The sideboard is normally where the hot and cold beverage services are set up for the meals. Additionally, extra tableware is placed on the sideboard.

Setting Up the Hot Beverage Service

The principal hot beverage used aboard ship is coffee. Hot tea or hot chocolate also may be used if desired by wardroom members. The hot beverage service should beset up following placement of the linen on the sideboard. The following steps explain beverage service setup.

1. To set up this service, you should take coffeepots from the sideboard to the pantry and obtain enough coffee for the meal. You should have one coffeepot for each 10 to 12 diners. Place the pots on the sideboard coffee warmers. Select at least one coffee pitcher for each dining table and place on the linen next to the coffee warmers. Coffee servers should be filled just before serving and should not be placed on the warmers.

2. To setup hot tea or chocolate, you should put hot water in a coffeepot and set it on the coffee warmer. Arrange tea serving pots next to the warmer. The number of teapots is determined by the wardroom supervisor or through experience. Tea bags or hot chocolate packets should be placed next to the serving pots.

Setting Up the Cold Beverage Service

To setup the cold beverage service, you should take serving pitchers from the sideboard to the pantry to obtain the cold beverages. Water is always made available even if another beverage is served. Cold beverages are prechilled and placed on the table just before announcing the meal. The pitchers should be ready on the sideboard for refills.

When fruit juices are included on the breakfast menu, a galley serving pan insert should be filled with enough ice to cover half the height of the glasses. It should then be placed on the sideboard, and the juice glasses then filled to the bulge with juice, and placed in the ice to cool.

Setting Up Extra Tableware

The required amount of extra tableware will normally be determined by the wardroom supervisor. Extra tableware should be included for occasional breakage of china during meals and the likelihood of unexpected diners. If a second seating of diners is required, tableware should be placed on the sideboard to permit quick resetting of the dining table after the first seating has finished.

Obtain and neatly place the necessary items on the covered portion of the sideboard. Dishes and bowls may be stacked several high. Cups and glasses should not be stacked, especially during rough seas. Silverware should be arranged by type and napkins should be prefolded and stacked near the silverware.