The diagram above is a flow chart for different stages of food processes. In a sequential order, complete the chart With the following processes; Holding, Mis-en-place, Reheating, Preparation, Storage, Presentation, Cooking and Purchasing.
The diagram is a flow chart of eight empty boxes arranged one below the other. Each box must be filled with one of the listed processes so that the chart reads from top to bottom in the natural order in which food actually moves through a catering kitchen, from buying the raw materials to placing the finished dish before the customer.
Principle used to order the stages: food processing follows the flow of the ingredient itself. Materials are first bought, then kept until needed, then organised and made ready, then cut and portioned, then cooked, then kept hot and safe until service, brought back to a safe serving temperature if it has cooled, and finally plated and served.
Completed flow chart (top to bottom):
- Purchasing - buying the raw food materials and ingredients of the correct quality and quantity.
- Storage - keeping the purchased items under correct conditions (dry store, chiller, freezer) until required.
- Mis-en-place - assembling and putting in place all the ingredients, tools and equipment before work begins.
- Preparation - washing, peeling, cutting, weighing and portioning the ingredients ready for cooking.
- Cooking - applying heat to the prepared food by the chosen method (boiling, frying, baking, roasting, etc.).
- Holding - keeping the cooked food at a safe temperature (hot above \(63^{\circ}\mathrm{C}\), cold below \(5^{\circ}\mathrm{C}\)) until it is served.
- Reheating - bringing food that has been held or cooled back up to a safe serving temperature (at least \(75^{\circ}\mathrm{C}\)) before it goes out.
- Presentation - arranging, garnishing and serving the finished dish attractively to the customer.
| Box | Process | Purpose at this stage |
|---|
| 1 | Purchasing | Obtain raw materials |
| 2 | Storage | Preserve materials safely |
| 3 | Mis-en-place | Everything ready in place |
| 4 | Preparation | Clean, cut, portion |
| 5 | Cooking | Apply heat |
| 6 | Holding | Keep at safe temperature |
| 7 | Reheating | Restore safe serving heat |
| 8 | Presentation | Plate and serve |
Why this order and not another: each stage supplies the one after it. You cannot store what you have not purchased, cannot prepare what is not gathered in mis-en-place, and cannot present what has not been cooked and held. Holding, reheating and presentation come last because they all act on food that is already cooked, ending with the dish reaching the customer.