Menu Planning Considerations
A menu consists of a list of dishes offered to customers. Usually it is presented in courses. Many factors need to be considered when planning menus for the food service and catering industry.
Scale of Function
Functions can involve a small or large number of guests. With smaller functions it is easier to provide more courses and options in each course than dealing with larger numbers.
Typical courses in a menu are:
Types of Menus
A La Carte Menu:
Table D'hôte Menu
A Cyclic Menu
Function Menu
Du Jour Menu
Facilities, Staff, Time and Money
An establishment plans menus according to the facilities, staff, time and many they have available. For example an a la Carte menu requires chefs with skill. It also requires a lot of equipment to prepare the varied dishes and is costly because many ingredients are required. Offering a table d'hôte menu limits choice and may help an establishment to save time and money.
Some caterers such as those inn nursing homes, need to feed a large number of people at one time. They are usually limited in their funding and facilities and many dishes on their menus contain inexpensive ingredients and methods of cooking such as baking, which allows a lot of food to be cooked at once.
Year time and Occasion
Menus are often planned with consideration to the time of the year. In winter more soups and warm desserts are on a menu while more salad and cold desserts are available in summer. In spring lots of fresh vegetables will be offered.
Depending on the time of day many establishments will offers breakfast lunch or dinner menu. Breakfast menus and lunch menus are often lighter, quicker to prepare and include fewer options than dinner menus.
Different occasions also influence menus for example, a wedding commonly uses function menus and cake is included as part of the menu.
Types of Customers
The health, occupation, gender, age, preferences and number of people a food service provider has to cater for affects menu planning. Hospital caterers, for example must take into account the health, gender and age of patients in order to provide a nutritious meal and so consult with dieticians to plan suitable meals. men for instance often have a higher energy requirement than women and those recovering from heart disease require low fat meals. In order to cater for personal preferences they often include several options as part of their cyclic menus, such as providing a vegetarian item. These days there are also strict nutritional guidelines for child care and school catering services.
Scale of Function
Functions can involve a small or large number of guests. With smaller functions it is easier to provide more courses and options in each course than dealing with larger numbers.
Typical courses in a menu are:
- Appetiser- Tasty food which is not too filling and stimulates the desire for more food.
- Entree- Usually a fish, soup, salad in small portions.
- Main course- Usually meet, fish, or poultry with vegetable accompaniment
- Dessert- Sweet dishes, fruit or cheese
Types of Menus
A La Carte Menu:
- Lists all the dishes available, arranged in courses and each priced separately
- Provide an extensive choice of menu items
- Allow the customer to choose the number and type of dishes
- Means the food is cooked to order so there is a waiting time
- Can be expensive as skill is required to prepare each dish individually
- Usually used in restaurants
Table D'hôte Menu
- Provides a set menu with a set price
- Includes a fixed, limited number of courses, usually a three course meal with coffee
- Offers a limited choice within each course and all the guests are served at one time
- Allows for faster service making it easier to control costs and minimise wastage
- A popular choice for restaurants, cafes and function rooms
A Cyclic Menu
- Offers a series of fixed meals usually breakfast lunch and dinner
- Usually breakfast lunch and dinner that rotate over a period of time such as a week fortnight or month
- Provides only a few choices to pick from for each meal
- Is usually well balanced nutritionally
- Commonly used by hospitals, nursing homes, camps, and airline catering
Function Menu
- Is used for special occasions such as weddings, formals, parties and business conventions
- Is usually a fixed menu similar to Table d'hôte menu but with little or no choice
- Varies depending on budget, venue, and the number of people, for example a 4 course dinner, or a variety go appetisers or sweets
- Usually prepared in advanced and the customer is charged a set price
Du Jour Menu
- Changes daily
- Presented on a blackboard or variably to the customer
- Is a useful way to accommodate seasonal produce, test new recipes and use excess stock
Facilities, Staff, Time and Money
An establishment plans menus according to the facilities, staff, time and many they have available. For example an a la Carte menu requires chefs with skill. It also requires a lot of equipment to prepare the varied dishes and is costly because many ingredients are required. Offering a table d'hôte menu limits choice and may help an establishment to save time and money.
Some caterers such as those inn nursing homes, need to feed a large number of people at one time. They are usually limited in their funding and facilities and many dishes on their menus contain inexpensive ingredients and methods of cooking such as baking, which allows a lot of food to be cooked at once.
Year time and Occasion
Menus are often planned with consideration to the time of the year. In winter more soups and warm desserts are on a menu while more salad and cold desserts are available in summer. In spring lots of fresh vegetables will be offered.
Depending on the time of day many establishments will offers breakfast lunch or dinner menu. Breakfast menus and lunch menus are often lighter, quicker to prepare and include fewer options than dinner menus.
Different occasions also influence menus for example, a wedding commonly uses function menus and cake is included as part of the menu.
Types of Customers
The health, occupation, gender, age, preferences and number of people a food service provider has to cater for affects menu planning. Hospital caterers, for example must take into account the health, gender and age of patients in order to provide a nutritious meal and so consult with dieticians to plan suitable meals. men for instance often have a higher energy requirement than women and those recovering from heart disease require low fat meals. In order to cater for personal preferences they often include several options as part of their cyclic menus, such as providing a vegetarian item. These days there are also strict nutritional guidelines for child care and school catering services.
Task
1. Explain the difference between an a la carte menu and a table d'hôte menu.
A la Carte has an extensive amount of choices for each meal. Food is prepared by the order because of the large amount of meals on offer. These dishes can be expensive and are usually found in restaurants. Table D'hôte menus have a limited menu, this allows for faster service and also for minimal wastage. It is often used in cafes and at functions.
2. List factors that you need to consider about customers when planning menus.
Health, occupation, gender, age, food preferences and the number of people to cater for.
3. List 5 foods that may be on the menu for a mobile food van catering for construction workers. Give reasons.
Burgers, Pies, Pizza, Chips - Foods that are full or carbs, will both fill the workers up and give them the energy to continue working to the best of their ability.
4. Plan a blackboard menu for a summer breakfast for a holiday resort cafe.
Muesli and yogurt
Fruit salad
Poached eggs and toast
5. Select a function and design 2 menus for your client to choose from. One of those menus must be a finger food option.
Children's Birthday Party
Menu 1
Sausage Rolls
Party Pies
Frankfurts
Fairy Bread
Menu 2
Pasta
Sandwiches
A la Carte has an extensive amount of choices for each meal. Food is prepared by the order because of the large amount of meals on offer. These dishes can be expensive and are usually found in restaurants. Table D'hôte menus have a limited menu, this allows for faster service and also for minimal wastage. It is often used in cafes and at functions.
2. List factors that you need to consider about customers when planning menus.
Health, occupation, gender, age, food preferences and the number of people to cater for.
3. List 5 foods that may be on the menu for a mobile food van catering for construction workers. Give reasons.
Burgers, Pies, Pizza, Chips - Foods that are full or carbs, will both fill the workers up and give them the energy to continue working to the best of their ability.
4. Plan a blackboard menu for a summer breakfast for a holiday resort cafe.
Muesli and yogurt
Fruit salad
Poached eggs and toast
5. Select a function and design 2 menus for your client to choose from. One of those menus must be a finger food option.
Children's Birthday Party
Menu 1
Sausage Rolls
Party Pies
Frankfurts
Fairy Bread
Menu 2
Pasta
Sandwiches