STATE INSTITUTE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT

B.Sc. 2ND YEAR 3RD SEMESTER

FOOD PRODUCTION OPERATIONS BHM 201

UNIT 1 TOPIC 2 - Menu Planning

Basic principles of menu planning – recapitulation
Points to consider in menu planning for various
volume feeding outlets such as Industrial,
Institutional, Mobile Catering Units
Planning menus for
 School/college students
 Industrial workers
 Hospitals
 Outdoor parties
 Theme dinners
 Transport facilities, cruise lines, airlines,
railway
Nutritional factors for the above

UNIT 1 MENU PLANNING

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 STATE INSTITUTE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT
B.Sc. 2ND YEAR 3RD SEMESTER
FOOD PRODUCTION OPERATIONS BHM 201

Menu Planning
A MENU or “bill of fare” is a means of communication, informing what the caterer has to
offer. The compiling of a menu is one of the caterer’s most important jobs – whether for
establishments such as restaurants aiming to make a profit, or for those working to a budget,
such as hospitals and schools.

The function of the MENU:

a) It is like a price list or a list of wares to the customers in order that he purchases or orders
the dishes of his choice.
b) It helps as a tool for the kitchen in order to prepare the mise-en-place and equipment,
staff required for its production.
c) It gives a variety to choose from and alternatives in each type of dishes.
d) It sometimes gives the description of each dish in brief, so that the customer knows the
contents of the dish and what to expect while ordering a dish.
e) It is a record of cost and control purposes to regulate portion size and food cost of each
item.

Factors Affecting Menu Planning

1) Type of Establishment: There will be considerable variation, for example, in menu of five
star hotels and restaurants, school meals, heavy manual worker’s canteen or hospitals.

2) Type of Customer and Age Group: especially for private parties for a birthday, senior
citizens conference, football player after a match, visiting overseas students on a mayor’s
banquet; all need personal consideration.

3) Location: Study the area in which your establishment is situated and the potential target
market of customers.

4) Religious rules if applicable (kosher catering or a Muslim occasion) – Lack of

knowledge or understanding can easily lead to innocently giving offence.

5) Meat or Non-Meat preferences: The number of non-meat eaters is steadily increasing,

so this becomes more important.

6) Time of the Year: a) the prevailing temperature should be considered as certain dishes
suitable for cold weather may not be acceptable in mid-summer. b) Foods in season are
usually in good supply and more reasonable in price. c) Special dishes on certain days.

7) Time of Day: Breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea, high-tea, dinner, supper, snack or special
function.

8) Price Range: Unless fair prices are charged (so that customers are satisfied) repeat
business may not occur and the caterer may go out of business.

UNIT 1 MENU PLANNING

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 STATE INSTITUTE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT
B.Sc. 2ND YEAR 3RD SEMESTER
FOOD PRODUCTION OPERATIONS BHM 201

9) Competition: It is wiser to produce a menu quite different to those of nearby

establishment both in terms of price and quality.

10) Space and Equipment: The menu writer must be aware of any shortcomings or
deficiencies in equipment and may be wary of offering dishes that are difficult to produce.

11) The availability and capacity of both the Production and Service staff labour must be
considered.

12) Availability of Supplies and schedule from the suppliers.

13) Number of Courses: Varies according to all prior consideration.

14) Correct Sequence of courses: Important if the menu is to achieve a good balance.

15) Appropriate Language: Always use a language that customers can understand.

16) Sensible Nutritional Balance: If a selection of dishes with varying nutritional contents
is offered then customers can make their own choices.

17) No repetition of Commodities: Never repeat basic ingredients such as mushrooms,

tomatoes, peas, bacon on the menu.

18) No repetition of Flavour: If using strong seasonings like onion, garlic or herbs such as
thyme, sage or bay leaf, do not repeat in more than one course. Example:
a) do not serve a tomato flavoured sauce on the main course if the soup was cream of
tomato.
b) do not or avoid, serving let’s say garlic-flavoured noodles with prawn in garlic sauce.
c) try to different taste in the meat itself by providing a choice between beef. Pork, lamb.

19) No repetition of Colours: The colour of food is important to give appetite appeal, but
avoid repetition of color.

20) The texture of Course: Ensure variation is given (food should not be all soft or all crisp,
but balanced).

21) Sauces: If different sauces are served on one menu, the foundation ingredient of each
sauce should vary.

UNIT 1 MENU PLANNING

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 STATE INSTITUTE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT
B.Sc. 2ND YEAR 3RD SEMESTER
FOOD PRODUCTION OPERATIONS BHM 201

Cyclic Menus
These are menus which are compiled to cover a given period of time: one month, three
months, etc. They consist of a number of set menus for a particular establishment, such as an
industrial catering restaurant, cafeteria restaurant, canteen, hospital or college refractory.
These menus must be monitored carefully to take account of changes in customer
requirements and any variations in weather conditions that are likely to affect demand for
certain dishes.

Things to consider when planning a cycle menu:

Food characteristics and combinations: Visualize how the food will look on the plate.
 Colour – at least one or two colourful foods should be included on the menu.
 Texture – refers to the structure of foods and can be best detected by the feel of the
foods in the mouth. A variety of textures should be included in the meal.
 Consistency – is the ways foods adhere together – their degree of firmness, density,
or viscosity – may be described as firm, thin, thick, or gelatinous.
 Shape – of food plays a big part in eye appeal, and interest can be created through
variations in the form in which foods are presented. One way to add interest is to vary
the way in which vegetables are cut. Variation in height of food also aids in eye appeal
for the customer.
 Flavor combinations – in addition to the basic flavors of sweet, sour, bitter, and
salty, vegetables may be thought of as strong and mild-flavoured, while chili or other
foods may be thought of as spicy or highly seasoned. A variety of flavours in the meal
are more enjoyable than a duplication of any one flavor. Foods with the same basic
flavours, such as spaghetti with tomato sauce and sliced tomato salad, should be
avoided in the same meal.

What are the primary benefits of using a cycle menu

Advantages include reducing the total time required for menu planning, improving student
acceptability, controlling cost, and improving food service operations. Examples include:
One set of menus allows the operator to feature items rated as highly acceptable by the
students within daily choices consistent with the standards.
Repeated exposures to foods, including fruits and vegetables, improve children’s preferences
for those foods. Cycle menus offering less-well accepted foods, in addition to preferred foods,
provide students with the opportunity to learn to like new or less-well accepted items.
A 2- or 3-week-cycle menu aids optimizing food procurement, inventory turnover, and daily
production quantities, thereby improving foodservice operations and helping control costs.
Having a consistent inventory uses less storage space.
Accurate usage projections can be established, enabling vendors and manufacturers to
project their production schedules and needs and often resulting in better pricing.
Delivery schedules can be easily set up and managed.

UNIT 1 MENU PLANNING

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 STATE INSTITUTE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT
B.Sc. 2ND YEAR 3RD SEMESTER
FOOD PRODUCTION OPERATIONS BHM 201

Disadvantages of Cyclical Menu

When used in establishments with a captive clientele, then the cycle has to be long enough so
that customers do not get bored with the repetition of the dishes.
The caterer cannot easily take advantage of ‘good buys’ offered by the suppliers on a daily or
weekly basis unless such items are required for the cyclical menu.
Preplanned and Predesigned Menus
Advantages

Preplanned or predesigned menus enable the caterer to ensure that good menu planning is
practised.
Before selecting dishes that he or she prefers, the caterer should consider what the customer
likes, and the effect of these dishes upon the meal as a whole.
Menus that are planned and cost in advance allow banqueting managers to quote prices
instantly to the customer.
Menus can be planned to take into account the availability of kitchen and service equipment,
without placing unnecessary strain upon the equipment.
The quality of food is likely to be higher if kitchen staff are preparing dishes that they are
familiar with and have prepared a number of times before.
Disadvantages

Preplanned and predesigned menus may be too limited to appeal to a wide range of
customers.
They may reduce job satisfaction for staff who have to prepare the same menus
repetitively.
They may limit the chef’s creativity and originality.

CLASS ACTIVITY

Plan a cyclic menu for the Institute canteen kitchen for breakfast and dinner which
serves for 250 students. The cost should not exceed Rs.85/- per day. (10)
Breakfast

Monday- Bread, Butter, Jam, Milk.

Tuesday- Milk, Cornflakes, Bread, Butter/Jam.
Wednesday- Bread, Butter, Jam, Milk.
Thursday- Milk, Chocos, Bread, Butter/Jam.
Friday- Bread, Butter, Jam, Milk.
Saturday- Milk, Cornflakes, Bread, Butter/Jam.
Sunday- Bread, Butter, Jam, Milk.
Dinner

UNIT 1 MENU PLANNING

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 STATE INSTITUTE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT
B.Sc. 2ND YEAR 3RD SEMESTER
FOOD PRODUCTION OPERATIONS BHM 201

Monday- Aloo Beans, Black masoor, Tawa Roti, Salad

Tuesday- Green leaves Vegetable, Moong Dhuli dal, Rice, Salad
Wednesday- Bhindi kurkuri, Urad Dhuli, Tandoori Roti, Salad
Thursday- Arbi Masala, Masoor dhuli, Plain paratha, Salad
Friday- Jeera Aloo/ Seasonal vegetable, Moong Chilka, Tawa Roti, Salad
Saturday- Chowmein, Veg. Manchurian
Sunday- Pasta, Baked Vegetables, Bread rolls.
This menu is for an institutional canteen that serves 250 students. and is prepared to keep
the cost of food per day per person to not exceed Rs. 85/-.

Q.2. Plan a 3-day cyclic menu for a hostel mess serving 500 PAX. Calculate the total
indent cost at the prevailing market rate: (7+3=10)
(i) Food allowance: Rs.40/- per day.
(ii) 3 meals; breakfast, lunch, dinner
(iii) Make necessary assumptions.

Days Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Chapati, Dhal or Alu kurma,

Dosai, Sambar, Tomato Fulka, Peas Masala, Dry
Day Bisibelabaath, Onion-Raita, Fruit
Chutney, Bread, Butter Jam, Ladies finger fry, Plain
1 salad (1 cup), Potato chips, Butter
Coffee/Tea, Milk rice, sambar, Curd,
Milk

Chapati, Dry Aloo Gobi

Poori, Aloo Sabji/Channa Chapati, Veg Butter Masala, Dry Gobi
Day masala, Plain rice,
masala, Bread, Butter Jam, Manchurian, Plain Rice, Sambar,
2 Rasam, Curd, Carrot &
Coffee/Tea, Milk Pepper Rasam, ButterMilk, Banana,
Avial

Alu Parota(4 Nos.), Curd, Chapati, Soya Beans

Day
Pickles, Bread, Butter Jam, Rajma masala, Plain Bhatura, Chole, Curd Rice, Banana,
3
Coffee/Tea, Milk rice, Rasam, Curd,

Indent sheet with costing

Quantit Rate(₹
S.No Ingredients Total
y )

1 Flour 100 kg 30 3000

2 Rice 50 kg 60 3000

3 Oil 20 l 100 2000

UNIT 1 MENU PLANNING

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 STATE INSTITUTE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT
B.Sc. 2ND YEAR 3RD SEMESTER
FOOD PRODUCTION OPERATIONS BHM 201

4 Milk 30 l 50 1500

5 Curd 20 kg 50 1000

6 Potatoes 50 kg 20 1000

7 Onions 50 kg 30 1500

8 Tomatoes 25 kg 40 1000

9 Chana Dal 10 kg 70 700

10 Rajma Dal 10 kg 90 900

11 Lady finger 5 kg 40 200

12 Banana 20 kg 50 1000

13 Bread 50 pac 20 1000

14 Butter 10 kg 200 2000

15 Coffee 2 kg 300 600

16 Tea 3 kg 200 600

Total 21000

Nutritional factor for the industrial worker

The nutrition of workers in the industry is a relatively new phase of industrial medicine. As
the preventive aspect of industrial medicine has become more generally recognized, the
value of proper nutrition has been given more attention. The fact that diet inadequacies do
affect the worker’s efficiency, absence record, injury record, as well as his general physical
and mental well-being is beginning to be accepted by the most discerning of industrial
leaders. They realize that if workers are to keep well and turn out a maximum of production
proper nourishment is necessary. Little information is available as regards the diets of
workers themselves as distinct from their families. Surveys have been made in some parts of
the country which seem to indicate that in a large percentage of cases workers and their
families have been eating diets considerably below what they should be.

Activity
Discuss the factors involved in preparing menus for patients, hospital staff, and visitors.

UNIT 1 MENU PLANNING

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