SIT22 SITHKOP002 Plan and Cost Basic Menus LG V2-0 PDF
SIT22 SITHKOP002 Plan and Cost Basic Menus LG V2-0 PDF
Copyright 2016
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Contents
Overview ........................................................................................................ 3
Glossary ....................................................................................................... 66
Overview
What do your customers really want? How can you meet their needs and your
organisation’s?
How much do meals cost to make? How much should you sell them for?
And, perhaps most importantly, how can you help make your business a success?
It’s time to take your first step on the path to learn the answers to these questions and
more.
Section 1:
1 Identify customer preferences
Risky business!
Not planning and costing your menu properly is risky business.
Hi, I’m Carly and I’m a chef at The Tamino Restaurant in the CBD. I’m going to be working
with you during this unit.
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Planning and costing menus doesn’t have to be difficult, but you’d be amazed at how
many chefs do a bad job of it and end up losing money! I’ve heard them say, ‘I just work
out how much the food costs and triple it!’ and ‘I just sort of guess around my margins and
hope the customers will pay what I’m asking!’ Or even, ‘I’m supposed to cost the menus?
Uh oh …’
Don’t be like this. Get yourself on the path to profit by learning how to plan and cost your
menus properly.
First, you need to get to know your customers. Click to the next screen to get started.
Click on the pictures to see some other customers you may need to consider.
Business people
Business to business (B2B)
Event or function customers
Locals
Students
Athletes
International tourists
People from different socio-economic groups
People from specific cultural or religious groups
People with particular nutritional interests
When we picture customers, we usually visualise people coming and going from
restaurants, cafés, fast food outlets, food courts, etc. However, there are some customers
who aren’t so free to pick and choose for themselves.
Captive audience
These people rely on you to prepare and cook meals for them on a daily basis. If you’re
catering for them, closely follow the Dietary Guidelines for Australians to ensure you
provide the required nutrients in the recommended proportions.
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For example, 18- to 24-year-olds tend to eat out more often than other age groups, but
prefer quick service foods. Older people may have more time on their hands and be
willing to wait longer for higher quality (and have the money to pay for it!)
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Hot tip
Be sure to check with your organisation to learn what sources of information they use to
generate customer profiles. Familiarise yourself with the technological skills necessary to
access customer records, including contact details, past bookings, current bookings,
records of requests and conversations, and accounts payable and receivable.
Probably not. However, the cold prawn, mango and avocado salad with coriander and
lime dressing will fly out the door. Keep in mind what people crave according to the
season. Adjust your menu accordingly.
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Note...
Again, make sure you check with your organisation to find out how they learn their
customers’ food preferences. Where do they get their data?
End of section
You have reached the end of section 1.
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2 Section 2:
Plan menus
• How to generate and assess ideas for menus, dishes or food production ranges.
• How to develop suitable menus based on organisational service style and cuisine.
• How to include a balanced variety of dishes or food production items.
Before you begin menu planning, you need to ask yourself some important questions.
You’ll learn the answers to these questions and more throughout this section as we go
through menu planning.
$ Fast food
These outlets abound in food courts and vary from international franchises to cute kiosks,
but they all have quick service and cheap prices!
Customers order, pay and collect their food at a counter, drive-through or walk-up window.
Then, either dine in or take away.
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Self-serve
Customers help themselves from a buffet. These can be free-flowing, where customers
move around (hotel breakfast buffet) or queue along a straight counter with an optional
POS at the end.
Sometimes, as is the case in a cafeteria or carvery, there may be food attendants on hand
to serve from behind bain-maries.
We deliver!
This includes not only pizza home delivery and hotel room service, but also tray service in
hospitals and on airplanes.
No matter what type of cuisine you serve, the menu layout and order of courses is usually
based on the classical French one.
Click to the next screen to find out more.
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Click on the 15 classical English course names to see their French equivalents.
English French
Cold appetiser Hors d’oeuvre froid
Soup Potage
Hot appetiser Hors d’oeuvre chaud
Eggs or farinaceous Oeuf et farineux
Fish Poisson
Cold entree Entrée froid
Hot entree Entrée chaud
Sherbet Sorbet
Main course with vegetables Relevé ou pièce de résistance
Roast with salad Rôtii et salade
Vegetables (hot or cold) Entremet de légumes
Sweets (hot) Entremet chaud
Sweets (cold) Entremet froid
Savouries (hot or cold) Entremet au fromage
Dessert Dessert
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• À la carte
• Table d’hote
• Function
• Cyclical
You’ll learn more about each one over the next few screens.
À la carte
These menus, usually printed on quality card and bound, are the most popular. They’re
found in hotels, restaurants cafes, pubs, bistros and fast food outlets. You cost each dish
separately and cook to order to produce elaborate meals for individuals or small parties.
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Click on the tabs to find out more about this style of menu.
Characteristics
• Each menu item is individually priced.
• There are three courses.
• There are several dishes to choose from in each course, allowing customers to select
based on appetite and budget.
• Traditionally, the dishes are of a single portion style (rack of lamb, steak, side of duck,
etc.).
Advantages
• Customers choose their own dishes.
• Customers only pay for what they order.
• The enterprise receives a pre-determined profit on each dish.
• It allows chefs to use a wide range of skills, increasing job satisfaction.
• Menu needs to be changed less frequently than with other menu types (eliminates
menu fatigue).
• Allows for inclusion of daily specials (carte du jour) so the chef can utilise seasonal
produce.
Disadvantages
• Customers usually wait longer for food cooked to order.
• More food wastage given the large amount of perishable food stock required.
• More storage space and greater capital outlay required for larger stock of foodstuffs.
• More staff with greater skills required in the kitchen and front of house, resulting in
higher labour costs.
• More mise en place time required for preparation of base ingredients.
• To compensate for the disadvantages, the prices on an à la carte menu are generally
30 to 50% higher than on other menus. This covers the extra expenses associated with
labour costs as well as the preparation and storage of a wider variety of foods.
Table d’hote
This ‘set menu’ is fast, uncomplicated and suits high volume enterprises. It’s common
where large numbers of diners (conference groups, tourists, etc.) arrive at once, but pay
as individuals. The food is often pre-prepared and sometimes pre-cooked. The use of
table d’hote menus varies greatly. They can stand alone or be offered in conjunction with
à la carte menus. Check to make sure you understand how your organisation uses them.
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Click on the tabs to find out more about this style of menu.
Characteristics
• Price is fixed (even if a customer doesn’t eat all courses).
• It’s a set menu (usually of three courses) which forms a complete meal.
• There are usually two (sometimes three) dishes to choose from within each course.
Advantages
• Limited choice minimises food waste.
• Customers don’t have to wait long for their meals. This helps with second sittings on
many tables, if required.
• Customers know how much their meal will cost, so there are no surprises when the bill
arrives.
• The limited menu is easy to develop, cost, order supplies for and serve because it
requires less storage space and smaller stock runs.
• Short preparation time reduces staff numbers and labour costs.
Disadvantages
• Customers have limited choice of dishes.
• It doesn’t cater well for special diets (gluten-free, vegetarian, etc.).
• The restricted choice makes it difficult to balance menu properly.
• Kitchen staff may become bored preparing such a limited variety of dishes.
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• Pre-prepared and pre-cooked food deteriorates during service time, reducing customer
satisfaction and food safety if not handled correctly.
Function
Function or banquet menus are used in function centres, hotels, convention centres,
reception centres, etc. They’re customised for a private party or formal occasion paid for
by a host. Guests sit down together and eat at a pre-determined time. Restaurants,
bistros, brasseries and hospitals also use function menus when catering for large parties
of people.
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Click on the tabs to find out more about this style of menu.
Characteristics
• As in the table d’hote, there’s a set menu at a set price. However, the cost isn’t listed
on the menu as the host usually pays for everyone.
• Sometimes a function menu offers diners a choice between two options, or two meals
are served alternated around the table.
• Sometimes, there’s no choice at all.
• The host or organiser pre-determines:
number of people attending
time of arrival
time of departure
number of courses
the menu (from a number of options).
Advantages
• Caters for large functions where everyone sits down together and requires
simultaneous service within a short time frame.
• You know numbers in advance, so can calculate the exact cost per head before the
function.
• This reduces catering costs (staffing, food ordering, preparation and service).
• Food wastage is kept to an absolute minimum.
Disadvantages
• Sometimes the pre-determined course service times don’t run strictly to plan due to
speeches, auctions, presentations, etc. Food quality may deteriorate while being kept
in a holding pattern.
• The limited choice doesn’t cater to special diets or requests (gluten-free, vegetarian,
etc.) unless prior notification is provided.
• The restricted choice can make it difficult to properly balance the menu.
Cyclical
The institutional catering sector, whose customers are a ‘captive audience’, use these
menus. Sometimes, private clubs, cafés and restaurants have repeat clientele. Their
whole menu or some parts of it (daily specials, roasts, fish, soups, desserts, etc.) may be
cyclical.
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Click on the tabs to find out more about this style of menu.
Characteristics
• An organised series of set menus that rotate from day to day or week to week.
• Caters for all meal periods throughout the day (breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon
tea, dinner and supper).
• The cycle period (glossary) repeats itself after a set time.
• Provides variety and a nutritionally balanced diet when catering to a captive audience
or repeat clientele.
Advantages
• Provides structured variety (glossary) and nutritionally balanced meals three times a
day, seven days a week, 52 weeks of the year.
• Prevents boredom.
• You can fine tune and standardise the menu over a period of time due to the repetition.
• Provides a stable structure from which to regulate standards, labour use and staff
training.
• Allows for set production schedules, bulk buying, accurate forecasting, ease in
purchasing and other cost-saving benefits associated with knowing exactly what you
need in the future. This is important for institutional enterprises on tight budgets.
Disadvantages
• Initial planning and setup is complex and time-consuming.
• The menu’s repeat nature can become tedious and lacking in challenge for staff
preparing and serving the food.
• If the cycle period is too short, the menu can become predictable for customers.
Other menus
In addition to the four main menu types, there are many others you can use.
Buffet
This is a list of hot and cold food on display for self-serve or partially assisted service.
Smorgasbord
Scandinavian style buffet featuring preserved fish, pâté, smallgoods, breads and cheese.
The food is presented in a simple manner.
Degustation
This five to ten course set menu is an alternative to à la carte. It offers small tastes of
many different menu items at a set price.
Ethnic
Use this one for a function, event, or festival with international flavour.
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Cocktail
This is a list of hot and cold bite-sized foods customers can pick up and eat at a stand-up
function.
Theme
This menu celebrates a particular day (Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, etc.)
and the food fits the theme.
Novelty
This is similar to a theme menu, but set around a Black & White or Masquerade ball which
can happen at any time rather than on a particular calendar day.
Carte du jour
This is a list of daily or seasonal specials on a card or board. It’s often presented in
conjunction with other menu types.
Product range
You may also find there are menus for a food product range such as patisserie products,
specific cuisines, dishes, etc.
When generating your ideas, make sure the dishes meet the needs of both the
organisation and your customers. Let’s learn how to assess this over the next couple of
screens.
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Dishes match the organisation’s menu type, service style and cuisine.
Dishes match customer preferences according to sales data and customer profile.
(More on sales data in section 5.)
Dishes offer something unique to create an edge over competitors in the same
location.
Dishes match staff skill levels (simple enough to produce to high quality, yet
complex enough to keep staff interested).
There’s enough staff on hand to produce the dishes within specified timeframes.
There’s enough bench and storage space in the kitchen to produce the dishes.
There’s enough small and large fixed equipment to produce the dishes during peak
service times.
Dishes are cooked using a variety of cooking methods. (This helps ease the load on
equipment, too.)
There are enough fresh, high quality ingredients available at a reasonable price.
(Meeting this requirement may mean changing your menu according to the seasons
and/or sourcing local suppliers.)
The dish is profitable. (More on this in section 3.)
Hot tip
Sales information is very useful when planning menus and checking their feasibility. It
helps clearly identify the dishes your customers like and those they don’t as well as which
periods of the year are busy and which are quiet. All this data assists with ordering,
rostering and planning.
• Colour
• Size and shape
• Taste
• Texture
You’ll learn more about how to achieve culinary balance over the next few screens.
Colour
Beautiful presentation enhances the visual appeal of your dishes. Use a variety of colours.
Avoid repeating a similar colour throughout the dish or, more importantly, across several
dishes on the menu.
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Too much green! You could improve this dish by adding red cherry tomatoes, purple
cabbage, orange carrots, white ranch dressing and a sprinkle of nuts for garnish.
Too much brown! You could improve this dish by adding a colourful mix of fresh
vegetables (steamed broccoli, red capsicum and carrots) as well as a lighter coloured
sauce.
This dish is beautifully presented using a range of colours. To work with colours, develop
a mental picture of each item on the plate (main, sauces, accompaniments, vegetables,
etc.) and ensure you add variety.
Click on the pictures and discover some more do’s and don’ts.
Taste
Click on Carly to find out more.
Choose dishes for your menu which provide a variety of flavours (strong, mild, bland,
subtle, salty, sweet, tart, acidic and bitter). Ideally, it’s best not to repeat strong flavours
(garlic, chilli, curry, shrimp paste, etc.) However, this may not always be possible when
compiling ethnic menus.
There are a number of flavours that almost always go well with certain cuisines.
Another crucial component when considering culinary balance is texture. Let’s look at this
next.
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Textures
Provide different textures on each plate and in your whole menu to vary how the food
feels in the mouth and prevent monotony. This doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank
on lots of expensive ingredients.
Click on the icon to learn how you can change the texture of a humble carrot.
Read this menu and then click on it to see its characteristics listed in a chart.
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Click on the speech bubbles to find out the imbalances on the menu.
Dish Main
Cooking Size &
Colour ingredien Flavour Texture Temp.
method shape
t
Appetiser Sea One large
White & Subtle &
perch, Baked Smooth item/ Cold
orange spicy
pumpkin triangle
Soup Smooth
Pale Chicken & One large
Subtle Boiled & Hot
green spinach item
creamy
Main Two
Strong
course medium
Brown Lamb (mustard/ Grilled Tender Hot
round
fruit/ herb)
items
Dessert Rich, One large
Brown & Chocolate Cold &
sweet & Baked Smooth round
red & rhubarb frozen
tart item
Nutritional balance
To create a menu with a balanced variety of dishes, you also need to take nutritional
balance into account.
? Vary ingredients
You’ll learn more about how to achieve nutritional balance over the next few screens.
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These are some of the different cooking methods you can use.
• Boiling
• Poaching
• Steaming
• Stewing
• Braising
• Roasting
• Baking
• Shallow frying
• Deep frying
• Grilling
Not all cooking methods are created equal! Grilling, baking, steaming, poaching and
boiling are healthier than deep frying, roasting or shallow frying, which only add more fat.
Click on the pictures to learn what a nutritionally balanced menu should include.
Legumes: dried, canned and cooked beans, peas, lentils and other pod-bearing plants
and their products such as bean curd, tofu and pappadams.
Fruit
A wide variety of fruits from all classifications: melons, citrus, berries, core, seed, stone,
tropical and vine fruits.
Grains (cereals)
Wholegrain wheat, rice, oats, corn, popcorn, barley, quinoa, amaranth, couscous, and
products made from them: flour, polenta, bread, pasta, noodles, breakfast cereals,
porridge.
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Processed meats are very high in added salt, as are many fast foods. Limit these on your
menu and don’t put extra salt in food as you cook.
Besides desserts and lollies, the biggest culprits when it comes to added sugar are the
following drinks.
• Sports drinks
• Energy drinks
• Soft drinks
• Fruit drinks
• Cordials
• Vitamin waters
Vary ingredients
Australia has an amazing number of ingredients (beef, pork, lamb, veal, chicken, game,
seafood, vegetarian, etc.) to choose from. Include a dish of each on your menu! It’s OK to
repeat major ingredients on an à la carte menu, but not on restricted menus (table d’hote,
function, cyclical). What about themed menus?
Click on the icon to learn how a seafood restaurant can offer wider ingredient
choice.
Include prawns, scampi, scallops, calamari, oysters, mussels, crab, crayfish. Avoid using
the same type of fish more than necessary.
Vegetarian and meat-based dishes should be available for customers who don’t like
seafood.
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You can apply the same principles to vary meals in vegetarian restaurants, steak houses,
etc. to widen choices. Another way to do this is to use delicacies and seasonally available
ingredients.
Click on the produce items and find out when they are in season.
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Your customers
Offer new dishes as a special to market test it with your customers. Monitor how well they
sell. Get customer feedback for further refinements.
Your colleagues
Ask workmates for their opinions on each dish.
• Cooks
• Kitchen hands
• Food service attendants
• Managers
They can offer constructive feedback on how you could improve them or how suitable they
are for the target market. Once everyone is satisfied with the dishes, it’s time to write your
standard recipes. You’ll learn how on the next screen.
Hot tip
Don’t be surprised if ideas that look good on paper don’t work well in practice. This is all
part of the development process. You may need to scrap the dish and find a replacement
or make adjustments.
• Substitute the cut or type of meat.
• Change the accompaniments.
• Reconsider the sauce.
Design it!
You can design standard recipes in house using computer templates or standard recipe
software (glossary).
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Standardise it!
Customise your standard recipes to suit the service style, presentation, portions and
customer numbers typical to your organisation.
Follow it!
Once you’ve developed a standard recipe, all cooks must follow it to the letter.
Adjust it!
Use a portion yield that you can easily increase or decrease, depending on demand.
Use it!
Use the standard recipe to order food, as it shows the amount required to prepare a set
number of portions.
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Did you notice that information on portion cost, selling price, food cost %, yield %,
purchase unit price, total cost and cost per portion were missing?
In section 3, you’ll learn more about these terms and costing menus so you can fill in the
gaps.
For now, click to the next screen to review what you’ve learned so far.
End of section
You have reached the end of section 2.
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3
Section 3:
Cost menus
We’re in business to serve the public, so we need to operate within a specified budget.
Click and drag the bag of money across the path to see this equation in action.
Click to the next screen to find out how much you know about this already.
Major expenses
What do you think a restaurant’s major expenses are?
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Food and wages? Indeed they are. Click to the next screen to compare your answers to
ours.
Click on the pieces of the chart to find out what they are.
Food costs comprise a whopping 25% of business expenses. It’s no wonder accurate
menu costing is such a critical element in all successful food service establishments. It’s
the only way to make confident financial decisions and avoid cost blowouts.
There is a procedure than can get you on the path to profit. These are the 5 steps.
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We’re going to spend some time going through these five steps, so click to the next
screen to get started.
In a nutshell
These details set up a common language between you and your suppliers. They know
exactly what your requirements are and can give you an accurate quote. You’ll know
exactly what to expect in each delivery and the cost.
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You need to know how much each complete dish costs. The components of the dish
depend on your style of service and cuisine and so are specific to your organisation.
• Main ingredients
• Cooking oil
• Accompaniments
• Sauces
• Condiments
• Seasonings
• Garnishes
• Decorations
• Takeaway containers
• Wrapping
• Chopsticks
• Disposable plasticware
• Serviettes
Weight
Meat, fish, vegetables, fruit are usually weighed in grams (g) or kilograms (kg).
Volume
Liquids such as juice, milk, stock are usually measured in millilitres (ml) or litres (L).
Count
Some ingredients you may need to count include items such as sausages, eggs, hash
brown patties, slices of bread.
Click on the filing cabinet to see where you can find cost per unit on an invoice.
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Remember our risotto recipe? It contains different kinds of ingredients which you need to
test and cost differently.
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What do you think the total cost for the butter in this table is? How do you think we
calculate it? Click ‘Next’ to find out.
The first formula determines the usage percentage. This is the percentage of the
purchase unit (glossary) you require for the recipe.
The second formula calculates the actual cost of the ingredient. To do this calculation, you
need the purchase unit cost/price (glossary) (from your invoice or standard recipe) and the
usage percentage (from the last calculation).
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Hot tip
WARNING! When you do your calculations, make sure that your quantity unit and
purchased unit are expressed in the same way (either both in grams or both in kilograms).
If you try to do the calculations with different units of measurement, they won’t work out.
Can you complete the table using these two formulas? Type your answers into the
available spaces. Click Submit when you’re done.
How did you go? Have a look at the table to see it completed with the correct answers.
How many did you get right?
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Remember, you can’t add the cost for the button mushrooms and onions yet because you
must do a yield test first to determine the wastage. We’ll look at this next.
Click on the icon to find out why knowing the yield percentage is so important.
The yield percentage helps you calculate the minimum amount of the ingredient you
need to order for your recipe.
It helps you determine actual cost of each ingredient and each dish as compared to
the purchase cost.
It helps you calculate portion yields (the maximum number of servings the amount
you purchase will give you).
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Hot tip
Many foods (such as roast meats) require cooking before they’re portioned. You need to
take this shrinkage into account through further yield tests.
Be sure to document and consistently follow the same cooking temperatures and times.
That way, you get the same cooked yield weights every time.
Some ingredients need to be cooked before you portion them. Some of the ingredient is
lost as you cook it. Which ingredients in the risotto recipe are like this?
Some ingredients actually expand. You get more after you cook it than you had in the
beginning.
8 kg ÷ 10 kg x 100 = 80%
Note...
In reality, you may not have time to do yield tests on all fruits and vegetables. Your
organisation may provide a chart for you to use with approximate yields on it.
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You buy 10 kg onions. After peeling them, you have 8.2 kg left.
What are the yield percentages for the onions and the button mushrooms? Type your
answers into the available spaces. Click Submit when you’re done.
How did you go? Have a look at the table to see it completed with the correct answers.
How many did you get right?
These figures are important because they’re the next piece of the puzzle! We’ll use them
when we calculate actual food cost on the next screen.
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Click on the tabs to learn how to calculate the actual food cost.
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Click on the tabs to learn how to do a butcher’s yield test on the fish.
Step 1
Weigh the whole purchased product, the whole flathead fish. Record the ‘As Purchased
Quantity’ (APQ).
Step 2
Process the product according to the recipe. Put all useable trim (glossary) in one pile and
waste trim (glossary) in another pile.
Step 3
Weigh the prepared product you’ll use in the recipe. Record the Edible Portion Quantity
(EPQ), the flathead fillets.
Step 4
Weigh the useable trim. Record the weight.
Step 5
Weigh the waste trim. Record the weight.
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Note...
The value of the usable trim depends on the kind of meat it is (fish flakes, mince, chicken
wings).
Let’s say you need 10 prepared portions of flathead fillets weighing 160 g each.
Click on the question marks to learn how to answer the crucial questions.
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Hot tip
If you use edible trim to prepare other saleable dishes, deduct the price you would have
paid for them from the purchase price. This gives you an accurate food cost for the
prepared dish.
If you don’t use trimmings, include them in the price of the dish.
Type your answers into the available spaces. Click Submit when you are done.
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How did you go? Check out the answers in the table to see the correct figures.
Type of enterprise
Pub, take-away, restaurant, hotel, fine dining.
Competition
In a competitive environment such as a food court or restaurant strip, prices need to
attract customers.
Target market
What can your target market afford to pay?
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Sales turnover
If sales turnover is high, a reduced mark-up may be possible. This means you get less
profit on each sale. However, you counterbalance this by a large number of sales.
Your management considers all of this when calculating the selling price. For the dish to
be cost effective, the selling price must be higher than all of the expenses put together.
Click on the steps to learn how to calculate the price of a seafood salad.
Food cost per portion x 100 ÷ standard food cost (SFC) % = selling price
If you sell the seafood salad entree for $17.32, you’ll make a profit.
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100
Food cost
x = selling price
per portion
standard food cost %
Click on the icon to see how you can use these calculations to work out the selling
price for each item.
As you can see, there is a big price difference between the two sets of selling prices and
between both dishes at the same selling price.
What if your establishment has determined that entree prices must fall between $12.00
and $15.00 based on customer profiles and target market?
Uh oh! You’ve crunched all your numbers, but the dishes aren’t cost effective!
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3. If the dish has wide customer appeal and balances that section of the menu, keep it
in its original form, but sell it at a reduced profit margin. You might be able to offset
the loss by increasing prices on other more cost effective dishes (soups and
vegetarian meals).
Change the risotto’s food cost percentage to 9% and the terrine’s to 41% to get a 25%
average.
9% + 41% ÷ 2 = 25%
Click on the icon to find out how to calculate the new selling prices.
100
Food cost x = selling price
standard food cost %
The terrine is still more expensive than the risotto, but there’s not such a big gap between
the prices. The new selling prices also achieve management’s overall average food cost
percentage of 25%.
You can use this process to manipulate the figures on each menu item to achieve an
overall food cost of 25%.
Click on the filing cabinet to see how to achieve an overall food cost of 25%.
Notice that the adjusted selling price is a slight alteration of the raw selling price to round
off the figures into a menu-friendly format. It’s common for the prices to round up or down
to the nearest 25 cents ($0.00, $0.25, $0.50 or $0.75).
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For example, if most customers order the terrine (with a food cost percentage of 41%),
you won’t achieve the overall food cost of 25%.
Click on the icon to find out how you can identify problems before it’s too late.
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If the menu items are unprofitable, take corrective action and adjust the menu.
Change prices or choose menu items that provide high yield and are more profitable to
replace the unprofitable dishes.
Update the purchase unit price of each ingredient and re-calculate the costs of goods as
their prices go up. This ensures that you always have up-to-date information.
Many organisations use Excel spread sheets to update standard recipes and make
new calculations. Take a course in Excel.
Attend in-house workshops or training sessions to hone your computer skills.
Ask your supervisor for training if none is provided.
Ask more experienced colleagues for tips on how to use technology to make your
costing of menus quicker and easier.
Practise!
End of section
You have reached the end of section 3.
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Section 4:
4 Write menu content
• How to write menus using words that appeal to the customer base and match the
service style.
• How to use correct names for the style of cuisine.
• How to use descriptive writing to promote the sale of menu items.
Menu mistakes
Restaurants lose business if their menus aren’t up to scratch.
Click to the next screen to see the tools you can use to avoid these errors.
Click on the tools to learn how you can use to impress your customers.
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Price
Leave the dollar sign off your prices. Also, rather than charging $17.00, consider pricing at
$16.75. Both of these tactics make the menu items look less expensive, enticing diners to
purchase more.
If you have a menu item with ingredients that fluctuate widely, list the price as ‘market
price’.
Name of dish
How you name your dishes depends on your customer base. When catering to overseas
tourists, for example, use simple dish names accompanied by pictures. Locals will
appreciate more descriptive language.
Description of dish
If you choose to describe your dishes, make sure you’re truthful so customers know
exactly what to expect and aren’t disappointed. You’ll learn more about how to describe
dishes shortly.
Inclusions
Seasonal products and commodities influence menu content. You can either change your
menu with the seasons or slide a separate inclusion into the menu listing the seasonal
specials.
Winter specials
Chargrilled sea scallops with freshly grated ginger, lime and leek 14.7
Witlof and spinach salad with baked sweet potato and beetroot 9.00
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Fast food
Disposable paper placemats
Café
This small café changes their menu often and writes selections onto a blackboard.
Casual dining
Flip stand in the centre of the table.
Bistro dining
A single laminated A4 sheet of paper with the menu printed on the front and back.
Fine dining
Stylish print bound in a leather folder.
We deliver!
Paper brochure menus customers can take home.
Hot tip
It’s unlikely you’ll be making a decision on your menu type alone! Chances are you’ll be
working with a group of people including the business owner, general manager, food and
beverage manager, catering manager, head wait staff, chef and marketing/promotions
department.
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Title only
• This is a traditional style which is no longer common except on function or cyclical
menus.
• There’s no description of the actual dish.
• Food service attendants supply further explanations to the customer.
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Description only
• Popular, modern style used by restaurants, cafés, bistros and hotels around Australia.
• The wording is clear, relevant and paints an enticing picture of the dish.
• Description may be simple: ‘Beer-battered flathead tails served with chips and salad’.
• Description may be a precise explanation of the dish. ‘Locally caught flathead tails
cooked in beer batter and served with French fried potatoes and a crisp side garden
salad’.
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Hot tip
Whatever style you decide on, be consistent from one dish to the next throughout the
entire menu. Use language in line with the target market. Avoid excessive wording and
confusing phrasing.
Key ingredients
Describe the most important ingredients in the dish, particularly any regional specialties,
delicacies, or fresh seasonal foods.
Geographical descriptors
Locally grown, King Island brie, Gippsland cream, New Zealand mussels, Sydney rock
oysters, Tasmanian salmon.
Cuisine style
Cajun spices, Mediterranean vegetables, Asian style greens.
Cooking method
Seared, oven roasted, baked, stir-fired, lightly sautéed, braised, triple basted, chargrilled,
lightly steamed, caramelised, poached, smoked, fire roasted, flame broiled.
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Portion or cut
Cutlet, medallion, leg, fillet, whole, slice, rosette, sliver.
Colour
Golden brown, green, rosé, pink, lemon, red.
Texture
Velvety, crispy, creamy, buttery, plump, tender, juicy, rich, thick, gooey, frothy, crunchy,
light, moist, syrupy, treacly, flaky, smooth, soft, crusty.
Flavour
Tangy, fiery, fruity, full-bodied, nutty, peppery, peppered, lightly salted, tart, zesty, sugary,
smoky, hot & spicy.
Service temperature
Ice-cold, piping hot, chilled, warm, frosty, iced, frozen, steaming.
Size
Bite-sized, chunky, hearty, lavish, jumbo.
Update your technology skills. Use your computer’s spellchecker to identify and correct
spelling and grammatical errors in your menu documents.
Use online and text-based food dictionaries to assist with words you’re not sure about.
Remember, the spellchecker is a computer and isn’t always right! Hire a professional to
edit the document before it goes to print.
Note...
In our digital age, food dictionaries are not always text-based. You’ll find many useful
resources online.
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Click on the tabs to learn more about how to format and design a menu.
Paper stock
When it comes to choosing paper or card to print your menu on, there’s a wide variety of
colours, types and quality to choose from. Consider the following when making your
selection.
• If your menu will be in place for several months, select quality paper stock which can
withstand a high level of handling.
• Consider laminating to reduce wear and assist with cleaning.
• If you frequently change the menu, select a cheaper paper stock that still looks
appealing.
• Darker colours may suit your décor, but they’re difficult to read, especially at night with
dimmed lighting. Off-white, cream or pastel paper with dark print is far more effective.
• If you’re printing in-house, make sure the printer can cope with the thickness of the
paper.
Format
The number of dishes on the menu and how you list them influences the menu’s size and
shape. Keep the following points in mind when making formatting decisions.
• A three to four course table d’hôte menu listed by title only is likely to fit on a single
sheet (panel).
• An à la carte style listed by title and description may require several pages (panels).
• Make sure the menu is small enough for the customer to handle easily, but not too
small that the dish listings look overcrowded and messy.
Layout
When deciding how to lay out your menu, consider the following.
• When you place the dish listings on the menu, leave blank space around the margins,
between the printed lines and between each section. This prevents it from looking
cramped.
• But be careful! Too much blank space makes the menu look too sparse.
• Study a wide variety of menus from other enterprises to identify which layouts work and
which don’t.
• Customers usually order the first couple of dishes in each section of the menu. These
will consistently be your best sellers. Place your most profitable dishes in these
positions.
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Font style
This is the type, size and colour of the words on the menu. Keep your menus easy to
read.
Business information
Often, people forget to include crucial information (such as the name of the
establishment!) on the menu. Place the following details on or near the front page.
• Enterprise name
• Business address
• Contact details
• Opening days and times
• Licensed or BYO
• Corkage charges
• Minimum charge per head
• Accepted payment methods
• Any other information you want your customers to know
End of section
You have reached the end of section 4.
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5 Section 5:
Evaluate menu success
How do you know which items on the menu are worth continuing and which should be
scrapped? Make an assessment based on facts, not opinions!
Use tried and trusted methods to assess the popularity of menu items.
• A Popularity index
• Customer surveys
• Sales data
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You’ll learn more about each of these over the next few screens.
Popularity index
Calculating popularity index helps you work out which menu items are the most popular.
In a restaurant
In this situation, the popularity index can help you determine which dishes on the menu
you should keep and which you should replace.
It’s the ratio of portion sales for a given menu item to total portion sales for all items
across the board.
Customer surveys
There are many different ways to collect customer satisfaction data to determine how
happy customers are with your dishes. Most give customers a range of options and ask
how they feel about the meal, whether they’d recommend it to a friend, and provide
opportunity to comment.
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Sales data
Sales records are compiled via a link with electronic cash registers or through physical
counts at the end of each service period. Analysing sales data gives you valuable insight
into what’s selling and what’s not.
Click on the icon to learn what else sales data can help you do.
Calculate the average number of customers you serve each day, week, month.
Work out the best and worst selling dishes on the menu.
Determine the percentage of customers that order each dish on the menu.
Total number of dishes sold ÷ total number of customers x 100 = percentage of
customers that order each dish
Determine the percentage of customers that order entree, main course, desserts,
coffee.
Determine the percentage of customers that order one, two or three courses.
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What next?
Once you’ve assessed your menu items, it’s time to make changes! Adjust your menus
based on the feedback you’ve received and whether or not they’re profitable.
Click on the icon to find out what this means for you.
Remove menu items that are unpopular and replace them with more popular ones
trialled as specials.
Improve menu items according to consistent customer feedback so you’re
continuously improving dishes.
Replace unprofitable menu items with ones that provide higher yield and are more
profitable.
Change prices of unprofitable menu items so that they’re more profitable.
End of section
You have reached the end of section 5.
Summary screen
Click on Carly for a summary.
It hasn’t been easy. There are lots of formulas, calculations and decisions to be made to
ensure that you cost menus successfully.
Good luck using your newfound knowledge in planning and costing menus with a view to
getting your business on the path to profit.
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GLOSSARY
Glossary
Word Meaning
Cycle period The time elapsed before the menu repeats itself. This varies from
three days to 13 weeks depending on the establishment. Private
hospitals, where patients usually stay less than 10 days, use a 14-day
cycle period. Aged care facilities, where clients stay for extended
periods, use a longer cycle period, of four to six weeks.
Purchase unit It’s more economical to purchase food in bulk. The purchase unit is
the bulk amount which is divided up to make separate recipes. In this
case, the purchase unit is 1.5 kg of butter.
Purchase unit This is the price your organisation paid for the purchase unit. In this
cost/price case, 1.5 kg of butter costs $4.85. $4.85 is the purchase unit cost/
price.
Standard food cost A set percentage (usually between 21% and 35%) determined by
percentage (SFC) management.
Standard recipe Software programs are available to develop standard recipes. They
software save time and energy by calculating changing prices and adjusting the
number of portions required. They also help the chef and other
managers closely monitor budget-related matters.
Structured variety A wide range of food is built into the menu. If you use a food more
than once in the cycle period, next time serve it:
• on a different day of the week
• at a different service period (lunch instead of dinner)
• with different accompaniments
with different sauce.
Useable trim Any edible trimmings you can use for other dishes (mince, cubed beef
for stew, chicken for soup, etc.). Although you can use bones for
stock, they aren’t considered usable as such because they aren’t
edible.
Waste trim Any inedible trim you dispose of such as guts, scales, seeds, shells,
bones.
Yield The amount of an ingredient left after you process or cook it.
Yield percentage The percentage of the purchased quantity that’s used in your recipe.