Hospitality & Catering
Hospitality & Catering — 20 high-frequency words, with pronunciation, collocations, tricky words and four interactive exercises.
📌 Lesson contents
🎯 Lesson goal
The professional vocabulary of the dining room, kitchen and front desk 🍽️: what you really need on a work placement or at work. It includes service verbs (take an order, seat a guest), the roles in the kitchen team and the standard phrases for handling a complaint with elegance. 🚀
🗂️ Word Bank
Tap 🔊 to hear the British pronunciation. The IPA transcription is under each word.
📖 Words in context
Evening service: forty covers · tap a highlighted word to hear it.
Six o'clock. The head chef checks the deliveries, the sous-chef organises the kitchen brigade, and the waiting staff set forty covers. There is a booking for a party of twelve at eight, and last Saturday two tables were a no-show, so tonight the manager has confirmed everything by phone.
The rule in front of house is simple: seat a guest quickly, offer water, then take an order without rushing them. Before the starters go out, every waiter must ask about dietary requirements and check the allergen list — in food safety there is no room for improvisation.
At half past nine there is one complaint: a risotto sent back because it was under-seasoned. The chef remakes it, adds a fresh garnish, and the manager removes the service charge from the bill. The guests leave happy and, to everyone’s delight, leave a tip. In peak season this is a quiet evening.
🔗 Collocations & chunks
Words are learnt in pairs, not alone: memorise the whole chunk.
| Chunk / collocation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| provide excellent service | give guests the best help | We aim to provide excellent service. |
| handle a complaint | deal with an unhappy guest | Learn how to handle a complaint calmly. |
| cater for a group | provide food for many people | We can cater for up to eighty guests. |
| under health and safety regulations | following the official safety rules | This is required under health and safety regulations. |
| fully booked | no tables or rooms left | We're fully booked on Saturday. |
| run out of stock | have none left to sell | We ran out of sea bass by ten. |
⚠️ Tricky words
| English word | Real meaning ✅ | Watch out ❌ |
|---|---|---|
| menu | the list of dishes you can order | A set menu is a fixed-price meal; the menu itself is just the list. |
| sensible | assennato | Not the same as sensitive (= easily upset) |
| preservative | conservante | |
| estate | a large area of land with a big house or farm | Not a season: the hot season is summer |
🎚️ Register: when to use them
| Expression | Register | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| What can I get you? | informal | bars, pubs, trendy places |
| Are you ready to order? | neutral | standard in almost every restaurant |
| May I take your order? | formal | high-end dining |
| I do apologise for the delay. | formal | the right phrase when handling a complaint at a hotel |
🚫 Common mistakes to avoid
| Mistake ❌ | Correct ✅ |
|---|---|
| I work in a restaurant like waiter. | I work in a restaurant as a waiter. |
| The client asked for the account. | The customer asked for the bill. |
| We have 40 covers reserved. | We have 40 covers booked. |
| I have made a stage in a hotel. | I did a work placement in a hotel. |
🎮 Vocabulary gym
Four ways to train the same 20 words. Your progress is saved on this device.
Tap the card to flip it.
Tap an English word, then its meaning. Eight pairs per round.
Complete the ten sentences with the right word. The 💡 hint helps you.
- She works in .💡 the hotel, restaurant and tourism business
- He's in charge of .💡 the part of the restaurant where guests sit
- The starts at seven.💡 the team of cooks
- The designs the menu.💡 the chef in charge of the kitchen
- The runs the service tonight.💡 the chef who is second in command
- We need more in August.💡 waiters and waitresses
- Could you for table six?💡 write down what guests want
- Always within two minutes.💡 lead a guest to the table
- We have a for twelve at eight.💡 a table reserved in advance
- Two tables were a last night.💡 guests who reserve but don’t come