Guide · Captains
Banquet special meals and food allergies: who does what
Written by a hotel banquet operations manager ·
A special meal is a plate that differs from the menu for one guest, and the safe way to run one is a chain with named people: the event order lists it, a manager checks the allergens with the kitchen, the captain knows which guest it is for, and the server never answers an allergy question from memory.
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The chain, step by step
This chain is practice advice from the banquet floor; the sections below say what Hotelwright does.
| Step | Who | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The order | Sales / event order | The "Special meals" line lists counts and needs, for example "3 vegan, 1 shellfish allergy". |
| 2. The read | Banquet office | The line is carried onto the day's paperwork so the team sees it. |
| 3. The allergen check | Manager and kitchen | The menu's allergens are checked against the actual dishes and a manager confirms them. |
| 4. The line-up | Captain | The captain tells the crew how many special plates there are and where they sit. |
| 5. Service | Captain and server | Special plates go to the guest by name or seat; the server asks the captain about any question. |
(Examples are made up.)
Where Hotelwright shows the line
The event order's "Special meals" field is read as text and shown on the Daily Event Sheet, on the line-up card, and on the shift screen of the staff phone app as "Special meals: ...". It is a free-text line copied from your order: it does not list guest names and Hotelwright does not decide what a safe plate is.
Allergens on the menu items
For an event with a menu, Hotelwright reads the menu into dishes and holds each dish's Contains line back until a manager confirms the event's allergens. It shows hints on dish names and descriptions (for example a word like cream or bread), and each hint has to be resolved before confirmation: tick the allergen, or mark it "Not in this dish". A hint is a prompt, not a check; a dish with no hint can still contain an allergen, and the hotel is responsible for what it confirms. Changing a dish's name, description or Contains after confirmation clears the confirmation. See buffet labels with allergens.
What to do when a guest tells a server
- Don't guess, and don't repeat what you remember about the dish.
- Find the captain at once.
- The captain checks with the chef against the recipe and the event order.
- The guest hears the answer from the captain or the chef.
- If the plate needs to be made specially, tell the kitchen early, before the course is fired.
A pre-shift checklist for special meals
- How many special plates, and which kinds?
- Who is each one for, and where do they sit?
- Who in the kitchen is making them, and who carries them?
- Where do servers send an allergy question? (the captain, always)
Put these four on the pre-shift sheet (see the pre-shift meeting template).
FAQ
What banquet managers ask.
What are special meals on a BEO?
The line on the event order for plates that differ from the menu, such as vegan, vegetarian or allergy plates. It usually gives counts and sometimes notes.
Who should handle a guest's food allergy at a banquet?
The banquet captain, working with the chef. Servers pass the question on rather than answering it.
Does Hotelwright track each guest's allergy?
No. It carries the event order's Special meals line as text, and it prints the Contains lines a manager has confirmed for the menu.
Do I need to warn the kitchen before the event?
It helps to. The earlier the kitchen knows, the more room it has to prepare the plate properly. Your house standard sets the cut-off.
Does the label cover special meals?
Labels cover the menu dishes on the line. A special plate is not labelled by the buffet label; the captain tells the guest.