Food Production - 2nd Year - BHMCT

Unit 1
Principles of quantity cooking

The terms quantity cooking bulk coking and volume cooking are synonyms and as all the
three names suggest these take place extensively in specialized events where there are
large number of people to be fed even though the methods of cooking and selection of
ingredients remain the same in volume cooking what differs is the approach. Such cooking
can be done within the premise or off the premise. In some cases, the food is prepared in
one location and taken to another.

 Planning: Volume cooking require much more detailed planning and organizing as
compared to a’la carte cooking .One cannot afford to spoil one dish because of
negligence as it would involve much more money, effort, time to make that dish again.
 Hygiene: The hygiene of a bulk kitchen need special attention because in case of food
poisoning larger people would be affected , thereby causing bad reputation and financial
loss for the organization.
 Right Equipment: It is also of a t most important that the commodities are prepared,
processed, cooked with little time involved. This can be possible only when designated
equipment are used for example,. Suppose large quantities are processed for a big party
and imagine it would be done manually the labor force would be enormous and the
place required would also be huge. Also the various commodities would be lying on the
table at ambient temperature for a considerable time and hence the quality will be
affect as the food can get contaminated by micro organisms.
 Purchasing: The importance of purchase and indenting needs considerable emphasis in
volume catering establishment.
 Profits: The banqueting department often makes more profit and revenue than
compared to restaurant. It very important to purchase the commodities at best possible
rate to increase profit margin.
When catering in volume small saving on commodity purchases can amount
large savings of money because of the quantities involved.
 Accounting :Functions such as food cost estimation inventory control, food and
beverage purchases, which repots to the account department
 Forecasting: trying to pi point the actual quantities based on the number of pax give
forecasting whether all the pax will arrive based on many factors and taking in to
account all factors is very important. For example .the guest has ordered for 200 pax but
on the same day there is some curfew in the city the actual number of people that will
arrive will be less than the pax given
 Skilled Labour : when cooking for volume the taste and the authenticity of the food is
very important and skilled personal are required
 Maintenance: Proper maintenance of working equipment and the work are is of utmost
importance as the order of work in bulk so if there is a spillage or electric malfunction
caused because of lapse in maintenance the loss would be huge.
 Hazard control : Control measures are very important as in this high risk and hazardous
work environment control of fire accidents , accident etc., are not to be taken lightly
 Cost Control: Controlling wastage and also minimizing the usage of excess commodities.
Improving the quality but reducing unwanted wastage goes a long way in increasing
profits.
 Waste disposal: The Kitchen waste is another important factor as proper waste disposal
goes a long way in helping the environment and also giving way for recycling.
 Rechauffe : Recycling leftover foods in the proper manner without affecting the food
and also avoiding contamination
HOLDING TECHNIQUES

1. COOK AND SERVE SYSTEM

This is most widely used of all food preparation system. It involves one operation serving
one outlet. The preparation, cooking and service of the finished product are carried out on
the one site. Timing is the essential factor. Kitchen must be co-ordinate so that the food as
ready for consumption as close to service time as possible. They should be kept as possible.
They should be kept constantly at required temperature throughout the service except for a
la carte menu.

In addition to the standard equipment in the kitchen, this type of food production requires
hot and cold holding bays. Transportation in this type of system will be by heated or
refrigerated mobile carts or by insulated treys.

FOOD STUFF RECEIVED

PREPARATION

COOKING THE FOOD

SERVING MEAL NOT BELOW 65 DEGREE CELSIUS

2. COOK & CHILL SYSTEM

This system of food production like the cook and serve system, requires on operation serving
on counter. The difference is food prepared, cooked and chilled and stored in refrigerator.
Before service they are reheated to required temperature as needed at the time of service.

The advantage of this system is the highly trained staff is required for only one shift in 24
hours, as the food can prepared by a chef worked in on shift and then reheated as required.
The quantity of the food is monitored by the chef and in most case portions are controlled.
Costs are variable, depending on the efficiency fo the management with the preparation.
Labour cost can be reduced by bulk purchasing of food stuff.

FOOD STUFF RECEIVED

PREPARATION
 COOKING THE FOOD

MEALS ARE COOLED IN LESS THAN 4 DEGREE CELSIUS

MEALS ARE REHEATED AT 14 CELSIUS

MEALS SERVE AND MAINTAIN SAME TEMPERATURE AT 74 DEGREE CELSIUS

3. COOK FREEZE SYSTEM

In this system the food is prepared, cooked and frozen till required. This allows for cooking
and preparing of preplanned meals well in advance of the service time. Staffing costs are
reduced because highly trained staff is not always required.

Reheating occurs just before service and the temperature is maintained in the same way as
cook & serve system. In bulk quantity control of food cannot be refrozen after thawing and
excess of wastage will result in a reduction in profit.

FOOD STUFF RECEIVED

PREPARATION

COOKING THE FOOD

MEALS ARE COOLED IN LESS THAN 4 DEGREE CELSIUS AND KEPT AT 18 DEGREE CELSIUS

MEALS ARE REHEATED AT 74 DEGREE CELSIUS

MEALS SERVE AND MAINTAIN SAME TEMPERATURE AT 47 DEGREE CELSIUS.

Principles of Selection of equipment

The selection of Kitchen equipment in volume cooking is very important as the equipment
used in quantity kitchen is different to the equipment used in other kitchens the
selection depends upon

Suitability:

 The equipment should be safe and hygienic to use

 It should help in effective production and also improve the quality
 It should also save your labour costs
 It should fit in the role in which the equipment is required

Appearance

 Apart from being eye appealing it also has to blend with the setting of the kitchen

Durability

 All equipment come for a price and some equipment last for considerable time if
well maintained the durability should be in coherence with its functionality

Cost
  Selection should be based ob appropriate expenditure as initial investment and
probable operation cost
 The purchase should be made considering the type of operation involved
 It must be ensured that the operating expenses are appropriate in terms of repair
renewal and replacement

Metals

While selecting equipment the type of metal used in Large or small equipment is of utmost
importance

The following are few important criteria for selection of equipment

 Degree of conductivity
 Whether the metal will be toxic when it comes in contact with certain food
 Durability in the industrial kitchen
 Resistance to high heat without damage or danger to equipment
 Rust resistant wherever possible

Plastic
The development of plastics has bought many valuable qualities for the cooking industry like
heat proof handles light weight vessels durable trays unbreakable plates etc., there are 7
symbols on plastics

1. PETE –Polyethylene terephthalate

2. HDPE-High density Polyethylene
3. UPVC-Unplasticised poly vinyl chloride
4. LDPE-Low density polyethelyne
5. PP-Polypropolene
6. Ps or EPS-polysterene or expandable polystyrene
7. PC –Polycarbonate

Plastics containing the numbers 1,2,4,5 and 7 are considered to be plastics that are
recommended for the usage in the food industry. One must refrain from Numbers 3 and 6
they are not recommended for food industry.

Wood
Wood has the advantage of being light weight and economical but its permeability to
bacteria and moisture , its absorption property of food odors and stains and its low key
resistance to heat and wear and tear makes it low in utility and sanitation value

Ceramics
Ceramics are mixtures of many compounds such as silicon dioxide , aluminum oxide and
magnesium oxide. The art and use of ceramics is almost 9000yrs old. Their main ability is
their chemical and mechanical stability and they resist corrosion they are bad conductors of
heat hence used in slow processes of cooking such as baking and braising.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF EQUIPMENT

It is very important that we take care of our equipment as they help us to do our work
efficiently and consistently. For example, the person in the production line will suffer if
the potato peeler breaks down. Imagine the time it will take to manually peel 100 kg of
potatoes required for an evening function. Therefore, it is important that we take care of
our equipment so that they go a long way in helping us to perform our duties efficiently
and accurately. Prevention is better than cure' is a very old proverb and it holds true for
the maintenance of kitchen equipment. The following points need to be kept in mind in
Order to take good care of kitchen equipment:
Training
Proper orientation should be given to any new staff to make them aware of the correct
ways of using any equipment Operating instructions of the machines should be placed
near them so that the staff could refer to the same in case of any doubt. It is necessary to
encourage an environment where people can ask questions when in doubl.
Maintenance
It is important to have all equipment periodically maintained in order to increase their
life and efficiency. There are mainly two types of maintenance:

Reactive maintenance In this kind of maintenance, a machine is fixed only when it

has broken down. The disadvantage of this kind of maintenance is that the work suffers
until the machine is repaired. For such maintenance, a job order needs to be raised from
the concerned department which then goes to the engineering department. After the
machine is fixed, the job card is signed by the outlet in-charge confirming that the job has
been done to the required level of satisfaction and that the machine is again running
properly. The format of a job card can vary from hotel to hotel. Figure 1.2 represents a job
card used in a hotel.

Preventive maintenance This is a planned maintenance that is done by the engineer-

ing department in liaison with the concerned department in-charge. This is done to en-
sure that the machines run under proper conditions and that reactive maintenance is
avoided as far as possible. Through preventive maintenance the parts of a machine that
have undergone extensive wear and tear can be immediately identified and their spares
can be ordered and procured in advance so that work does not suffer because of a break-
down of the machine. The preventive maintenance schedule needs to be developed with
the help of engineers and it is important to adhere to the schedule as far as possible. In
case the machine cannot be serviced on the day it was intended for, then another suitable
date needs to be immediately agreed upon so that the schedule is maintained.

Annual maintenance contracts

It is important to sign annual maintenance contracts, also known as AMCs, with autho-
rized companies. Apart from your preventive maintenance schedules, personnel from the
authorized companies would also come and check your equipment. Sometimes many
parts of a machine are covered in their contracts and these parts can be replaced without
any extra cost to you
Breakdown insurance
In case it is not possible to have AMCs for all the equipment, you could also choose to have
a breakdown insurance for the machines. This would help you to replace the defective parts
and then claim for them from the insurance companies. It is always important to read the
insurance guidelines of such companies before entering into a contract with them.

PRINCIPLES FOR VOLUME INDENTING

The principle for cooking in quantity is to look at the menu as a whole and not each dish
separately. The ingredients for a recipe for volume production are always calculated in
fifties hence it becomes easy to multiply it .The approach to recipes for volume production is
slightly different to that for an a’la carte kitchen.

The main principles of Quantity or volume indenting an be summarized in the following

points

Yield of the product

The yield of a particular commodity has a huge impact on the indenting for volumes. All
recipes should be updated with yields, as we need to indent for the net weight in a recipe
and not for usable weight. Similarly, when a product is ordered for a particular recipe, the
cuts listed in the recipe must be strictly followed to adhere to the cost and quality. Also, if
one has to order 20 kgs of fish for a party, there could be various combinations available in
the market such as:
-20 pcs weighing 1kg
-10 pcs weighing 2 kgs
-2pcs of fish weighing 10kgs
The procurement of the fish would depend on the usage of the product as well as the
maximum yield that one would get out of the product with regards to the costs and quality.
The cheapest now might turn expensive if the final yield of the product is low. So it is better
to buy Pre-Portioned meet to gain consistency in product quality and cost.

Type of Event

The type of Event for which the food is required also plays an important role in indenting
the food. A wedding function would have a huge range of menu catering to up to 1000
people or sometimes even more. When variety is more the quantities consumed will be less
as most of the guests will try to taste more varieties. But in case of conference menu is
limited, a good judgment based on experience would determine the right quantity to be
produced.

Regional Influence
Regional food also plays an important role in indenting of the food. People from Bengal would love
to eat fish and seafood, while people from north India would prefer chicken. The type of dish also
plays an important role deciding the quantity to be produced. For example, batter fried fish would
be consumed more than fish curry and rice, and similarly the consumption of chicken kebab would
be more than curry with bread or rice.
Service Style

The style of service, whether buffet or a’la carte, also determines the indenting and portion size of
the dish. It is easy to predict the quantities for a fixed portion size the challenge arises when the food
is laid out on a buffet for self- service. In many institutional caterings a buffet is controlled by the
catering managers and strict portion control is exercised over expensive food items, but in a hotel
the food on the buffet cannot be controlled, hence there is a requirement of a skilled experienced
[professional to manage the show.

VOLUME FORECASTING: this technique involves correlating the production of food

with the anticipated numbers of covers & guessing imitating customer preferences naturally,
estimating is not easy. It is a proper sales history, showing each menu items and the number
of portion sold over a fixed period of time is maintained unit would help in determining the
number of portion of each item to be cooked every day. Volume forecasting would ensure
that near exact quantities of food is cooked every day, keeping wastage to the minimum. This
would enable the purchase department to order the quantity of raw materials.

MENU PLANNING menu is virtually a list of dishes planned for production in a catering
operation and many
include full meals snacks or beverages. It performs a number of functions:
1. Introduces the establishment to the customer.
2. Authorises production of meals in the kitchen.
3. Helps to prepare shopping lists for foods and ingredients and is the basis for
establishing purchasing procedures.
4. Determines the type of equipment, staff skills and the type of supervision required.
5. Helps to organise spaces and work in stores, kitchens and service areas.
6. Determines the style of service to be set up.
7. Forms the basis for the calculation of food and labour costs, overhead expenses and
desired profits.
8. Reflects the type of customer the establishment wishes to attract.
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9. Satisfies the needs of the customers for nutrition, hunger, as well as social and
psychological needs.
10. Introduces interesting food combinations to customers, and through specialty foods
impairs knowledge of the foods eaten in different states, countries and cultures.
11. Provides a means of developing good eating habits in people.
PURCHASE SYSTEMS AND SPECIFICATIONS
Everything in a food operation actually begins with the kind of market that an operation
would cater to. Menus are planned on the basis of the market segment. Once the menus
are planned, all the other requirements such as buying of equipment and other things,
planning and layout of the area are carried out. This function of buying is classified as
purchasing, and in hotels a separate department known as the purchase department car-
ries out these functions.
Materials need to be purchased against some standards and such standards are known
as 'specifications. These specifications are made on the basis of the end product and how
it is perceived to be served. Skilful purchasing with good receiving and storage can play a
major role in the bottom line of any organization. It is often said that one could produce
low-quality food from high-quality ingredients, but one can never produce high-quality
food from substandard ingredients. Therefore, it is important to concentrate on this first
step of the food production business. There are a few factors or procedures that one has to
be aware of before carrying out the purchase functions.
MARKET KNOWLEDGE
It is important for a purchase manager to know the commodity market
as it is a highly volatile market, where products vary in both quality
and pricing. It is desirable to pay a good price for a quality product, but
paying good money does not always ensure quality. Therefore, it is
important to develop and build up relationships with reputed suppliers.
It is necessary for the purchasing manager to know where a particular
commodity is grown and what its seasonality is. It is also important to
know the legal aspects of purchasing. For example, it is illegal to buy
deer meat in India, but in many countries, such as Australia, England,
the USA, etc., it is not against the law. It is equally important to know
the market with regard to the conditions of supply and demand, as
these factors would cause implications on the price of a commodity.
Market knowledge also includes gaining information on the suppliers
available in the market, their reputation, and their scale of business.
Many upcoming suppliers would make lots of promises, but they usually
surprise you when it comes to actually delivering the products.
DETERMINE THE KIND OF PURCHASE
The purchase department would be carrying out purchases for the whole
hotel but here we will talk only about food and beverage purchases.
The requirement would largely be perishable commodities which would
include vegetables, fruits, and meat items. Since these items have a
limited shelf life, it is important to control the quantity that needs to be
purchased and this largely depends on indenting as described earlier.
Other goods that are received are staples such as canned, frozen, bottled,
and dehydrated food. Since this kind of food has a comparatively longer
shelf life, one could always purchase such food in bulk and demand a
good rate from the supplier. The frequency of the purchase would also
depend on the amount of storage space available in the premise.
SPECIFICATION
After the menu has been established, the chefs carry out yield tests to
determine the specifications of a product. The specifications of a product
could also depend on the usage. For example, there are two types of
oranges in the market. One has less juice but is very sweet and is called
the table orange. Such an orange has a thick peel and can be used as a
fruit. The other variety is known as juice orange. It has a thin peel and
though not very sweet, it is very juicy and gives a good yield of juice as
compared to the table orange. Thus, the specifications of an orange
would differ in terms of its final use. Similarly, for a large volume
operation it would be intelligent to buy large potatoes that are easy to
peel and process for volumes.
DESIGNING THE PROCESS OF BUYING
It is important to list out and design the purchasing processes for a
particular kind of product. There are two kinds of buying methods,
formal and informal. The informal buying method may vary according
to the market conditions and is done verbally either in person or over
telephone through oral negotiations before ultimately purchasing the
product. Such transactions might involve cash purchases or some
suppliers might give a credit period depending on the relationship
between the purchaser and the supplier. Formal buying is a very
competitive method of buying, where the user provides the
specifications to the supplier who in turn quotes the price of the product
depending on the specifications. Such buying involves negotiations and
filling-up of tenders. The suppliers agree to supply the goods at the
agreed rate even when there is a fluctuation in the rate.
RECEIVING PROCEDURES
It is important to check whether the goods received are as per their
specifications. Otherwise, the organization might be paying more for a
substandard quality. It is important for chefs to constantly check all the
food products and reject any food that is not as per the specifications.
The supplier is then given a time to procure the items as per the
specifications, or else the hotel can buy the product from the open
market and charge the same to the supplier. The goods are received as
per the food safety laws, and the temperature and the condition of the
packaging are given utmost importance. Catering establishments, such
as airlines and hospitals, have very strict receiving quality standards to
control quality and standardization. The next step after receiving goods
is the proper storage of the food, which we would discuss later in the
chapter.

INVENTORY CONTROL IN STORES

Since stored stocks are equivalent to tangible money, it is important that proper inventory
control systems are in place to keep a check on the stocks at hand. The food cost of a
kitchen is calculated on the basis of items withdrawn from the store. A simple formula to
calculate the food cost would be:
Food cost percentage= Items withdrawn from the food stores X100
Total food sales
We can, thus, understand the importance of a food store and can imagine its impact
on food cost. Any spoilages or pilferages from the store are debited to kitchens, and hence
chefs lay emphasis on proper control of this area.
The following processes are usually involved in inventory control.
Inventory Control-Minimum and Maximum par Stocks and Their Calculation

The inventory for the food and beverages store is carried out once a month, while that for

the general store is carried out quarterly. No items are issued to any department on the

day of inventory. The par stock for each item is different and it is determined depending

on the following factors:

• Turnover of items Every item has a stock level, maximum and minimum inventory
as well as a reordering level. These can be checked from an item enquiry. Item

enquiry is a part of the software process through which one can search for a particu

lar item. The par stocks are set on the basis of their consumption pattern for six

months and sometimes for twelve months. A safety stock, also known as minimum

level inventory, is maintained for all items to be able to run operations under all

possible conditions

• Consumption of the item The higher the consumption, the more stock one needs to

keep and vice versa. But if an item is being ordered for a special function, then it

needs to be communicated to the stores so that adequate stock levels can be main

tained.

• Lead time The time it takes for ordered goods to arrive at the store is known as lead

time. It plays a very crucial part in ordering and par stock levels. For example, im-

ported goods have to be ordered well in advance as such goods need more time to

reach from another country.

Distance from supplier The distance from the supplier, as discussed for lead time,

plays an important part in par stock levels. This is directly related to lead time.

Reordering level This is the par stock level which when reached indicates that the

item must be reordered. Different items have different reorder levels depending on the

policy of the company and the need of the user department.

Slow- and fast-moving items Slow- and non-moving items are separated from the

inventory at the end of the month and are displayed on racks. The chef and the food and

beverages manager are requested to devise methods of utilizing these items, as they were

the ones who had earlier indented these items. If these items do not get to be used, then

partial recoveries are made by disposing of the items in the market.

Space available in stores One must decide on par stocks based on the storage space

available in the area. Haphazard stocking would lead to non-accessibility of the product,

which will result in spoilages and loss of money.

PORTION CONTROL OF FOOD

When a new menu is to be launched in an establishment,portion control is tried and tested before
the new menu is implemented in operations. There are many ways in which portions are controlled
in an establishment. Many chefsare encouraged to analyse the leftover food on a plate.This gives a
fair idea of whether the portion was too large or small. Guest feedback about the portion size and
quality is also a guiding factor that influences the portion size for a plate. Portion control is
very important as fractions of oversized portions can have a cumulative effect on the
profits of an establishment. Customers also feel cheated if they find that the portion size
on their plates is inconsistent with that of the other guests at the table.
The following are some of the procedures followed in catering establishments to en-
sure standard portion control:
Standard recipes Standardized recipe is a tool that helps in controlled production as it
specifies the number of portions that it would cook. The food cost on the basis of a stan-
dard recipe is termed as 'potential food cost' and is calculated by the following formula:
Potential food cost percentage = Cost of the standard recipe x 100
Total food sales

Standard serve ware It is important to use the right equipment for serving food. In
most establishments the crockery is designed on the basis of the number of portions they
can serve. Even in fast food operations, food and beverages are served in containers
labelled small, medium, and large. One portion served in two-portion bowls would seem
half empty and customers would feel cheated. Similarly, half portions of some dishes
should be sold in appropriate serve ware. So, appropriate serve ware helps in portion
control.
Serving equipment Standard service equipment should be used to serve food. This en-
sures that the portions are controlled and there is no wastage, for example, using ice-cream
scoops for serving ice creams and standard ladles for dishing out gravies and soups. Most of
the ladles in the kitchen are classified on the basis of the volume of liquid they can hold.
Equipment Some of the large catering establishments have automatic portion control
equipment. The designed plate is passed on conveyor belts, where the food falls from the
nozzles of the equipment. Other equipment such as tea/coffee vending machines also
help in controlling the portions. Modern trends involve having individual portioned sal-
ads, sandwiches, and desserts to exercise good portion control.

In large banqueting functions, the layout of a buffet and the size of food pans also help
to control the portion size of the food. If for a small gathering, food is served in large food
pans, they would look empty and also the food will have a larger surface area to get dried
up and thus would look stale. Filling up of large food pans would be a waste of food.
Therefore, it is very important for the chef and the banquet manager to decide upon the
buffet lines and the food pans in which the food would be served. As a thumb rule, a half-
size gastonome (GN) food pan is good for a gathering of fifty people and a full-size GN for
100 people for a single buffet line. If two buffet lines are to be laid out for 100 people,
depending on the type and profile of guests it is advisable to lay the buffet in half food
pans so that each line serves fifty people. Coordination between service and kitchen to
timely close the buffet lines and the shifting of food to another also plays an important
part in controlling the portions.
The portioning of food is very important as losses through small quantities can accu-
mulate to a large sum of money over a considerable time. Though there are certain com-
monly followed guidelines in indenting for volume catering, which would again change
on the factors listed above.

CHALLENGES OF VOLUME CATERING

Food and beverage control tends to be more difficult than the control of materials in
many other industries. The main reasons for this are given as follows:
The perishability of produce Food, whether raw or cooked, is a perishable commod-
ity and has a limited life. The caterer, therefore, has to ensure that he/she buys produce in
correct quality and quantity in relation to estimated demand, and that it is correctly stored
and processed. Beverages are normally not as perishable as food and this contributes to
their easier control.)
The unpredictability of the volume of business Sales instability is typical of most
catering establishments. There is often a change in the volume of business from day to
day, and in many establishments from hour to hour. This causes basic problems with
regard to the quantities of commodities to be purchased and prepared as well as to the
staffing required.
The unpredictability of the menu mix To add to the caterer's problems is the fact
that in order to be competitive and to satisfy a particular market, it is often necessary to
offer a wide choice of menu items to the customer. It is therefore, necessary to be able to
predict not only the number of customers who will be using the facility at a particular
period of time, but as to what the customer's selection will be from the alternatives offered
on a menu. It is seldom possible to be 100 per cent accurate, but in order to control costs
effectively, it is necessary to have some method of volume forecasting as part of the total
food and beverage control.
The short cycle of catering operations The speed at which catering operations take
place, relative to many other industries, allows little time for many control tasks. It is not
uncommon that items ordered one day are received, processed, and sold the same or next
day. It is for this reason that in larger catering establishments cost reporting is done daily
or at least weekly. Further problems, particularly with perishable foods, are that with a
short life for produce, items cannot be bought very much in advance of their need and the
problem of availability at times of produce relative to the price that can be afforded in
relation to the selling price.
Departmentalization Many catering establishments have several production and ser-
vice departments, offering different products and operating under different policies. The
coordination between such departments becomes a challenge in itself.