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D1.HBS.CL5.02
Trainee Manual
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Acknowledgements
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967. The Member
States of the Association are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.
The ASEAN Secretariat is based in Jakarta, Indonesia.
General Information on ASEAN appears online at the ASEAN Website: www.asean.org.
All text is produced by William Angliss Institute of TAFE for the ASEAN Project on “Toolbox
Development for Front Office, Food and Beverage Services and Food Production Divisions”.
This publication is supported by the Australian Government’s aid program through the ASEAN-
Australia Development Cooperation Program Phase II (AADCP II).
Copyright: Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2013.
All rights reserved.
Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that this publication is free from errors or omissions. However,
you should conduct your own enquiries and seek professional advice before relying on any fact,
statement or matter contained in this book. The ASEAN Secretariat and William Angliss Institute of
TAFE are not responsible for any injury, loss or damage as a result of material included or omitted
from this course. Information in this module is current at the time of publication. Time of publication is
indicated in the date stamp at the bottom of each page.
Some images appearing in this resource have been purchased from stock photography suppliers
Shutterstock and iStockphoto and other third party copyright owners and as such are non-transferable
and non-exclusive. Clip arts, font images and illustrations used are from the Microsoft Office Clip Art
and Media Library. Some images have been provided by and are the property of William Angliss
Institute.
Additional images have been sourced from Flickr and SXC and are used under Creative Commons
licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
Additional acknowledgement
Parts of this manual relating to the description of liquors were produced with the co-operation and
assistance of the Liquor Stores Association of Victoria and the use of their material and their
contribution to this work, and vocational training are hereby acknowledged.
File name: TM_Develop_&_maintain_F&B_product_knowledge_refined
Table of Contents
Unit descriptor................................................................................................................... 3
Glossary ........................................................................................................................... 7
Element 2: Provide customers with relevant food and beverage product knowledge....... 59
Recommended reading................................................................................................... 79
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Trainee Manual
Develop and maintain food and beverage product knowledge
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Trainee Manual
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Introduction to trainee manual
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Introduction to trainee manual
Front Office
Travel Agencies
Tour Operations.
All of these competency standards are available for you to look at. In fact you will find a
summary of each one at the beginning of each Trainee Manual under the heading ‘Unit
Descriptor’. The unit descriptor describes the content of the unit you will be studying in the
Trainee Manual and provides a table of contents which are divided up into ‘Elements’ and
‘Performance Criteria”. An element is a description of one aspect of what has to be
achieved in the workplace. The ‘Performance Criteria’ below each element details the
level of performance that needs to be demonstrated to be declared competent.
There are other components of the competency standard:
Unit Title: statement about what is to be done in the workplace
Unit Number: unique number identifying the particular competency
Nominal hours: number of classroom or practical hours usually needed to complete
the competency. We call them ‘nominal’ hours because they can vary e.g. sometimes
it will take an individual less time to complete a unit of competency because he/she
has prior knowledge or work experience in that area.
The final heading you will see before you start reading the Trainee Manual is the
‘Assessment Matrix’. Competency based assessment requires trainees to be assessed in
at least 2 – 3 different ways, one of which must be practical. This section outlines three
ways assessment can be carried out and includes work projects, written questions and
oral questions. The matrix is designed to show you which performance criteria will be
assessed and how they will be assessed. Your trainer and/or assessor may also use
other assessment methods including ‘Observation Checklist’ and ‘Third Party Statement’.
An observation checklist is a way of recording how you perform at work and a third party
statement is a statement by a supervisor or employer about the degree of competence
they believe you have achieved. This can be based on observing your workplace
performance, inspecting your work or gaining feedback from fellow workers.
Your trainer and/or assessor may use other methods to assess you such as:
Journals
Oral presentations
Role plays
Log books
Group projects
Practical demonstrations.
Remember your trainer is there to help you succeed and become competent. Please feel
free to ask him or her for more explanation of what you have just read and of what is
expected from you and best wishes for your future studies and future career in tourism
and hospitality.
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Introduction to trainee manual
Unit descriptor
Develop and maintain food and beverage product knowledge
This unit deals with the skills and knowledge required to Develop and maintain food and
beverage product knowledge in a range of settings within the hotel and travel industries
workplace context.
Unit Code:
D1.HBS.CL5.02
Nominal Hours:
55
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Introduction to trainee manual
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Assessment matrix
Assessment matrix
Showing mapping of Performance Criteria against Work Projects, Written
Questions and Oral Questions
The Assessment Matrix indicates three of the most common assessment activities your
Assessor may use to assess your understanding of the content of this manual and your
performance - Work Projects, Written Questions and Oral Questions. It also indicates
where you can find the subject content related to these assessment activities in the
Trainee Manual (i.e. under which element or performance criteria). As explained in the
Introduction, however, the assessors are free to choose which assessment activities are
most suitable to best capture evidence of competency as they deem appropriate for
individual students.
Element 2: Provide customers with relevant food and beverage product knowledge
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Assessment matrix
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Glossary
Glossary
Term Explanation
Guest selects and pays for what they want: different to set/table
À la carte menu
d’hôte menu). French for ‘from the card’
Bisque A shellfish soup with its flavour derived mainly from the shells
Crustaceans Shellfish
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Glossary
Term Explanation
Green salad Salad made from green leaves of various salad vegetables
Gueridon A table or trolley used for cooking alongside the guest’s table
A variety of small food items intended for service prior to the main
Hors d’oeuvres
course
Mousse Light and fluffy dessert similar to bavarois but without gelatine
Ploughman’s lunch Snack featuring cheese, pickled onions and crusty bread
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Glossary
Term Explanation
Set menu where (for example) customer has a choice from three
Table d’hôte menu different menu items for each course: price is constant regardless
of what guest selects. French for ‘table of the host’
The year a wine was made; also the time of year at which wine
Vintage
grapes are picked to make wine
Wet dishes Generic term for dishes which are ‘wet’ in nature such as stews
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Glossary
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Element 1: Obtain product information on food and beverages
Element 1:
Obtain product information on food
and beverages
1.1 Research general information on food and
beverage products
Introduction
In order to obtain product information on food and beverage
products it is essential to be proactive.
You must make an effort and take action to find things out.
This section describes sources of this information and
identifies the aspects of food and beverage products about
which you should obtain information.
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Venue knowledge
All staff should have general information about the venue itself, such as:
Opening hours
Methods of payment accepted
Booking policies and procedures – including need for deposits
and requirements in relation to booking confirmations
Complaint handling procedures
Facilities and services available elsewhere in the venue
Names of managers/owners
Legal issues – as they apply to issues such as the service of
liquor and safe food handling.
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External sources
Outside the venue you can obtain product knowledge information from:
Product suppliers – by asking direct questions to the sales office or sales
representatives, or by asking them to send you product information sheets
The media – it must become standard practice for you to read, watch or listen to
anything that relates to food and beverages: this should include reading, watching and
listening to the general media as well as obtaining and reading trade magazines and
journals
Books – see what your local library has, check out
the newsagents, visit the local library
Internet – loads of information is available through
targeted searches: see below for some examples
Trade shows, exhibitions and F&B festivals – keep
an eye on the media and invitations sent to your
employer. Make the time to go – many
shows/exhibitions are free to industry personnel and they are a great way to establish
industry networks and keep abreast of what is happening in the industry
Food and cooking demonstrations – you can always learn something from these
events even where they are conducted by a company with a vested interested in
promoting their range of products
Promotional activities – many suppliers run promotional events to advertise their
products and you should attend these whenever possible. Trade magazines, local
media and invitations sent direct to your workplace are the best sources of when and
where these are conducted.
Internet sites
Check out the following sites (and relevant links) as a basic introduction to the products
available, support organisations/suppliers and industry contacts:
http://www.foodbeverageasia.com/
http://www.interbevgroup.com/group-asean.php
http://asiasociety.org/lifestyle/food-recipes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_cuisine
http://www.deliciousasianfood.com/
http://www.asianfoodgrocer.com/category/asian-beverages
http://www.responsibleresearch.com/Beverages_in_Asia.pdf
http://www.drinksmixer.com/cat/1/7/
http://www.spicecuisine.com/glossary.php.
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Noodles
Noodles are made from flour (wheat) and water, and/or eggs.
In many ways they are similar to pasta.
See examples at http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/noodles.html.
Vegetables
Vegetables are traditionally used as an accompaniment to a main dish.
Some vegetables can also be used in salads.
‘Root vegetables’ grow underground.
Examples of vegetables include:
Potatoes – root vegetable
Onions – root vegetable
Carrot s– root vegetable
Broccoli – green vegetable
Sprouts – green vegetable
Celery – green vegetable
Peas – green vegetable
Beans – green vegetable
Spinach – green vegetable
Cabbage – green vegetable
Tomatoes – technically a ‘fruit’ but commonly referred to as a vegetable.
Fruit
A growing focus on healthy eating has seen increased up-take of fruit in premises.
Fruit is almost mandatory with breakfasts, and supplied free-of-charge by some properties
to house (in-room) guests and/or at reception.
Fruit options include:
Pieces and platters of fresh fruit – pineapple,
watermelon, apples, bananas, rambutan, jackfruit, star
fruit, mango
Fresh fruit salad – available with or without cream,
yoghurt or ice cream
Tinned fruit – such as pears, peaches and apricots
Dried fruit – such as dried apricots, figs, sultanas, raisins
and currants.
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Salads
Healthy eating has also seen the rise in the popularity of salads.
Salads may exist as a stand-alone menu item (such as a ‘Warm Chicken Salad’) or as an
accompaniment to a main course dish – such as green salad or a mixed salad.
Salads may be classical or contemporary, varying in ethnic and cultural origins, served
either cold, warm or hot, and may contain a variety of cooked and uncooked ingredients.
Dressings are applied to some salads.
Salad vegetables include:
Lettuce – various types
Tomato – including cherry tomatoes
Radishes
Celery
Onions and spring onions
Shredded cabbage – in coleslaw (salad made with shredded/grated cabbage, onions,
carrots, seasoning and mayonnaise)
Mushrooms
Carrots
Beetroot
Peppers – red, green and yellow.
Many ‘vegetables’ can be used as ‘salad vegetables’ and many ‘salad vegetables’ can
also be used as ‘vegetables’.
Pre-packaged food items
Pre-packaged food items include:
Food items are items bought in from suppliers and sold behind the bar or in other
retail areas – they include items such as chips and nuts
Portion control items – these are the single/individual serve units such as pats of
butter and margarine, sachets of sugar and sugar substitute, foils of jams and sauces
Any food item bought-in and served (or sold) ‘as is’ – such as cakes and
cheesecakes.
Some pre-packaged foods may:
Require some basic preparation – such as boiling or heating
Be further prepared prior to service by the addition of extra ingredients and/or sauces
to enhance presentation and taste.
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Wine
Wine is defined as the naturally produced beverage made from the fermented juice of
grapes.
The making of white wine
White wine can be made from red or white grapes because grape juice is clear: wine
picks up its colour from contact with the skins, so a white wine made from red grapes
would spend virtually no time in contact with the red skins.
The process for making of both white and red table wine is very
similar.
White table wine production
The basic procedure for producing white table wine is:
Grapes are harvested
Grapes are crushed at the winery - to release free-run juice
Pressing occurs – to remove all available juice
Sulphur dioxide is added – to prevent yeasts that are naturally occurring on the grapes
from starting an unwanted and unpredictable natural fermentation process
The juice (called ‘must’ at this stage) is chilled – and allowed to settle
Must is filtered – through a centrifuge to remove large
particles/matter not wanted in the final product
A commercially prepared yeast is added to the must – to
start a fermentation process that is predictable and stable
Fermentation occurs under refrigeration – to control the
heat generated during the fermentation process
Fermentation is stopped when the wine has reached the
required level of dryness or sweetness – or as the wine
maker’s scientific and taste-testing observations indicate
Yeast protein, skins and other residue are allowed to settle out – and the wine is
pumped out to undergo a 'fining' (filtering) process to remove the unwanted matter
generated during the fermentation process
The wine is aged (sometimes in wood but often in large stainless steel tanks (the ‘tank
farm’ at the wineries) – it is then bottled, may be bottle aged, and is then sold.
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Wine categories
In addition to ‘red’ or white’ table wine, wine can be further categorised as follows:
Varietal or generic
Sparkling
Fortified.
Varietal wines
‘Varietal’ wines are wines made from one (or more) nominated grape varieties: the name
of this or these grape varieties appears on the label of the bottle.
Where a wine claims to be made from a certain grape variety, the wine must be made
from a minimum percentage of that stated variety.
Where a wine claims to be made from grapes of a certain year, then a minimum
percentage of the wine must be from that specified year.
Where a wine claims it comes from a nominated area, then a minimum percentage of the
wine must come from the stated area.
Varietal white wines
White grape varieties include:
Chardonnay – a full-flavoured dry white wine
Chenin Blanc – a pleasant fruity 'drink now' wine with a refreshing acid finish
Riesling – a delicate wine with fruit character and a trace of sugar that varies
hugely depending on the region in which it is grown
Sauvignon Blanc – a dry white wine with distinct varietal flavour (melon, pineapple,
tropical fruit)
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Sparkling wines
The word ‘Champagne’ is now legally reserved for
sparkling wine produced from the Champagne region in
France.
All other similar wines are called by the generic term
‘sparkling wine’.
Sparkling wines may be made using one of four options, each producing vastly different
quality products:
Naturally carbonated wine
The traditional way of producing sparkling wine is using the French method known as
‘méthode champenoise’, whereby bubbles naturally occur in the bottle as a result the
fermentation process.
Many sparkling wines are made using this process and highly regarded around the world
as outstanding of the champagne style even though they are not by strict definition
‘champagne’.
This method is also called ‘méthode traditionelle’, or ‘méthode classique’.
Carbonated or Injection method
This is the cheapest and quickest method and the one producing the lowest quality
sparkling wine.
The base wine is placed in a closed tank and chilled. Carbon dioxide is pumped in under
pressure and absorbed into wine: cola and lemonade are made in the same way.
This method produces wine with comparatively large bubbles which disappear quickly in
the glass. The wine may be called 'Carbonated wine'.
Cuvee close, Charmat, Bulk or Tank method
The base wine is pumped into stainless steel tanks, where yeast and sugar is added to
start a second fermentation (the first fermentation has happened to get the initial base
wine).
It is this second fermentation which puts the bubbles in the.
The wine is allowed to settle, filtered and transferred to another tank – still under pressure
– where it receives a dose of sweetener/liqueur for the desired level of sweetness.
Transfer method
This represents a compromise between the Charmat method and the best, most
expensive and most time-consuming method – méthode champenoise.
The secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle in the méthode champenoise way,
and wines are also aged for a short while in the bottle.
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The wine is transferred under pressure from bottles (after the secondary fermentation) to
tanks where it is allowed to settle and is filtered: a sweetener is added while the wine is
still under pressure and then it is bottled for sale.
The label will state 'fermented in the bottle'.
Styles of Champagne
Non-vintage (N.V.)
This is the most common style and is made from base of two to three wines every year to
enable consistency of product.
The end product cannot be legally identified as coming from a
specified year, hence the term N.V.
Vintage
This is a rarer and more expensive wine made solely from wine of
the one nominated year.
It is usually a better quality champagne.
Vintage champagne not made every year – it depends on grape
quality and the season.
Rosé
This style may be made from leaving the grape juice in contact with the red or black
grapes for a period so the wine can pick up some colour from the skins (or some red wine
may be added) to the white base wine prior to the second fermentation.
Crémant
'Crémant' means 'creaming'.
The wine is a gently sparkling wine, giving the impression of
creaminess, preferred by many especially with desserts.
Blanc de blancs
This wine is made exclusively from white grapes.
Blanc de Noirs
This wine is made only from red grapes.
Degrees of sweetness or dryness
Sugar levels vary between brands so a brut in one brand may well not be as dry as a brut
in another.
The following is a general guide to sweetness/dryness:
Driest Extra brut
Brut
Extra dry
Sec
Demi-sec
Sweetest Doux
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Champagne will improve in bottle over a certain time, but if kept for too long there is an
increased risk of the wine going “flat” as the carbon dioxide which gives the wine its
sparkle eventually seeps out.
It should be chilled before serving, and served at 7.5°C using champagne flutes.
Champagne bottle sizes
Champagne comes in half bottles (375ml) and full bottles (750ml) – some are also
available in 200 ml bottles - as well as a range of larger bottles each with their own name:
Magnum – equivalent to 2 bottles: common for parties.
Other sizes are usually only sold for ‘special occasions’:
Jeroboam – equivalent to 4 bottles
Rehoboam – equivalent to 6 bottles
Methuselah – equivalent to 8 bottles
Salmanazar – equivalent to 12 bottles
Balthazar – equivalent to 16 bottles
Nebuchadnezzar – equivalent to 20 bottles.
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Fortified wines
Fortified wines are base wines which are strengthened or 'fortified' by the addition of
grape spirit or brandy.
The addition of the grape spirit stops fermentation, increases alcoholic strength, adds
sweetness, imparts keeping qualities, and in the case of port provides the brandy
character.
Fortifieds range between 17 – 22% alc/vol.
The standard industry size serve for a fortified wine is 60 mls.
Fortified wines include:
Sherries
Served as an aperitif, sherries are available in:
Dry – which is often kept under refrigeration and served chilled
Medium
Sweet
Cream.
You can tell the difference between a dry sherry and a sweet sherry that are on a drinks
tray because the sweet sherry is usually darker in colour.
Vermouths
Vermouth is a white wine that has been infused with various herbs, spices, flowers, fruits
(depending on the manufacturer).
It is available in red (rosso) which is sweet and often referred to as Italian, or white
(bianco) which dry and is also referred to as French. It is used (or mixed) as a pre-dinner
drink.
Ports
White port is produced in the same way as other port, with the same difference in
production as the difference in production of red and white table wines – the time on skins
is either far less, or non-existent.
The final product in white port is usually much sweeter than the red
port, even where the labels read 'dry' or even 'extra dry'.
Ruby port is amongst the simplest and most inexpensive due to the
fact that it is aged in bulk vats - not smaller barrels – and bottled
young (after 2 - 3 years) after blending. It retains a deep ruby colour
and a 'fiery' taste.
Mulberry flavours are often traditionally associated with ruby wine.
Tawny port gets its name from the tawny colour that port gets from
its wood ageing and or the use in tawny of a lighter base wine, or the blending of a red
port with a white one.
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Vintage port is a port that is simple to make being made blended wines
from the one vintage, yet is the most expensive in part due to the fact that
only the very best grapes are used.
Not every year will be a year when a 'vintage' can be declared.
Despite being a fortified wine, vintage port has a limited shelf life: after
opening it should be consumed within 2 – 3 days.
Liqueur port is produced when after some time tawny ports become so
concentrated (or liqueured) through evaporation through casks that their very nature has
changed.
The evaporation reduces the liquid volume but concentrates the sugar, colour and flavour
present and results in a port of liqueur-like character.
Alternatively, and more cheaply, a sweet white wine can be added to the tawny before
bottling producing a vanilla or nutty flavour.
Muscats
The name can refer to either grapes, or to the wine they make.
Muscat is a red dessert wine with a rich raisin taste and smoky characteristic.
The Liqueur Muscat is made in the same way as the natural liqueur port.
World wine countries
Many countries have established a reputation for wine.
More than the following countries produce their own wine but the following may be
regarded as notable wine-producing countries.
Famous wines and/or wineries for each country are also listed.
Australia – Penfolds Grange Hermitage, Wolf Blass, Hardy’s, Rosemount, Seppelt’s,
Lindeman’s, Jacob’s Creek, Yellowglen, De Bortoli, Yalumba, Tyrrell’s, Margaret River
France – Château Neuf de Pape, Ch. dYquem, Bourgogne Chardonnay, Château
Mont-Redon, Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge, Laurent Perrier, Domaine, Ch. Latour, Ch.
Lafite Rothschild
Italy – Cà del Bosco Franciacorta Annamaria Clementi, Villa Raiano Fiano di Avellino,
Venica Ronco delle Cime, Pieropan Soave Classico La Rocca, Giacomo Conterno
Barolo Monfortino, Gaja Barbaresco, Zenato Amarone della Valpolicella, Banfi
Brunello di Montalcino Poggio all’Oro, Donnafugata Passito di Pantelleria Ben Ryè,
Incisa della Rocchetta Sassicaia (Source: http://www.menshealth.com/jimmy-
bartender/best-italian-wines-11)
Germany – Liebfraumilch, Moselblumchen, Zeller Schwarze, Eiswein, and sweet
styles including Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese
New Zealand – Giesen, Cloudy Bay, Jackson Estate, Wairau River, Seresin Estate,
Esk Valley
Chile – Almaviva, Antiyal and Kuyen, Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalt, Concha y Toro Don
Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon, Concha y Toro Terrunyo Cabernet Sauvignon, Concha
y Toro Carmín de Peumo Carmenere, Errazuriz Don Maximiano 2006, Montes 2005
Purple Angel, Montes Alpha M 2010, ina San Pedro 1865 Limited Edition 2007 Syrah
(Source: http://www.chilean-wine.com/best-chilean-wines)
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See:
http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/world-top-ten-wine-producer-
countries.html
http://wineinsights.com/wine-growing-regions/world-wine-growing-regions.
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Spirits
The type of base ingredient used varies with the spirit produced – grape wine for brandy;
sugar for rum; grain crops for whisky, gin and vodka.
There are six popular spirit types in most bars:
Whisky
Rum
Gin
Vodka
Brandy
Tequila
Whisky
Whisky is distilled from grain (barley, rye, maize, cereal) made in either a Continuous or
Pot still.
Whisky is produced in many styles with the four most popular being Scotch, Irish,
Bourbon and Rye.
Scotch whisky
There are two distinct types – malt and grain.
Blended together they make a third Blended version – the
common whiskies such as Haig, Johnnie Walker and J & B are
blends.
The standard blend is 60% grain to 40% malt.
Blending can involve up to thirty whiskies of different ages and from various distilleries
making a standard blend.
Traditionally only the malt whisky from the Highlands was true whisky: malts are well liked
by whisky connoisseurs who have personal preferences – a malt whisky is lighter in
colour and smoother than other whisky.
Grain whisky
Scotland's grain whisky is made from maize with malted and sometimes un-malted barley.
The product is light with no peat flavour.
There is little demand for it to drink straight and it is primarily used for blending.
De Luxe Scotch whisky
Is older and mellower with a blend age of seven to twelve years.
Malt whisky
Is made from malted barley.
Malting consists of spreading wetted barley on a warm floor, so the seeds begin to
germinate – this converts starch into sugar (maltose).
To halt the process it is next dried at a hotter temperature using peat.
The peat fumes give the unique flavour.
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Common brands
Popular brands of scotch include:
Johnnie Walker – red label, blue label, black label, green label and gold label
Ballantine’s
The Famous Grouse
Teacher’s
Grants
Dewar’s
Black and White
Vat 69
Chivas Regal
Haig’s Dimple
Glenfiddich Single Malt 12 years old.
Irish whiskey
Always spelt with an 'e' and is made basically the same as whisky with some variations.
The base cereals may not be wholly barley, drying is by coal fire not peat, and stills differ
in design.
Examples of Irish whiskey include:
Jameson
Paddy’s
Tullamore Dew.
Bourbon and Rye Whiskies
Bourbon is made in the state of Kentucky in the USA. The neighbouring state of
Tennessee produces a well-known whiskey, Jack Daniels, which is therefore not
Bourbon.
Rye is made in USA and Canada.
Both are produced from grain (mainly maize) distilled in a Continuous still, and aged in
charred oak barrels.
Bourbon is aged in cold warehouses, Rye in heated rooms: both are lighter than scotch.
Popular brands include:
Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey
Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Cougar Bourbon.
Canadian Club is a rye whisky bourbon.
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Rum
Rum is distilled from molasses which is a by-product of cane sugar.
Rum is distilled by Pot or Continuous still and often blended.
It is aged in oak and caramel can be added for colour.
Jamaican rum
Known for highly-flavoured rums, but today light rums are distilled too with a trend for
these.
Barbados and Trinidad rum
Both specialise in lighter, as well as colourless rums.
Popular brands
Popular brands of rum include:
Captain Morgan – spiced gold, dark, deluxe, white and gold
Bacardi – white, black and gold.
Check out http://www.bacardi.com/#.
Proof
‘Proof’ is another way of indicating the alcoholic strength of drinks. ‘Alcohol by volume’ as
a percentage is the more common way.
‘Proof’ is double the alcohol by volume figure.
For example, a product that is ’80 proof’ is 40% alc/vol
Rum labelled “overproof” is more than 50% alc/vol
Gin
Gin is produced by rectifying a pure spirit with berries and botanical herbs – juniper
berries and coriander seeds are the main flavouring agents, along with calamus root,
cardamom seeds, angelica, orange and lemon peels, almond and orris root.
London Dry Gin
May be clear (like Gilbey's London Dry and Gordon's), or straw coloured (like Booth's).
This is most commonly asked for type.
Sloe gin
With an emphasis on the sloe berries
used in its production.
Vodka
Is distilled from a base of grain or molasses and is highly rectified meaning impurities
have been removed.
No flavourings are added, indeed charcoal is used to filter it and produce a clean and
smooth spirit.
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Flavoured vodkas
Polish vodka is also excellent, some varieties being flavoured with fruit or herbs.
Growing in popularity, flavoured vodkas can feature cherries, rowan berries, pears,
cranberries, green apple, strawberries, raspberries, vanilla, oranges or lemons.
Popular brands include:
Stolichnaya
Karloff
Finlandia
Wyborowa
Smirnoff
Skyy
Absolut.
Brandy
Is distilled from grapes and is produced in nearly every wine growing region: it may be
consumed neat but is popular with a mixer, or in cocktails.
Popular brands include:
St Remy
Hennessy
Remy Martin
Chatelle Napoleon.
Cognac
The most famous brandy is Cognac made in the Cognac region of France.
When drinking cognac, a nip is poured into a balloon glass of moderate size: the hand is
cupped around the balloon and the cognac gently swirled, warming it and releasing its
bouquet.
Popular brands are Courvoisier, Remy, Camus and Audry.
Tequila
Is a Mexican spirit ranging from clear to pale gold in colour.
True Tequila is made in the areas surrounding the city of Tequila.
Some bottles feature the classic worm in the bottle.
Tequila is made from Maguey cactus plants.
Popular brands include:
José Cuervo
El Toro
Coyote.
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Service of spirits
With spirits, there are several options available to customers.
They may order a full nip (30 mls) with a mixer in a short or long glass, or they may order
a half nip (15 mls) with a mixer in a short or long glass.
Sometimes customers order a double (60 ml) but many venues have banned these due to
Responsible Service of Alcohol concerns.
Drinks may be ordered with ice, or without ice.
Industry practice where the customer does not specify nip size, glass size or ice
requirements is to prepare a drink comprising:
A full nip
Ice
Long glass.
Guests may also order the spirit 'neat' – which
means without any mixer, and without ice – or
they may order it 'on the rocks' which means neat
with the addition of ice.
Common mixers with spirits
Common mixers (soft drink) used with spirits are as follows:
Gin – tonic water, lemon squash, bitter lemon, lemonade, orange juice: ‘Pink Gin’ is
gin with the addition of a few drops of Angostura bitters that have been swirled around
the glass
Brandy – dry ginger, cola, lemonade
Whisky - dry ginger, cola, soda water
Rum – cola
Vodka – lemon squash, orange juice, tonic water, tomato juice.
RTDs
‘RTD’ stands for ‘Ready To Drink’ and refers to the large and growing range of pre-mixed
drinks that are available in bottles and cans.
They may be spirit or wine-based.
Examples include:
Bacardi Breezers
Vodka Cruisers
Canadian Club and cola
Jack Daniels and cola
Cougar bourbon – with cola; cola zero.
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Other spirits
Applejack
Brandy distilled from the fermented mash of cider apples in the New England region of the
USA.
The best is Pot distilled with a minimum maturation of 2 years in oak casks.
It may be bottled straight or combined with neutral spirits and sold as blended applejack.
Aquavit
Is the drink of Scandinavia and the word comes from 'aqua vitae', Latin for ‘water of life'.
Grain or potato is distilled to produce a neutral spirit which is then redistilled with caraway
and other flavourings such as citrus peel, cardamom or anise.
Aquavit is served ice cold and as it is highly alcoholic it is usually served with food.
Calvados
A brandy made from a mash of cider apples produced in the defined areas of the
provinces of Brittany, Normandy and Maine.
The fermented mash is double Pot distilled and then matured in oak casks for up to 25
years, picking up colour and flavour from the wood.
Eau de Vie (‘Water of life’)
These are true fruit brandies made by distilling the fermented mash of fruit.
They usually have a higher alcoholic content than most liqueurs and are dry to the taste
and the majority are colourless because they are aged in glass.
Kirsch
Originally double Pot distilled cherry brandy from the Alsace region in France.
Kirschwasser
German or Swiss cherry brandy.
Ouzo
Aniseed flavoured spirit of Greece and Cyprus.
Quality ouzo made by double distillation of the basic spirit and then the addition of
aniseed and other herbs before redistillation.
The better quality the ouzo the more milky it becomes with the addition of water.
Pernod
Origin is in Southern France. It was named after Monsieur Pernod who bought the recipe
in 1897.
The original recipe contained absinthe, however this was banned on 14th August 1914 for
making men mad and vicious.
Pernod has a similar taste to ouzo and goes milky with the addition of water.
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Poire Williams
Eau-de-vie de poire is distilled from the pear known as Williams or Bartlett.
It is sometimes marketed in a pear-shaped bottle with a ripe pear inside.
Slivovitz
Plum brandy from Yugoslavia and other Balkan countries.
For more information go to http://www.physics.uq.edu.au/people/nieminen/spirits.html.
Liqueurs
Liqueurs are spirits flavoured with fruits, herbs, roots and plants, sweetened and
sometimes artificially coloured.
Liqueurs are proprietary or generic.
Proprietary brands are those produced by a single company such as Grand Marnier,
Cointreau, Tia Maria, and Galliano.
Generics are types of liqueurs that can be made by any company. As an example,
Seagram produce a range of generic liqueurs that includes Advocaat, Banana, Blue
Curacao, Butterscotch, Crème de cacao, Crème de menthe, Melon, Mint chocolate, Triple
Sec.
Many liqueurs trace their ancestry back to the monasteries where monks collected herbs
and turned them into medicines: in fact, many do have digestive properties.
Liqueurs are made by soaking flavouring materials in a spirit – the number of flavourings
is huge with Chartreuse having a hundred and thirty herbs, and DOM Benedictine at least
thirty.
Liqueurs may be mixed, used in cocktails or served straight. May be lit (set on fire) and
served ‘flaming’
Standard serve size for a liqueur is 30 mls. Here are popular examples:
Advocaat
A low strength liqueur, thick yellow and creamy from raw eggs and spirit.
Anisette
Sweetened version of Anis, a name that comes from the star anise plant.
Bailey's Irish Cream
Cream blended with whiskey, neutral spirits, coffee and chocolate.
Benedictine DOM
DOM stands for Deo Optimo Maximo – To God most good, most great.
It is a famous and popular golden liqueur with a complex, herb flavour.
Chartreuse - Green or Yellow
Brandy distilled with numerous herbs: yellow is sweeter – but weaker.
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Cointreau
Colourless liqueur of the Curacao family made by the Cointreau company. Clear in colour,
orange-flavoured with a dry finish.
Crème de Bananes
Sweet, banana-flavoured liqueur which might be consumed neat or poured over ice
cream.
Crème de Cacao
Sweet liqueur made from cocoa and vanilla beans.
Crème de Cassis
Sweet liqueur made from blackcurrants.
Crème de Menthe
Sweet, mint-flavoured liqueur, available in either a
clear or green colour.
Drambuie
Made from Scotch whisky, herbs and honey: sweet and golden.
Grand Marnier
Distilled oranges steeped in cognac.
Irish Mist Liqueur
Made from heather, honey and whiskey.
Kahlua
Mexican coffee-flavoured liqueur.
Curaçao
Distilled from peel of bitter oranges.
Normally colourless but may be orange or blue using food colouring agents to achieve
this.
Jagermeister
A bitter tasting liqueur made from herbs, roots and spices.
Recommended to be served from the freezer.
Kummel
Distilled grain spirit flavoured with caraway seeds.
Maraschino
Sweet liqueur made from cherries.
Midori
Green honey dew melon-flavoured liqueur.
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Beer
Beer is available in draught and packaged form.
Draught beer is beer drawn through the tap from barrels or kegs.
Packaged beer is beer in large and small bottles and cans.
Beer Production
Beer is made by a process known as 'brewing'.
Precise times, temperatures and yeast type vary between breweries and brews.
The major production steps are:
Barley is steeped in water and germinates
It is dried by warm air and ground in the brew house
It is then mixed with water to make a liquid called 'wort'
The wort is boiled up with hops and sugar
The wort is then cooled and the yeast added to start the fermentation process
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Hollandia – Holland
Heineken – Holland
Miller – USA
Maes – Belgium
Chimay – Belgium
Duvel – Belgium
Asahi – Japan.
Asian beers
The following list names popular Asian beers and is taken from ‘The Asian Beer Guide’ at
http://www.asianbeerguide.com/:
Beer Lao
Chang Beer
Kingfisher
Kirin Beer
San Miguel
Sapporo Beer
Singha Beer
Taiwan Beer
Tiger Beer
Tsingtao Beer.
More information is available at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_and_breweries_by_region
http://www.beers-of-the-world.com/.
Or do a search for the country you are seeking information about, such as
‘Vietnam+beer’.
Beer variations
Most beer is consumed ‘neat’ but some people prefer to add a little
something to their beer, in order to get a different taste.
Beer variations include:
Shandy – Beer and lemonade
Beer with a dash – Beer with a dash of lemonade
Lager and lime – Beer with a dash of lime juice
Red eye beer – with tomato juice
Black and tan – Beer and stout
Half and half – Beer and stout
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Food waiters
This role performs the following duties:
Setting up of the room
Greeting guests
Taking orders
Serving and clearing food
Preparing and presenting accounts
Receiving payment
Farewelling guests
Stripping the room at the end of service.
The level of cash handling varies between properties and some food waiters may also be
required to reconcile takings at the end of the session.
Food waiters may be required to handle simple plated service, silver service, semi-silver
service, or gueridon work.
‘Plated service’ refers to the service style where food is put on plates (‘plated’) in the
kitchen and then carried to the table.
See the videos below for examples of the following:
‘Silver service’ - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jVoMYMoVfs&feature=related
‘Gueridon service’ - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VrIrQyslik.
Beverage or drink waiters
Beverage or drink waiters may have responsibilities for setting up the glassware for tables
and assisting food waiters and or bar attendants in room preparation.
During service they have responsibility for:
Taking drink orders
Delivering drinks to the table
Serving drinks including wine
Making recommendations for beverages to accompany meals
Clearing glassware and empty bottles
Preparing and presenting the beverage account
Processing the drinks account
Farewelling guests.
At the conclusion of service they may be required to work with food waiters to strip the
room, or with bar attendants to clean the bar and/or prepare it for the next session.
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This role:
Prepares the bar for service by putting away stock, preparing/polishing glasses,
cutting fruit, and preparing drink garnishes, fruit juices and cocktail requirements
(gomme syrup, sour mix)
Serves the beverages and mixes the drinks as
ordered by the drinks waiter
Serves customer direct – where bar service is part of
the dining experience
Accepts payment for drinks/wines served
May be responsible for running the beverage
accounts, finalising individual beverage accounts for
payment and reconciling the beverage takings
Orders stock to replenish supplies at the end of
trading
Cleans/tidies bar at end-of-trade.
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Specialist bar attendants are ‘Cocktail bar attendants’ who specialise in the making of
cocktails and generally also create new drinks and display a high level of ‘showmanship’
in the discharge of their drink mixing tasks.
Commonly a staff member will simply be told by experienced or senior staff about the
work they are expected to do.
This may occur as part of a formal Induction program or be part of learning on-the-job.
The advice should:
Identify what needs to be done
Indicate when it needs to be done – and by when it needs to be completed
Describe any standards that apply to the work
Include any special house techniques that are approved or used for the work
Detail any legal compliance issues that need to be observed.
In many cases additional advice is given where actual practice by individual staff
demonstrates they cannot/do not meet enterprise requirements.
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Context
The hospitality industry in general and food and beverages
in particular are a constantly changing landscape.
New products, tastes, trends are constantly emerging and
some products lose popularity and fade away.
To stay up-to-date with what is happening you need to use
a mix of informal and formal research techniques to keep
pace with these changes especially as they relate to your
workplace.
Research
Research is the only way to develop and maintain product knowledge.
The key to effective research is you have to be proactive.
You must want to find out the information and you must take action to do so.
It is not usually the case information will seek you out – you have to take the initiative and
seek it out.
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Informal research
Informal research is not structured or formal. It almost occurs ‘by the way’ as you do other
things.
Informal research occurs when you use workplace observation, or ask another team
member or supervisor/manager about the product and services offered by the
establishment and by your competitors.
It also occurs when you obtain information from catalogues or promotional and
information material provided by suppliers, and product manufacturers.
Other informal research options are reading F&B articles in the local newspaper, watching
F&B shows on the television, and reading books with information on food and beverages.
You could become proactive and ask for verbal customer feedback on a particular product
or service by (for example) engaging people in conversation as part of their
eating/drinking experience.
You may also talk to the delivery driver who delivers your F&B products, or the sales
representatives who call in at the workplace and notify the venue of new products and
price rises, and who also take orders for F&B products.
Formal research
Formal research is more structured and planned than informal research.
Examples of formal research include instances when you seek out further product
information by:
Enrolling in a recognised course at a school or training college
Attending product launches and promotions conducted by growers, manufacturers
and/or suppliers
Attending seminars or industry nights where certain aspects/products are the focus of
the session – and where you can grow your network of industry contacts.
Included in this research is attending or participating in in-house training.
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Speaking with other team members about the services and products they are familiar
with – so you can benefit from their knowledge and experience
Observing customers' reactions to a particular product or service – do they appear to
like the new drink or not? Do diners seem happy with the new food items on the new
menu? How pleased/displeased are they with the new/higher prices?
Need for a particular focus
For any research, questioning or observation to be successful it must be done with one
(or more) specific purposes in mind – you must have a definite idea of what you want to
find out about.
It is also good to know ‘why’ you want to know this information.
To obtain customer feedback the following have proved effective strategies to use:
Ask a customer for their comments after they have bought, eaten or consumed a
product/drink
Seek written feedback by distributing ‘Customer Comment/Feedback’ cards and
encouraging customers to compete and return them – these cards can be written to
request feedback on any topic of interest/concern to you
Advise patrons (where applicable) of your online ‘Tell Us What You Think’ feedback
facility – and encourage them to provide feedback using this option
Talk to customers – as part of their dining/drinking experience and ask them questions
designed to elicit information about topics you want to find out about
Observe customer reactions to certain thing – are they happy or unhappy about a
certain aspect of service? Do they appear to like or dislike a new dish?
Current food and beverage festivals – so you know what you can attend, and so you
can pass this information on to interested customers/tourists
Promotional activities – to identify the Special Events that the venue is organising: so
you can promote it to patrons.
Sharing knowledge
It is important you share all new product knowledge with other staff as you become aware
of it.
Knowledge is no use until it is used and one way to use it is to share it.
Sharing your knowledge can be done in an informal fashion or a formal manner.
Informal sharing
Examples of sharing information informally include:
Talking to colleagues casually while at work or during work breaks
Telling people in a random manner about the information you found out
Replying to question by including the new information as part of
the response.
Formal sharing
The following are ways you might formally share new F&B
information you have discovered:
Passing on information at a staff meeting
Sharing what you know with other employees at daily briefing and
de-briefing sessions
Developing a written handout containing the information – and
distributing it to other workers.
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The name of the dish – if the dish has a special name, what was the origin of that
name? For example, how did ‘Monkey Gland Steak’ get its name?
Opinions (from experts and customers) – in relation to their opinion of taste and value-
for-money
Cultural and dietary aspects – identifying those for whom the dish would be
acceptable/suitable and those for whom it would not be.
Knowledge of specific beverages
You must develop knowledge about beverages available for consumption on the
premises, and those available for take-away consumption.
For all the beverages available in your workplace develop
knowledge about:
The alcohol strength for all alcoholic beverages
The country of origin of products
Prices – for individual drinks and full bottles/units
Different (standard) serve sizes of drinks and packaged products
Taste
Colour
Special characteristics – for example, the gold flakes in Goldwasser or the worm in
certain tequilas
Vintages available – for the wines
Prizes/awards won by wines, spirits and beers
Uses for wines, spirits and liqueurs (as applicable) – such as:
Beverages which can be served ‘neat’
Mixed drinks – knowledge of the mixers which can be used with spirits
Cocktails
Cooking or other food-related uses.
Products sourced from the local area
‘Local’ has two meanings in this context:
The immediate region – any place which is close by
The country in which you live – anywhere in the country can be referred to as ‘local’.
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To help the local economy and promote local products you must identify:
Local wines, beers and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
Locally ‘processed’ items
Raw materials/ingredients/food/products grown or raised locally – including
famous/well-known and items as well as specifically national products not commonly
found elsewhere.
Information you should strive to learn includes:
Names of the products and their characteristics (flavour, appearance)
Names of growers/providers and their location – and how to get there
Quantities/packages available for sale to the public
Whether there are customs restrictions on tourists taking these products out of the
country
Cost
How they are/may be eaten or consumed
Popularity of items with nationals/locals
Basics of how items are grown or produced.
Enterprise menus, specials and trends
Menus
Your knowledge of items must include information
about:
Serve size
Taste – ‘hot’, ‘spicy’, ‘creamy’, ‘bitter’
Which items are ‘fresh’ and which are pre-prepared/frozen and reconstituted
Dishes which are cooked and ready-to-serve – and the cooking time or waiting time
for other items
Items which may be served as main course and entrée
Ingredients
‘Cooking or preparation style
Cultural and dietary acceptability.
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Specials
Specials are items (or menus) only available for a limited time, to celebrate a certain
event (a public holiday or religious event; a wedding or party) and/or as part of a package
deal a visitor may have purchased.
Your knowledge of specials must embrace:
Items available as part of the special deal – food
and beverages
When the special begins – and when it finished
Cost
Who is eligible for the special – the special may be
available to everyone or only to nominated
categories of people (such as tour group members;
those attending a wedding)
What makes the special, special – is it the special low price? Is it the great value-for-
money? Is it the dishes or drinks which are featured?
Trends
It is useful to understand the local or venue-specific trends which apply to food and
beverages as this knowledge can be used to:
Make recommendation about food and drinks
Engage customers in conversation
Demonstrate your professionalism in the industry and
your job
Further determine emerging trends – trends by their
very nature are constantly changing.
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Work Projects
It is a requirement of this Unit you complete Work Projects as advised by your Trainer.
You must submit documentation, suitable evidence or other relevant proof of completion
of the project to your Trainer by the agreed date.
1.1 Identify a venue which provides internal dining (food and beverages) and prepare
and present a detailed list which:
Explain the strategies you would use to gain initial product and F&B knowledge,
and the practices you could use to maintain relevant information as the role (or
other workplace requirements) change.
1.3. Identify one local food and one local beverage and for each item identify/describe:
Cost
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Summary
Obtain product information on food and beverages
Do internal and external research to obtain facts, figures and product knowledge
Learn about cooking times, styles, specialist items, national dishes and signature dishes
Be able to name all the food and drinks served – and their ingredients
Determine the specific F&B knowledge you need for your job role and learn that first
Read all internal documentation – menus, drink and wine lists, job descriptions, training
materials
Spend time learning about special features which have the potential to interest and be
attractive tourists/visitors.
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Element 2:
Provide customers with relevant food
and beverage product knowledge
2.1 Offer advice on suitable combinations of
foods and food and beverages where
appropriate
Introduction
Many customers will require help or advice when choosing beverages to accompany their
selected dishes.
It is part of the standard service by any outlet for staff to help customers choose a
beverage to suit both their preferences and match appropriately with what they are eating.
This section offers advice in this regard.
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A word of warning
You must understand your advice regarding suitable food and
wine combinations will never always be acceptable to all people
you provide assistance to.
People are individuals and they may not like the suggestions
you make.
This is to be expected so never get upset with yourself or
annoyed at the customers if they ignore your advice or express
disbelief about what you have recommended.
Accept their decision with good grace and, where applicable,
make another suggestion.
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Food Wine
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Website information
Generic and Western food and wine combinations
For more information on generic and Western matchings of food and wine visit:
http://www.wineaustralia.com/australia/Default.aspx?tabid=827
http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Wine_Basics/Wine_Basics_Template/0,1199,17,
00.html.
Advice from individual wineries
It is also interesting to look at the advice presented by
individual wine makers in relation to the matching of
their wines with food.
You should look at the individual websites of wineries
who are listed on your workplace wine/beverage list.
As an example of what is available online take a look
at:
http://www.brownbrothers.com.au/yourplace/wine
Food.
Beer and food
As beer becomes more popular and a wider variety of beer styles become available many
breweries provide online advice regarding the way their various beers can be matched
with food.
Visit individual brewery websites to determine if they have specific ‘food and beer
combinations’ advice, or for information relating to the generic pairing of beer and foods,
take a look at:
http://www.alabev.com/foodpair.htm
http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article/brewdogs-guide-to-matching-food-with-beer
http://www.brew-monkey.com/articles/pairingbeer.php.
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Websites
Visit the following for more detail on potential wine and food combinations for Asian food:
http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/appetizers-spreadable-dips/pair-wine-asian-food/
http://www.gayot.com/wine/pairing/asian-food.html
http://www.asianpalate.com/asian-food-wine/pairing-concepts.
‘Complement’ or ‘Contrast’
You must become sufficiently familiar with
the wines on the drink list in your
workplace to make intelligent
recommendations to compliment the food
available in the menu/s.
The best way to gain this
knowledge/appreciation is to taste the wine
to gain first-hand experience.
One way of choosing wines to match food
and provide a suitable food and beverage
combination is the ‘Complement or
Contrast’ approach as follows.
‘Complementing’ food and wine
When complementing food with wine, try to select wines which will harmonise well with
the dishes and their ingredients – general guidelines are:
Whites with fish, chicken, veal and pork
Reds with dark meat
Reds with cheese
Delicate wines with delicate food
Full-bodied wines with full-bodied food
Sweet wines with sweet food
Champagne or sparkling wine can generally go with anything and with any course as
there are many, many styles of this type of wine.
‘Contrasting’ food and wine
‘Contrasting’ relates to selecting a wine which stands distinctly on its own when compared
to the food being eaten and is viewed as a separate taste experience.
This approach seeks to distinctly differentiate the wine from the food, as opposed to
creating a reciprocal/harmonious match with the food being eaten.
It is, however, best to apply the concept a style of wine goes well with a style of food and
then fine-tune your selection from that point, taste-testing dishes and wines, and taking
professional advice from wine experts.
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The basics
All responses to customer questions about food and
beverages must be answered:
Courteously
Correctly/accurately
Honestly.
When responding you must:
Speak clearly
Speak confidently
Talk loud enough so people can hear you – without shouting.
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Customer questions are not an interruption to your work – they are an integral part of
it
Never give customers the feeling their question is stupid or weird, or the answer
should be ‘obvious’
These notes have suggested you ask questions on several occasions so as you can
provide the best service or advice, so why customers not do the same thing so they
can optimise the enjoyment they get from their dining experience?
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Important note
It is extremely important to make sure special requests relating to dietary issues and/or
identified medical conditions receive extra/special attention and care as there can be
severe consequences if these dietary needs are not met.
These needs can be seen to include any situation where the customer/guest has
mentioned they have special needs in relation to:
Allergies
Medications
Health-related conditions –such as diabetes
Specific diets which are mentioned.
The consequences (such as the possibility of anaphylactic shock, increased blood sugar
levels and other reactions diners may have to various foods or substances) can result in
the property being sued where the health of the guest suffers as a result of being served a
meal which does not comply with their stated requirements.
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Remember all properties have a common law ‘duty of care’ towards their patrons and this
obligation definitely extends to situations where customers have asked for a certain
meal/food and are served something which does not comply with their stated requests
and when this results in injury to those persons.
Keys in dealing with health-related special requests
The keys in relation to this situation are:
Always check with management or the kitchen to determine whether or not a specific
stated dietary request can be accommodated or not
Make doubly sure those preparing the dish know the specific dietary requirements
which have been requested
Never assume the kitchen can accommodate dietary needs of patrons – even if you
have accommodated similar requests in the past
Double check with the kitchen when you pick up a dish for service to the table – ask
them if they have prepared the food as requested and obtain positive confirmation
before taking the dish to the table
Ensure appropriate emergency procedures are in place to manage situations where
customers are adversely affected by foodstuffs while on the premises – these
procedures may be included in the Emergency Management Plan for the premises
and may include the procedures for providing first aid in the property and for
summoning professional assistance.
Cultural needs
Jewish guests
Jewish customers may wish to eat ‘kosher’ food
– meaning food deemed by them to be ‘proper’
according to Biblical beliefs and laws.
A full understanding of kosher food is complex
and the following notes are designed to provide
an overview rather than a detailed study.
Kosher meat may only be sourced from certain
allowed animals such as ruminants with split
hooves, domestic birds (such as chicken and
turkey) and fish with fins and removable scales.
All ruminants must be slaughtered by special slaughtermen according to Jewish law, and
during food preparation, special other considerations must be observed such as ensuring
that milk and meat are not mixed together.
Special requirements also apply to the equipment used (that is, making it kosher),
including special cleaning techniques and resting periods between usage.
A limited number of establishments have addressed the needs of those seeking kosher
food and provide all necessary prerequisites, supervision and requirements: they
advertise their ability and capacity to provide these services and a web search will readily
identify them.
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Muslim guests
Muslims eat ‘halal’ food – that is, food which is allowed or lawful.
Foods which are not halal are referred to as ‘haram’ and these
foods include pork (and its by-products), any animal not
slaughtered according to special requirements, blood,
carnivorous animals, birds of prey and animals without external
ears.
Muslims may also not drink alcohol.
Any foods not obviously halal, or haram, are deemed ‘mashbooh’
and should be avoided because of their uncertain origin/nature.
Hindu guests
Hindus have a great respect for food and the way it interacts with other aspects of day-to-
day life.
While they are not total vegetarians, they do not each much meat as they regard the
killing of animals for food as bad karma.
They generally shun spicy foods, mushrooms, garlic and onions but will eat other genuine
vegetarian dishes which are not bitter, sour or salty.
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Work Projects
It is a requirement of this Unit you complete Work Projects as advised by your Trainer.
You must submit documentation, suitable evidence or other relevant proof of completion
of the project to your Trainer by the agreed date.
2.1 Obtain a food menu and a beverage/drink/wine list from a venue and prepare a list
showing suitable beverage combinations for all main courses listed on the menu.
2.2. Using the menu and beverage/drink/wine list used for Work Project 2.1 prepare
recommendations which you could make to guests as follows:
Two drinks for a person who says they want a fresh fruit beverage
Develop a list of at least 10 questions you could expect guests to ask about the
menu items listed on the menu
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Summary
Provide customers with relevant food and beverage product knowledge
When providing customers with relevant food and beverage product knowledge:
Be prepared to offer help and advice at every opportunity – be proactive
Ask some questions to identify guest needs, wants and preferences before making
recommendations
Learn the dishes in your workplace and learn the beverages which match them/make a
suitable accompaniment.
Try to obtain first-hand knowledge about the food and beverages you serve – try to taste test
everything
Determine the specials/food before each service session – from the kitchen
Be alert to the potential to provide extra service when providing customers with F&B product
knowledge
Always tell the truth about the items you recommend – tell the ‘bad’ as well as the ‘good’
Prepare for questions from customers – try to determine the questions they might ask and
plan a suitable response
Be very careful when responding to food queries relating to health, diet or medical issues
Always check with the kitchen before taking a special food order
Make sure the kitchen understands the requirements for any special food requests you place
with them.
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Presentation of written work
2. Style
Students should write in a style that is simple and concise. Short sentences
and paragraphs are easier to read and understand. It helps to write a plan
and at least one draft of the written work so that the final product will be
well organised. The points presented will then follow a logical sequence
and be relevant. Students should frequently refer to the question asked, to
keep ‘on track’. Teachers recognise and are critical of work that does not
answer the question, or is ‘padded’ with irrelevant material. In summary,
remember to:
Plan ahead
Be clear and concise
Answer the question
Proofread the final draft.
Format
All written work should be presented on A4 paper, single-sided with a left-hand margin. If
work is word-processed, one-and-a-half or double spacing should be used. Handwritten
work must be legible and should also be well spaced to allow for ease of reading. New
paragraphs should not be indented but should be separated by a space. Pages must be
numbered. If headings are also to be numbered, students should use a logical and
sequential system of numbering.
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Presentation of written work
Cover Sheet
All written work should be submitted with a cover sheet stapled to the front that contains:
The student’s name and student number
The name of the class/unit
The due date of the work
The title of the work
The teacher’s name
A signed declaration that the work does not involve plagiarism.
Keeping a Copy
Students must keep a copy of the written work in case it is lost. This rarely happens but it
can be disastrous if a copy has not been kept.
Inclusive language
This means language that includes every section of the population. For instance, if a
student were to write ‘A nurse is responsible for the patients in her care at all times’ it
would be implying that all nurses are female and would be excluding male nurses.
Examples of appropriate language are shown on the right:
Mankind Humankind
Host/hostess Host
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Recommended reading
Recommended reading
Counihan. C. & Van Esterik, P., 2112 (3rd ed’n), Food and culture – a reader, Routledge,
NY
Cousins, J., 2010, Essential food and beverage service for levels 1 and 2, Hodder
Education, London
Dahmer, S.J. & Kalh, K.W., 2009 (2nd ed’n), Restaurant service basics, John Wiley &
Sons, Hoboken, N.J
Davis, B. & Stoner, S., 2012 (5th ed’n), Food and beverage management, Routledge, New
York
Hering, R., 1994 (13th ed’n), Hering's dictionary of classical and modern cookery and
practical reference manual for the hotel, restaurant and catering trade: brief recipes,
professional knowledge concerning wine, cocktails and other drinks, menu knowledge
and table service, Virtue, London
Lillicrap, D.R., Cousins, J. & Smith, R., 2010 (8th ed’n), Food and beverage service,
Hodder Education, London
McVety, P.J., 2009 (3rd ed’n), Fundamentals of menu planning, John Wiley & Sons,
Hoboken, NJ
Powers, T. & Barrows, C.W. & Reynolds, D., 2012 (10th ed’n), Introduction to
management in the hospitality industry, Wiley, Hoboken, N.J
Rey, M.A. & Wieland, F., 2012 (4th ed’n), Managing service in food and beverage
operations, Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging, Lansing, Mich
Schaefer, J.J., 2011, Serving people with food allergies: kitchen management and menu
creation, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL
SmallPrint, 2008, (Version VC6), SITHFAB011A: Develop and update food and beverage
knowledge, SmallPrint, Australia
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Trainee evaluation sheet
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Trainee evaluation sheet
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Trainee self-assessment checklist
Yes No*
1.3 Develop and maintain product knowledge in line with job role and
responsibilities
1.4 Identify features of specific food and beverages which have potential
customer appeal
Element 2: Provide customers with relevant food and beverage product knowledge
2.1 Offer advice on suitable combinations of foods and food and beverages
where appropriate
2.4 Provide advice on menu items that reflect the special dietary or cultural
requirements of customers
Statement by Trainee:
I believe I am ready to be assessed on the following as indicated above:
Note:
For all boxes where a No* is ticked, please provide details of the extra steps or work you
need to do to become ready for assessment.
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