English on the Move
Ein Mitarbeiter soll mit einem offiziellen Mittagessen in den Ruhestand entlassen werden. Die Vorbereitungen laufen auf vollen Touren – und auf Englisch.
A celebration lunch
Contacting the hotel
Carina: Manor Court Hotel, banqueting, Carina James.
Marie: Good morning. My name is Marie Anderson. I’m calling from Arco Engineering. I’m the PA to the head of finance. One of our co-workers is retiring and we want to organize a celebration lunch for him.
Carina: Let me take down some details and I’ll tell you how we can help you. First of all, when would you like the lunch to take place, and how many people would be involved? Marie: In the week beginning 3 September — preferably on the Friday. And we’ll be around 20 people.
Carina: Would you prefer a private function room or a corner of our restaurant?
Marie: A private room.
Carina: I’m just checking our diary. We have two rooms free on Friday, 7 September, that are suitable for 20 people. Perhaps you could call round to check the facilities and discuss arrangements.
Checking the facilities
Carina: This is the Beaufort Suite.
Marie: The room is L-shaped. Can you get 20 people around one table here?
Carina: No. It would be two round tables. If you want one long table, then the Clarendon Room might suit you better. Let me show you… This is the Clarendon.
Marie: Very nice. Carina: You can have one long table for up to 24 people. There’s also a fireplace, where we can have a log fire going for you if you like. Marie: That sounds cosy. Is this more expensive than the Beaufort?
Carina: Slightly. The room hire for the Beaufort is £150. The Clarendon is £200.
Marie: Right. Now, how about food?
Carina: Let me show you some possible menus.
Discussing menus
Carina: Would you prefer a buffet meal or waiter service?
Marie: Probably waiter service. But tell me about the buffet.
Carina: There are two options — a finger buffet or a fork buffet. The finger buffet is lighter. With a fork buffet, people help themselves from a long table under the window. This costs £25 per head.
Marie: How about the sit-down option?
Carina: Here’s a sample menu. You can see we offer a wide variety of choices, including vegetarian options.
Marie: We have a couple of people who are vegans and one or two with food allergies. Can you deal with those?
Carina: If our chef knows beforehand, he can certainly manage the situation.
Marie: How much does the sit-down lunch cost? Carina: That’s £35 per head.
Agreeing the arrangements
Marie: I’ve just been on the phone to my boss and we’ve agreed that I should book the Clarendon Room for 7 September with the threecourse waiter-service menu.
Carina: Great. Thank you. I’ll need a deposit of £200 to secure the room. The rest can be settled after the event.
Marie: There’ll be some speeches during the meal. The waiters will need to know when to stop clearing things away.
Carina: When you come in on the day, you can talk to Antonio, our head waiter. He’ll look after you and any requirements you have.