“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” Benjamin Franklin

Life skills are an integral part of the curriculum, specially for People of Determination community. They aim to reinforce existing knowledge, positive attitudes and values. Life skills, the basic abilities acquired through direct life experience or learning, move this special community closer to being independent and enhance acceptance and inclusion in social networks. One such learning session was hosted by The Taj Downtown Hotel, Business Bay, Dubai on 22nd June 2024 in collaboration with BYTe – Inclusive Affairs. A masterclass on Food & Beverage Dining Etiquettes was organized by professionals from Taj, for a gathering of persons of determination, i.e. people with special abilities.

The session was aimed to develop an understanding among the targeted community on

• Hygiene requirements before and during dining.
• Table set up – placement of basic cutlery such as spoon, knife, fork and chopsticks etc.,
• Handling and usage of each cutlery item.
• General Dos and Don’ts during the dining session.

These are more than mere rules, they reflect respect, courtesy & social skills and by doing this the intention was to essentially equip them with tools that will instill social confidence in them. This Masterclass on dining and table etiquettes was a step forward for the BYTe community where in they learnt etiquettes and skills which would be helpful in various social settings.

Effective, focused skills development was carried out for 15 People of determination from age 14 and above. PODs were accompanied by one parent each to supervise. But it was heartening to see all PODs being deeply engaged throughout the session and they performed all activities independently.

Team at Taj Dubai, planned the session well. All the aspects, right from the Napkin, Cutlery, Glassware, Food in general to the right table setting was explained in details where the participants actively participated and followed the Master while getting hands on experience which helped them retain learnings.

Entire session on dining experience was creatively summarized in a PPT. A well thought out selection of food & drinks based on the age group/s were served and relished by all. The perfectly executed session ended with participants and the Taj team capturing precious moments in camera. Feedback on highlights of the session and suggestions for future enhancements, were captured. More such sessions shall be arranged to enhance and refine these and other related skills and etiquettes, further, for our Tribe.

We express our deepest gratitude to The Taj Downtown Management , who arranged for this session, reflecting their commitment and dedication towards society and special community, in true Taj Style in line with their legacy of ‘Giving Back to Society’. The unmatched Taj Hospitality of World’s Best hotel brand was visible throughout the session. The Tajness was evident in every interaction we had with people from the hotel. We were indeed left asking for more.

Masterclass in F&B Dining Etiquettes

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