Food and Beverage Production and Service Systems - Assignment Example

Food and Beverage Production and Service Systems 1 Characteristics of Food Production and Food & Beverage Service Systems Food production can be described as the domestication of animals and plants in order to produce food in form of livestock and plants. There are a number of features which are attributed to food production and food and beverage systems. i. Large crop variations – the size of any crop during a certain year is largely determined by weather as well as other environmental factors. The demand for agricultural products is more often than not generally very inelastic. Therefore, a small fluctuation in the size of a crop can affect its prices greatly. (Perner, 2008) Due to the difficulty in increasing the demand for consumers in the short run, it is highly unlikely for manufacturers to significantly increase the amounts purchased. ii. Increasing production levels – it is now possible through scientific advancement for farmers to produce more crops on a particular amount of land. As a result of this, the supply of certain products has drastically increased even more than the increase in the size of the population as well as export markets which have consequently become more competitive. (Perner, 2008) iii. Derived demand – Whenever there is an increase in market demand for a certain crop, it has a subsequent effect on the demand for farm supplies for farmers; like seeds, fertilisers and tractors. (Perner, 2008) iv. Seasonal effects – some products are usually demanded during selected periods over the course of a year. There are also other products like oranges which have a uniform demand year-round but can be available in considerably larger quantities at its peak season. v. Geographic concentration – certain food products often grow more efficiently in particular areas of a country. Oranges for example, do better in warmer climates thus most food products have a preference for a specific climate. (Perner, 2008) 1.2 Discuss factors affecting recipes and menus for specific systems There are numerous factors that must be taken into consideration in the preparation of menus and recipes. i. Nutritional levels – the nutritional standards of those to who will partake of the meal must be put into account by the planner. Therefore, the recipe and menu should be scrutinised to uphold the required nutritional standards expected by the ones it is being cooked for. ii. Seasonal availability of most food items – Recipes and menus are often adjusted according to the seasonal changes in the supply of food products. This makes the seasonal availability of food products a priority when coming up with recipes and menus. iii. Number of clients or those to be served – an effective planner should consider the number of people to be served. This information is crucial for one to be able to adequately prepare the recipe and menu. iv. Equipment and Storage facilities – limited storage facilities in most restaurants, hotels and most kitchens often prevents the inclusion of most perishable foods in menus and recipes. It is therefore paramount to plan recipes and menus according to the equipment and storage space that is available. v. Food cost – the economic factors are very essential in determining the recipes and menus. The planner has to factor in the economic resources at his/her disposal in order to ascertain what will be included in the recipe and menu. Only that which is financially within one’s reach can be considered as part of the menu or recipe. 1.3 Compare the cost and staffing implications for different systems In this section, I will compare the differences in the costs and staffing implications of two systems. i. Table service system – this method generally requires a larger space since tables and chairs have to be in place in the business. A bar might also be essential as customers may need to have a drink as they await their meals. Therefore, the total costs for this system will be significantly high since the restaurant has to higher waiters to serve the customers. Thereby the labour costs will be relatively high. In order to have quality food, a restaurant has to hire highly trained personnel who can prepare good food that will give customers value for money. This need to maintain quality service in the business will precipitate an increase in overhead costs. This traditional style of table service system is preferred by most customers; therefore it benefits a business to employ this system due to the benefits it has over the family service system. ii. Family service system – a restaurant will require a large area for the numerous tables and chairs needed in order to employ this method of service. Therefore, a lot of money still has to be spent in the acquisition of equipment just like in the table service system. Quality chefs and staff have to be hired in order for the business to offer quality food and service to its customers. However, this method has a lower demand in the kitchen than is the case with table service system. The benefit of this system is that it saves more time and money in relation to training quality staff. 1.4 Justify the suitability of systems for particular food and beverage outlets Below is an outline of a number of systems as well as their merits and demerits i. Russian service – this system is mostly used in restaurants and has a benefit to the business since customers value the personalised service that is offered in such premises. This system generally attracts a higher class of clientele thus has higher profits. ii. Table d’hotel – this system has a menu with a fixed number of dishes thereby making the customer’s decisions to be easier. The merit of this system is that the process of changing prices is simpler and there are also higher turnovers. In the process, the stress in the kitchen is significantly eased. iii. Buffet Service – this method is mostly used by restaurants for its ability to reduce the demand and pressure from the kitchen. In this system, the customer selects the food they want which eases pressure from the chefs. iv. Table/plate service – this is the traditional style of restaurants and it is easier for an establishment to implement this system because there is more control over the size of the portions they serve their customers than a buffet could. Understand the financial controls used in food and beverage operations 2.1 The use of financial statements in food and beverage operations 2.2 Demonstrate the use of cost and pricing processes The costs used in food and beverage operations could be categorised as controllable or uncontrollable and as fixed or variable. Fixed costs are those costs which remain unchanged regardless of the amount of output that a business produces or the volume of the business. For example, the monthly rental costs for a restaurant would not change even if the restaurant increases the amount of food it produces for its customers. Therefore, fixed costs are known before hand by the management since they are constant. Variable costs on the other hand, are those which directly vary according to the amount produced or sold. The hourly labour costs for example, would generally vary as the amount of sales for the business increases or decreases. These costs are often expressed as a percentage amount due to their volatility. Some costs also have both fixed and variable components; some landlords may tie the rent of a business premises to the amount of sales the business earns. A rent might be ₤900 per month (fixed component) plus 4% of the business’ gross sales (variable component). The pricing of food and beverages should take into account the total costs incurred to make the products available to customers. The margins expected to be earned by the business must also be included in order for the business to make a profit from the sale of its products. The contribution margin or the gross profit of food and beverage operations is the difference between the revenues and the costs from food and beverage. The contribution margin is then used to cover all the other expenses. 2.3 Analyse the purchasing process The prime goal for businesses dealing with food and beverage is to create items in their menus that eventually turn out to be profitable. This means that a business should be able to identify the quality, grade and size of product that fits the menu items. All in all, the quality of food and beverages plus the costs incurred should be matched to the menu pricing. The purchasing process begins with writing of the required food and beverage items so that one can know what to purchase. This should be done in detail in order to know what to purchase. A detailed specification of the food item should also be included in the list. This is to specify the quantity, size or quality of what needs to be purchased. Options of where to purchase the required food items should also be made available so as to ascertain which location that offers the best quality, for the cheapest price. Value for money should be the ultimate goal for this. This is also important since the total costs incurred by the business have to be lowered as much as possible in order for the business to be profitable. Be able to devise menus for hospitality events 3.1 Compile food and beverage menus for a hospitality event MENU Starters Dessert Roasted mushroom chips and lettuce Bread pudding with cranberries, apples and honey Pumpkin Soup Graham crackers, chocolate-peanut butter cream, rich caramel served with hot chocolate and peanut brittle served with marshmallows Roasted tomatoes and a mix of field greens Chocolate Fondant Main Dish Drinks Marinated fried chicken, cheddar grits and asparagus Wines Mash potatoes, braised beef and cheese curd Water Steamed rice, fried calamari and chicken soup Diet Cola Beer 3.2 Justify the selection and suitability of recipes for menus I have chosen these dishes for various reasons. The menu includes soup, salad and breaded dishes. This gives the guests more options in terms choosing what they want. It helps makes the menu more interesting by breaking monotony. The menu is also wholesome in terms of a healthy diet. It takes into consideration guests with special dietary needs. It’s a balanced diet. For the drinks, the guests also have a wide array to choose from. There are alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks as guests can also combine these two. Be able to provide food and beverage services for hospitality events 4.1 Plan a food and beverage service for a hospitality event within an agreed budget Menu Starters Desserts Roasted mushroom chips and lettuce $-25 Bread pudding with cranberries, apples, and honey $-22 Pumpkin Soup $-30 Graham crackers, chocolate-peanut butter cream, rich caramel served with hot chocolate and peanut brittle served with marshmallows $- 30 Roasted tomatoes and a mix of field greens $- 27 Chocolate Fondant $-35 Main Drinks Marinated fried chicken, cheddar grits and asparagus $- 75 Wines- $ 50 Water- $ 15 Diet Cola- $ 20 Beer- $ 40 Mash potatoes, braised beef and cheese curd $- 70 Steamed rice, fried calamari and chicken soup $- 65 4.2 Implement the planned service maintaining standards of quality and health, safety and security The waiters will be well groomed and trained on proper etiquette, this includes how to greet the guests and serve them. Several waiters will be hired on the night to ensure that the guests are well attended to and waited on. Quality of the food prepared will be top notch also and in order to achieve this, the best chefs will hired and preparation will start earl in order to ensure that food served is not under-cooked or over-cooked. Food cooked will also be freshly acquired from the farm in order to avoid cooking stale foods. Another important point to consider are health and safety checks. This includes making sure that the building has adequate fire extinguishers and guests are well informed on fire exit points. First aid kits should also be availed at the venue of the event. Lastly, although this might seem a bit harsh or juvenile, guests will be served with alcohol but only to a certain limit. 4.3 Evaluate factors to determine the success of the service, making recommendations for improvement For the event to be successful various factors have to be considered: Hiring a catering company. Although this would significantly increase the budget, it would also reduce the amount or pressure exerted as these are experts who deal with all aspects for planning. Customer satisfaction. It does not matter how much planning and work has been carried out, if the customers are not happy then the event has failed. The guests are the end all and be all of the event. Therefore the success of an event is pegged on their happiness. References Perner, L. (2008) Food Marketing. University of Southern California, Los Angeles http://www.tesco.com http://www.westingourmet.co.uk http://www.food-network.co.uk http://www.wine-expos.com http://www.wholesalepages.co.uk Read More