ tip "ith shar p holes
:.::. rem ove zest ,\i thou t anv bitter
::. ,~·
1
- •r-~
p.:c arra.cb.ed CO tL
CJ:f,:;r;r.?.t e- chan nell er or ch ann el knife is ..\
a bri o: ID.lail peel er thar has a curv ed V
~.ha_?e a! i.he tip or som etim es at its side . It
:1eip s m .remove a thick strip from_ the _sides
of tl:e cirrus fruic_ The frui r is then slice d to
:i e~d dffo rari ve slices.

t ·~ f'- rooh Tbe~e are a rang e of tools used in lard er

kicc-hen for ,·arious task s. The y not only help
m do the job effi ciem1:-· but also help to get
a cons isten t prod uct. Som e of the com mon ly
used cools are:

I Can and bottle opener Lard er kitc hen llies a

lot of cann ed and bor+Jed prod ucts for whi ch
r.his pi~ e of equi pme nt is very han dy. The se
. are aYailab1e in various shap es and sizes.
I (Co ntd
t--:-:~E:-_-
q w_·p_m
---:-e_nV cn~·pcti=o~n:___ _ __ -+---~P:..:.:.:
_ Ti_o_o _h._-t-----_..:::D~e=s= hom~ ap~ -~---
Util ity tools Corer As th e name suggesL.'1) thiB tool ii; uf:cd
for ~OJi ng the _central pa~. of frnit. without I
cuttmg th e fruit open. It u, used when we I
need the frui t intact or it needs to be cut into
slices. Corers are UBed main ly for coring
apples and pears. Some large corers are a!Bo
.used for coring pineapples.

Pitters T hese are the most important small

tools used in larder kitchen. T hey can be
used for removing pits from stone fruits such
as cherries and olives.

Slicers and p eelers A wide range of slicers and peelers are used
in the larder kitchen to slice/peel various
vegetables, frui ts and other commodities. A
few of the ones used commonly are:

Egg slicer It is used for slicing boiled eggs.

It has a curved base on which the boiled egg
is placed. The top cover is made with thin
pieces of wires equidistant from each other.
When pressed over the base, these wires
help to divide the egg into slices of uniform
size.

Egg wedger The concept is same as that of

the egg slicer but in this case the placement
of the wir~s is in such a way that it helps
to divide the eggs into equal wedges or
quarter.

Egg top cutter This tool can be used to slice

off the top of a boiled or even raw egg before
being ser;ved to a guest. It helps to neatly
slice off the top of the egg.

(Contd)
Tobie 1. l (Conto)

Equipment/Toots Photograph
Description
Slicers and peders Qyail egg cutter This specially designed slicer
is used for slicin~ the top of small quail eggs.
The egg fits in the small hole on one of the
blades and the other blade with sharp edge
slices off the top \\ithout damaging the egg.

Mango slicer This is a very unique piece of

tool that can slice the mango in such a way
1 that it takes the pit out of the mango, giving
the maximum yield of the mango without
creating any mess.

I Asparagus peeler The adj ustable blade of

this peeler help~ _to peel asparagus without
wasting any_of its good and edible part.

Tniffle slicer This tool is used for slicing

delicate truffle slices, which are commonly
used in larder kitchen. Since truffles are very
expensive fungus , it is important to have a
good yield and even slices.

Cheese slicer This tool is used for slicing hard

cheese that would be used for decorating
and garnishing salads and appetizers.
A very thin flake can be peeled off from the
cheese block with the help of this tool.

Manaolin slicer This versatile equipment

has multiple uses. It can be used for slicing
commodities to paper thin thickness. It can
also be used for shredding and creating a
wafer with holes also known as gaufrette.

Japanese slicers These are decorative slicers

that are used for making spaghetti shapes
or ribbons from vegetables, such as carrots,
radish, and beetroots, for use in salads and
garnishes.
 0

Handle
~
Blade
0 .·
Spiral metal rod
~

Dyes
Closing rim
Fig. 1.2 Parts of the meat mincer

Knives and Shears

Apart from the equipmen t and tools mentioned in Table 1.1, various kinds of knives,
scissors, and shears are used in the larder kitchen for performing small but importan t
jobs. Since it is one of the sections of the kitchen that also carries out lots of vegetable and
fruit carvings and decorations, the kinds of tools and small decorating knives used here
are varied and unique. Many other kinds of knives apart, from the conventio nal ones,
are used for specific purposes, such as splitting open shells of bivalves (oysters, mussels,
etc.) or for giving a decorative edge to vegetables and fruits. Some of the commonl y used
knives and shears are listed in Table 1.2.
I
Table 1.2 Types of knives and shears used in larder kitchen

Name of tool Description Photograph

Paring knife or vegetable It is used for paring apples and round fruits.
knife The size of the blade varies between 3 and
5 inches.

Turning knife This knife is used to give vegetables various

ornate shapes such as ovals. Such vegetables
are also known as turned vegetables and
hence the name of the knife. The knife has a
slight curved blade that facilitates turning.

(Contd)
Ta ble 1.2 (Contd)

Name of tool Description Photograph

Boning knife This knife is used for removing bones from
the meat. It has a thinner and shorter blade
and is used to cut meat away from the bone.
The heel of the knife is slightly curved so
that the knife can rest on the bone while
de boning.

Filleting knife This is similar to boning knife but has a

flexible blade for the ease of filleting a fish.

Serrated knife This knife is used to cut breads and prepare

sandwiches. Serrated knives are very sharp
and can also be used for cutting tough fruits
such as pineapples.

Smoked salmon knife This knife is used for slicing smoked salmon
into thin slices. It has a long blade measuring
up to 30 cm and is very thin, sharp, and
flexible.

Oyster knife These knives are used for splitting open

oysters. These are also known as oyster
shuckers, as the process of opening oysters
is known as shucking. The oyster knife does
not have a sharp edge, but has a sharp tip, so
it is important to use stainless steel gloves or
a thick duster as a protection while shucking
oysters.
Clam knife This knife has a unique design with a
rounded tip and an edge, which is sharp but
not as sharp as the cutting knife. Such unique
features of this knife help it to extract clam
from its shell in a safe and hygienic manner.

Buntz knife or wavy knife It is also commonly known as decorating

knife. The unique wavy blade of this sharp
knife helps to give vegetables and fruits
wavy shapes. It can also be used to make
net-shaped or gaufrette-shaped vegetables.

(Contd)
 Table 1.2 (Conta)

Name of tool Description Photograph

1 Cheese knife This knife is used on the cheese board to cut
1 various types of cheese b~-a guest The sharp
two-pronged tip facilitates in lifting up the
cut piece of cheese. The holes in the cheese
knife help to cut soft cheese and allow the
cheese to stick to the knife .

Tomato knife This knife is used for slicing tomatoes. It

has a sharp serrated edge and the blade is
approximately 6 inches. The serrated edge
helps slice the tomatoes with ease without
getting mushy. The two-pronged tip helps to
remO\·e the eves of the tomatoes.
J

Deveining knife This knife is used usualh·./

for seafood, such
as prawns, shrimps, and lobsters, to remove
veins from their body parts. The narrow tip
of this knife and the broad base facilitate the
deveining of prawns and shrimps.

Grapefruit knife This is a specially designed knife for removing

tender segments from grapefruit, without
losing much of the juice. The rounded blade
and the curved serrated blade from both the
sides help in removing the segments with
ease.

Chestnut knife Chestnuts need to be scored on the end

before roasting or boiling to release steam
from inside. This prevents the nuts from
popping out and losing their shape. The
short and sharp blade of the chestnut knife
helps to score the end of chestnuts. The size

T T
of the blade is roughly around an inch.

Mincing knife or mea11luna It is also known as mea,aluna because of its

unique half-moon shape with handles at
both ends. It can have a single or hvin blade.
The rocking action of the sharp blades chops
herbs to a fine consistency. ,-....;.' ~

(Contd)
Table 1.2 (Contd)
Photograph
Name of tool Description

Poultry shears These are heavy duty shears used for cutting
poultry and game birds. The curved shape
of the blade allows the shears to cut through
the tough bones of chicken. Though the~e
are known as poultry shears, they are m
fact heavy duty scissors that can be used for
variety of heavy-duty tasks in the kitchen.

Lobster shears These are used for cutting and preparing

lobsters. The short sharp blades help in
splitting the lobster body while the cracker
in the middle of the shear helps to crack the
lobster claws to extract the meat.

Kitchen shears These are heavy-duty pairs of scissors used

for various small tasks in the kitchen. Some
of the kitchen shears are multipurpose and
can be used for various jobs such as cracking
nuts and opening cans and bottles.

HIERARCHY OF LARDER STAFF

Much before the legendary French chef Augustus Escoffier (early part of the twentieth
century) invented the brigade system in kitchen and made a reporting structure, kitchens
were divided into groups known as guilds. Each guild specialized in a certain skill and
art. Thus, there was the guild of bakers, people who made cold cuts and meat, etc. Each
of these guilds had a training system in place and after a person had achieved mastery
over the skill, which took considerable amount of time, they were conferred the title of
master craftsmen. With the onset of modernization in the industry and progression in
hotel business, a strong need was felt to classify the craftsmanship of the chefs into some
form of hierarchical structure. Chef Escoffier is credited for putting together a brigade
system with reporting levels in each section. Garde manger too has its own brigade. The
larder chef is the master chef who has the technical and managerial skills to perform the
tasks of this highly specialized kitchen. Under him/her is a brigade of chefs, cooks, and
com~is who work together as a team to achieve the goals and objectives of the larder
sectwn. The second in command of the larder is the position of sous chefor even a junior
sous chef, commonly referred to as kitchen executive who is responsible for carrying out
the main operations in the department. He/she heads the brigade of chefde parties (CDPs)
 comm only known as chef de partie that are at a superv isory grade. Each
CDP is in charge
of a particu lar section and has few commis and appren tices workin g under
him/ her. An
appren tice is entry level staff who is beginn ing to learn the art and skills
of any kitche n.
After few years of being an appren tice, he/ she would get promo ted to commis
and then up
th e hierar chical ladder based on perfor mance . Figure 1.2 shows the hierarc
hical structu re
of a larder kitche n. In some hotels there are kitche n artists who report
directl y to the
larder chef as theirs is a highly skilled job ,and the artists are maste r craftsm
en.

Larder chef

r
Kitchen executive

i
Kitchen
artist
•
CDP
Hors d'oeuvre
•
CDP·
Charc,uterie
/ +~-,
•
CDP
Butphery
~
CDP
Sauces

•
Commis •
Commis Commis
+
Commis
~
Commis

•
Apprentice •
Apprentice
+
Apprentice •
Apprentice •
Apprentice

Fig. 1.3 Brigade of a larder kitchen of a five-star hotel

DUTl~S AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF LARDER STAFF

__/
With position comes a lot of responsibility and accountability. Ea~h of the ~e~els
in the
kitchen has a set of duties and responsibilities that makes up the JOb descn
ption of the
person at that level. The job responsibilities of each person at various levels in
the larder
kitchen are discussed below.

Larder Chef
· Job title Larder chef
' Department Kitchen
I
Divuion Food and beverage (F&B)
1 Reports to Executive sous chef

Responsibility
It is the responsibility of the larder chef to organize, develo p, and supervise food
produ ction
in the larder kitchen as per standards and recipes devel oped by the execu tive
Her specific responsibilities are to: chef. His/
 1

nternatlonal Cuisine anct FOl."'Li F\t )Ciu~~tk)n tv!Lll)t1\)t)111un1·

" · Train stall' on hnpru\!t'rl ,vnrk pn H'c'dt11•t\N, q11alif y fc)od prod11 cti<>rl, econo,nica l use of
food n1ffterinl~, nnd ntt t'nct ivt' p1't'~l\ff( at ion nf foort it(·tn~
/ )

,,,,, • BP responsiblP f\lt' n.ll fth)(f prncl\H'ii,H1 in tht' aren a:-mig11ttd to hirn/h er
.,,• '11e rPsponsiblt.' fl)t' nvt\rall i'nt)d ens( ront rnl wif hout affecting ~tandard~ and ~pecificatio ns
laid out hy top llH\nHA't)tl\t 'nt
• Account for tht\ nst'. l'\H\~t1rnpticH 1 , ~pnih•H<', 011 d control of food~tuff produced or
stored nn<lor hi~/ ht'r ~npt·rvisil)ll
• J\rconnt for t.ht' n~~·. '-'<)nsutnption, nnd control of all foodH and equipment in the
stations supt'r,·ist·d ll\· hitn/ h('l'
• SupPrvise nnd t.rnin tht' cxt'l'lltivt_\S, Cl) P~, co11unis, and apprentice s; review staff
,vnrking in hi~ ht~r dt'l Ht rt n H'llt
I" • "' Initiate pt'rfnrn1n1u ·t' rt'\'ic,\ls of stnff \lvorking in his/her departmen t

.,.,.., r\Uend tht' dnil~· nnd ,~·c't•kly kitrhtn chef's 1nceting~ and F&B n1eetings
,,,,,-,, ApprO\'(' requisiht)ns fron1 ~ton_•~ for 1natcriab required in his/her stations
>
..• Reconunen rl schvdnlt' t han~-t~s and chn.ngcs in per~onnel for adequate manning of all
stations