MISE EN PLACE: PUT EVERYTHING IN IT’S PLACE

Mise en Place is a French culinary phrase referring to the preparation of your section, or area in a kitchen.

 

It covers all of your equipment and ingredients. In other words, everything that is essential to your daily job.

 

With an effective mise en place, every aspect of your menu will be ready to be used to create the order.

 

The term Mise en Place literally means “set in place”.

 

For chefs – Mise En Place is LIFE.

 

Google it – thousands of tattoos plastered all over chefs arms. Without mise en place, kitchen’s wouldn’t function effectively.

 

What’s different about a high volume bar with loads of cocktails, wines and spirits?

 

NOTHING!

 

Let’s take a look at how we can apply Mise En Place to our bars and venues. We will look at both physical and mental Mise En Place and how you guys can develop it.

 

History Of Mise En Place

Mise En Place needs to be applied in all areas of our Bar and is vital to great service – everything has a place – and if it doesn’t, IT SHOULD!

 

This is Anthony Bourdain. He was a very famous chef and a very successful one at that. Some say an absolute Hero.

 

In his book Kitchen Confidential he famously says…

 

“DON’T F*** WITH THE MEEZ” “The universe is in order when your station is set up the way you like it: you know where to find everything with your eyes closed, everything you need during the course of the shift is at the ready at arm’s reach, your defences are deployed. If you let your mise-en-place run down, get dirty and disorganized, you’ll quickly find yourself spinning in place and calling for backup.”

Think of your Mise en Place as the Pit crew of in a formula 1 race.

 

If everything is in its place everything should run smoothly.

 

This is down to ON POINT MISE EN PLACE. Think of the people in the Pit Crew as your lemon slices, your lime wedges, your fruit juices and Bev naps.

 

When things aren’t in their place … it can go horribly wrong like the pit crew in the Monaco Grand Prix 2016. Daniel Ricardo was beating Lewis Hamilton but when he pulled in to change the tires on his car the pit crew weren’t ready … causing him to lose the race.

 

This is a perfect example of bad Mise en Place. Its easy for everything to go wrong if not everything is in place.

 

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I’ll spend the first four sharpening the axe”

– ABRAHAM LINCOLN

This is not a new theory and a huge life lesson!

 

*Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.

 

*By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

 

WHAT MAKES UP YOUR BARTENDERS MISE EN PLACE?

*Limes

 

*Bev Naps

 

*Straws

 

*Garnishes

 

*Ice

 

*Lemons

 

*Back Up Spirits

 

*Juices

 

*Drinks Menus

 

*Back Up Soft Drinks

 

EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE – Obsess over it – saving seconds is everything and so beneficial to service.

 

One of the most key things to keeping your Mise en place in check is constantly cleaning as you go. Keeping your section organised is imperative to a perfect service. There is nothing worse than going to grab a bottle from the back bar and finding somewhere it shouldn’t be. Not only does this risk spilling it but it slows down service for everyone within your team.

 

It takes seconds to put things back where they belong make sure we do it!! Keep your bar spotless. Face bottles forward. Keep the bar top clean, because this leaves a lasting impression that will impress the customers and show them your dedication to the job.

 

Using two hands at all times – this will make mixing and multi-serving a lot easier. You can practice at home – you can actually train yourself to be ambidextrous this will speed up your service by an awful lot.

 

PHYSICAL Mise En Place

THE ELECTRICIAN’S TOOLKIT

 

THE BARTENDER’S TOOLKIT

Image Source

 

The most important assets for any profession are the right tools.

 

You need basic bar tools to mix, serve, and store your food and drink.

 

Whether you’re stocking a home bar or working as a professional, An electrician wouldn’t dream of going to work without their toolkit

 

So make sure your station is set with everything that you need.

 

You shouldn’t have to leave your station at all whilst serving if you have set up your Mise En Place properly. All of your tools plus everything that you will need to create your drinks should be at hand at all times.

 

Further reading: Job Roles Within Your Bar Explained

Don’t have your own bartenders toolkit? Check out some of the best ones here.

 

MENTAL Mise En Place

Knowledge Is POWER!! And communication is key.

 

At the start of every shift, your team should communicate important information through a brief.

 

What beers have we run out of?

Do we have any special drinks on?

Are there any special requirements for bookings/VIP’s?

 

Don’t leave anything to chance.

 

You should be on top of everything throughout your shift. What’s coming up, what time is everyone breaks etc… Think of it as your shift to-do list. Mental Mise En Place means that you are on top of everything and able to respond to changes in that plan.

 

Being organised and ready is a very important part of Mise En Place. Ever heard the phrase “All the gear and no idea”?

 

Don’t let that be you. Get your mental Mise En Place in order.

 

Conclusion

Set up, get ready, put everything in its place.

 

Be ready for that shift, otherwise you will always be one step behind.

 

Getting your Mise En Place in order is imperative to keeping your stress levels in check. When you aren’t stressed you have more energy for service, more time for the customers and a better time on your shift.

 

It’s a no brainer, get your Mise En Place sorted bartenders!

 

Thank us later. Let us know below if you enjoyed learning about Mise En Place.