Menu Planning and Rcipe Development - Assignment Example

MENU PLANNING AND REIPE DEVELOPMENT TASK A Introduction Ordinarily, most restaurants have endeavored in menu planning and development process. The entire process is affected by various factors. This research therefore seeks to describe the factors influencing menu planning and menu product development processes. Findings and analysis It is vital to understand the principles of recipe development before the factors that affect this menu planning and development. This usually involves menu planning, types of menu and Food production method. Menu planning involves setting objectives on what to be cooked on particular time due to the demand for the food. Ordinarily, successful menu planning is rewarding in terms of time and money, especially given how little effort it takes. Those who do it well seem to have internalized its rules. This involves Resolve to make the effort, Pick a planning style to suit your personality, Make a shopping list and Cook perishables first. (Callahan).Menu planning should be considered in the development and planning process for it saves time. It is also vital to consider the types of menu in the recipe development.This include Ala Carte Menu which feature items sold individually. For example, if a meat is ordered it will not come with a salad or potato. Those would need to be ordered separately.This menus are common in higher class restaurants like the Havez restaurant. Another common menu is Du Jour Menu which is also called "chalkboard menus" because they are often written on chalkboards.Normally, the menu features an item of the day and changes every day. They are usually focused on seasonal items. There is also a Prix Fixe Menu Offering a meal at a fixed price. For example one may choose soup or salad, have one of the 4 appetizers, choose one of the five entrees, and choose one of the three desserts for 54.00 per person. Another common menu is the static menu which is often laminated for easy cleanup. It is usually separated into groups such as appetizers, soups and salads, entrees, desserts, etc. Fast food restaurants often have these types of menus. Also, we have A la carte menu where one chooses and pay for each item separately (brandfon).Lastly, we have Menu degustation where it is in its simplest form a menu put together for tasting. It can sometimes comprise of up to 20 courses where you will be given a selection of fine food to sample. More often than not these menus are matched with quality wine that will complement each course. (Tukka) Another common principle of recipe development is the food production method. This affects the recipe development because food crops often differ due to the method used. There is the traditional method where food is prepared in accordance to a given culture. Usually the style of cooking and ingredients that were used long ago are retained to make the food to have the traditional taste. Sous-vide cooking involve cooking food in sealed plastic bags immersed in hot water for long periods of time. Cooking in sealed bags (usually vacuum sealed) at lower temperatures also results in juicier food, since theres no substantive transfer of moisture from the food in the way there is with a more moist cooking method like poaching or broiling. (Allan).This determines the recipe development since not all foods use this method. The cook freeze method on the other hand is the process of cooking meals until they are almost done and then rapidly freezing them. The process involves the preparation and cooking of meals some meals at a central place, rapidly reducing temperature to minus 20 degrees centigrade for storage until they are needed by the customer.Lastly,the cook chill method is where the food is prepared and portioned, cooked, and then chilled to 3°C in a central kitchen. Cook-chill preserves food for up to four days before it is reheated for eating. (Robin) There are various factors that affect the menu planning decisions. These factors in turn affect the recipe development and therefore they should be considered in planning process in any restaurant. It is important to scrutinize factors such as Competition, Location, Current trends, Space and equipment in the kitchen, Supplies, Costs, Food allergies, Number and capabilities of staff and Food labelling regulations 1999.The competition will always affect the planning decisions. Restaurants will always want to prepare foods that are preferred by the customers so as to be on the competitive advantage. The location of the restaurant will also affect the menu planning. A restaurant that is placed in India should not have cow’s meat at the menu since it is against their culture. Therefore; it is evidenced that the location of the restaurant will affect the menu significantly. The advancement in technology brings forth current trends that affect the menu planning process. The screening reveals that fatty foods bring diseases and therefore more customers are trying to avoid the fatty foods. This means that the menu has to comply with the demand of the customers.Additionaly, space and the equipment in the kitchen in the kitchen will determine if variety of food will be prepared or not. Foods that require special baking facilities may not be prepared if the kitchen is not equipped. Therefore, this affects the menu planning and recipe development. The availability of raw food to be prepared from the different supplies also played a pivotal role in the menu planning process. The availability of ready supplies that are able to offer quality and at friendly prices will stimulate their food s to be on the menu. The costs of the foods also determines the menu planning process.Ordinarilly, most customers need quality foods with affordable price. When the price of the raw food is high, the restaurant may consider other alternatives and this affects the menu planning. Food allergies are also a factor that affects the menu planning process. The food that would be prepared by the restaurant should not allergic to majority of the customers. This is to ensure that the profitability of the company is retained and to avoid losses. The number of staff present in the restaurant also not only determines the amount of the food to be cooked but the number of customers that are received per day. This will determine the quantity of food in the menu while planning. The menu planning is also affected by the Food labelling regulations 1999 that regulate the foods to be prepared. This is vital in the menu planning decisions so as to ensure that the legal rules are not compromised. Other factors that affect the menu planning include the customer and the food characteristics. It is noted that those foods that are so delicious and attract more customers appear mostly in the menus in most restaurants. The price of food also affects the menu planning decision since the food should be able to give quality to the customers and profit towards the firm. The customer’s tastes and preferences of the foods also affect the decisions. Foods that are frequently ordered appear in the menu. Most restaurants have different services such as Table/Plate Service, Counter/Buffet service, A’la Carte, Table d’hôte, Silver/Russian Service, Gueridon/Flambé and Specialist Food Service. The type of service maybe affected by factors such as the country of origin of the customers, the status of the customers because some services are expensive in nature, type of food prepared(Turkish foods require Turkish style),number and type of staffs present. The disadvantages of these services are that they are expensive and that the customer will have to pay for them indirectly through the food. However, the advantage is that they increase the customer loyalty. This is because the customers receive what they pay for. Table/Plate Service is commonly used because, it is cheap and also it saves time during the service. Its demerit is that it does not give the wide pool of foods for the customers to select from. On the other hand, Counter/Buffet service offers the wide pool of foods and thus increases the customer’s satisfaction. A’la Carte involves the service of food separately; the foods ordered are brought separately making it expensive due to duplicate service. However this service has the advantages of increasing the customer satisfaction. Specialist food service involved giving special order which will be prepared for the customer. This is disadvantaged since it is expensive. However it brings customer satisfaction. On the other hand, Guerdon/Flambé involves guests who watch their dishes cooked in front of them. This has the advantage that the customers get the quality they want. The demerit is that the other customers are affected by the aroma.Finaly Russian service has the advantage of meeting the customer satisfaction however this service only require the Russian foods and touch. This is the major disadvantages. The restaurant usually has the stages of menu product development planning. There is need for the stages to ensure that there is order and that losses are avoided. This involves idea generation and idea screening and testing the concept. In generating the idea, one should consider the market trend that shows the foods that are mostly consumed by the customers so as to focus on them and the availability of the raw foods in the market. The idea should have a focus group which enables the restaurant to target the market to be on the competitive advantage. The idea generated should consider new product development (NPD).This is because of the competition in the food industry and that there should be always new ideas to beat the competition. There is also the need to brainstorm the new menu to ensure that it is functional. The second stage of menu planning is the Idea screening and concept testing. This involves scrutinizing the production process to ensure that it is efficient and effective. The feasibility test is important in screening. This is to ensure that the entire menu planning will increase the profitability of the restaurant and not losses. The costs should be friendly to the restaurant and the customers. Restaurants should also evaluate the influences on the development process of the menu to ensure that they run smoothly. This involves the following aspects; I. Business analysis. This ensures that customer’s tastes are considered to ensure customer loyalty. This often increases the sales in the restaurant. II. Profitability. This ensures that the menus with the food s that profit the hotel are prepared. The menu that will be developed will have the foods. III. Breakeven point. This state of equilibrium between the losses and profits enable the managers to develop a menu to ensure profitability of the firm. IV. Market Testing. The food products that do not do well in the market will not feature during the, Menu development. V. Technical Implementation. This involves menu development from the technical advice on the sales of the foods. VI. Adverting and other promotion. Foods with higher advertisement will appear in the menu during development. VII. New product pricing. Products with new pricing must be considered during the menu development. VIII. Impact of new product. When the new product has a higher impact it is considered in the menu. IX. Value analysis and segments. The food that does very well in particular segment will be considered in the menu development. X. Product costs (fixed & variable).The foods that attract more production costs are priced higher and are cooked in less quantity and on demand. XI. Forecast of unit volumes. Ordinarily, the forecast of non performing foods will make the management to remove it from the menu. XII. Revenue and profit. Those foods that bring many profits towards the restaurant often appear in the menu in large portion. TASK B RESEARCH-HAZEV RESTAURANT Introduction This research report will focus on the Hazev restaurant. The restaurant is found in the South Quay Square, Canary Wharf in London. Situated on the waterfront and boasting alfresco seating, Hazev is the epitome of sophisticated Turkish dining. Hazev which means the joy of home, incorporates a restaurant, café and deli, and has been steadily building up a satisfied clientele since 2004, due to its distinct attitude to Turkish food. It has been in the existence in a decade now providing Turkish and other local foods. The restaurant is the best in good foods, hot venues, kid friendly, outdoor, quick bite and special occasions. There is plenty of food and therefore most customers have developed the customer loyalty towards the business. In the recent past there has been need for restaurants to consider the menu to reflect the food environment and menu compilation. Therefore this research report aims at observing this trend. (Anonymous) Findings and analysis The restaurant experiences rise and fall of price for the food products. This is because of the fluctuations of the products due to weather changes and also the change in seasons. This often affects the food production that will intern affect the prices of the food crops. However; the restaurant has fixed affordable and friendly prices for their products. The company has a competitive price over other restaurants. This is not only to enable Hazev to be on the competitive advantage but also to ensure that more customer base come unto the place. The average price for the Turkish food is £25 while the Italian food is £28 while the local dish averagely costs £17.This is slightly lower compared to other restaurants that are found at the vicinity. The restaurant often buys goods in large quantity taking advantage on the economies of large scale thereby offering low prices. The prices are displayed neatly adjacent to the list of foods at the walls side and the menu at the table. The prices are in a sticker placed artistically in the menus. This is because of the nature of the fluctuating prices. The allocation of prices every morning at the menus reveals the recipe that will be developed that day. This is done this way to ensure that the appropriate profit is got from the difference between the selling and the buying price of the raw food. The restaurant has been decorated with pictures of both the turkey, Italian and the local famous historical sites. This mixture of this picture combined silvery and golden stands of flowers brings good décor of the place. The menu has watermark pictures of the most delicious foods from the country. There are also the models and prototypes of the cooked foods that make people to salivate even before the food is brought at the place. This reveals the actual recipe that will be made by the restaurant. The restaurant offers various products. The products include Cuisine, sesame, and baklava. The restaurant has incorporated the café and deli. The restaurant also has delights like midye tava – juicy fried mussels on skewers drizzled with a strong garlic sauce. If one prefers something more traditional, try the kisir, a Turkish dish of bulgar wheat combining crunchy walnuts and hazelnuts, balanced with refreshing spring onions, mint and dill. There are also tender grilled meats, slow-cooked casseroles, seasonal vegetarian dishes, crisp salads and rice. A definite highlight is the Iskender mixed grill of tender lamb and chicken topped with refreshing yoghurt and a spiced tomato sauce. For something a little lighter, sample the tasty sundried aubergines generously stuffed with couscous (the restaurant ably caters for vegetarians). The dessert menu also provides a range of traditional homemade Turkish treats and, of course, features the Middle Eastern favorite, baklava. This syrupy pastry is the perfect way to finish an authentic Turkish meal. (Anonymous) The products that are offered are meant to give the Turkish taste in accordance to the goal of the organization. This products replete the recipe development in the restaurant. The environment of the restaurant is stanning.The restaurant is positioned on the waterfront and boasting alfresco seating. This makes Hazev to be the epitome of stylish Turkish dining. Hazev – meaning the joy of home – incorporates a restaurant, café and deli that welcome customers who want to have a Turkish bite of the foods. The environment is also filled with more Turkish décor. The restaurant is stylish and tranquil, furnished with stunning azure glass and comfortable dark wooden chairs. Hazev is an alluring escape from the bustle of the business district outside. The environment is full of Turkish décor imploring that more of the Turkish food would be prepared. (Anonymous) The background of the restaurant is also live with flowers. This is combined with Turkish carvings of foods and common animals. This gives a good touch to the visitors who like such a background. The restaurant is full of soft mix of Turkish and other music to emphasize on the Turkish and local environments. The music also has some songs that describe the sweetness of the Cuisine. It says that when the food enters the mouth it leaves a proper party all the way to the throat. This reflects the recipe that is prepared at the restaurant. The staff is welcoming towards the visitors. The uniforms have an outstanding design. They have some of the delicious foods that the restaurants prepares accompanied by a description of how the food is sweet. This acts as a promotional activity towards the business. The colorings of the most of the walls and the table mats involve the color of the cuisine. This has impressed most of the customers. This can be seen by them touching the paintings with a judgmental face. This reflects the foods that the restaurant will prepare. The restaurant serves the customers of all sorts but majority are of Turkish origin. This means that the food that will be prepared will mostly consist of the Turkish foods. This is in conjunction with the restaurant theme of providing quality food that gives a Turkish taste. This theme also reflects the foods that will be found in the recipe. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be noted that the Hazev restaurant which had itsdécor,prices,products,service,environment,music,theme and customers represents what would reflect in the recipe development. Works Cited Allan, Henry. Sous vide cooking. 2010. 2015 . Anonymous. Havez restaurant. 2010. 2015 . brandfon, michael. types of menu. 2010. 2015 . Callahan, Maureen. menu planning. 2013. 2015 . Robin. cook freeze. 2011. 2015 . Tukka. menu degustation. 2012. 2015 . Read More