Menus
A menu is a list of dishes or beverages that are available for customers to purchase.
By law, outlets must display the menu at or near the entrance so potential customers can study it before deciding to eat there.
Many businesses now make the menu available to view online to attract business.
Traditionally menus are divided into 2 types:
Table d’hôte menu
- Has a fixed number of courses
- Has a limited choice within each course
- Has a fixed selling price
- The food is usually available at a set time as it is easier to do more preparation in advance
Has a wide choice of dishes for each course
- Each dish is priced separately
- May have a longer waiting time as dishes are cooked or finished to order
Based on these two formats for menus there are a number of variations.
Set menus will usually have only one choice for each course for a set price. It is an inexpensive way to cater for large numbers as food required can be prepared in advance ready for service.
Early bird menus which may be two or three courses, with a limited choice from the a la carte menu for each course offered before a set time in the early evening at a fixed price.
Children’s menus offering two courses with a choice of options that appeal to children for a fixed price that reflects the size of the portion
Takeaway menus are common in fast food outlets or in specialist restaurants that offer a take away service. They are basically a la carte as each dish is priced separately.
Brasserie, coffee shop and popular catering menus can be considered as limited forms of a la carte menus as all dishes are listed and priced individually. This means customers can select a range of dishes to meet their needs at any particular time e.g. a drink and a snack or a main meal with or without either a starter or a dessert.
What factors affect menu planning?
There are many factors that influence how a menu is designed so it is important that a business takes this into consideration when planning the menu.
These factors include:
Time of year
The availability of certain foods depends on the season.
Using foods that are in season allows the chef to be creative and use food that are plentiful and cheaper.
Using out of season imported ingredients will increase the cost making dishes more expensive for customers.
They may not be prepared to pay the higher price so do not select the dish and the food is wasted reducing profit.
Typical examples of seasonal food include:
- Strawberries – summer season
- Pumpkin – available around Halloween
- Brussel sprouts – Christmas time
The season can influence the menu as customers like hot, warming food in cold weather and cold, refreshing food in hot weather.
A winter menu will include dishes like stews, casseroles, roasts, curries,soups and puddings. A summer menu will have salads, grilled fish and barbecue style dishes with cold desserts.
Special menus are usually offered at times like Christmas, Easter, Valentines Day and Halloween.
Availability of ingredients
It is important that the chef considers the availability of ingredients before planning the menu.
Having good contacts with reliable suppliers to ensure they can meet the demands of the business is essential e.g. if a menu states fresh seafood from Donegal the chef must be sure that the supply can be guaranteed because if the supplier cannot deliver, customers will be disappointed and this may affect the reputation of the business.
Type of outlet
Those dining in a five-star restaurant are unlikely to be impressed if burger and chips is on the menu.
They will expect high quality, more unusual foods prepared and served to perfection.
However, the menu in a fast food outlet will have more basic options and quick, convenient service.
Menu planning factors
Time for preparation and service
The greater the number of dishes on offer, the more time and staff will be required to prep and cook the food.
Customers do not like to be kept waiting irrespective of the type of outlet. When large numbers are being catered for, like at a wedding or banquet, a simple table d’hôte menu is more likely to be offered.
The starter will be prepared ready for service and the main course may be plated and placed in special trolleys which can reheat the food so it can be quickly served to customers.
The food on each plate will be identical and the customer has very little choice. Similarly, the dessert will be plated and served.
An a la carte menu will be more usual in a restaurant where numbers are lower, allowing customers a wider choice and allowing the chefs to prepare and cook food to order.
The menu in a fast food outlet will require food that cooks quickly as customers do not want to wait long.
This means when the menu is planned, food that can be prepared and partially cooked will be important e.g. fish can be battered and cooked to seal the batter and can then be finished when ordered.
In hospitals, patients usually make their meal choices the day before and hot food is brought to the wards in special heated cabinets to keep it hot.
These can be plugged in again at the ward to ensure the temperature is safe for holding food and the risk of food poisoning is eliminated.
Equipment available
If the outlet is offering cook-chill foods then a full working kitchen is not required.
However, if all food preparation and cooking is undertaken within the outlet, a wide range of equipment is required.
Many outlets buy in foods that are partly prepared to reduce the range of equipment required e.g. potatoes already peeled means staffing and equipment costs are lower.
Nutrition considerations
Customers have different nutritional needs so it is important that the menu offers a wide variety of options.
When planning menus, a chef has to be aware of the Eatwell Guide and try to incorporate the recommendations.
Cooking methods to reduce fat should be used where possible and dishes should include choices where healthier cooking methods are used e.g. baked, grilled or poached.
Information must be available to indicate the allergen content of a dish and a chef must have the skills to offer alternative options for customers suffering from conditions like coeliac disease e.g. a sauce thickened with cream or cornflour instead of flour to avoid gluten.
Children’s menus should have few high sugar dishes and smaller portions to encourage children to eat a full meal.
In hospitals and nursing homes, a dietician will work with the caterers and advise on special diets for particular patients or residents.
To help patients recover, foods high in Vitamin C are recommended. Someone who suffers from diabetes will require a diet high in protein and complex carbohydrates but low in sugar.
This means dishes with meat, vegetables, wholegrain rice and pasta. Puddings, biscuits and other sweet food should be avoided.
Factors affecting menu planning
Appeal of dishes
There are three main considerations when planning a menu to make it appealing to customers; flavour, texture and colour.
Food should be well flavoured using herbs, spices and sauces to make it appetising. A variety of different types of flavours should be used in different dishes to offer choice on the menu.
Food that lacks flavour tastes bland and will not entice a customer back. Texture involves firm, soft and crunchy mouthfeel.
A variety of textures provided by the different foods on a plate can add very much to the enjoyment of a meal.
A simple sandwich served with a few crisps will be much more satisfying than just the sandwich.
Bright colours, usually provided by a range of vegetables, fruit or garnishes look very appetising, appealing and interesting accompanying most meat dishes.
Cost
There are a number of factors that determine the selling price of dishes.
These include ingredient costs, labour costs (staff wages) and overheads (fuel, lighting, rates).
A chef has to consider very carefully the ingredient costs and try to keep these as low as possible by using seasonal foods that are cheaper and do not have added transportation costs.
Customers are usually willing to pay a fair price that reflects the type of outlet and their expectations. Poor quality food that is over priced will not meet their expectations.
People do not expect the same high quality food or wide choice where the provision of food falls within the catering services sector e.g. in residential homes, hospitals or schools.
Cooks in establishments like these are working on a very tight budget and have to keep costs down, so people’s expectations are lower.
Skill of kitchen staff
In order for a kitchen to run smoothly and efficiently, the type of menu offered must match the skills of the kitchen staff.
If the staff lack training, a simple menu where the food is well cooked and served creates a much better impression than a more elaborate menu where the food is poor quality.
Many outlets now use cook chill or cook freeze dishes that only require reheating. This means the quality is consistent for customers and wage costs are low because highly trained staff are not necessary.
If the chef isn’t capable of producing a high standard of food this will have damaging effects on the reputation of the business and the outlet may close.
Customer needs
Depending on the type of outlet, special consideration must be given to the needs of the customer base when drawing up a menu. These needs relate to:
- Age
- Religion
- Ethics
- Dietary requirements
Age
Establishments like schools and residential homes have to think about the needs of the people they are catering for when planning menus.
Young children should be introduced to new foods and given small portions to encourage them to eat. Foods high in protein are needed for growth and development.
Food can be presented in interesting or easy to hold shapes like chicken teddy bears and carrot fingers.
Fried and fatty foods are not recommended and fresh fruit should be cut into smaller pieces and encouraged instead of sweet treats high in sugar.
Fruit drinks high in sugar should be replaced with milk or milk based drinks to provide calcium for the development of strong teeth and bones.
Schools have a responsibility to provide healthy menus for children and adolescents. The menu should offer a choice of dishes providing good quality protein foods for growth (meat, milk, fish, eggs, cheese, beans and lentils).
A selection of vegetables and fruit should be available to contribute to their 5 a day and low fat dishes should be available.
High sugar drinks should not be included and desserts should be fruit based to provide fibre and limit sugar intake.
Older people still require protein food for maintenance and repair of the body but the method of cooking has to be considered carefully so that the food is tender to eat.
Some may have issues with swallowing or poorly fitting dentures so the softness of food is important.
Physical difficulties like arthritis or the effects of a stroke may also make it difficult to cut firmer foods. Low fat food is usually easier to digest and this is an important factor as some may have digestive problems.
Religious and ethical factors
Jews and Muslims do not eat pork, while Hindus do not eat beef, so to meet these needs there must be suitable alternative dishes.
Most people from these faiths can be catered for if there is a vegetarian option to select.
On moral grounds, some people will not eat any animal product. To meet their needs, and by law, every restaurant must offer one vegetarian option.
Dietary requirements
An outlet will attract customers if it caters for specific dietary requirements.
These dietary requirements vary for each individual and may be due to food intolerances (gluten – coeliac), allergies (nuts), and medical conditions (diabetes) or through choice (vegetarians).
It is important to be aware of these needs and be prepared to meet them by providing alternative dishes to those on the menu.
Types of customers
People eat out for different reasons so their needs and expectations vary.
A business person may want fast service so they can quickly return work. However, if they are entertaining clients they may require a more formal style of meal in a restaurant.
A family with young children will need a children’s menu or a deal with special offers like free child’s meal with every adult meal.
A tourist may want to experience local food and traditional dishes so this is a consideration for outlets in popular tourist areas.
When designing a menu it is important to identify the type of customer and target the menu accordingly.
Occasion
The occasion will influence the style of menu on offer. A wedding menu will be table d’hôte and may offer 2 choices per course. More choices will be very expensive for the customer and harder to prepare and serve for large numbers.
Recently it has become common practice for guests to be sent a copy of the menu with their wedding invitation to pre-select the choices.
A party or function menu can vary from canapés and drinks to banquet style. Usually the food on offer is planned with the organiser for a fixed price and the guests do not have a choice.
Food and beverage service
The type of service will be influenced by:
- The outlet
- The menu
- The occasion
- The cost of the food
- The time the customer has to eat
- The skill of waiting staff
A good meal may be spoiled if it is served carelessly or if customers are kept waiting.
- Plate service: The food is placed on plates by the kitchen staff and brought to the guest at a table by waiting staff. This type of service is used for ease of serving for large numbers and ensures everyone is served quickly and the food is hot. It is also used in fine dining restaurants where the presentation is a culinary work of art by a highly skilled chef. Plate service means the arrangement of food is not disturbed by waiting staff.
- Silver service: Waiting staff serve food from a flat serving dish to each customer’s plate using a fork and spoon. This is a highly skilled method of serving, so waiting staff require training. It requires a lot of staff to ensure customers are served as efficiently as possible. Silver service is common in high end restaurants and hotels where the cost reflects the level of service.
- Counter service: This type of service is common in modern cafes and coffee shops. Customers queue at the counter and select their choices from the menu. The food may already be prepared or it may be cooked to order. The customer places the food on a tray and pays for it at a pay point at the end of the counter. Cutlery, napkins and condiments are collected by the customer from a self-service unit before going to a table. When a dish requires cooking, a staff member will deliver it to the customer’s table.
- Self-service: Customers help themselves from the food on display either from a counter/buffet table or from chilled display units. Vending machines are also a form of self service. The machines will be stocked with a wide range of foods such as sweets, crisps or sandwiches and cold drinks.
- Buffet service: A wide range of hot and cold foods are served in specialised equipment on a buffet table or purpose built counter. The customer may help themselves or be served by members of staff standing behind the counter. Buffet style service allows a large number of customers to be served in a short time frame and is a popular way of serving breakfast in a hotel. It is used on cruise ships for breakfast and lunchtime when large numbers are served very quickly. It is important that the staff replenish the food regularly and ensure that the food is displayed and presented to a high standard.
