Family meal

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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