A family meal or staff meal is a group meal that a restaurant serves its staff outside of peak business hours.
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".
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.
Chefs may also use the family meal to experiment with new recipes, or simply whip up something from their own ethnic backgrounds.
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
Ferran Adrià i Acosta (; born 14 May 1962) is a Spanish chef. He was the head chef of the ''El Bulli'' restaurant in Roses, Girona, Roses on the Costa Brava and is considered one of the best chefs in the world. He has often collaborated with h ...
of
elBulli
El Bulli () was a restaurant near the town of Roses, Catalonia, Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Fu ...
(2011)
* ''Staff Meals from Chanterelle'' by
David Waltuck
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
(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
*
List of restaurant terminology
This is a list of restaurant terminology. A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money, either paid before the meal, after the meal, or with a running tab. Meals are generally served and eaten ...
References
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External links
Family Meal- A chef describes his experiences preparing staff meals early in his career
Restaurant terminology
Employment compensation