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, and sous, head and executive chefs.
The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice.
No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENTS | PERFORMANCECRITERIA |
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, style and location 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 2.3. Sequence menu items according to menu requirements. 2.4. 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 of ingredients. 3.3. Determine net production costs of menu items. 3.4. Determine required profit margin and calculate selling price to ensure maximum profitability. 3.5. Assess cost-effectiveness and profitability of proposed dishes to form a menu with balanced yield. 3.6. Make reasonable cost adjustments to ensure price-competitive menus. |
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 for ease of customer reading. 4.4. Use accurate and innovative descriptions that promote the sale of menu items. |
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 outlined below
develop and cost one menu from each of the following menu types based on the above information:
à la carte
buffet
degustation
table d’hôte
develop the above four menus demonstrating:
current and emerging food service trends
methods and formulas for calculating portion yields and costs from raw ingredients
desired profit margins and mark-up procedures
summary of menu costings.
Evidence of Knowledge
Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:
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 influences
social media
sources of information on:
market statistics
customer profiles and preferences
products, service styles and quality expectations that meet market requirements
financial operating costs for hospitality and catering organisations, including:
consumables
food and ingredients
labour
wastage
methods and formulas for calculating portion yields and costs from raw ingredients:
food cost percentage
budgeted sales price
standard measures
standard yield tests
GST addition and subtraction
different types and styles of:
menus
food outlets
food service
influence of seasonal products and commodities on menu content and price
naming conventions and culinary terms for a variety of cuisines
formats for and inclusions of menus presented to customers:
legible text
format matched to customer type
presented in format that is easy to read
methods to gain feedback on menu performance:
qualitative:
social media
customer surveys
customer discussions
staff discussions and meetings
quantitative:
sales data
methods of analysing sales mix and profit performance of menu items:
menu engineering analysis
sales data.
Assessment Conditions
Skills must be demonstrated in a business where menus are designed or costed. This can be:
an industry workplace; or
an industry-realistic simulated environment.
Assessment must ensure access to:
commercial information:
financial data and budgets for the operation of a hospitality industry businesses
product information:
purchase specifications
commodity price lists
recipes
costs of food supply for food service businesses
internet access for research
spreadsheet and word processing programs for menu costing and writing.
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations’ requirements for assessors and:
have achieved the Certificate III or Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery, or Certificate III or IV in Catering Operations, or Certificate III or IV in Patisserie, or their successors; or
hold a trade certificate as a cook or chef or equivalent;
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 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 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. |
Sectors
Hospitality
Competency Field
Kitchen Operations