Chapters

Chapters
1. Introduction to food & beverage

2. Food production
3. Purchasing food & beverage
4. Food service delivery
5. Beverages
6. Menu planning
7. Service quality in food & beverage
8. Conference & banqueting
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Chapter 6 – Menu Planning
Objectives
In this chapter you will learn to :-

● Explain the importance of the menu within an operation
● List, explain and critique the different types of menus found in operations
● Discuss the factors to be considered when creating menus
● Describe a range of tools for evaluating menus
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The importance of the menu
The menu is central to a food and beverage operation.

z It is the ‘first impression’ of your establishment
z It communicates everything about your type of operation
z It dictates your staffing, organisation, production and service methods
z It drives your image , theme, concept, quality and overall mission
z It is the main ‘sales tool’ for your product
z It differentiates you from your competition
z It can make or break you!
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Menu styles
2. Menu styles
2.1 Courses
2.2 Table d’hôte menu
2.3 À la carte (ALC) menus
2.4 Cyclical menus

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Menu styles
2.1 Courses
Menus normally consists of three different sections. Some customers will have all three courses, some
will have just one depending on their time, budget or situation.
Characteristics Examples
Appetisers The first course Soups, salads, smaller variations of the main course
The taster dishes
Smaller portion
Can be hot or cold
Normally savoury
Main courses or entrée Follows the appetiser (not always) Grills, meats, platters, fish, vegetarian, large salads
Larger portion size
Savoury
Can be hot or cold
Must be expensive menu items
Desserts Normally final course Ice creams, cakes, gateaux, fruit, cheese
Can be small or large in size
Sweet or savoury
Can be served hot or cols

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Menu styles
Other menus will offer more sections such as:

z Side orders
z Snacks or light meals
z Children’s meal
z Signature meals
The variety of sections offered will depend on:

z The type of menu
z The type of theme or food
The main menu formats found in commercial and non-commercial operations are:
z Table d’ hôte (TDH)
z À la carte (ALC)
z Cyclical menus

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Menu styles
2.2 Table d’ hôte menu

A table d’ hôte is a 'set menu‘ which normally:
● Consists of three or more courses
● 1, 2 or 3 choices per course
● Are in most cases a set, all inclusive price
TDH menus are mostly available:

● At lunchtimes
● For themed lunches and dinners (Valentines, Easter, Christmas)
● In Conference and Banqueting (choices will be limited depending on quantity of
people)
TDH menus are deal for catering to large numbers of people. They are sometimes used
in restaurant operations during lunch and dinner service. These menus would be
normally run instead of the operation's full à la carte menu.

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Menu styles
Table d’ hôte (TDH) menus:

Opportunities for ● Less costs overall, labour, purchasing, preparation, training and utilities
operation ● Can run TDH menus during slow demand periods.
● Requires less chefs to be on duty as there is less food to prepare
● Can trial out new dishes before putting on full ALC menu
● Requires less skilled chefs as only a few dishes to concentrate on
● Requires less service staff due to simplicity
● Can incorporate slow moving or soon to expire food
● In some situations senior chef can implement TDH menus when there is a shortage of kitchen staff or skill
● Can used skilled chefs to perform other functions
Challenges for
operation ● Difficult to compete with ALC choice being provided by other establishments
Opportunities for ● Food is served much faster as food is en place

customer ● Easier and faster to select as there is less choice
● Appears good value as several courses for one set price
Challenges for ● Choice is limited

customer

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Menu styles
2.3 À la carte (ALC) menus

À la carte (ALC) menus are found mostly in commercial food and beverage operations. These menus are
characterised by:
● A large selection of options
● All menu items are individually priced
● Dishes are in most cases cooked to order
● Customers can consume several dishes depending on their situation

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Menu styles
ALC menus - challenges and opportunities

Opportunities for ● Attracts customers due to wide choice of dishes
operation ● Able to showcase and promote culinary expertise
● Opportunities to increase sales
Challenges for ● Large quantity of dishes requires lots of purchasing, storage, preparation and controlling
operation ● High perishability – difficult to sell during slow demand periods
● Requires higher quantities of kitchen and service staff
● Demands higher skilled chefs due to more complexity
● More training for chefs and service personnel
● More things to manage therefore more opportunities for error
● More choice can results in longer wait times and reduction ins eat turnover
● Higher costs, space, utilities, labour, wastage
● Greater customer expectations
Opportunities for ● Lots of choice
customer ● Select according to own particular dietary needs
● Higher quality
Challenges for ● Too much choice , difficult to select
customer ● Order to delivery times can be longer
● Running costs passed onto customer and, therefore , can be more expensive

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Menu styles
2.4 Cyclical menus

Most commonly found in non-commercial food operations such as schools, hospitals and military
establishments.
The menus are pre-planned to meet the needs of the target consumers and are rotated weekly,
fortnightly or monthly.
Challenges and opportunities of a cyclical menu:

Opportunities for operation ● Less changes in the menu allows for easier planning
● Able to ensure menus are well balanced across the week
● Able to buy in bulk and achieve cheaper prices with supplier
● Employees become skilled and specialised in the production of particular dishes allowing for greater
competency and efficiency
● Less training for employees
● Less errors
● Food can be prepared in advance and chilled
● Less skilled employees required
Challenges for operation ● Employees get bored due to lack of scope
Opportunities for customer ● Customers get to look forward to particular menus on certain days
Challenges for customer ● Customers can get bored

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Menu considerations
3 Menu considerations
3.1 The consumers
3.2 Trends
3.3 Food needs
3.4 Operational and business considerations in menu planning
3.5 Legislation in menu planning
3.6 Menu cover
3.7 Flexibility
3.8 Terminology
3.9 Layout and design
3.10 Food
3.11 Colour balance
3.12 Textures
3.13 Wording
3.14 Nutritional balance
3.15 Ingredient balance
3.16 Suppliers

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Menu considerations
Figure 6.3: Considerations in menu planning

Priority Concern of
Menu Planner
Guests/ consumers Operation Food
Likes & dislikes of

Costs Consistency
target market
Socio-economic Availability of
Portion size
factors ingredients
Ethnic factors Equipment needs Textures
Skill requirements of
Demographic factors Colour balance
chefs
Religious Size of restaurant

Nutritional balance
considerations (covers)
Concept of value Aesthetic balance

Service method –
Plated, buffet for
example
Food trends Provenance
Storage facilities
Environmental available Suppliers
concerns
Health & Safety -

legislation
Competition
Environmental
legislation
Design and flow of

kitchen
Menu cover &

design

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Menu considerations
3.1 The consumers

Attracting and retaining customers is important. The underpinning goal is to provide a menu that
your consumers will want, and in order to do so market research should be undertaken with your
target group.
Consumers expect:
● To see a good variety of dishes on the menu
● To receive what is described on the menu
● To see descriptions accompany the main dish headings
● For the menu item to be available as advertised
● To be made aware of any specific ingredients that may cause an allergic reaction, such as nuts
Food and beverage operators have an obligation to:

● Provide good quality ingredients
● Be truthful in what they advertise on their menus
● Inform customers promptly when items are not available
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Menu considerations
3.2 Trends
Vegetarianism Around 6% of the UK population is vegetarian.
Organic food Consumers increasingly demand food that is healthy, organic and produced
without any artificial addictives.
Exotic Consumers increasingly enjoy more exotic food from areas such as Japan,
China, Thailand and India.
Healthier options Increasing obesity level are leading consumers to be more health conscious.

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Menu considerations
3.3 Food needs

Although there are basic needs and wants there are also customers with more specific requirements.
Halal Caters for members of the Muslim faith; in the food production process the
animal or poultry has to be slaughtered in a ritual way known as Zibah.
Kosher Kosher food is food that meets Jewish dietary laws, or the laws of Kashrut. Similar
to Halal, it has strict rules in the preparation and production stages, where food is
supervised by a rabbi. Members of the Jewish faith would not consume items
such as pork or seafood and would not mix diary and fruits.
Vegetarian Vegetarians would not eat meat, poultry and fish. They eat primarily vegetables,
pulses and fruits.
Vegan Vegans do not eat meat, eggs, diary products and all other animal-derived
ingredients. They eat beans, grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits.

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Menu considerations
3.4 Operational and business considerations in menu planning

Costs
Each establishment has a target food cost to be achieved. The food cost drives the pricing
margins. The cost, preparation and production of the food items selected have to fit in with
target costs to ensure margins are maintained.
Cost considerations when planning and creating menus:

● The establishment’s target food cost
● The cost of ingredients
● Food seasonality
● The quantity of food used for each dish (portion)
● Food wastage during production
● Food production methods adopted
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Menu considerations
Availability of ingredients:
When compiling menus the chef need to take in to consideration the availability of
ingredients in seasonality and suppliers. If a dish is composed with a particular type of
vegetable it should be checked that it is available all year round. Food prices fluctuate in and
out of seasons so it is imperative that food is used that is in season, however as already
stated seasonality is becoming a thing of the past with many foods being imported but at
higher costs which impact the chef's budget.
Equipment needs:
Some food such as fresh pasta and pizzas require special equipment if made in-house,
however this can add value to the menu. Many establishments recognise that with
equipment come space, depreciation, maintenance, training , cleaning and control.

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Menu considerations
Skill requirements of chefs:

Chefs should be capable of serving the menu. If a sophisticated menu is written it is all well
and good, but if the chefs do not have the skills to serve them complaints will be made.
Furthermore the employees will feel de-motivated and become dissatisfied when complaints
arise. Hence it is best to identify the right type of menu that can be provided. Similarly, if a
higher level of menu is required investment in new personnel or training should take place.
Size of food production and food service facilities:

If the restaurant has a large seating capacity it is important to consider how the kitchen will
operate when full. If the menu is complex a full restaurant will require large amounts of staff
and space to meet these needs. If the menu is too complex it will slow up the service time
when busy. Similarly, if the kitchen is small the space available for food preparation may be
limited and so having dishes that require lots of preparation space may cause accidents and
problems. In this case, the preparation should be carried out off-site and finished on site
where possible. Storage is another consideration in relation to space, if food storage is limited
menu items should be restricted to reduce storage requirements.

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Menu considerations
Service method:
Buffet, family, silver service, plated and gueridon restaurant service methods will affect the
type of food you serve.
Competition:
It is important to carry out regular competitor evaluations. Consumers will select one
competitor over another for different reasons, such as quality, presentation, price, variety,
ingredients used, promotions, portion and service. It is, therefore, imperative that your
menu is different and better than your competition. If you differentiate your product you
will increase your chances of attracting consumers. Be sure to also carry out this analysis
quarterly as competitors’ menus can change frequently. Also, remember that they are
probably visiting your establishment as well, evaluating your menu and repositioning
theirs!

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Menu considerations
3.5 Legislation in menu planning
The Trade Descriptions Act 1968 is an Act of Parliament of the UK which prevents manufacturers,
retailers or service industry providers from misleading consumers as to what they are spending their
money on.
Other words, commonly used care needs to be taken with:
● Fresh salad
● Garden vegetables
● Homemade desserts
Another important law is:

● The Sale of Goods Act 1979
● The Food Standards Agency
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Menu considerations
3.6 Menu cover

Menu cover needs to:
● be attractive
● be eye catching
● set the scene
● communicate the theme
● be cleanable
● be replaceable

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Menu considerations
3.7 Flexibility
Menus need to be flexible and adaptive. Internal and external forces can affect the dishes that you offer.
Change agent Impact/ Action
Ingredient prices change due to political and economic Menu prices need to be amended
factors
Food scares such as bird flu and mad cow disease Consumers will not purchase
Remove from menu
Replace
Items wanted due to social changes – red meat, fat Consumers will not purchase
Remove from menu
Replace
Items wanted due to social changes – organic, healthier Create dishes
options, exotic food Add to menu
Advertise
Internal; restructuring – change in budget, staffing, Menu changes
leadership, theme
Supplier problems Ingredients not available or too expensive, remove form
menu

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Menu considerations
3.8 Terminology
It is important to remember that your menu is an important communication tool. Therefore,
wherever possible, complex terminology should be avoided. If customers do not understand
the menu it may deter them from entering the restaurant/ In cases where more obscure
terminology is used it is important to ensure that the service staff can explain meaning to
customers.

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Menu considerations
3.9 Layout and design

Once decided on what dishes will be available the menu needs o be laid out correctly. Nowadays,
there is a trend for electronic menus. Questions that need to be asked when laying out a menu:
● Are all descriptions accurate? ● Are my sections clear with the right ● Are my dishes easy to read?
food in each section
● Is the font the correct size? ● Could I use different colours, bold or ● Have I fully utilised all the paper space
underline particular dishes to make well?
them stand out?
● Does the design fit ion with my target ● Have we communicated the brand well? ● If a menu item is not popular will it be
market? easy to remove?
● If prices change, can we amend the prices ● Is the menu easy to clean? ● Where will we store the menus
easily?
● Do we have the address, e-mail and ● Do we have taxes and service charge ● Is the spelling and grammar correct?
reservations number on the menu? information communicated well?
● Have we considered guests with particular ● Have we highlighted any potential ● Do we need to consider getting menus
disabilities, blind, visual impairment? allergies( eg:nuts)? translated into another language?

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Menu considerations
3.10 Food
Consistency:
To enable consistency of dishes, standard recipes need to be created for each menu item.
The standard consists of:
● Ingredients
● Weightings
● Preparation and cooking methods
● Serving temperatures
● Cooking times
● Equipment
● Health and safety
● Costings
● Photographs of final presentation
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Menu considerations
Portion size:
Portion sizes are built into the standard recipe. The portion size is decided through
consideration of the type of cuisine, time of day, the customer type, menu type and
target food margin. Portion sizes are managed through using food production
equipment such as ladles, mixers, cooking trays, crockery and glassware. In addition,
sometimes items are portioned in units such as ten onion rings or five prawns.

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Menu considerations
3.11 Colour balance

It is important to consider the colour combination of each dish. Customers should be able to ‘eat with
their eyes’! If the colours on the plate are well balanced then it will be more appealing to the customers.
It is also important when creating a table d’hôte menu that colours are balanced between each course.

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Menu considerations
3.12 Textures
Not only is colour a consideration in dishes but there is also a requirement for a range of textures.
Textures that are used include smooth, hard, coarse and crunchy and can be created through using
different cooking methods ingredients, cutting and preparation techniques.
An example which features a variety An example which does not feature a

of features: variety of features:
•a salad of grilled, sliced chicken •A main course of,

•raw chopped carrot • braised beef
•crispy romaine lettuce, • mashed potatoes
•bound with a creamy mayonnaise • creamed carrots

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Menu considerations
3.13 Wording
The menu is a sales tool, it is therefore important to make your dishes sound exciting.
Furthermore, as the dish often cannot be seen before consumption it is key to fully explain and
communicate the main features of the dish creating a visual picture in the mind of the potential
consumer.
Examples of words to encourage purchases:
● Tasty ● Traditional ● Homemade
● Chilled ● Fresh ● Crunchy
● Authentic ● Creamy
● Juicy

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Menu considerations
3.14 Nutritional balance

When compiling menus it is important to ensure that dishes are produced as nutritiously as possible, with
a balance throughout the menu of protein, carbohydrates and vitamins. The different nutrients provide
for the varying functions of the body and so it is important to offer a variety to meet the needs of different
consumers and diets.
Trend: Some chained restaurants now inform customers of the calorific information for each dish.

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Menu considerations
3.15 Ingredient balance
The overall menu and dishes should use a good variety of different ingredients to include:
● Vegetables
● Fruits
● Red meats
● White meats
● Fish
● Pulses
● Herbs
● Spices

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Menu considerations
3.16 Suppliers
Your menu is as good as the quality of the ingredients used
Are there suppliers that can deliver the menu items required?
Are the suppliers able to consistently meet food specifications?
Am I using the best supplier to provide food in relation to quality, consistency of delivery and price?
Is there a back-up supplier should there be any problems?

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Menu options
4. Menu options
4.1 Coffee shop
4.2 Bar or lounge
4.3 Executive lounge
4.4 Fine dining
4.5 Leisure and recreational areas
4.6 Employee dining
4.7 Conference and Banqueting
4.8 Room service department

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Menu options
4.1 Coffee shop

Menu
Breakfast ● Normally consists of hot (English or American) or cold (Continental)
● In large hotels: in most cases breakfast served in buffet style
● In addition an à la carte menu available for the guests who do not require the whole buffet
Brunch ● Sometimes offered at weekends between 11 am to 2 pm
● Combination of breakfast and lunch food items
● Can be available as buffet or à la carte
Lunch ● Depending on the operation
● Can be served in a variety of ways to include buffet, table d’hôte or a à la carte
Children ● Provided separately in most cases
● Dishes smaller in portion, cheaper
● Consists of meals such as mini burgers, pasta, salads and sandwiches
● In some cases: menus can double up as drawing or colouring menus to occupy children throughout
the meal

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Menu options
4.1 Coffee shop
Menu
Dessert ● Can be either separate or part of the main menu
● Can also be promoted on buffets, ‘dessert trolleys’ and blackboards
Afternoon ● Normally available between 2 – 4 pm
tea ● Menu offers sweets, scones, freshly cut sandwiches and a selection of hot teas
Special or ● Created for special promotions or calendar events (Valentines, Mother’s day)
themed ● In most cases: set menus
Beverages ● Drinks can be feature on the main à la carte menu as a separate menu

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Menu options
4.2 Bar or lounge
Menu
Drinks An extensive drinks menu featuring beers, wines, spirits,
liqueurs, cocktails and soft beverages. Depending on
type of operation these can be advertised on separate
menus if the bar has a particular focus.
Bar snacks Most bars provide food, normally consisting of light

snacks eaten to accompany the drinks being served.
These can come in the form of finger food, platters to
share, sandwiches and salads.

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Menu options
4.3 Executive lounge
An executive lounge is an area within a luxury a hotel designated only for customers who stay in
executive rooms.
Menu
Food Executives can enjoy an a la carte breakfast menu, snacks and

sandwiches throughout the day and complimentary hot canapés
in the evening.
Beverage Complimentary soft drink throughout the day and

complimentary beverages at a specified time in the evening.

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Menu options
4.4 Fine dining
Menu
A` la carte The menu provides a wide selection of dishes featuring the

restaurant’s particular concept
Wine list A menu offering an extensive range of wines.
Cigar Some hotels feature a humidor with a selection of fine

cigars
Specialty A menu that offers coffee served with liqueurs

coffee

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Menu options
4.5 Leisure and recreational areas
Hotels that provide leisure and recreational facilities may feature a menu to include fresh and vegetable
juices, waters and energy drinks.

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Menu options
4.6 Employee dining
Most hotels provide some type of catering for its employees.
When creating menus for employees the following should be considered.
● Demographic of workforce(age, gender)

● Job roles(clerical or manual)
● HR budget for employee meals
● Numbers of employees on duty
● Hours of operation of each department
● Feeding night staff

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Menu options
4.7 Conference and Banqueting
When catering for large numbers most departments is quite different from other departments with
regard to its menu planning.
When catering for large numbers most departments feature a pre planned set of menus that vary to
accommodate different budgets.
The advantages are
● Food can be bought in bulk and therefore cheaper prices achieved

● Frequently food in this department will be cook-chilled and not all food items are suitable for
chilling
● It allows for specification
● It facilitates forecasting
● Menus can easily be sent out to customers by e-mail or mail

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Menu options
4.8 Room service department
Menus
A` la carte menu The main menu will be advertised either in the

in-room directory of services or nowadays on
the television.
Breakfast door menu These menus are placed in customers’ rooms

and are completed the night before by the
guest. On completion the customers hang them
on their bedroom door knob and they are then
collected by a room service employee.
Mini bar The mini bar menu is a priced list of all items on
sale in the in-room mini bar.

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Menu evaluation and performance
5. Menu evaluation and performance

5.1 Management information

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After menus have been created and implemented it is important to monitor them in relation to
customer satisfaction and their financial contribution.
Customer satisfaction can be monitored through:

z Speaking to customers directly
z Questionnaires
z Mystery guest visits
z Observing customer plates – ‘garbage survey’
z Sales per dish analysis
z Speaking to employees

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5.1 Management information

Menus can also be monitored by examining records from point of sales report.
The information is provided by:
z Sales per dish
z Profit per dish
and can be listed by performance indicators as given in the following table.

Performance Definition Action
Stars High profit Keep on menu
High sales
Dogs Low profit Remove from menu
Low sales
Workhorses Low profit Amend ingredients, portion or selling price to achieve sales
High sales
Puzzles High profit Position on menu for more visibility, larger or more
colourful font
Low sales

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Summary
The importance
of the menu
Menu
Menu style Menu consideration Menu options
evaluation
Table d’hote Consumers Coffee shop
A la carte The operation Bar and lounge
Executive
Cyclical Food
lounge
Briefings Fine Dining
Leisure
Employee
Conference and
banqueting
Room Service

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Chapters

1. Introduction to food & beverage

www.cthresources.com Page 231

In this chapter you will learn to :-

The importance of the menu

The menu is central to a food and beverage operation.

www.cthresources.com Page 233

www.cthresources.com Page 234

www.cthresources.com Page 235

Other menus will offer more sections such as:

The variety of sections offered will depend on:

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2.2 Table d’ hôte menu

TDH menus are mostly available:

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Table d’ hôte (TDH) menus:

Opportunities for ● Food is served much faster as food is en place

Challenges for ● Choice is limited

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2.3 À la carte (ALC) menus

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ALC menus - challenges and opportunities

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2.4 Cyclical menus

Challenges and opportunities of a cyclical menu:

Challenges for operation ● Employees get bored due to lack of scope

Challenges for customer ● Customers can get bored

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Figure 6.3: Considerations in menu planning

Guests/ consumers Operation Food

Likes & dislikes of

Ethnic factors Equipment needs Textures

Religious Size of restaurant

Concept of value Aesthetic balance

Health & Safety -

Design and flow of

Menu cover &

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3.1 The consumers

Food and beverage operators have an obligation to:

Vegetarianism Around 6% of the UK population is vegetarian.

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3.3 Food needs

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3.4 Operational and business considerations in menu planning

Cost considerations when planning and creating menus:

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Skill requirements of chefs:

Size of food production and food service facilities:

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3.5 Legislation in menu planning

Another important law is:

3.6 Menu cover

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3.9 Layout and design

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3.11 Colour balance