SITHFAB020A
Apply food and beverage skills in the workplace

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to organise, prepare and serve food, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to customers. It incorporates all aspects of organising, preparing and serving a variety of menu items and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage items for a service period in a hospitality enterprise, using a range of service methods and team coordination skills. The unit integrates key technical and organisational skills required by a food and beverage attendant. It brings together the skills and knowledge covered in individual units and focuses on the way these must be applied in a commercial cafe, dining room or restaurant. It requires individual responsibility or autonomy in relation to own work roles and responsibilities and collaboration with others as part of a team or group. State or territory licensing requirements may apply.

Application

This unit applies to individuals who apply a defined range of skills and knowledge to food and beverage services in various hospitality venues and settings.


Prerequisites

This unit must be assessed after the following prerequisite units:

SITHFAB003A Serve food and beverage to customers

SITHFAB009A Provide responsible service of alcohol

SITXOHS002A Follow workplace hygiene procedures.


Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1

Prepare for food and beverage service.

1.1

Follow a jobs checklist and work schedule according to enterprise policies and procedures to prepare for food and beverage service.

1.2

Liaise with other team members on the table and room set-up, type of menu and style of service, and wine and drinks list.

1.3

Liaise with the chef about the menu, available portions and specials.

1.4

Carry out mise en place according to enterprise procedures and requirements.

1.5

Check availability of bar stock and food items, equipment cleanliness and quantity required for food and beverage service according to established systems and procedures.

2

Serve menu, bar and wine list items to customers.

2.1

Greet customers courteously and appropriately according to allocated table plan and provide relevant information.

2.2

Recommend menu items and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to meet individual needs, special requests or dietary requirements of customers and up-sell as appropriate.

2.3

Prepare alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and serve menu items and wines, using appropriate service methods to meet customer expectations of quality, presentation and timeliness of delivery.

2.4

Work cooperatively as part of the floor or bar team and according to the work plan.

2.5

Follow workplace safety and hygiene procedures according to enterprise and legislative requirements.

2.6

Provide quality customer service and deal appropriately with complaints according to enterprise procedures.

2.7

Identify problems, determine possible solutions and take appropriate action to resolve the situation according to job role and enterprise procedures.

2.8

Process accounts and payment according to enterprise procedures and farewell customers appropriately.

3

Complete end of service procedures.

3.1

Complete end of service procedures according to enterprise procedures, OHS requirements and environmental considerations.

3.2

Store food and beverage service items, equipment and commodities appropriately to minimise waste.

3.3

Check bar closing stock, prepare a requisition for replacement stock and complete timesheets where appropriate.

3.4

Participate in debriefing sessions with colleagues where appropriate, identifying possible improvements.

Required Skills

This section describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit.

The following skills must be assessed as part of this unit:

planning and organising work in the floor and bar environment, including:

prioritising and sequencing tasks and procedures according to enterprise requirements

collecting information and resources

working within or setting timelines

integration and application of food and beverage service skills, including mise en place, service procedures, close down and customer relations

team participation and providing support to team members as required

using safe and hygienic work practices in relation to provision of food and beverage services and according to enterprise and legislative requirements

communication skills to read workplace documents, deal effectively with colleagues and customers, and resolve problems

numeracy skills to calculate or estimate bills, stock requirements and required ingredients, materials or equipment.

The following knowledge must be assessed as part of this unit:

relevant legislative and regulatory requirements related to hygiene, health, safety, security and provision of hospitality products and services

current knowledge of food and beverage menu items offered by the enterprise.

Evidence Required

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, the range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency

Evidence of the following is essential:

collection of direct, indirect and supplementary evidence showing provision of integrated service for a minimum of 12 complete food service periods in order to address a range of food and beverage service styles (cafe or bistro, table d'hôte, à la carte and functions), food and beverage service periods (lunch, dinner and functions) and menu items

service of a wide range of food and beverage items for a menu

ability to carry out a number of activities effectively and simultaneously

ability to deal with typical issues such as workplace time constraints, late arrivals, no-shows, walk-ins and other problems

ability to meet, greet and interact positively with a diverse range of customers throughout the hospitality experience

ability to maintain the cleanliness and tidiness of work areas, including dealing with disposables and recyclables

ability to participate in the service process and work flow as part of a team and take responsibility for own work and the quality of outcomes

compliance with relevant legislative and regulatory requirements, OHS requirements and demonstrated health and safety practices.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

demonstration of skills within a fully-operational hospitality environment, including industry-current equipment and actual products and services as described in the Assessment Guidelines

presence of industry-realistic conditions such as commercial ratios of customers to staff typically found in a busy commercial food outlet.

Methods of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

training record book used as part of traineeship arrangements

direct observation of the candidate serving food and beverage menu items in a commercial hospitality setting

evaluation of customer feedback about service of food and beverage items, including speed and timing of service

written or oral questions to test knowledge about service techniques, equipment and OHS requirements

review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate.

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended.

Assessing employability skills

Employability skills are integral to effective performance in the workplace and are broadly consistent across industry sectors. How these skills are applied varies between occupations and qualifications due to the different work functions and contexts.

Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification and in the context of the job role.


Range Statement

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording in the performance criteria is detailed below.

Food and beverage service must cover the following service periods:

lunch

dinner

function.

Type of menu and style of service may include:

set menu (table d'hôte)

à la carte

function requiring cocktail, finger food, set menu or buffet

cafe or bistro espresso coffee service

afternoon tea service

wine service

cocktail bar service

plate service.

Mise en place may include:

preparing bar garnishes, condiments and other commodities

preparing alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage orders

assembling and preparing items and ingredients for silver or gueridon service

organising serviceware and equipment.

Food and beverage service equipment may include:

glassware for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages

ice buckets

crockery

cutlery

platters, lids and covers

service utensils

oven to tableware

condiments and condiment containers

linen

chairs

tables

food menus

wine, bar or cocktail lists

display materials

tea and coffee making equipment

espresso machine

electronic point-of-sale (POS) system with touch screen and/or PALM order pad

electronic funds transfer at point of sale (EFTPOS) equipment.

Information provided to customers may include:

food menu options, choices and specials

wine and cocktail drink list choices and specials

product knowledge of food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages

local area knowledge and venue facilities.

Special requests or dietary requirements may include:

cultural needs and restrictions

specific dietary requirements related to medical requirements, such as food exclusions for allergies and medications, and diabetic and other diets

preferences for particular ingredients and cooking methods.

Process accounts may include:

depositing money in cash register, processing and giving change

using an electronic POS system with touch screen and/or PALM order pad

processing credit cards manually or EFTPOS

handing over account to the cashier to process.

End of service procedures may include:

safe storage of food and beverage items

cleaning procedures related to floor and bar areas and equipment

debriefing sessions, including quality service reviews

restocking

preparations for the next service period.

Environmental considerations include:

recycling and minimising waste

responsible disposal of waste

efficient energy use

efficient water use.


Sectors

Sector

Hospitality


Competency Field

Food and Beverage


Employability Skills

The required outcomes described in this unit of competency contain applicable facets of employability skills. The Employability Skills Summary of the qualification in which this unit is packaged will assist in identifying employability skills requirements.


Licensing Information

Not applicable.