History of Food Industry
History of Food Industry
History of Food Industry
chapter 1
chapter 1
The Food Service
Industry
T his is an exciting time to begin a career in
food service. Interest in dining and curiosity about new foods
are greater than ever. More new restaurants open every year.
Many restaurants are busy every night, and restaurant chains
number among the nation’s largest corporations. The chef,
once considered a domestic servant, has become respected as
an artist and skilled craftsperson.
that he instituted. The system he established is still in use today, especially in large hotels and
full-service restaurants, as we discuss later in this chapter.
MODERN DEVELOPMENTS
Today’s kitchens look much different from those of Escoffier’s day, even though our basic
cooking principles are the same. Also, the dishes we eat have gradually changed due to the inno-
vations and creativity of modern chefs. The process of simplification and refinement, to which
Carême and Escoffier made monumental contributions, is still going on, adapting classical
cooking to modern conditions and tastes.
Many developments in the twentieth century have led to changes in the food service industry.
The Organization
of Modern Kitchens
THE BASIS OF KITCHEN ORGANIZATION
The purpose of kitchen organization is to assign or allocate tasks so that they can be done efficiently
and properly and so that all workers know what their responsibilities are.
The way a kitchen is organized depends on several factors.
1. The menu.
The kinds of dishes to be produced obviously determine the jobs that need to be done. The
menu is, in fact, the basis for the entire operation. Because of its importance, we devote a
whole chapter to a study of the menu (Chapter 6).
The Organization of Modern Kitchens 7
SKILL LEVELS
The preceding discussion is necessarily very general because there are so many kinds of kitchen
organizations. Titles vary also. The responsibilities of the worker called the second cook, for
example, are not necessarily the same in every establishment. Escoffier’s standardized system
has evolved in many directions.
One title that is often misunderstood and much abused is chef. The general public tends to
refer to anyone with a white hat as a chef, and people who like to cook for guests in their homes
refer to themselves as amateur chefs.
Strictly speaking, the name chef should be reserved for one who is in charge of a kitchen or a
part of a kitchen. The word chef is French for "chief " or "head." Studying this book will not
make you a chef. That title must be earned by experience not only in preparing food but also in
managing a staff and in planning production. Use the word chef with respect, because when you
become a chef, you will want the same respect.
Skills required of food production personnel vary not only with the job level but also with
the establishment and the kind of food prepared. The director of a hospital kitchen and the
head chef in a French restaurant need different skills. The skills needed by a short-order cook in
a coffee shop are not exactly the same as those needed by a production worker in a school cafe-
teria. Nevertheless, we can group skills into three general categories.
1. Supervisory.
The head of a food service kitchen, whether called executive chef, head chef, working
chef, or kitchen director, must have management and supervisory skills as well as a
thorough knowledge of food production. Leadership positions require an individual
who understands organizing and motivating people, planning menus and production pro-
cedures, controlling costs and managing budgets, and purchasing food supplies and equip-
ment. Even if he or she does no cooking at all, the chef must be an experienced cook in
order to schedule production, instruct workers, and control quality. Above all, the chef
must be able to work well with people, even under extreme pressure.
Standards of Professionalism 9
Standards of Professionalism
What does it take to be a good food service worker?
The emphasis of a food service education is on learning a set of skills. But in many ways,
attitudes are more important than skills because a good attitude will help you not only learn
skills but also persevere and overcome the many difficulties you will face in your career.
The successful food service worker follows an unwritten code of behavior and set of atti-
tudes we call professionalism. Let’s look at some of the qualities that a professional must have.
STAYING POWER
Food service requires physical and mental stamina, good health, and a willingness to work hard.
It is hard work. The pressures can be intense and the hours long and grueling. You may be work-
ing evenings and weekends when everyone else is playing. And the work can be monotonous.
You might think it’s drudgery to hand-shape two or three dozen dinner rolls for your baking
class, but wait until you get that great job in the big hotel and are told to make 3000 canapés for
a party.
10 CHAPTE R 1 The Food Service Industry
EAGERNESS TO LEARN
There is more to learn about cooking than you will learn in a lifetime. But isn’t it great to try?
The greatest chefs in the world are the first to admit that they have more to learn, and they keep
working, experimenting, and studying.
The food service industry is changing so rapidly that it is vital to be open to new ideas. No
matter how good your techniques are, you might learn an even better way.
EXPERIENCE
One of our most respected chefs has said, "You don’t really know how to cook a dish until you
have done it a thousand times."
There is no substitute for years of experience. Studying cooking principles in books and in
schools can get your career off to a running start. You may learn more about basic cooking
theories from your chef instructors than you could in several years of working your way up
from washing vegetables. But if you want to become an accomplished cook, you need practice,
practice, and more practice. A diploma will not make you a chef.
DEDICATION TO QUALITY
Many people think that only a special category of food can be called gourmet food. It’s hard to
say exactly what that is. Apparently, the only thing so-called gourmet foods have in common is
high price.
The only distinction worth making is between well-prepared food and poorly prepared
food. There is good roast duckling à l’orange and there is bad roast duckling à l’orange. There
are good hamburgers and French fries, and there are bad hamburgers and French fries.
Whether you work in a fancy French restaurant, a fast-food restaurant, a college cafeteria,
or a catering house, you can do your job well, or not. The choice is yours.
High quality doesn’t necessarily mean high price. It costs no more to cook green beans
properly than to overcook them. But in order to produce high-quality food, you must want to.
It is not enough to know how.