Herbert Berger has a scrupulously methodical mind. He needs to have to survive what must be one of the largest banqueting jobs in London.

As executive chef of the Café Royal, he co-ordinates a brigade of 40 chefs serving food in three restaurants, a bar and 21 banqueting suites on 10 floors. At maximum capacity, Berger and his team may serve up to 2,500 sit-down guests at one service, contributing to an annual turnover of £6m on food alone.

But, sitting in the splendour of the Café Royal's premier restaurant, the Grill Room, Berger does not appear a man easily fazed by the stresses of such a major job. Indeed, he seems to relish the pace. "It is a fascinating place to be working in, there is never a dull moment," he says.

The offer of the capital's premier banqueting job three years ago came just at the right time for Berger. His own restaurant, Keats, in Hampstead, had been bought by The Restaurant Partnership in an attempt to save it from the onslaught of recession, but trading times were still difficult.

The opportunity to move into a job offering the huge challenge of recreating the glamour and prestige that the 130-year-old business had enjoyed in the past was too good to miss.

"When I arrived, the Café Royal's reputation was dreadful," says Berger. "My brief was to improve and up-date the food, which was very much stuck in a time warp."

The owner of the Café Royal since 1954, Forte, has backed Berger in his efforts by bringing in new management, spending money both front and back of house, and investing heavily in market research and marketing. New ovens alone have cost £200,000 and allow for more service of plated food.

But the outlay is seen as worth while. The Grill Room received a much-publicised Michelin star a year ago and banqueting has achieved a growth of 25% a year over the past three years, doubling both covers and revenue. Around 10,000 people a week now eat at the Café Royal.

Berger says he can only cope with the job by being totally organised. The Café Royal's recent award of the BS EN ISO9000 certification provides an invaluable means of maintaining quality and checking against minimum standards of efficiency. Everything on the banqueting side of the operation is planned, with all menus and dishes worked out to the smallest detail. "We are too big an operation to take risks," he says.

Service of the food is as sophisticated and elegant as possible, given the size of many of the functions, but Berger doesn't pretend that the banqueting dishes can match those served in the Grill Room.

Two of the banqueting suites - the Cellars, which can seat up to 50, and the Penthouse for 24 sit-down guests - do provide more of an opportunity to provide an à la carte service.

A core team of 16 chefs, headed by the head banqueting chef Ian Dahlgren, runs the functions from the banqueting kitchen on the second floor, while separate teams provide the food for the public outlets. Berger is adamant that having strictly defined groups dedicated to specific areas is the only way that an operation like the Café Royal can work. "We couldn't produce the fine food required by the restaurants if the brigades were mixed up."

Berger's working day follows a strict routine. He meets early each morning with his banqueting chefs to discuss the forthcoming functions for the day, of which there are usually an average of 15 to 20. If there is to be a visit by royalty - of which there are many - the increased security procedures are explained.

Berger moves to the public restaurants for lunch service, returning to banqueting planning in the afternoons, and often meeting with prospective clients to discuss menus. While set menus are available, probably just two or three each day are tailored specifically to the customers' requirements. "We're also now doing more themed menus - maybe American, Chinese or Indian, which always creates extra excitement for the chefs."

Evening service begins in earnest at around 6pm with a host of cocktail parties, dinners, cabarets and late-night suppers.

Berger still sees much hard work ahead of him. There is more front of house refurbishment to come, with new air-conditioning, silver and china, all going towards promoting increased activity behind the scenes. "Once again the Café Royal will be a great place to be in London," he says.