HSC Hospitality (VET) cheat sheet

Australian hospitality sectors: accommodation (hotels, motels, resorts), food and beverage (restaurants, cafes, bars, catering), and gaming; each has distinct licensing and service standards.

Industry bodies and sources of information: Tourism Australia, state tourism bodies, local chambers of commerce, and peak associations such as Restaurant & Catering Australia and the Accommodation Association.

Employment types under the Fair Work system: full-time (38 ordinary hours per week), part-time (guaranteed regular hours), casual (no guaranteed hours, casual loading instead of leave), plus apprentices and trainees.

Modern awards set minimum pay and conditions for most hospitality roles; the Hospitality Industry (General) Award covers many food and beverage and accommodation employers.

Enterprise agreements must leave employees better off overall than the relevant award (the better off overall test, BOOT).

National Employment Standards (NES) include maximum 38 ordinary hours plus reasonable additional hours, 4 weeks annual leave, 10 days paid personal/carer's leave, and notice of termination.

A business plan typically covers concept and target market, market analysis, operations, staffing, marketing, financial projections, and risk management.

Workplace diversity and anti-discrimination law: the Fair Work Act 2009 and state anti-discrimination acts prohibit adverse action based on age, sex, race, disability, religion, or family responsibilities.

Environmental sustainability practice in hospitality includes waste segregation, water and energy monitoring, purchasing local and seasonal produce, and reducing single-use plastics.

Food safety risk categories: potentially hazardous foods (high protein and moisture, e.g. meat, dairy, cooked rice, eggs) support bacterial growth and need temperature control.

Temperature danger zone is 5°C to 60°C; keep cold food at or below 5°C and hot food at or above 60°C.

The 2-hour/4-hour rule: food held in the danger zone under 2 hours may be refrigerated or used; 2-4 hours must be used immediately; over 4 hours must be discarded.

Standard drink in Australia contains 10 g of pure alcohol; a 375 mL mid-strength beer at 3.5% ABV is about one standard drink.

Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) obligations: refuse service to intoxicated persons and minors, request proof of age, and offer water and food.

Legal drinking age in Australia is 18; acceptable proof of age includes a current driver licence, passport, or state-issued proof of age card.

HACCP principles: conduct hazard analysis, determine critical control points, set critical limits, monitor, take corrective action, verify, and keep records.

Table service sequence: greet and seat, offer water and menus, take orders, serve beverages, serve food from the right with cleared space, check back, clear, offer dessert and coffee, present account.

Cross-contamination controls include separate chopping boards by colour, separate storage of raw meat below ready-to-eat food, and handwashing before and after handling raw food.

Mise en place means preparing and organising ingredients and equipment before service so dishes can be assembled quickly and consistently.

Standard recipe cards state ingredients, quantities, portion yield, method, and cost, enabling consistent quality and food cost control.

Food cost percentage = (cost of food sold ÷ food sales) × 100; a lower percentage indicates better cost control, all else equal.

Portion control uses scales, scoops, ladles, and standardised serving ware to control cost and consistency.

Dry heat methods include roasting, grilling, shallow-frying, deep-frying, and baking; moist heat methods include poaching, simmering, boiling, and steaming; combination methods include braising and stewing.

The Maillard reaction is browning of proteins and sugars at roughly 140-165°C and above, producing flavour and colour; it is not caramelisation.

Knife safety and cuts: the bridge and claw grips protect fingers; standard cuts include julienne, brunoise, baton, chiffonade, and paysanne.

Stock types: white stock uses unroasted bones, brown stock uses roasted bones, fish stock is short-cooked, and court bouillon is an acidulated poaching liquid.

Kitchen brigade roles include head chef (chef de cuisine), sous chef, chef de partie (section chef), commis chef, and kitchen hand.

Service quality dimensions include reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles; reliability is consistently rated the most important by customers.

Complaint handling sequence: listen without interrupting, acknowledge and apologise for the experience, resolve or escalate within authority, follow up, and record the complaint.

Service recovery paradox: a well-handled complaint can produce higher loyalty than if no problem had occurred.

WHS duty of care: employers must provide a safe workplace so far as reasonably practicable; workers must take reasonable care for their own and others' safety and follow instructions.

Hierarchy of control, highest to lowest: eliminate, substitute, isolate, engineering controls, administrative controls, then personal protective equipment.

Hazard and incident reporting: report hazards and near misses promptly, record in the incident register, and notify the regulator for notifiable serious incidents.

Manual handling risk controls include team lifting, mechanical aids such as trolleys, and keeping loads close to the body.

Emergency procedures: use the RACE sequence (rescue, alert, contain, evacuate), know assembly points, and follow warden instructions.

Effective teamwork requires clear role allocation, briefings at handover, constructive feedback, and open communication between front of house and kitchen.