Philippine Christian

University
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY
Dasmariñas City, Cavite
S.Y. 2019-2020

FUNDAMENTALS OF FOOD
OPERATIONS

WEEK 1
MARCH 16-20, 2020

MODULE
Name: _____________________________________________
Year &Section: ____________________________________

Prepared by:
Mr. Michael T. Enriquez Jr.
 PROMOTE FOOD AND BEVERAGE PRODUCTS

Learning Objectives :

1.The Learner Obtain Information on the restaurant Food and Beverage produts.

2.The Learner Undertake suggestive selling.

3.The Learner Carry out Upselling strategies.

Discussion :

1. Research general information on food and beverage products

Introduction
In order to obtain product information on food and
beverage products it is essential to be proactive.

You must make an effort and take action to find

things out.

This section describes sources of this

information and identifies the aspects of food and
beverage products about which you should
obtain information.

Need for product knowledge

It is vital for every hospitality employee to have an excellent knowledge of
the products and services offered by their workplace.

In particular, you need this knowledge so you can take

every opportunity to demonstrate professionalism, promote
dishes, recommend beverages and generally assist
customers.

Opportunities to promote products frequently arise during

service sessions, and elsewhere in the general hospitality
environment.

These opportunities mainly occur when taking orders, and

present an excellent opportunity to show-off your skills, as well as to inform
the customer of the various products or services offered by your place of
work.

‘Product knowledge’ is at the heart of providing information on food and

beverages.

What is product knowledge?

Knowledge about food, beverages, the services you offer and the facilities
available is called 'product knowledge', and you can never have too much of
it.

Product knowledge involves almost anything relating to the area and venue
where you work.

Food waiters are expected to have detailed food knowledge, a good

knowledge about the venue generally but less knowledge about beverages.

Beverage waiters are expected to have detailed knowledge about drinks, a

good knowledge about the venue generally but less knowledge about food.

Those who are as both food and beverage waiters are expected to have a
good knowledge about both.

Product knowledge is different to skills/competencies: for example, a food

waiter may have knowledge about gueridon cookery but not have the skills
to provide gueridon service.

Food staff
For food staff product knowledge should include information about:

 Menu items (dishes offered on the menu - you should know what is
available and what is not
 Serve or portion sizes
 Prices
 Cooking styles
 Cooking times
 Ingredients
 What is fresh and what is bought in, frozen, and or pre-prepared
 Suitability for those with certain dietary or cultural requirements
 Cutlery and crockery required for service of individual menu items.
Beverage staff – drink waiters and bar attendants
For beverage service staff product knowledge should include information
about:

 The drinks/mixed drinks available from the bar – including cocktails where
applicable
 The brand names and types of spirits, liqueurs and fortified wines
available
 The table and sparkling wines available –
bottled and ‘bulk’ (‘house wine’)
 The soft drinks available – including juices,
aerated waters and mocktails
 The beers available – draught and packaged
 The pre-mixed/ready-to-drink beverages
available
 Prices
 Knowledge about individual beverages – such
as wine knowledge, how various liqueurs may
be served, the alcoholic strength of different
liquors, whether products are domestic or
imported
 Knowledge about matching menu items to
menu items
 Glassware for the service of all drinks.
Venue knowledge

All staff should have general information about the venue itself, such as:

 Opening hours
 Methods of payment accepted
 Booking policies and procedures – including need for
deposits and requirements in relation to booking
confirmations
 Complaint handling procedures
 Facilities and services available elsewhere in the
venue
 Names of managers/owners
 Legal issues – as they apply to issues such as the service of liquor and
safe food handling.

What information sources are there?

Internal sources

Within the property you can obtain product knowledge information from:

 Menus, drink lists, wine lists and cocktail lists – many of these contain
descriptions about beverages and dishes
 Taste the products – subject to whatever workplace restrictions apply,
one of the best ways to really learn about food and beverages is to
‘experience’ them – smell them, feel them, taste
them!
 Recipes – for information on individual dishes
such as ingredients and cooking styles
 Experienced staff – such as chefs, cooks, cellar
staff, senior F&B service staff, purchasing
officers, bottle shop sales assistants, managers and
owners
 Operational manuals – for details relating to the way
things should be done in the room/property
 Policies and procedures manuals – for background information about the
venue
 Wrapping and packaging material – many items are delivered in packaging
that contains information about the product
 Doing a tour of the premises – to meet staff, find the locations of
departments and facilities, and to generally learn about the property
 Talking to customers – to benefit from their experience/s, what they have
learned and their preferences.
External sources

Outside the venue you can obtain product knowledge information from:

 Product suppliers – by asking direct questions to the sales office or sales

representatives, or by asking them to send you product information sheets
 The media – it must become standard practice for you to read, watch or
listen to anything that relates to food and beverages: this should include
reading, watching and listening to the general media as well as obtaining
and reading trade magazines and journals
 Books – see what your local library has,
check out the newsagents, visit the local
library
 Internet – loads of information is
available through targeted searches: see
below for some examples
 Trade shows, exhibitions and F&B festivals – keep an eye on the media
and invitations sent to your employer. Make the time to go – many
shows/exhibitions are free to industry personnel and they are a great way
to establish industry networks and keep abreast of what is happening in
the industry
 Food and cooking demonstrations – you can always learn something from
these events even where they are conducted by a company with a vested
interested in promoting their range of products
 Promotional activities – many suppliers run promotional events to
advertise their products and you should attend these whenever possible.
Trade magazines, local media and invitations sent direct to your
workplace are the best sources of when and where these are conducted.

Food knowledge required

General background

Your product knowledge needs to reflect the needs of the place where you
work.

This means the waiter in a fine dining restaurant will have knowledge about
different things to a person serving food from a Bain Marie in a fast food
outlet.

While it is good to develop a broad and detailed level of product knowledge,

it is essential to first gain the product knowledge necessary for your
nominated job.
With this in mind, food knowledge may relate to:

Appetisers
Appetisers are menu items offered for guests to
eat prior to their main course.

They may include:

 Hors d’oeuvres
 Canapés
 Antipasto
 Tapas
 Finger foods
 Sandwiches.
You need to know what ingredients are used, what things taste and look like,
what they cost, how long they will take to prepare and cooking styles.

Soups
A traditional course on many menus, soups provide low food cost items for
many premises.

Soups may be classic or contemporary, may be served hot or cold and can
reflect ethnic flavours from many countries.

Options include:

 Clear soups
 Broths
 Purées
 Cream soups
 Bisques.
Meat, poultry, fish and seafood – entrées and main courses
Meat, poultry, fish and seafood are common raw materials for all courses
(except desserts) including entrées and main courses.

As staple ingredients meat, poultry, fish and seafood can be the stand-alone
ingredient for a dish (such as steak, fillets of fish, or lobster) or they can be
ingredients in other menu items such as sauces and
wet dishes.
Meat includes:

 Beef
 Lamb
 Veal
 Goat
 Pork.
Cuts and options vary between the meat items but can
include:

 Steaks
 Chops and/or cutlets
 Mince
 Joints for roasting.
You need to know the cuts being used, whether things are fresh or frozen,
the type of product being used as well as what things taste and look like,
what they cost, how long they will take to prepare and cooking styles.

You also need to know the answer to the question “Is it tender?”

Poultry includes whole birds or cuts and includes:

 Chicken
 Turkey
 Squab
 Pheasant
 Duck
 Goose.
You need to know the cuts being used, whether things are fresh or frozen,
the type of product being used as well as what things taste and look like,
what they cost, how long they will take to prepare and cooking styles.

Options include whole birds, legs, wings and breast.

Fish may be fresh, frozen or preserved and can be obtained from the sea of
from freshwater.

Fish can include:

 Flat fish and round fish
 Whole fish and fillets
 Whitefish
 Oily fish.
Seafood includes:

 Shellfish (also known as ‘crustaceans’) – generic term for seafood from a

fish with a shell (such as crayfish, crabs, lobster, prawn, shrimp)
 Molluscs – octopus, cuttlefish, squid, clams, whelks, winkles, mussels,
scallops, cockles, oysters.
You need to know the type of fish or seafood being used, whether things are
fresh or frozen (a very common question in relation to fish and seafood) as
well as what things taste and look like, what they cost, how long they will
take to prepare and cooking styles.

Desserts
Desserts are served after the main course and also known as ‘sweets’.

In some properties a separate menu is used for desserts.

They can be either hot or cold – many are served with sauces - and include:

 Puddings
 Pies, tarts and flans
 Fritters – Banana fritters, or pineapple fritters
 Custards and creams
 Prepared fruit – fruit which has been peeled and cut ready for eating
 Charlottes – such as Apple Charlotte
 Bavarois and mousse
 Soufflé
 Sabayon
 Meringues
 Crepes and omelettes
 Sorbets
 Ice cream
 Bombes
 Parfaits.
Snacks
Snacks are light meals, commonly provided for people who are in a hurry or
who are not especially hungry.
One characteristic of a ‘snack’ is that it can often be easily taken away by
the purchaser.
Snacks can include:
 Hot chips and potato wedges
 Biscuits, crisps and crackers
 Hot dogs
 Pies, pasties and sausage rolls
 Croissants
 Sandwiches and rolls
 Baguettes
 Hamburgers
 Ploughman’s lunch – cheese, greens and pickled onion.
Some snacks can also be meals – for example, a slice of pizza is a snack, but
a whole pizza is a meal.
Cheese
Cheese can be made from cow, sheep or goat’s
milk.
Basic cheese options include:
 Soft cheeses – Brie, Camembert and cottage
 Semi-soft cheeses – Edam and Gouda
 Hard cheeses – cheddar and Parmesan
 Blue vein cheese (such as Gorgonzola, Stilton and Roquefort) – coloured
by an edible penicillin mould.
Cheese can be used in sauces or served on its own on a cheese platter.

Pasta
Pasta can be bought-in as ‘dried’ pasta and re-constituted on-site, or it may
be made fresh on-the-premises.
Pasta comes in a wide variety of types (flat, tubular and shaped) and sizes
and may be filled or plain.
Pasta is traditionally served with a variety of sauces but can also be used in
soups and as a substitute for potato.
Examples of pasta include:
 Gnocchi
 Spaghetti
 Fettuccini
 Lasagne
 Tagliatelli.
Noodles
Noodles are made from flour (wheat) and water, and/or eggs.

In many ways they are similar to pasta.

Vegetables
Vegetables are traditionally used as an accompaniment to a main dish.

Some vegetables can also be used in salads.

‘Root vegetables’ grow underground.

Examples of vegetables include:

 Potatoes – root vegetable

 Onions – root vegetable
 Carrot s– root vegetable
 Broccoli – green vegetable
 Sprouts – green vegetable
 Celery – green vegetable
 Peas – green vegetable
 Beans – green vegetable
 Spinach – green vegetable
 Cabbage – green vegetable
 Tomatoes – technically a ‘fruit’ but commonly referred to as a vegetable.
Fruit
A growing focus on healthy eating has seen increased up-take of fruit in
premises.

Fruit is almost mandatory with breakfasts, and supplied free-of-charge by

some properties to house (in-room) guests and/or at reception.

Fruit options include:

 Pieces and platters of fresh fruit – pineapple,

watermelon, apples, bananas, rambutan,
jackfruit, star fruit, mango
 Fresh fruit salad – available with or without
cream, yoghurt or ice cream
 Tinned fruit – such as pears, peaches and
apricots
 Dried fruit – such as dried apricots, figs,
sultanas, raisins and currants.
Salads
Healthy eating has also seen the rise in the popularity of salads.

Salads may exist as a stand-alone menu item (such as a ‘Warm Chicken

Salad’) or as an accompaniment to a main course dish – such as green salad
or a mixed salad.

Salads may be classical or contemporary, varying in ethnic and cultural

origins, served either cold, warm or hot, and may contain a variety of cooked
and uncooked ingredients.

Dressings are applied to some salads.

Salad vegetables include:

 Lettuce – various types

 Tomato – including cherry
tomatoes
 Radishes
 Celery
 Onions and spring onions
 Shredded cabbage – in coleslaw (salad made with shredded/grated
cabbage, onions, carrots, seasoning and mayonnaise)
 Mushrooms
 Carrots
 Beetroot
 Peppers – red, green and yellow.
Many ‘vegetables’ can be used as ‘salad vegetables’ and many ‘salad
vegetables’ can also be used as ‘vegetables’.

Pre-packaged food items

Pre-packaged food items include:

 Food items are items bought in from suppliers and sold behind the bar or
in other retail areas – they include items such as chips and nuts
 Portion control items – these are the single/individual serve units such as
pats of butter and margarine, sachets of sugar and sugar substitute, foils
of jams and sauces
 Any food item bought-in and served (or sold) ‘as is’ – such as cakes and
cheesecakes.
Some pre-packaged foods may:

 Require some basic preparation – such as boiling or heating

 Be further prepared prior to service by the addition of extra ingredients
and/or sauces to enhance presentation and taste.
Specialist cuisine food items
Specialist cuisine food items commonly relate to cuisines of various cultures
but can also include specific cuts of meats, poultry and game as well as
specific types of fish and seafood.

In some cases, an item which is ‘standard’ in one establishment may be

regarded as ‘specialist’ in another. For example ‘pork ribs’ might be on the
menu all the time in one venue but be regarded as a specialist dish in
another.

For example, eye fillet could be regarded as a specialist cuisine item if it is

not normally used but required only for a certain dish. A steak which is cut in
a butterfly cut may be ‘specialised’. The use of a chicken leg and thigh
connected to each other may be ‘specialised’.

The way the item is ‘grown’ may also classify an item as ‘specialist – for
example organic vegetables or grain-fed beef.

National dishes
It is vital you understand the traditional national dishes of the country in
which you work.

Many tourists visit your country and your workplace to experience the local
cuisine and you must know:

 The names of these dishes

 The ingredients in them
 Any relevant history – (as applicable) how and when they were invented;
who they were named after
 The cooking processes used to produce them
 Their flavours and appearance
 Serve size and how they are served
 Cost.
Signature dishes
Venues may – or may not – have one or more
‘Signature dishes’. These are dishes the venue (or
the chef) is famous for.

Many visitors will come to the venue just for

this possibly world-renowned dish.
Signature dishes may be a local/regional dish or from another culinary area.

Venues will strive to always have the Signature dishes available, all the time
the venue is open.
Other specialist foods
Other specialist foods may be ‘special’ in one venue but common in another.

It is there lack of common usage in this case which make them special.

This means other food items that could be seen as ‘specialist’ in some
properties could include:

 Offal
 Aromatics, flavourings, spices, spice mixes and herbs
 Garnishes
 Seeds and nuts
 Grains, rice and pulses
 Fungi
 Preserves, condiments and accompaniments
 Fruits, vegetables, flowers and salad items – not commonly used/available
 Aquatic plants such as seaweeds
 Specialist cheeses and dairy products
 Sweeteners such as palm sugar, honey and glucose
 Fats and oils
 Local food items/ingredients.

Beverage knowledge required

General background

Your product knowledge needs to reflect the needs of the place where you
work.

It is important that you learn what drinks are available,

and develop an understanding of similar or like products
so that when a customer orders something you do not
have, you can suggest a suitable alternative.

For example, if a customer orders a “Tanqueray and tonic

water” you need to know Tanqueray is an imported gin
and if you do not stock it you could recommend another
imported gin you do stock (such as, for example,
Gordon’s or Beefeater)
The type of general information about alcoholic beverages you may need to
pass on to customers includes:

 Which ones are suitable drinks for aperitifs

 Which ones are suitable for drinking during and after a meal
 Suggested basic wine and food combinations
 What they taste like, look like, smell like and where they come from
 What their alcoholic strength is
 Whether they are domestic or imported beverages
 Information specific to wines – details relating to wine makers, wine
styles, wine growing areas, grape varieties, wine characteristics and
information relating to wine shows and the wine industry
 Size of serves, bottles, cans and glasses
The variety of ways in which different liquors can be served

Wine
Wine is defined as the naturally produced beverage made from the fermented
juice of grapes.

Possible food and wine combinations

The most common request for advice
regarding matching a beverage with food
relates to wine.

Some basic suggestions for Western style

foods are presented below but remember:

 These are only generic suggestions

 There is a great variation in wines of
the same type from different countries
and from different vintages
 There can be a significant variation between the tastes of the same menu
item between different kitchens/venues.

Food Wine

Seafood Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling

 Food Wine

Game Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Semillon

Red meat Cabernet Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Malbec

Poultry Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Verdelho

Salads Chenin Blanc, Verdelho, Chardonnay, Riesling

Antipasto Chardonnay, Rosé

Pasta Chardonnay, Riesling, Shiraz

Cheese platters Cabernet Merlot

Desserts Dessert wines

Website information
Generic and Western food and wine combinations

For more information on generic and Western matchings of food and wine
visit:

http://www.wineaustralia.com/australia/Default.aspx?tabid=827

Undertake Suggestive selling and carry out

strategies.

Offer advice on suitable combinations of foods and beverage where

appropriate
Introduction
Many customers will require help or advice when choosing beverages to
accompany their selected dishes.
It is part of the standard service by any outlet for staff to help customers
choose a beverage to suit both their preferences and match appropriately
with what they are eating.

This section offers advice in this regard.

When could you offer this advice?

Advice about drinks to accompany food can be
offered in response to enquiries, or offered as part of
service provision without being asked.

Typical occasions providing an opportunity or

need to advise customers in this regard include:

 Serving a customer at the bar who is thinking

about having a meal
 Serving the customer at a table who has
ordered, or is about to order, their food
 Greeting and seating the customer – by advising them of any Specials
which may be available
 In public areas – where customers approach you and ask a question about
the dining facilities available
 Taking a reservation or enquiry over the telephone – where customers
make enquiries about what is on the menu and drink lists
 Responding to requests for room service to guest rooms
 When helping customers in a bottle shop/take-away liquor situation – by
helping customers to choose a beverage to accompany a meal being
prepared at home.

Ask some questions first

There is a need to ask questions before advising customers about food and
beverage selections (see next section) and there is a need to ask questions
before making recommendation or suggestions for drinks to accompany food.

Basic questions which may need to be asked include:

 Do they want an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink to accompany their food?

 Do they want a beverage they can share with others, or is the request for
assistance just for them as an
individual?
 If they want wine, do they prefer red or white wine? Do they prefer a still
wine or a sparkling wine?
 What have they selected in the way of food? It is important to identify this
in order for you to suggest an appropriate food and drink combination
 Do they want to try something local? Many tourists/visitors are eager to
try a local/national product specific to your country or region
 Are they looking for a new experience or do they want something they
know they like?
All suggestions you make must reflect the identified needs, wants and
preferences of the guest/s.

One thing you must NEVER do

It is never acceptable to respond to the question “What do you recommend to
go with the fish?” with “I don’t know, I don’t drink”, or simply “I don’t know”.

Even though you may not drink (alcohol), and despite the fact you might not
have personally tasted all the beverages on the drink list it is
your job to provide an intelligent response or suggestion to the
patron.

A word of warning
You must understand your advice regarding suitable food and
wine combinations will never always be acceptable to all people
you provide assistance to.

People are individuals and they may not like the suggestions you
make.

This is to be expected so never get upset with yourself or annoyed at the

customers if they ignore your advice or express disbelief about what you
have recommended.

Accept their decision with good grace and, where applicable, make another suggestion.
 RECOMMEND WINES AND DRINKS TO ACCOMPANY SELECTED ITEMS

Introduction

This section will explore how to recommend wines to accompany food, as one of the most common
requests for advice is in regards to matching a wine to accompany their meals.

Food and wine combinations.

Some basic suggestions include:

Food Wine

Seafood Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling

Game Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Semillon

Red meat Cabernet Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Malbec

Poultry Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Verdelho

Salads Chenin Blanc, Verdelho, Chardonnay, Riesling

Antipasto Chardonnay, Rosé

Pasta Chardonnay, Riesling, Shiraz

Cheese platters Cabernet Merlot

Desserts Dessert wines

‘Complement’ or ‘Contrast’
You must become sufficiently
familiar with the wines on the
drink list in your workplace to
make intelligent recommendations to
compliment the food available in
the menu/s.

The best way to gain this

knowledge/appreciation is to taste
the wine to gain first-hand
experience.
One way of choosing wines to match food and provide a suitable food and
beverage combination is the ‘Complement or Contrast’ approach as follows.

‘Complementing’ food and wine

When complementing food with wine, try to select wines which will
harmonise well with the dishes and their ingredients – general guidelines are:

 Whites with fish, chicken, veal and pork

 Reds with dark meat
 Reds with cheese
 Delicate wines with delicate food
 Full-bodied wines with full-bodied food
 Sweet wines with sweet food
 Champagne or sparkling wine can generally go with anything and with any
course as there are many, many styles of this type of wine.
‘Contrasting’ food and wine

‘Contrasting’ relates to selecting a wine which stands distinctly on its own

when compared to the food being eaten and is viewed as a separate taste
experience.

This approach seeks to distinctly differentiate the wine from the food, as
opposed to creating a reciprocal/harmonious match with the food being
eaten.

It is, however, best to apply the concept a style of wine goes well with a
style of food and then fine-tune your selection from that point, taste-testing
dishes and wines, and taking professional advice from wine experts.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:

1. Information about the food items are provided in clear explanations

and descriptions.
2. Items on specials or promos are offered to assist guests with food and
beverage selections.
3. Name of specific menu items are suggested to guests rather than just
mentioning the general categories in the menu to help them make the
choice and know what they want.
4. Standard food and beverage pairings are recommended.
5. Several choices are given to provide more options to guests
 6. Descriptive words are used while explaining the dishes to make it more
tempting and appetizing.
7. Suggestive selling is carried out discreetly so as not to be too pushy or
too aggressive.

ACTIVITY #1:
The student must create/customize menu provided with the following:

Specials or promos Menu categories Food and beverage

 House specials  Meat pairings
 Soup of the day  Vegetable  Burgers and fries
 Combo meals  Dessert  Steaks and salad
 Best sellers  Beverages  Steak and mashed
 Chef’s pick  Entrée potato
 Seasonal items  Seafood  Dessert and coffee
 Seafood with white
wine

Activity #2: Essay

Instruction : Answer each question comprehensively. Cite example or
concrete scenario to further elaborate your answer.
1.As a waiter, explain the importance of product knowledge.
2.Discuss the importance of upselling and suggestive selling.