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Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Evaluate market trends and identify target markets.
   • Identify current customer market based on past and current sales performance.
   • Analyse current customer profile and food service preferences.
   • Source information on current and emerging food service trends and customer preferences.
   • Evaluate market trends for relevance to organisational service style and cuisine.
   • Identify target markets based on the nature and style of the operation.
2. Develop menus.
   • Evaluate food service preferences of target markets and create menus to meet market needs and preferences.
   • Develop menus to provide balanced variety of dishes for the style of cuisine.
   • Generate a range of different, innovative and creative approaches and concepts to menu design.
   • Plan and design menus and the sequence of menu items, according to cuisine requirements and conventions.
   • Analyse operational constraints when designing menus.
3. Cost menus for profitability.
   • Itemise proposed components of the included dishes.
   • Calculate portion yields and costs from raw ingredients.
   • Accurately calculate all expenditure items to determine net production costs of menu items.
   • Determine required profit margin and calculate selling price.
   • Assess cost-effectiveness and profitability of proposed dishes and choose menu items that provide high yield.
   • Make reasonable cost adjustments to ensure price-competitive menus.
   • Price menu items to ensure maximum profitability.
4. Write menu content.
   • Write menus using terminology appropriate for the market and organisational service style.
   • Follow required menu item naming conventions for the style of cuisine.
   • Present sequence of service on printed menus.
   • Use innovative descriptions that promote the sale of menu items.
5. Monitor menu performance.
   • Monitor demand patterns for menu items.
   • Seek ongoing feedback from staff and customers and use to improve menu performance.
   • Analyse sales and profit performance of menu items.
   • Adjust menus based on feedback and profitability.

Range Statement

Specifies different work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included. Range is restricted to essential operating conditions and any other variables essential to the work environment.
Balanced variety must relate to different:	colours cooking methods delicacies flavours nutritional values presentation seasonally available ingredients tastes textures.
Operational constraints must involve consideration of:	kitchen equipment seasonal availability of ingredients skill level of kitchen staff suitability of dishes for the season.
Expenditure items must involve consideration of:	ingredients labour operational costs of the business wastage.

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Performance Evidence

Evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit in the context of the job role, and:

source and evaluate information on current and emerging food service trends, customer preferences and target markets and use to inform menu design

develop and cost at least six different menus from the following list of menu types based on the above information:

à la carte

buffet

degustation

ethnic

set

seasonal

table d’hôte

wine dinner

evaluate success of the above menus by obtaining at least two of the following types of feedback:

customer satisfaction discussions with:

customers

employees during the course of each business day

customer surveys

improvements suggested by:

customers

managers

peers

staff

supervisors

suppliers

regular staff meetings that involve menu discussions

seeking staff suggestions for menu items

develop the above menus within commercial time constraints, demonstrating:

current and emerging food service trends

operating costs for hospitality and catering organisations

methods and formulas for calculating portion yields and costs from raw ingredients

methods for responding to feedback on menu items

desired profit margins, mark-up procedures and rates.

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Knowledge Evidence

Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:

market research techniques for sourcing information on food service trends and market preferences

range of current and emerging food service trends relating to:

contemporary eating habits

cultural and ethnic influences

major festivals and events

media influence

seasonal and popular influences

sources of information on:

market statistics

customer profiles and preferences

products and service styles that meet certain market requirements and, quality expectations

current customer profile serviced

competitors’ current and proposed products and services

financial operating costs for hospitality and catering organisations

methods and formulas for calculating portion yields and costs from raw ingredients:

butcher’s test

standard measures

standard yield tests

desired profit margins, mark-up procedures and rates

different types and styles of:

menus

food outlets

food service

influence of seasonal products and commodities on menu content

naming conventions and culinary terms for a variety of cuisines

formats for and inclusions of menus presented to customers

methods of assessing the popularity of menu items:

customer surveys

popularity index

sales data

methods of analysing sales mix and profit performance of menu items:

menu engineering analysis.

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