Food and Beverage Service and Production Basics
Domain 7 tests menu types, service styles, kitchen organisation, hygiene and basic food-cost control. You need to distinguish service from production and use catering terms correctly.
Core rules and concepts
- Menu types include table d'hote (fixed price, limited choice), a la carte (individually priced dishes), buffet and banquet. A cover is one guest served; covers help measure workload and revenue.
- Service styles include plate, silver, family, buffet and banquet. French, Russian and American styles differ in how food is presented and served.
- The kitchen brigade includes executive chef, sous chef, chef de partie and commis. Mise en place means preparation before service.
- HACCP identifies critical control points. Keep high-risk food out of the temperature danger zone, usually 5°C to 60°C, and separate raw and cooked food.
- Portion control and standard recipes control food cost.
Worked example
A dish sells for Rs 400 and its food cost is Rs 120. Food cost percentage = food cost divided by selling price times 100 = 120/400 × 100 = 30 percent. If the target is 28 percent, the minimum selling price = 120/0.28 = Rs 428.57, so round to Rs 430. Reasoning: the same food cost can be expressed as a percentage or used to set price. Do not confuse food cost percentage with gross profit percentage; gross profit here is Rs 280, or 70 percent.
Traps that cost marks
- Confusing a la carte with table d'hote.
- Counting a table rather than a guest as a cover.
- Storing raw meat above cooked food.
- Ignoring the danger zone during buffet service.
- Calculating markup on selling price instead of cost.