Guests watch you handle their glasses, ice and garnishes up close. Good personal hygiene, treating ice as food and working clean as you go keep germs and broken glass out of their drinks.
Why it matters
Guests judge a venue's cleanliness by what they see. One finger on a glass rim can lose their trust instantly.
Key ideas
Ice is food
Use a clean scoop, never hands or a glass. If glass breaks near ice, melt it all away, known as burning the ice.
Handling glassware
Hold glasses by the base or stem, never the rim, and never stack them inside each other.
Personal hygiene
Wash hands after money, rubbish, your face or phone. Cover cuts with a waterproof plaster and report illness to your manager.
Step by step
- 1
Wash your hands before starting and after every break.
- 2
Clean and sanitise the counter before service.
- 3
Use tongs or a pick for garnishes.
- 4
Check each glass for chips and marks before use.
- 5
Clear used glasses and wipe spills straight away.
Do
- Use separate cloths for spills, counters and polishing.
- Keep cloths in sanitiser and change them often.
- Throw away any glass with a chip, however small.
Common mistakes
- Don't scoop ice with a glass.
- Don't touch your face or phone, then serve without washing.
- Don't return garnish to the tray once it has touched the counter.
The situation
A glass breaks on the edge of the ice well and you cannot see where the pieces went.
What a professional does
You stop using that ice, warn colleagues, then melt the ice with hot water, remove the glass, clean the well and refill it.
Useful phrases
“Broken glass in the ice! I'm burning the well.”
“Can you cover my section while I wash my hands?”
Pro tip
If you would not want a guest to see it, do not do it at the counter.
Quick check
Why should you never scoop ice with a glass?
Think about it, then show the answer
The glass can chip, and tiny pieces are almost invisible in ice, so they could end up in a drink.