Food and Beverage Management 3.

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UNIT 5: The Menu.

1. Introduction.
The main aim of a food menu or beverage list is to inform customers in a clear way of what is
available to them. As a sales tool it often will, by the use of well-planned and presented
advertising technique, directed the customer as to what to buy.

2. Basic menu criteria.

There are a number of basic factors to be considered to ensure that menu is to be an effective
sales tool.

2.1. General presentation.

The general presentation is very important as it identifies the image and personality of that
particular unit or department whether is it a steak house or a cocktail bar. The following points
should be taken into consideration:

1. The menu should be attractive.

2. It should be clean.
3. It should be easy to read.
4. It should complement the occasion.
5. It should reflect current awareness.
6. Design.

2.2. Menu content.

The importance of this cannot be stressed too strongly if budgeted sales or costs are to be
achieved. The content can be examined under the following headings:

1. Language
2. Accuracy
3. Pricing
4. Sales mix

2.3. Size and form.

The size and shape of a menu can add to and complement the uniqueness of the facility. A food
or beverage menu must be easy for the customer to handle and in no way confusing to read. The
various forms that the menu can take are unlimited, and these are some form of menus:
1. Chalked up on blackboard,
2. To a large illuminated display board with photographs,
3. Conventional menu cards,

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4. tent cards,
5. Placemats,
6. Printed out in shapes of fans, and etc.

2.4. Layout of the menu.

The larger the menu the more time consuming it is for customers to make their selection of food
or wine. However, if it is too short customers may not be entirely satisfied by what is offered.
Caterers need to adjust the length of their menu to the particular needs of their customers,
bearing in mind that the longer a menu becomes the more management control will be necessary.

2.5. Nutritional content.

The nutritional content of a menu is considered more important in the welfare sector of the
industry than in the commercial sector. In the welfare sector, establishments such as hospitals,
residential schools, homes for the elderly, etc., provide meals for long stay residents; thus well-
balanced nutritional meals are essential as it is unlikely that the residents will have any other
source of intake of necessary vitamins, proteins, etc.

3. Types of food menu.

Although there are many types of eating establishments offering many types of meal
experiences, there are basically only two types of food menus: the table d’hôte; and the ‘a la
carte.

3.1. Table d’hôte menus.

The table d’hôte menu is identified by:

1. Being a restricted menu.

2. Offering a small number of courses, usually three or four.
3. A limited choice within each course.
4. A fixed selling price.
5. All the dishes being ready at a set time.

This type of menu usually contains the popular type dishes and is easier to control, the set price
being fixed for whatever the customer chooses, or being set depending on the main dish chosen.
The table d’hôte menu can be offered for breakfast, lunch and dinners. Their many adaptations
are used for:

1. Banquets.
2. Buffets
3. Coffees houses.
4. Cyclical menus.

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3.2. A la carte menus.

The a la carte menu is identified by:

1. Being usually a larger menu than a table d’hôte menu and offering a greater choice.
2. Listing under the course headings all of the dishes that may be prepared by the
establishment
3. All dishes being prepared to order.
4. Each dishes being separately priced.
5. Usually being more expensive than a table d’hôte menu.
6. Often containing the exotic and high cost seasonal foods

4. Types of beverage menus/lists.

The various types of beverage menus are numerous, but for simplicity they may be grouped as
being of four kinds:

1. Wine menus
2. Bar menus
3. Room service beverage menus
4. Special promotion beverage menus.

4.1. Wine menus or wine lists.

Within this general heading wine menus may be subdivided as follows:

1. Full wine menu or list.

2. Restricted wine menu or list
3. Banquet/function menus

4.2. Bar menu or lists.

These are basically of two types:

1. The large display of beverages and their prices which is often located at the back or side
of the bar.
2. Small printed/lists which are available on the bar and on the tables in the bar area.

4.3. Room service beverage menus/lists.

The size and type of room service menus will depend on the standard of the hotel and the level of
room service offered. For a luxury type unit the menu will be quite expensive. The middle type
market unit the menu is likely to be small.

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4.4. Special promotion beverage menus.

This may take many forms from a free pre-function reception to promote a particular beverage,
to the promotion of after-lunch and after-dinner.

5. Menu Planning
The art of menu planning is balance providing accommodation of the variable needs of the
consumers, adequate variety and choice from the 5 food groups, a variety of cooking methods,
the opportunity to select nutritionally sound diets, a reflection of the season and environment and
produced in a safe manner within the proscribed costs.

5.1. What is Menu planning?

Menu planning is deciding what item of food is to go in a menu. Since it is done in advance, it
will save the individual time because they will not have to think what to prepare when meal time
comes. The planner ought to consider the number of people eating the food as well as their likes
and dislikes.

5.2. Procedure in menu planning.

A menu is a list of specific foods or dishes that fit the meal pattern selected. The meal pattern is
something like an outline which lists the parts of the meal, called courses. It suggests the kinds of
food that make up each course.

5.3. Meal pattern for a day’s meals.

Breakfast:
Fruit
Main Dish or Protein Dish
Bread or Cereal
Beverage
Lunch or Supper:
Main Dish or Protein
Vegetable Dish
Cereal
Dessert
Dinner:
Appetizer
Main Dish or Protein Dish
Vegetables
Cereals
Dessert
Beverage

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5.4. Using the meal pattern in menu planning

MEAL PATTERN SAMPLE MENU

BREAKFAST BREAKFAST

Fruit Pineapple Slices

Main Dish Scrambled Eggs with Ham Bits
Bread or Cereal Pan de sal or French Rolls
Beverage Coffee, Milk, or Chocolate

LUNCH OR SUPPER LUNCH OR SUPPER

Main Dish or Protein Dish Grilled Pork Chops

Vegetable Dish Fried mix vegetables
Cereal Plain Rice
Dessert Tropical Fruits Salad

DINNER DINNER

Appetizer Spicy Chicken Wings

Main Dish or Protein Dish Beef Roast
Vegetables Coleslaw Salad
Cereals LasagniaalaItaliana
Dessert Fruit Salad
Beverage Red Wine, Coffee or Tea

When menu are selected, one must also think of the recipes for preparing these foods. Recipes
play an important part in meal planning. They give the list of ingredients needed and the
procedure in preparing a particular dish.

When planning menus, one must keep in keep in mind the principles of meal planning which
consider the following:

a. Gender. Overall there should be no difference between the genders in terms of the type of food
offered, however differing social attitudes to food defined by gender have been demonstrated and
the unit menu should be planned to reflect the gender mix. There are no specific gender rules,
but a menu that offers a broad choice of food, cooking methods and portion size should
encompass most variables. Consumer consultation will be a valuable tool in this process.

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b. Race. The Armed Forces recruit personnel from both the UK and the Commonwealth. The
widely differing cultures are reflected in the highly variable food preferences. Menus can be
enriched by the inclusion of dishes that are traditional in non-British cultures.

c. Religious Belief. Several religions place dietary restrictions on their adherents. It is imperative
that these strictures are respected and are considered in menu planning if the unit consists of a
significant number of personnel of a particular religious persuasion. Where only a few
individuals who adhere to a particular diet for religious purposes are serving at a unit special
arrangements are to be made. Catering Managers are advised to consult the individual because
there are varying degrees of adherence to religious dietary restrictions.

d. Medical Requirements. There are many dietary considerations that form part of therapy for
medical conditions and are prescribed by Medical practitioners. A therapeutic diet is usually
tailored to the needs of the individual hence the individual is well placed to advice on the foods
that are suitable.

e. Lifestyle Choices. Vegetarianism is the most common lifestyle choice adopted by members of
the armed forces and can be taken up in varying degrees.

It is advisable to plan menus in advance to save time, energy and money and to assure nutrition,
flavorful and attractive meals.

5.5. Menu writing.

The following suggestions for menu writing are:

1. Capitalize all words except articles and prepositions.

2. List the foods in the order in which they are to be served.
3. List the beverages last regardless of whether they are to be served the main course or dessert.
4. Foods eaten together are grouped together.
5. Such items as butter, cream, sugar or salad dressing are not written on menus unless they are
different or particularly interesting.
6. When an item on the menu has a special accompaniment, place the accompanying item
underneath to the right of the main item.
7. Allow extra spacing between courses and leave a margin around the list.

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5.6. Some universal tips for menu planning.

Here are some basic principles to make sure the meal that is planned will be pleasing. The
principles are in the form of a question checklist. After a menu is drawn up, these questions must
be asked to see whether or not some important considerations have been overlooked.

1. Do the foods offer contrast in color?

2. Is there variety in texture?
3. Is there variety in the main ingredients?
4. Is there variety in the sauces or seasonings?
5. Is there too much last-minute cooking?
6. Have you planned too many dishes, or too many complicated or new dishes?

Reference:

Axler, B. H. (1979). Food Service: A Managerial Approach. Lexington MA: DC Health.

Green, E. F., et al. (1987). Profitable Food and Beverage Management: Operations.Jenks,
Oklahoma: Williams Books.

Nora Narvez-Soriano, (2004). RBS:A Guide to Meal Management and Table Service, Revised
Edition.