Application
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to design profitable menus for all types of cuisines and food service styles. It requires the ability to identify target markets for the organisation, design menus to meet market preferences, price menu items and to monitor and evaluate the success of menu performance.
The unit applies to hospitality and catering organisations and to those people who operate independently and are responsible for making a range of operational and strategic decisions. This includes senior catering managers, sous, head and executive chefs.
No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENTS | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Evaluate market trends and identify target markets. | 1.1.Identify current customer market based on past and current sales performance. 1.2.Analyse current customer profile and food service preferences. 1.3.Source information on current and emerging food service trends and customer preferences. 1.4.Evaluate market trends for relevance to organisational service style and cuisine. 1.5.Identify target markets based on the nature and style of the operation. |
2. Develop menus. | 2.1.Evaluate food service preferences of target markets and create menus to meet market needs and preferences. 2.2.Develop menus to provide balanced variety of dishes for the style of cuisine. 2.3.Generate a range of different, innovative and creative approaches and concepts to menu design. 2.4.Plan and design menus and the sequence of menu items, according to cuisine requirements and conventions. 2.5.Analyse operational constraints when designing menus. |
3. Cost menus for profitability. | 3.1.Itemise proposed components of the included dishes. 3.2.Calculate portion yields and costs from raw ingredients. 3.3.Accurately calculate all expenditure items to determine net production costs of menu items. 3.4.Determine required profit margin and calculate selling price. 3.5.Assess cost-effectiveness and profitability of proposed dishes and choose menu items that provide high yield. 3.6.Make reasonable cost adjustments to ensure price-competitive menus. 3.7.Price menu items to ensure maximum profitability. |
4. Write menu content. | 4.1.Write menus using terminology appropriate for the market and organisational service style. 4.2.Follow required menu item naming conventions for the style of cuisine. 4.3.Present sequence of service on printed menus. 4.4.Use innovative descriptions that promote the sale of menu items. |
5. Monitor menu performance. | 5.1.Monitor demand patterns for menu items. 5.2.Seek ongoing feedback from staff and customers and use to improve menu performance. 5.3.Analyse sales and profit performance of menu items. 5.4.Adjust menus based on feedback and profitability. |
Evidence of Performance
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.
Evidence of Knowledge
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.
Assessment Conditions
Skills must be demonstrated in a commercial cookery or catering context where menus are designed or costed. This can be:
an industry workplace
a simulated industry environment.
Assessment must ensure access to:
commercial information:
financial data and budgets for the operation of a hospitality industry businesses
preferred supplier arrangements
purchase specifications
sources of negotiated cost of supply:
tariffs
price lists
product information:
food preparation lists
menus for the variety of cuisines and service styles specified in the performance evidence
price lists
recipes
costs of food supply for food service businesses.
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations’ requirements for assessors; and:
have worked in industry for at least three years where they have applied the skills and knowledge of this unit of competency.
Foundation Skills
Foundation skills essential to performance in this unit, but not explicit in the performance criteria are listed here, along with a brief context statement. | |
SKILLS | DESCRIPTION |
Reading skills to: | read and interpret complex documents about food service trends, customer profiles and preferences, and market preferences. |
Writing skills to: | write comprehensive and creatively expressed menus and product descriptions to explain menu dishes and promote sales. |
Numeracy skills to: | interpret market statistics when calculating the cost of producing dishes for menus calculate mark-ups and selling price for profitability compare menu items based on their anticipated yield, budgetary constraints and profitability. |
Learning skills to: | continually research and source complex information on current and emerging food service trends and synthesise this information for menu updates. |
Problem-solving skills to: | consider all operational constraints and develop menus that can be realistically delivered by the organisation. |
Initiative and enterprise skills to: | initiate the development of new menus to meet changing customer demands. |
Planning and organising skills to: | access and sort all information required for menu planning and to coordinate a timely and efficient menu development process. |
Technology skills to: | use computers and software programs to cost and document menus. |
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. |
Sectors
Hospitality
Competency Field
Kitchen Operations