Serving trays are very important functional items usually used to carry plates of food and dishes to diners. This is the reason why they must be able to deal with relatively heavy weight, be completely flat and include a lip or ledge to keep the items in place. The vast majority of serving trays have handles that come in the form of lips or ears and have finger holes (even though some of them don’t have such holes).
In the past, serving trays were found and used in big houses to carry food from the kitchen to the dining area. The majority of rectangular trays were made to follow the length of people’s shoulders, so the carrier could go through a doorway without the need to turn. This is quite natural because they used serving trays for carrying jugs of water and wine, bowls of veggies and fruits, platters of meats, toast rack and tureens and any drop or spillage could cause a huge problem. Serving trays in the past were often a sign of rank and position in society because many of them were personalised and people could recognise the specific style of trays and associate them with certain nobility and royalty.
Today, there are many different kinds of serving trays. For instance, there are Butlers’ trays which share some characteristics with modern TV table trays. The main difference is that these trays are made from a wide range of materials like exotic woods, animal horn trim, metal etc. Of course, the materials used in modern trays are even more versatile, being made from plastic and wood to metal and melamine. Modern trays are much more practical – they allow people to carry greater weight and they can be cleaned easily. Even though rectangular trays are still the most popular type of serving trays, many people use circular/round trays and oval trays too. In addition, there are bean bag trays, non-slip varieties, and nesting trays that are available.
The serving tray is an essential commercial kitchen accessory and a must for every restaurant.
