SITHKOP015 - Design and cost menus
Nominal hours
Location
Industry
Prerequisites
(Or equivalent to be determined by unit coordinator)
Co-requisites
(Corequisite units must be studied concurrently with this unit)
Overview
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to design profitable menus for all types of cuisines and food service styles. It requires the ability to identify target markets for the organisation, design menus to meet market preferences, price menu items and to monitor and evaluate the success of menu performance.The unit applies to hospitality and catering organisations and to those people who operate independently and are responsible for making a range of operational and strategic decisions. This includes senior catering managers, and sous, head and executive chefs.
Assessment
For Melbourne campuses
Assessment tasks will be designed to reinforce & extend knowledge and skill competence within set & controlled parameters in accordance with each units learning outcomes & performance criteria requirements, including the setting of work based practical application tasks designed to provide evidence of competence outcomes, within periodic and scheduled timelines.
Students will be expected to demonstrate the following required skills:
- source and evaluate information on current and emerging food service trends, customer preferences and target markets and use to inform menu design outlined below
- develop and cost one menu from each of the following menu types based on the above information:
• à la carte
• buffet
• degustation
• table d’hôte - develop the above four menus demonstrating:
• current and emerging food service trends
• methods and formulas for calculating portion yields and costs from raw ingredients
• desired profit margins and mark-up procedures
• summary of menu costings.
Students will also be expected to demonstrate the following knowledge:
- techniques for sourcing information on food service trends and market preferences
- range of current and emerging food service trends relating to:
• contemporary eating habits
• cultural and ethnic influences
• major festivals and events
• media influence
• seasonal influences
• social media - sources of information on:
• market statistics
• customer profiles and preferences - products, service styles and quality expectations that meet market requirements
- financial operating costs for hospitality and catering organisations, including:
• consumables
• food and ingredients
• labour
• wastage - methods and formulas for calculating portion yields and costs from raw ingredients:
• food cost percentage
• budgeted sales price
• standard measures
• standard yield tests
• GST addition and subtraction - different types and styles of:
• menus
• food outlets
• food service - influence of seasonal products and commodities on menu content and price
- naming conventions and culinary terms for a variety of cuisines
- formats for and inclusions of menus presented to customers:
• legible text
• format matched to customer type
• presented in format that is easy to read - methods to gain feedback on menu performance:
• qualitative:
- social media
- customer surveys
- customer discussions
- staff discussions and meetings
• quantitative: - sales data
- methods of analysing sales mix and profit performance of menu items:
• menu engineering analysis
• sales data.
Required reading
The qualified trainer and assessor will provide teaching and learning materials as required in the form of workbooks produced by Victoria University and/or via the Victoria University e-learning system.
As part of a course
This unit is studied as part of the following course(s):