Restaurant Server and Host Course (UK): Lessons 2026

Lesson 1: Greeting, seating and the host stand

The host is the first and last person many guests meet. A good host makes sure guests are welcomed, tables are shared fairly and nobody is forgotten at the door.

The first few seconds

• Acknowledge every guest straight away, even if you are on the phone or writing in the book. A smile and "Good evening, I'll be with you in a moment" is enough.
• Ask if they have a booking, then check the name and number of guests.
• Walk guests to the table at their pace and tell them who their server will be.

Reservations

For every booking, take the name, number of guests, date, time and a contact number, and read them back. Note any requests: a high chair, step-free access, a quiet table, a birthday or an allergy. An allergy on the booking is a useful warning, but the server still confirms it at the table.

If a booked guest arrives late, explain your late-arrival policy calmly and offer the best option you have, such as the next free table.

Walk-ins and the waitlist

• Give an honest wait time and say it is an estimate. Consumer law bans misleading customers.
• Take a name and phone number so you can call or text when the table is ready.
• Seat walk-ins in the order they arrived. Never judge guests by how they look.

Sharing tables between sections

Most dining rooms are split into sections, one per server. Hosts usually rotate new tables between sections so no server is overloaded and every table gets prompt service.

Disabled guests and the Equality Act 2010

In England, Wales and Scotland, the Equality Act 2010 says a business that serves the public must not discriminate against a person, for example by refusing service or offering worse terms. Northern Ireland has its own equality law. Businesses must also make reasonable adjustments so disabled people are not put at a substantial disadvantage, and the disabled person cannot be charged for the cost of those adjustments.

Families and young people

Offer a high chair or booster seat early. In Scotland, licensed premises must display an A4 notice where customers enter, saying whether children and young people are allowed in. Check what your venue's licence allows before seating under-18s in a bar area.

Saying goodbye

Thank guests, check everything was fine and invite them back. Clear the table once they have left.

Topic quiz 1: Greeting, seating and the host stand

Lesson 2: Menu knowledge and taking orders

Before service

• Attend the pre-shift briefing: specials, recipe changes and items that have run out ("86'd").
• Know each dish: ingredients, cooking method, spice level, portion size and sides.
• Know where the allergen information is kept (Lesson 3).

Taking the order

1. Greet the table soon after they sit and offer drinks.
2. Ask every table whether anyone has a food allergy or intolerance before the order goes to the kitchen.
3. Write the order using seat numbers (seat 1 nearest a fixed point, then clockwise), so anyone can deliver each dish to the right person.
4. Note changes clearly, such as "sauce on the side".
5. Read the order back to the table.
6. Enter it into the till or POS straight away, with any allergy flags, and send courses at a comfortable pace ("firing" each course).

If you make a mistake in the POS, tell the kitchen at once and correct it the way your restaurant does. Hiding mistakes wastes food and time.

Honest upselling

Suggesting a side, a drink that suits the dish or a dessert is part of good service, as long as it is honest. Since 6 April 2025, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 contains the main UK rules against unfair commercial practices, such as misleading actions, misleading omissions and aggressive practices.

• Do: describe dishes truthfully, suggest things that go well together, and accept a "no" politely.
• Do not: say fish is "fresh today" or a dish is "homemade" unless you know it is true.
• Do not: claim a cheaper item has run out, or keep pushing after a guest has said no.
• If you do not know an answer, say "Let me check with the kitchen for you."

Calories on menus in England

In England, businesses with 250 or more employees must show calories (kcal) and portion size next to items on menus, on food labels at the point of choice, and on their websites and delivery apps. Menus must also carry the statement "adults need around 2000 kcal a day" (not needed on children's menus). A menu with calories must be offered by default; a menu without calories may be given if a guest asks for one. Smaller businesses are encouraged, but not required, to do the same. These rules apply in England only.

Topic quiz 2: Menu knowledge and taking orders

Lesson 3: Allergens and dietary needs

For a guest with a food allergy, a mistake can be life-threatening. Servers are the link between the guest and the kitchen.

The 14 allergens

UK food law requires businesses to declare these 14 allergens when used as ingredients. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) guides England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Food Standards Scotland covers Scotland.

• Celery
• Cereals containing gluten (such as wheat, rye, barley and oats)
• Crustaceans (such as prawns, crabs and lobsters)
• Eggs
• Fish
• Lupin
• Milk
• Molluscs (such as mussels and oysters)
• Mustard
• Peanuts
• Sesame
• Soya
• Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (declared above 10 parts per million)
• Tree nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios, Brazil and macadamia nuts)

Guests can react to other foods too, so always take what they tell you seriously.

How allergen information must be given

• Restaurant meals and other non-prepacked food: the business must give allergen information for every item that contains any of the 14. It can be written in full (menu, chalkboard or information pack), or given verbally if a clearly visible written notice tells guests how to get it. The FSA says written information supported by a conversation works best.
• Prepacked for direct sale (PPDS): food packed on the same premises it is sold from, before it is ordered, such as sandwiches or salads packed in the café. Since 1 October 2021 (Natasha's Law), the label must show the name of the food and a full ingredients list, with allergens emphasised, for example in bold. This applies in Scotland as well.
• Takeaway and delivery: allergen information must be available before the customer buys and when the food is delivered.

Local authorities enforce these rules. Food businesses must also make sure staff receive allergen training; the FSA offers free online food allergy training.

From the table to the kitchen

1. Ask about allergies before taking every order.
2. Check the recorded allergen information (often an allergen matrix) for every part of the dish: sauce, garnish, oil and sides.
3. If you cannot be sure a dish is safe, say so honestly. Never guess and never say "it should be fine".
4. Flag the allergy in the POS and tell the chef in person.
5. Check the dish at the pass and, where possible, carry it to the guest yourself.

Cross-contamination and "free-from" claims

Allergens spread through shared utensils, hands, surfaces and oil. The FSA's example: oil used for battered fish must not be used for chips sold as gluten-free. A "free-from" claim (such as "gluten-free") is a guarantee that the food is suitable for everyone with that allergy, so it can only be made with strict controls. Vegan dishes are not automatically free from milk or egg, because traces can get in during production.

Guests may also avoid foods for religious, ethical or health reasons (halal, kosher, vegetarian, vegan or an intolerance). Treat every request with respect and check rather than assume.

If a guest has a severe reaction

Signs of anaphylaxis include a swollen throat or tongue, difficult or noisy breathing, feeling faint and pale or blue skin or lips. The NHS advises: use their adrenaline auto-injector if they have one, call 999, help them lie down with legs raised (or sit up slowly if breathing is hard), and use a second auto-injector after 5 minutes if they have not improved. They should not stand or walk, even if they feel better.

Topic quiz 3: Allergens and dietary needs

Lesson 4: Serving alcohol legally and responsibly

Alcohol licensing law is different in each part of the UK. England and Wales use the Licensing Act 2003, Scotland uses the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, and Northern Ireland has its own licensing law. Your venue's licence and policies add more rules.

The licensing objectives

In England and Wales there are four licensing objectives: preventing crime and disorder, public safety, preventing public nuisance and protecting children from harm. Scotland's Act adds a fifth: protecting and improving public health.

Under-18s

• It is an offence to sell alcohol to anyone under 18 (section 146 of the 2003 Act). Scotland has the same offence in its own Act.
• It is also an offence for an adult to buy alcohol on behalf of someone under 18.
• England and Wales exception: a 16 or 17-year-old may drink beer, wine or cider with a table meal if an adult (18 or over) buys it and an adult is with them at the meal. They cannot buy it themselves.
• Young staff (England and Wales): 16 and 17-year-olds can serve alcohol in a restaurant when a responsible person, such as the licence holder or manager, has approved the sale.

Checking ID

Every licensed venue in England and Wales must have an age verification policy requiring ID from anyone who appears under 18, or an older age set by the policy. Many venues choose Challenge 21 or Challenge 25: ask for ID from anyone who looks younger than 21 or 25. Photo ID must show a photograph, date of birth and a hologram or ultraviolet feature. Since 15 September 2026, a venue's policy may also allow digital ID, but only when the venue has an agreement with a registered digital verification service that confirms the customer's age. Only accept the types of ID your venue's policy allows.

The law gives a defence if you took all reasonable steps: you asked for evidence of age and it would have convinced a reasonable person. "They said they were 19" is not enough.

In Scotland, the mandatory age verification policy applies to anyone who appears to be under 25, so Challenge 25 is the legal minimum there. Documents named in the Scottish Act include a passport and a UK driving licence.

Who can authorise sales, and training

• England and Wales: every sale must be made or authorised by someone with a personal licence, and the premises must have a designated premises supervisor. Servers do not each need a personal licence, but your venue's licence or employer may require training.
• Scotland: staff who sell or serve alcohol and do not hold a personal licence must have completed prescribed training of at least 2 hours, and a training record must be kept on the premises.

This lesson is background knowledge only. It does not replace your venue's training or Scotland's required training.

Drunk guests

It is an offence for staff who are authorised to sell alcohol to knowingly sell it to a person who is drunk. Watch for slurred speech, unsteadiness and loud or aggressive behaviour. A friend ordering "for them" is a warning sign too.

1. Tell your manager or the person in charge.
2. Refuse politely and privately: "I'm sorry, I can't serve you any more alcohol tonight."
3. Do not argue. Offer water or food and help arrange a taxi.
4. Record the refusal if your venue keeps a refusals log.

Mandatory conditions you will see every shift

• No irresponsible promotions, such as drinking games with time limits or "as much as possible" rules.
• Free tap water on request, where reasonably available (Scotland has a similar rule).
• Small measures (England and Wales): beer or cider by the half pint, gin, rum, vodka and whisky in 25 ml or 35 ml, and still wine in a 125 ml glass. These must be on the menu or price list, and guests who do not say how much they want must be told they are available.

Topic quiz 4: Serving alcohol legally and responsibly

Lesson 5: Tips, payments, side work and teamwork

The tipping law

Since 1 October 2024, the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 and a statutory code of practice apply in England, Scotland and Wales (Northern Ireland has separate employment law). The main rules:

• Qualifying tips include tips, gratuities and service charges (voluntary or automatic) that the employer receives or controls, whether paid by card, cash, app or QR code.
• Cash tips you keep with no employer control are not covered, nor are app tips paid straight to you.
• Employers must pass qualifying tips on to workers without deductions (with very limited exceptions, such as income tax).
• Tips must reach workers no later than the end of the month after the month the customer paid. A tip left on 23 June must be paid by 31 July.
• The split must be fair, but not necessarily equal. Factors can include role (front or back of house), hours worked, performance, seniority or length of service. Factors must not discriminate, and any agreement from staff must be genuine, not pressured.
• If tips are regular, the employer needs a plain-language written tipping policy all workers can see. Changes must be known to all staff from the day they start.
• Employers must keep records for three years. You can make one written request every three months to see the total tips and your own share (not other workers' shares).
• Agency workers are covered too.

If you think tips are not shared fairly, raise it with your employer first. Acas gives free, impartial advice and can help with mediation, and unresolved complaints can go to an employment tribunal.

Tips, pay and tax

• Tips do not count towards the National Minimum Wage. Check current rates on GOV.UK.
• Tips paid straight to you: Income Tax is due and you tell HMRC; National Insurance is not payable.
• Tips through payroll or a tronc (a separate tip-sharing scheme): tax is taken through your pay; National Insurance depends on how involved your employer is in sharing them out.

Bills and payments

• Check the bill matches what was served before presenting it.
• If a service charge is on the bill, make that clear so guests do not tip twice by mistake.
• To split a bill, ask how: by item, by seat or equally. Use seat numbers to make it quick.
• Take card payments at the table so the card stays in the guest's sight.
• Count change back clearly and never leave cash unattended.

Side work, closing and teamwork

Side work keeps service running: restocking, polishing glasses, filling condiments and cleaning stations. A written checklist makes sure nothing is missed and the work is shared fairly. At closing, finish your section, hand over anything unfinished and complete your payment check-out.

Good teams run food for each other using seat numbers, call out "behind" or "hot" in busy areas, and help a colleague who is overloaded.

Topic quiz 5: Tips, payments, side work and teamwork