CH 2 Menu Planning and Indenting

2.1 Basic principles of menu planning.

2.2 Points to be considered in menu planning for various volume feeding outlets
2.3 Planning of menus for school/college students, Industrial canteen, Hospitals, Outdoor parties,
Theme dinners, Transport facilities, cruise lines, airlines, Railway
2.4 Principles of Indenting for volume feeding
2.5 Modifying recipes for indenting for large scale catering
2.6 Practical difficulties while indenting for volume feeding

2.1 BASIC PRINCIPLES OF MENU PLANNING

1. Cold and warm dishes are listed separately.

2. Appetizers, soups, seafood and main courses are listed in separate groups.

3. In every group the lighter dishes are listed before the richer ones.

4. Salads should be highlighted.

5. If offered, low-calorie foods should be specially indicated, and the number of calories should
be stated.

6. If foods are prepared with organically grown ingredients, this fact should be highlighted to the
discriminating customer.

7. Every dish should be described clearly and simply, in an appetizing way, without being too
flowery.

8. House specialties and seasonal items should correspond to the season and should change
accordingly. Use a clip-on menu or special insert to attract attention to them.

9. The dessert selection should be listed on a separate attractive card. The menu should inform
the guests that such a card is available.

10. The numbering of menu items can save time and confusion, especially with many of the new
computerized cash registers. Numbering, however, discourages communication between guests
and the service staff and thus does not help promote sales. For an easy compromise, place one
numbered menu at the register or where orders are relayed to the kitchen so that one can punch in
the guest's order by number; the guest, however, orders the actual foods with words, not
numbers.8) House specialties and seasonal items should correspond to the season and should
change accordingly. Use a clip-on menu or special insert to attract attention to them.

11. The dessert selection should be listed on a separate attractive card. The menu should inform
the guests that such a card is available.
12. The numbering of menu items can save time and confusion, especially with many of the new
computerized cash registers. Numbering, however, discourages communication between guests
and the service staff and thus does not help promote sales. For an easy compromise, place one
numbered menu at the register or where orders are relayed to the kitchen so that one can punch in
the guest's order by number; the guest, however, orders the actual foods with words, not
numbers.

2.2 Points to be considered in menu planning for various volume feeding outlets
1) Type of Establishment: There will be considerable variation, for example, in menu of five
star hotels and restaurants, school meals, heavy manual worker‟s canteen or hospitals.
2) Type of Customer and Age Group: especially for private parties for a birthday, senior
citizens conference, football player after a match, visiting overseas students on a mayor‟s
banquet; all need personal consideration.
3) Location: Study the area in which your establishment is situated and the potential target
market of customers.
4) Religious rules if applicable (kosher catering or a Muslim occasion) – Lack of knowledge or
understanding can easily lead to innocently giving offence.
5) Meat or Non-Meat preferences: The number of non-meat eater is steadily increasing, so this
becomes more important.
6) Time of the Year: a) the prevailing temperature should be considered as certain dishes
suitable for cold weather may not be acceptable in mid-summer. b) Foods in season are usually
in good supply and more reasonable in price. c) Special dishes on certain days.
7) Time of Day: Breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea, high-tea, dinner, supper, snack or special
function.
8) Price Range: Unless fair prices are charged (so that customers are satisfied) repeat business
may not occur and the caterer may go out of business.
9) Competition: It is wiser to produce a menu quite different to those of nearby establishment
both in terms of price and quality.
10) Space and Equipment: The menu writer must be aware of any shortcomings or deficiencies
in equipment and may be wary of offering dishes that are difficult to produce.
11) The availability and capacity of both the Production and Service staff labour must be
considered.
12) Availability of Supplies and schedule from the suppliers.
13) Number of Courses: Varies according to all prior consideration.
14) Correct Sequence of courses: Important if the menu is to achieve a good balance.
15) Appropriate Language: Always use a language that customers can understand.
16) Sensible Nutritional Balance: If a selection of dishes with varying nutritional contents are
offered then customers can make their own choices.
17) No repetition of Commodities: Never repeat basic ingredients such as mushrooms, tomatoes,
peas, bacon on the menu.
18 No repetition of Colours: Colour of food is important to give appetite appeal, but avoid
repetition of colour.
19) Texture of Course: Ensure variation is given (food should not be all soft or all crisp, but
balanced).
20) Sauces: If different sauces are served on one menu, the foundation ingredient of each sauce
should vary.
2.3 Planning of menu
The arrangement of a suitable menu, perfect from all points of view necessary for any successful
menu planning for school/college students, Industrial canteen, Hospitals, Outdoor parties, Theme
dinners, Transport facilities, cruise lines, airlines, Railway catering.
Advantages of menu planning

1. Planning well in advance will ensure minimum amount of repetition of the dishes.

2. Planning a menu for a definite cycle of time has been found to be different.

3. Variation must be produced by serving different vegetables and meats having a colour
contrast.

4. Seasonal availability is very important.

5. Nutritional balance must be ensured.

6. It must fir within the budget of the customer and to his satisfaction.

7. Equipment and personal must be adequate for fulfilling menu requirements.

8. The menu must adhere to the established standards of service and must ensure quality and
variety of the food.

9. It helps to procure stores in advance.

10. The occasion for which the catering is done is an important factor and so the pattern of food
will change accordingly.

11. To be successful, the menu must reflect the eating habits and expectations of the restaurant
market. The tastes of customers are complex and varied and change from day to day and time to
time

2.4 Principles of Indenting for volume feeding

1) Yield of a product
The yield of a particular commodity has a huge impact on the indenting for volumes. All the
recipes should be updated with the yields, as we need to indent for the net weight in a recipe and
not for the 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 costs and quality. The cheapest item
might prove to be expensive if the end yield of the product is low. Some suppliers now even sell
pre-portioned meat so that the buyer gets an advantage and there is a consistency in the product
quality and cost.
2) Type of event
The type of event for which the food is required also plays a major role in the indenting of food.
A wedding function would have a huge range of menu catering to up to 1,000 people or
sometimes even more. When the variety is more, the quantities consumed will be comparatively
less as most of the guests would like to taste most of the varieties.
3) Regional influence
Regional food also plays an important role in deciding the indenting for a particular item. People
from Bengal would love to eat seafood, while people from north India would prefer chicken. The
type of dish (dry or gravy) also plays an important part in deciding the quantity to be produced.
4) Service style
The style of service, whether buffet or a la carte, also determines the indenting and portion size
of a dish. It is easy to predict the quantities for a fixed portion size, but the challenge arises when
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
hotels, the food on a buffet cannot be controlled.

2.5 Modifying recipes for indenting for large scale catering

In large scale catering modifying recipes is one of the crucial tasks as convenience from
customer as well as kitchen staff is equally important.
Modifying may be fall under few categories as listed down:-

1) replacement of few ingredients

2) changing presentation material

3) change in temperature of production or service

4) change in time required for production

5) combining two different dishes or products

2.6 Practical difficulties while indenting for volume feeding

1. The perishability of produce Food, whether raw or cooked, is a perishable commodity and has
a limited life. The cook, therefore, has to ensure that he buys produce in correct quality and
quantity in relation to estimated demand, and that it is correctly stored and processed.

2. The unpredictability of the volume of business Sales instability is typical of most catering
establishments. This causes basic problems with regard to the quantities of commodities to be
purchased and prepared as well as to the staffing required.

3. 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.

4. 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.
5. Departmentalization Many catering establishments have several production and service
departments, offering different products and operating under different policies. The coordination
between such departments becomes a challenge in itself.

6. Uneven Yield The yield of many ingredients varies considerably during preparation and
production of food in different occasions.

7. Non availability of some ingredients in the market, leads to pressure on other food items in the
menu.

8. It is very difficult to predict with 100% accuracy about the number of people, their likes and
dislikes, eating habits, diet, etc.

9. People eat in varied proportions.

10. A large number of people have to be fed in a limited time

11. Chef has to work within tight budgets and yet has to meet the high expectations of
consumers.
Menu Planning
A MENU or “bill of fare” is a means of communication, informing what the caterer has to offer.
The compiling of a menu is one of the caterer‟s most important jobs – whether for establishments
such as restaurants aiming to make a profit, or for those working to a budget, such as hospitals
and schools.

The function of the MENU:

1. a) It is like a price list or a list of wares to the customers in order that he purchases or
orders the dishes of his choice.

2. b) It helps as a tool for the kitchen in order to prepare the mise-en-place and equipment,
staff required for its production.

3. c) It gives a variety to choose from and alternatives in each type of dishes.

4. d) It sometimes gives the description of each dish in brief, so that the customer knows the
contents of the dish and what to expect while ordering a dish.

5. e) It is a record of cost and control purposes to regulate portion size and food cost of each
item.

Factors Affecting Menu Planning

1) Type of Establishment: There will be considerable variation, for example, in menu of five
star hotels and restaurants, school meals, heavy manual worker‟s canteen or hospitals.
2) Type of Customer and Age Group: especially for private parties for a birthday, senior
citizens conference, football player after a match, visiting overseas students on a mayor‟s
banquet; all need personal consideration.

3) Location: Study the area in which your establishment is situated and the potential target
market of customers.

4) Religious rules if applicable (kosher catering or a Muslim occasion) – Lack of knowledge or

understanding can easily lead to innocently giving offence.

5) Meat or Non-Meat preferences: The number of non-meat eaters is steadily increasing, so

this becomes more important.

6) Time of the Year: a) the prevailing temperature should be considered as certain dishes
suitable for cold weather may not be acceptable in mid-summer. b) Foods in season are
usually in good supply and more reasonable in price. c) Special dishes on certain days.

7) Time of Day: Breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea, high-tea, dinner, supper, snack or special
function.

8) Price Range: Unless fair prices are charged (so that customers are satisfied) repeat business
may not occur and the caterer may go out of business.

9) Competition: It is wiser to produce a menu quite different to those of nearby establishment

both in terms of price and quality.

10) Space and Equipment: The menu writer must be aware of any shortcomings or deficiencies
in equipment and may be wary of offering dishes that are difficult to produce.

11) The availability and capacity of both the Production and Service staff labour must be
considered.

12) Availability of Supplies and schedule from the suppliers.

13) Number of Courses: Varies according to all prior consideration.

14) Correct Sequence of courses: Important if the menu is to achieve a good balance.

15) Appropriate Language: Always use a language that customers can understand.

16) Sensible Nutritional Balance: If a selection of dishes with varying nutritional contents is
offered then customers can make their own choices.

17) no repetition of Commodities: Never repeat basic ingredients such as mushrooms, tomatoes,
peas, bacon on the menu.
18) no repetition of Flavour: If using strong seasonings like onion, garlic or herbs such as
thyme, sage or bay leaf, do not repeat in more than one course. Example:

 a) do not serve a tomato flavoured sauce on the main course if the soup was cream of
tomato.

 b) do not or avoid, serving let‟s say garlic-flavoured noodles with prawn in garlic sauce.

 c) try to different taste in the meat itself by providing a choice between beef. Pork, lamb,

19) no repetition of Colours: The colour of food is important to give appetite appeal, but avoid
repetition of color.

20) The texture of Course: Ensure variation is given (food should not be all soft or all crisp, but
balanced).

21) Sauces: If different sauces are served on one menu, the foundation ingredient of each sauce
should vary.

Cyclic Menus

These are menus which are compiled to cover a given period of time: one month, three months,
etc. They consist of a number of set menus for a particular establishment, such as an industrial
catering restaurant, cafeteria restaurant, canteen, hospital or college refractory. These menus
must be monitored carefully to take account of changes in customer requirements and any
variations in weather conditions that are likely to affect demand for certain dishes.

Things to consider when planning a cycle menu:

 Food characteristics and combinations: Visualize how the food will look on the plate.

 Colour – at least one or two colourful foods should be included on the menu.

 Texture – refers to the structure of foods and can be best detected by the feel of the foods
in the mouth. A variety of textures should be included in the meal.

 Consistency – is the ways foods adhere together – their degree of firmness, density, or
viscosity – may be described as firm, thin, thick, or gelatinous.

 Shape – of food plays a big part in eye appeal, and interest can be created through
variations in the form in which foods are presented. One way to add interest is to vary the
way in which vegetables are cut. Variation in height of food also aids in eye appeal for
the customer.

 Flavor combinations – in addition to the basic flavors of sweet, sour, bitter, and salty,
vegetables may be thought of as strong and mild-flavoured, while chili or other foods
 may be thought of as spicy or highly seasoned. A variety of flavours in the meal are more
enjoyable than a duplication of any one flavor. Foods with the same basic flavours, such
as spaghetti with tomato sauce and sliced tomato salad, should be avoided in the same
meal.

What are the primary benefits of using a cycle menu

Advantages include reducing the total time required for menu planning, improving student
acceptability, controlling cost, and improving food service operations. Examples include:

 One set of menus allows the operator to feature items rated as highly acceptable by the
students within daily choices consistent with the standards.

 Repeated exposures to foods, including fruits and vegetables, improve children‟s

preferences for those foods. Cycle menus offering less-well accepted foods, in addition to
preferred foods, provide students with the opportunity to learn to like new or less-well
accepted items.

 A 2- or 3-week-cycle menu aids optimizing food procurement, inventory turnover, and

daily production quantities, thereby improving foodservice operations and helping control
costs. Having a consistent inventory uses less storage space.

 Accurate usage projections can be established, enabling vendors and manufacturers to

project their production schedules and needs and often resulting in better pricing.

 Delivery schedules can be easily set up and managed.

Disadvantages of Cyclical Menu

1. When used in establishments with a captive clientele, then the cycle has to be long
enough so that customers do not get bored with the repetition of the dishes.

2. The caterer cannot easily take advantage of „good buys‟ offered by the suppliers on a
daily or weekly basis unless such items are required for the cyclical menu.

Preplanned and Predesigned Menus

Advantages

1. Preplanned or predesigned menus enable the caterer to ensure that good menu planning is
practised.

2. Before selecting dishes that he or she prefers, the caterer should consider what the
customer likes, and the effect of these dishes upon the meal as a whole.
 3. Menus that are planned and cost in advance allow banqueting managers to quote prices
instantly to the customer.

4. Menus can be planned to take into account the availability of kitchen and service
equipment, without placing unnecessary strain upon the equipment.

5. The quality of food is likely to be higher if kitchen staff are preparing dishes that they are
familiar with and have prepared a number of times before.

Disadvantages

1. Preplanned and predesigned menus may be too limited to appeal to a wide range of
customers.

2. They may reduce job satisfaction for staff who have to prepare the same menus
repetitively.

3. They may limit the chef‟s creativity and originality.

Prof. Prashant-Adsule BHM/BSC-CA/BSC-HHA