Family meal

[1] The restaurant provides the meal free of charge, as a perk of employment.

[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 do not 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.