Silver service (in British English) is a method of food service at the table, with the waiter transferring food from a serving dish to the guest's plate, always from the left.
It is performed by a waiter using service forks and spoons from the diner's left.
In France, it appears to be now known as service à l'anglaise ("English service"),[1] although historically that meant something else, with the hostess serving out the soup at one end of the table, and later the host carving a joint of meat at the other end, and diners serving themselves with other dishes present.
Left-handed waiters may use their right hand; to serve the food, the waiter stands behind the guest and to the guest's left, holds or supports the platter with their left hand and serves the food with their right hand.
It is common for the waiter to hold the serving fork above the serving spoon both in the right hand, and use the fingers to manipulate the two as a pincer for picking up, holding and transferring the food.