What is a Salver?

A salver is a type of serving tray, classically made from silver, although other metals may be used as well. The defining point of a salver is that it lacks handles, differentiating it from other types of trays. Some salvers have feet, but usually they are simply basic flat trays. Many home and restaurant supply stores carry salvers, in an assortment of shapes, sizes, and designs, and many companies make salvers which are designed to coordinate with existing serving ware, such as tea sets.

The origins of the word “salver” are quite interesting. The word first appeared in English in the 1600s, and it it appears to have been borrowed from the Spanish salvar, which means “to save” or “to taste food for traces of poison.” In royal and high-profile households, it was traditional for a small sample of food to be brought out on a salver for tasting before being offered to the diners, to ensure that the food was not tainted. The tradition of food tasting was once widespread across many regions of the world, reflecting the paranoia which many high-ranking individuals lived with.

The basic form of the salver has been around for centuries, with such trays being among the oldest of all metal objects created by humans. A salver may be plain, or decorated with various chased, beaten, or etched designs, and many have lips, to prevent objects from sliding off the salver as it is moved. An especially small salver is known as a waiter, and some salvers come with a matching waiter for coordinated service.

Both food and drinks can be brought out and served on salvers. In households with very fine salvers, these serving trays are often left prominently on display during buffets and meals, so that guests can admire the ornamentation on the salvers, while plainer trays may be used to shuttle food back and forth between the kitchen and other locations.

Like other silver objects, a salver needs to be kept regularly polished to avoid corrosion. A variety of things can be used to polish silver, ranging from a paste of baking soda and water to commercial silver polishes. A salver should always be dried with a soft cloth before being stored, and contact with rubber and other forms of metal should be avoided, to prevent tarnish and staining. For long term-storage, silver should be wrapped in soft cloth and stored with a chunk of chalk or an anti-tarnish strip to prevent the development of tarnish.