CATERING

MANAGEMENT
CAM 301
BS HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
Contents
 Lesson 1: Introduction of Catering System
 Lesson 2: Different Types of Catering
System including its aadvantages and
disadvantages
 Lesson 3: Factors to Consider in Selection
of Catering System
 Lesson 4: Challenges of Catering Business
Objectives
 Explain the different elements of the
catering system
 Recognize the factors associated with
the selection of catering system
 Know the different challenges of the
catering business
Introduction
 Food and water are considered to be an
essential need for an individual to survive
 Every occasion has to be pure and unique
 The catering business is a commercial business
inclined with providing food, beverages, and
ambiance at a particular cost and time to a
definite number of people

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Lesson 1: The Catering System
Catering - is the prearranged service of
food and drinks to clients for different
occasions.
- usually done by prearranged contract
– food and drink provided at a certain
cost to a specific number of people.
– it means bringing the food and service
to the guest/s preferred
- it pertains to the services for an event
but in a venue chosen by client which
could be his own house or office

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Caterer - is a person who provide catering services to
number of people.
- they bundle a package of
complementary tangible products and intangible
services depending on the client’s budget.
Intangible services Tangible products

1. comfort 1. food
2. emotional security 2. beverages
3. hygiene and sanitation 3. set-up / venue
4. safety 4. Invitation
5. efficiency 5. Ambiance
CLIENT/CUSTOMER
– a person or organization using the services of a caterer
- they are the reason why the business exists
CATERING MANAGEMENT
- is the task of planning, organizing, influencing, and
controlling every activity related to the preparation and delivery
of food and drinks to clients at a very competitive and profitable
price that will surely exceed the client's expectation
BANQUET DEPARTMENT
- is a food and beverage service department in a hotel usually
caters to particular functions for social, professional, and state occasions

CATERING CONTROL
– understanding and controlling all aspects of
kitchen production as a method of controlling the
catering operation.
Category of Event / Occasion
Social Professional State Occasion
Meeting/ Planning Professional
Wedding Diplomatic Cocktail
Bodies

Alumni Get together Conference State Banquet

Birthday Parties Convention Political Meet

Cocktail Party Training Programs
Balls Dealer Meeting
Annual Company Staff
Board Meeting
Socialization
Theme Nights Exhibition

Ritual and Religious Activities Fashion Show

Baby Shower Educational Fairs

Bridal Shower Employment Fair

Christmas and New Year Party Ceremonial Event

Dinner Theatre

Sorority and Fraternity Luncheon

Graduation Celebration

Proms
Reunion
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Businesses which may need to
select a catering system:
 Hotels, taverns and bars

 Restaurants and cafes

 Private, sporting and other clubs

 School, universities and other educational institutions

 Hospitals, hospices and aged care facilities

 Workplace cafeterias and canteens

 Military/defence catering

 Prisons

 Residential caterers

 In-flight and other transport catering

 Meetings, Incentives, Conferences/conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE)

catering
 Lesson 2: Different Types of
Catering System including its
Advantages and Disadvantages
 Catering system = refers to an overall food
production and food service system where all
components are integrated into a cohesive,
effective and efficient operation
5 kinds of catering system
1. Conventional
2. Cook chill
3. Cook freeze
4. Commissary
5. Assemble serve
1. Conventional- a system where food is cooked fresh and
served at the time
- cook and serve
- not all the ingredients used to produce menu
items are fresh/raw ingredients.
- the temperature of hot food after cooking for
service should be 60’C or above
2 kinds of service under conventional
a. Centralised – food service occurs at or adjacent to the food
production area
b. Decentralised – where the food is transported (by tray,
trolley, conveyor belt) to some remote/other location within
the same building/business where it is either plated or served

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 Five advantages of the
conventional catering system
1. It produces food of a high quality
2. The public/customers are well-disposed towards traditional kitchens
which cook and serve food in this way.
3. Most cooks, chefs and kitchen staff are familiar with the operations
of a conventional kitchen so there is a wider pool of trained and
experienced staff and less need to train staff
4. The system provides opportunity to be more flexible and responsive
to immediate need
5. Holding/refrigeration and/or freezer space for food is minimised
6. The equipment available in an existing conventional kitchen can
often be used to prepare/produce a large variety of different menu
items
 5 disadvantages of the
conventional catering system

1. Higher food costs per unit

produced
2. Consistency of quality is
sometimes an issue
3. Higher labour costs
4. Potential need for extra
equipment
5. Potential for reduced food safety
2. Cook-chill- where food is cooked and stored under
refrigeration for short-term or long-term storage.
- the temperature range for storing cooked food
under refrigeration as part of the cook-chill catering system is -
2’C to 0’C
- at least 7 weeks the cooked food can be stored
under refrigeration in the cook-chill system

6 stages in the cook-chill catering system

1. Produces cook food
2. Packages cooked food
3. Rapidly chills cooked food
4. Stores the food under controlled refrigerated conditions
5. Re-heats the food as required
6. Holds the food for plating and service
Advantages of the ready-
prepared(cook-chill or cook-freeze)
catering system
1. Reduced costs
2. Better yield from food items
3. Addresses shortages of skilled labour
4. Produces food of a consistent
quality/standard
5. Food service can occur/be available
at any time
6. This provides enormous flexibility in
service times and enhances the ability
to serve food “on demand’
Disadvantages of the ready-
prepared(cook-chill or cook-freeze)
catering system
1. Adverse customer reaction/response
2. Decreased levels of food quality
3. Increased establishment costs
4. Potential for limited/restricted menu
choices
5. Higher loss (or other damage) potential
from an out-of-control food handling event
6. Need to hire staff with specialist skills or train
staff in work roles
3. Cook-freeze - where food is cooked and
frozen for later re-thermalization and service

7 stages in the cook-freeze catering system

1. Produces food which is almost cooked
2. Packages cooked food
3. Rapidly freezes cooked food
4. Store the food under controlled freezer conditions
5. Requires thawing of frozen product(to0’C to 4’C)
prior to re-heating
6. Re-heats the food as required
7. Holds the food for plating and service

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4. Commissary - featuring transportation of pre-
prepared food to satellite kitchens for re-heating and
service
- where food is produced in bulk in a
central kitchen
- where food is then distributed
(usually hot/or cold but may be frozen) to other
locations (satellite kitchens, or commissaries) remote
from the main kitchen – food may be transported:
a. in bulk
b. portion controlled (individual/single
serves) – pre-plated for service
Advantages of commissary
catering system
1. Central control of quality and standards
2. Reduced need for skilled/high-cost staff in satellite
kitchens
3. Staff at the main kitchen will operate at high levels of
productivity- helping reduce costs per unit
4. High volume will bring a range of ‘economies of
scale’
5. No/little need for food processing/cooking
equipment in satellite kitchens – may only be a need
for storage, re-heating and service equipment
6. Facilitates the operation of multiple outlets and new
service points
7. Allows main kitchen to be built in an area where
land and building costs are most competitive – as
opposed to buying land and building a central
kitchen in high-value geographical location
Disadvantages of
commissary catering system
1. Quality related issues – food is not freshly cooked and
decrease in food taste, appearance, food safety and
nutritional content
2. Only food produced by central kitchen – or foods
bought-in fully prepared – can be offered
3. Main kitchen requires highly skilled, highly competent staff
4. Satellite kitchen cannot respond to individual customer
demand or preferences- food is essentially
presented/offered on a take it or leave it basis
5. Need for safety protocols to be developed to cover
transportation of food especially relating to:
a. Time temperature controls
b. Protection of food from contamination
c. Delivery schedules
d. Servicing/condition of the food transport vehicle
e. Actions of the delivery driver
5. Assemble-serve – where pre-prepared
food is portioned, plated and served: no
cooking or other processing is required.

4 basic required in relation to pre-prepared

menu items in the assemble serve catering
system:

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1. Portioning
2. Plating

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3. Re-heating
4. service

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 TYPES OF CATERING
1. ON-PREMISE CATERING. The caterer has his dining
hall or ballroom with an attached kitchen or
production area.
TYPES OF ON-PREMISE CATERING
 1.1. Hospital catering – typically occurs within a
hospital environment. They usually prepared food
to cater to their in-house patient and other
hospital staff or employees' dietary needs.
 1.2. High School/Elementary School catering –
events usually occur anywhere in the school
property. In this catering service, food
preparation usually happens in the school
cafeteria. Generally, they prepared food for
students, teachers, and school employees.

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 TYPES OF CATERING
2. OFF – PREMISE CATERING. The caterer delivers the
complete service to the customer; this may be at the
client's chosen place like beach, office, tourist spot,
or even in his own house. He brings all facilities and
equipment necessary for food production, transport,
and service.
TYPES OF OFF – PREMISE CATERING
 2.1. Supermarket catering – provides items that
can be picked up and taken home by guests to
another place.
 2.2. Dual restaurant-catering operations – when a
restaurant operator evolves into catering services
as an option to increase their profitability. Ex:
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different parties in their restaurant simultaneously.

 TYPES OF CATERING
3. CONVENTIONS AND WEDDINGS – provides food and
beverage service to support professional, business, and social
activities of many people in a given time and venue. Examples
are weddings, birthday parties, board meetings, political
meetings, professionals, and many more

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4. MOBILE CATERING – employs one or a fleet of trucks to

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support an assortment of food and beverages for guests situated

at diverse locations

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Catering/Banquet Brigade

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1. Director of Catering ( DOC )
- Oversees all functions and creates menus
2. Assistant Catering Director

priority-for-maitre-dhotel-brainos/
- Services accounts and helps in marketing
3. Catering Manager / Banquet Manager
- Maintains client contact Maitre d’ Hotel

- Implements request of Director of Catering and supervises all functions

in action
4. Catering Sales Manager
- Oversees sales efforts and administers sales office.5. Convention /
Conference Service Managers
- Handles room setup in hotels, conference centers and convention
centers
6. . Banquet Setup Manager
- Supervises the banquet setup crew ( housemen ) orders tables, chairs
and other room equipment / supervises teardown of an event
7. Scheduler / Clerk
- Also known as diary clerk; enters bookings in the master log
- types contract and banquet event order – BEO
8. Maitre d’ Hotel
- Floor manager and in – charge to all service persons
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- In charge for the service at meal functions

10. Server
- Food Servers deliver food, wine and non alcoholic
beverages
- Cocktail Servers perform similar duties but concentrate on
serving alcoholic beverages
11. Bartender and Bar back
- Concentrates on alcoholic beverage production and
service.
12. Sommelier
- wine steward
13. Houseman
- porter or convention porter and physically sets up rooms.
14. Attendant
- refreshed meeting rooms; spot cleaning and removal of trash
during break period
15. Engineer
- provides necessary utilities service and handle audiovisual,
lighting installation, teardown and service.
16. Cashier
 - collects cash and cash bars; sells drink tickets and meal or
concession tickets
17. Food handler
 -also known as the food steward
18. Ticket taker
 - responsible for collecting tickets from guests before they are
allowed to enter a function
19. Steward
 - delivers requisitioned china, glass, flatware, salt, pepper
shakers, and other similar items to function rooms, kitchen and
bar areas.

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 Lesson 3: Factors to Consider in
Selection of Catering System
1. Nature of the operation
- The owner must first identify the business's general nature, such as a
fine dining restaurant, workplace cafeteria, coffee shop, school
canteen, or a fast-food restaurant
- recognize how to cope with food production
- Choose among the different catering systems mentioned in this
chapter

2. The Menu
- Identify the type of menu that best suits the chosen catering system

A. Rotating/cyclical wherein menu items are pre-identifying every week as in

the case in most hospitals or institutions

B. A la carte – The food item is individually priced, wherein there is a need for
food to cook

C. Buffet – the selection of available food items served in a buffet table

D. Functions menus – Pre-set menu items from appetizer to dessert and

beverages on a fixed price. The banquet department adopted this type of menu.
3. Production volume
- It is essential to determine the demand for food and
drinks of the establishment
- it relates to the foodservice operation's peak and lean
time because demand varies from time to time

4. Service areas
• The area/s from which service needs to occur – on- and off-site,
as applicable: physical relationship between food production
kitchen and service points/outlets – in terms of distance and time
to travel
• Size of service area
• Facilities currently existing in service area/s
• Transport (vehicles and staffing) required to move food from
production area to service points
• Legislated requirements and ‘best practice’ protocols for safe
food transportation of hot, refrigerated and/or frozen food
5. Storage and holding requirements
• Hot and/or cold holding – of prepared food
for display and/or service, in terms of:
• Demand for (capacity) same
• Type of equipment required – bain maries, warmers, cabinets
• Location and type of existing facilities

• Amount of storage space required for:

• Refrigerated storage – of raw and prepared foods
• Frozen storage – of raw and prepared foods

• Type and capacity of existing storage

facilities
6. Nutritional and dietary requirements
• If there is a need for certain nutritional requirements to be met for:
• Certain dishes
• Nominated outlets
• Identified foods.
• Exactly what the nutritional requirements are – in terms of, for example:
• Serve sizes
• Vitamins
• Energy
• Special need to cater for nominated dietary requirements as they apply,
for example, to:
• Health-related issues – such as:
• Diabetic meals
• Low-salt and/or low-fat meals
• Allergy-related menu items
• Cultural and/or religious requirements
• Lifestyle preferences
Class Assignment:

Give at least 2 examples from below

requirement.
• Examples of how health-related special needs can
influence menu and food requirements

• Examples of how cultural special needs can

influence menu and food requirements

• Examples of how religious special needs can

influence menu and food requirements

• Examples of how lifestyle special needs can influence

menu and food requirements.
7. Relevant timeframes
• Opening times/trading hours of
commercial premises – for all service
points/outlets
• Scheduled service times for meals – in
operations such as hospitals, prisons and
schools
• Lead times – from ordering of raw
ingredients/food from suppliers to delivery
of food into the premises/kitchen stores
• Delivery/transportation times – from central
kitchen to satellite kitchens/other service
points.
8. Customer requirements

• Defining and identifying ‘customers’

or consumers
• Describing their identified needs,
wants and preferences
• Obtaining feedback/input from
existing and potential/target.
9. Enterprise practices and standards
• Understanding options for buying different
ingredient/raw materials – and/or pre-
prepared and ready-made items
• Knowing the contents of public statements the
business makes about itself – in terms of:
• Mission statement
• Vision statement
• Value statement

• Understanding Standard Operating

Procedures (SOPs) and relevant policies for the
operation
• Determining any strategic or competitive
advantages enjoyed by the business – in terms of:
• Unique selling points – products and/or services that other businesses do
not have
• Information, experience and/or expertise
• Industry knowledge
• Internal systems
• Supplier contracts
• Industry contacts and/or partners
 Lesson 4: MAJOR CHALLENGES
OF A CATERING BUSINESS
1. Marketing the catering department services
2. Excessive amount of time spent with clients
3. Unique demands
4. Difficulty in costing out and pricing certain
functions
5. Responsibility greater than authority
6. Time pressures
7. Maintaining qualified staff members
8. Lack of technical foodservice skills

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challenges/