Element 1: Establish enterprise requirements

for a
catering system
1.1 Research catering requirements the
enterprise requires
Introduction
A primary requirement when seeking to identify the
catering system for a venue is to research the
catering requirements of the organization.
This section presents a context for the unit,
identifies foundation skills and
knowledge, discusses research methods and topics,
addresses the concept of research data and lists
those who may be involved in the research process.

Enterprises and venues

This unit is applicable to a variety of commercial
businesses that produce and serve food including:
Hotels, taverns and bars Restaurants and cafes
Private, sporting and other clubs School,
universities and other educational institutions
Hospitals, hospices and aged care facilities
Workplace cafeterias and canteens . Military
(defense force) catering Prisons Residential
caterers In-flight and other transport catering
Meetings, Incentives, Conferences/conventions,
and Exhibitions (MICE)
catering.

Unit focus
The focus is on evaluating and selecting an integrated
production, distribution
and service catering system to meet the food production needs
of a catering
organization.
The main aims address:
Determination of catering system requirements for an
organization
Evaluation of operational aspects of different catering systems
Selection of a catering system which suits the characteristics
and needs of the
organization being considered.
You will have a need for this unit when:
Called on to modify an existing food production and food
service system in a
business

Target employees
The unit is aimed at:
Senior managers such as including executive
chefs and catering managers
Who operate with significant autonomy that is,
they can make decisions with little or no reference
to others in the organization
Who are responsible for making a range of
strategic management decisions relating to the
direction of the business and ways to attain the
identified goals of
the organization.

Catering system defined Catering

system refers to an overall food
production and food service system
where all components/elements are
integrated into a cohesive, effective
and efficient operation. It may include
options such as:

Conventional a system where food is

cooked fresh and served at the time
Cook -chill where food is cooked and
stored under refrigeration for short -term
or long-term storage
Cook -freeze where food is cooked and
frozen for later re -thermalisation and
service

Commissary featuring transportation of preprepared food to satellite kitchens

for re -heating and service
Assemble-serve where pre-prepared food is
portioned, plated and served: no
cooking or other processing is required.

Foundation skills
People who undertake the task of selecting
catering systems should posses the
following skills to underpin their research,
evaluation and allied activities:
Communication skills to consult on system
requirements with key personnel
such as:
Owners
Government agencies/authorities
Equipment/system providers and suppliers

Critical thinking skills to:

Analyze and evaluate all aspects of the
organizations catering operation
Determine courses of action
Maintain motivation and achieve required
objectives/outcomes
High level of literacy skills to:
Read and interpret recipes and menus

Foundation knowledge
It is to be expected those who are involved with the
selection of catering systems
will have significant cooking/catering knowledge to
use as a platform for determining workplace needs
for a catering and analyzing system options.
This base knowledge should address/encompass all
the following:
Methods of cookery for all major food types,
including preserved and packaged foods for various
types of hospitality and catering organizations
Comprehensive details of all food production
processes for:

!Receiving of food into the premises

!Undertaking mise en place organization of
ingredients and equipment/utensils prior to
preparing/producing food
!Preparing food ready for cooking/processing
!Cooking the application of a variety of
cooking options to produce menu items

!Post-cooking storage of foods for service,

display and refrigerated or frozen storage for later
use
!Reconstituting foods returning (for example)
dehydrated or
concentrated food to usable condition, or its
natural/original state
!Re-heating of previously cooked food referred to
as re-thermalisation
!Serving food for internal/on-site eating and/or
for take-away consumption Hazard and Critical
Control Points (HACCP) with reference
to:

!General principles and practices

!Specific requirements of the Food Safety
Plan/Program (FSP) as it applies to the host
venue/kitchens Culinary terms commonly
used in the
industry related to food production systems
Costing, yield testing and portion control in
quantity food production

Nutritional knowledge as applicable to:

General food stuffs Specific needs of the
workplace for identified customer/target
groups Local/host country
legislation as it applies to:
and food safety Workplace
safety and health

Food handling

Industrial relations.

Meeting with management of the venue to:

!Confirm need for the process to select a
catering system and obtain necessary
authorizations to proceed with the research
!Identify plans they have for the future direction
of the business which are likely to impact the
selection of a catering system.
Future directions which may influence a
decision could include:
Plans for expansion or contraction of the
business
Plans to focus on an a new/different target
market
Plans to re -position the venue in the
marketplace

!Identify operational and acquisition constraints

you are expected to operate under see section
1.2 Assessing published information on different
catering systems by:
!Visiting relevant websites
!Reading relevant articles in industry magazines
and journals
!Reading reports from industry peak bodies and
relevant government agencies and authorities
!Reading product information brochures and
equipment/system
specifications

Viewing your current operation and:

Inspecting and measuring the facilities
Talking to staff and watching staff at work
Noting bottle-necks and other problem areas
Attending relevant industry
food production and food service meetings and
events such as
Conferences
Seminars
Product launches
Symposiums.

Nature of the operation

This should determine:
Whether food is to be:
!Produced and served at the same point
!Produced in the one kitchen for service at
multiple points/outlets in the
same venue

!Produced at a central kitchen for distribution

for
transportation/distribution to multiple
points/outlets for service at these
off -site locations centralized food production
using a number of supporting satellite kitchens
to re -constitute and re- thermalise foods The
general nature of the business such as
(for example): Hotel, fine
dining Work canteen Institutional catering.

The menu There

is a need to
identify:
The type of menu
is it:
Rotating/cyclical,
as is the case in
most hospitals or
institutions?
A la carte
featuring a need
for cooked to
order meals?

Buffet
requiring
smorgasbord
style service?

Production volume
Nomination of figures/projections (number of
meals served) for different trading
times/occasions on, as appropriate to the
organization:
1) An hourly basis 2) A seasonal basis 3) A
daily basis
Daily sales report
Consolidated final sales
report

Storage and holding requirements

Research may be related to identifying:
Hot and/or cold holding of prepared food for
display and/or service, in terms of:
Demand for (capacity) same Type of equipment
required Bain maries, warmers, cabinets Location
and type of existing facilities
Amount of storage space required for: Refrigerated
storage of raw and prepared foods Frozen
storage of raw and prepared foods Type and
capacity of existing storage facilities.

Ingredients purchased
In this regard research should address:
The type, style, nature and form of the foods
bought by the kitchen to produce
menu items. This is relevant and important as:
It has implications for the equipment and staff
needed to (as appropriate):
Store the food
Prepare the food
Process the food
Required quality
standards
Customer preferences
Value-for-money
Image and market position of the
organization.

Enterprise practices and standards

Research may be related to: Understanding
options for buying different ingredient/raw
materials and/or pre - prepared and ready
-made items Knowing
the contents of public statements the business
makes about itself in terms of:

Mission statement
Vision statement
Value statement Understanding Standard
Operating Procedures (SOPs) and relevant
policies for the operation
Unique selling points products and/or
services that other businesses do not have
Industry knowledge
Internal systems

Standard Serving Portion

The following is a table representing standard

serving portion for certain food items.
Restaurants /
catering

Fine dining

Pork

w/ bones
w/o bones

10 portion / kilo 200-250grms

12 portion / kilo 150-200grms

Beef

w/ bones
w/o bones

10 portion / kilo 200-250grms

12 portion / kilo 150-250grms

Chicken

w/ bones
w/ o bones

10 portion / kilo 250-300grms

6 portion / kilo 150-200grms

Seafood

w/ bones
w/o bones

8-10 portion /
250-300grms
kilo
150-170grms
12 portion / kilo

Note: for special dishes which are favorites for buffets, expect
additional portions per serving.
Ex: shrimp tempura, 4-6 pieces per person (medium)
Grilled prawns, 2-3 pieces per person (20-25pcs / kilo)
Tenderloin steak, 2 pieces per person (120grms)

Menu Planning

Since all catering involves food and almost

every function involves the production and
service of food in some form or another, it may
be thought that this is the easiest aspect of a
function for any practicing career.

However, precisely because function

catering is often markedly different from the
routine catering undertaken by an
establishment, it is useful to take a fresh
look at the considerations of function menu
planning. They are the following:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Variation
Variation
Variation
Variation

of
of
of
of

color
texture
ingredients
garnishes

1.
2.
3.
4.

The
The
The
The

1.
2.
3.
4.

Kitchen capacity
Kitchen skill
Type of service
Bulk service needs

season
price level
type of meal
type of guests

To produce a menu which is

balanced and harmonious,
and also has visual appeal.

To produce a menu suitable

for particular occasion

To produce a menu which is

practical proposition from the
caterers angle

Things to consider
in menu planning

Type and Size of your establishment

this should be considered because you
cannot be offering too many if your
establishment will not be able to deliver
it. If your establishment is known for
progressive Filipino food, then you must
make sure that the food items in your
menu are progressive and not the usual
home-cooked Filipino menu.

Customer profile
with a wide range of possible customers, it
will be best if most of their needs are met.
Many are now health conscious and
therefore eat more healthful food. If your
area has a lot of Muslims, then it can be a
good idea to include Muslim food. Or
nowadays, with lots of Asians in our country,
it would be beneficial to also add more
Asians food in the menu.
Remember that those who you would like to
satisfy with the menu are your potential
customers and not you.

Availability of manpower resources

is important when planning

menu. You should sit down
your kitchen staff or executive
to list down food that they
prepare. It would be disaster if
list of food that your kitchen
cannot come up with.

your
with
chef
can
your
staff

Availability of supplies
is another consideration. Do not
promise in the menu to deliver a
cream brulee topped with fresh
raspberries if you know the
raspberries are not available in your
local market.

Visualize your menu

if you intend to offer French onion
soup, would it be practical to serve
this in a buffet with 200 guests?
Wouldnt that be too impractical
since this soup requires baking and
it will consume a lot of space on the
buffet table? Not unless you make a
provision that the soup will be
served to the guests.

Compatibility
is how well the food in a menu goes
together. Compatibility is determined
by three main factors: temperature,
consistency and meal flow.

Temperature
dont combine food of extreme
temperature on one plate. It must
be remembered that eventually
these food will move to room
temperature and they will assume
different temperature than their
intended ones.

Consistency
means combining foods at the same taste, flavor
and smell on one plate. Dominant food items
overpower a recessive food item. If serving a
dominant food item, match it with another
dominant or neutral food item.
The reverse also follows, when serving a
recessive food item, serve it with another
recessive food item or neutral food item, notice
when eating chicken teriyaki with a very strong
flavor with plain rice, the rice kill the flavor of the
dominant tasting chicken. Or notice the perfect
combination of peppered steak with pasta with
pesto.

Meal Flow
picture the flow of the entire meal
from the appetizer to the salad to
the main course to the dessert. Shy
away from serving a cream based
soup along with cream based gravy
as the main course and a mousse
for dessert, you would not want
your guest to feel so bad after
eating a meal full of creams.

 The most typically used types of menu for a catering or

banquet are the set menu and the buffet menu. The set
menu usually consists of one to two main courses with
soup and/ or salad appetizer, side dish and dessert. This
menu has a set price. On the other hand, the buffet
offers a variety of choices from soup, salad, appetizers,
vegetables, starch, main courses and desserts. The
buffet can be very useful when the client requires a lot
from their menu. For example, if the client has guest
who are vegetarian, the planner can give suggestions as
to what dish can go with the buffet. Or they also have
guests who do not eat food the use too much fat, then
that can also be taken care of. Or religious restrictions
can also be another things to consider. The buffet will be
able to give as many people a chance to enjoy the meal
because of the variety of food being offered.

Other thing to
remember when
making a menu

Breakfast
It should offer fruit, yogurt or cereals; fish,
egg or meat; preserves, bread, coffee or
tea.
Variety of cooking methods such as
steamed, boiled or poached for people who
request for non-fried breakfast,
A continental breakfast does not include
any cooked dish. It only has a variety of
breads and preserve or jams with coffee or
tea.
An American breakfast has eggs, meat or
fish, potatoes, coffee or tea.

Lunch/ Dinner
Should offer variety.
Design menus that are flexible just in
case the client has some other requests.
Give a lot of choices with the food items
with
adequate
description,
most
especially of those that are not very
common.