Principles And Factors Of Menu Planning

Overview

Before a single pot goes on the fire, the caterer has already made the most important decision of the whole job: what to put on the menu. A menu is far more than a list of dishes. It tells the guest what to expect, tells the cook what to prepare, tells the store what to buy, and quietly fixes the price of the entire event. Get it right and a naming ceremony in Ibadan runs smoothly and profitably. Get it wrong and you over-spend, run out of food, or serve three fried dishes in a row to guests who wanted variety.

In this lesson you will learn exactly what a menu is and the jobs it does, the principles that separate a well planned menu from a careless one, and the practical factors, the occasion, the guests, the budget, the season, the equipment and the time, that decide what can realistically go on the plate. You will then plan balanced menus yourself, for real Nigerian occasions and real naira budgets.

Objectives

  1. Define a menu and state its functions
  2. Explain the principles of good menu planning
  3. Identify the factors that affect menu planning
  4. Explain the importance of balance, variety and nutritional value in a menu
  5. Plan a balanced menu for a given occasion

Lesson Note

A young caterer in Lagos is hired for a fortieth birthday of eighty guests. She writes her menu in five minutes: jollof rice, fried rice, fried chicken, fried plantain, fried fish and puff-puff. On the day it looks generous, yet the guests grumble. Everything is fried, everything is a shade of golden brown, and there is nothing fresh, nothing green and nothing sweet to finish. She also finds she has bought far more oil and far more chicken than the money allowed. Nothing was spoiled, and nothing was badly cooked. The menu itself was the problem. Menu planning is the skill that prevents exactly this, and it is examined in every WAEC Catering Craft Practice paper.

Lesson Evaluation

Congratulations on completing the lesson on Principles And Factors Of Menu Planning. Now that youve explored the key concepts and ideas, its time to put your knowledge to the test. This section offers a variety of practice questions designed to reinforce your understanding and help you gauge your grasp of the material.

You will encounter a mix of question types, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and essay questions. Each question is thoughtfully crafted to assess different aspects of your knowledge and critical thinking skills.

Use this evaluation section as an opportunity to reinforce your understanding of the topic and to identify any areas where you may need additional study. Don't be discouraged by any challenges you encounter; instead, view them as opportunities for growth and improvement.

  1. A menu is best defined as: A. A list of the ingredients used in cooking B. A list of the dishes to be served at a meal in order of courses C. A record of the money spent on food D. A list of the kitchen equipment needed Answer: B
  2. Which of the following is a PRINCIPLE of menu planning rather than a factor? A. The budget available B. The season of the year C. Balance and variety of the dishes D. The number of guests Answer: C
  3. A menu of fried yam, fried fish, fried chicken and fried plantain offends the principle of menu planning that says: A. Work within the budget B. Avoid repetition of the cooking method C. Suit the occasion D. Serve food in season Answer: B
  4. When planning a menu for a gathering that includes Muslim guests, the caterer should: A. Serve pork and wine to all B. Serve only soft foods C. Use halal meat and avoid pork and alcohol D. Reduce the number of courses to one Answer: C
  5. Buying foods that are in season when planning a menu mainly helps to: A. Increase the cost of the meal B. Reduce cost and improve freshness C. Make the food harder to prepare D. Remove the need for a budget Answer: B

Recommended Books

The Theory of Hospitality and Catering
The Theory of Hospitality and Catering
Subtitle: Fourteenth edition
Publisher: Hodder Education
Year: 2021
ISBN: 978-1-3983-3295-9
Description: The standard theory text for catering students, covering the industry, food commodities, cooking, kitchen operations, hygiene and safety, menu planning and food and beverage service.
Food and Beverage Service
Food and Beverage Service
Subtitle: Tenth edition
Publisher: Hodder Education
Year: 2020
ISBN: 978-1-3983-0015-6
Description: The established reference on restaurant and banquet service, service staff and their duties, styles of service, table laying, and the service of food, wines and other beverages.
Practical Cookery
Practical Cookery
Subtitle: Eleventh edition
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Year: 2004
ISBN: 978-0-340-81147-4
Description: A long-established practical text taking students through methods of cooking, the preparation of food commodities and the production of dishes across the full range of the kitchen.

Past Questions

Wondering what past questions for this topic looks like? Here are a number of questions about Principles And Factors Of Menu Planning from previous years

WAEC SSCE - Catering Craft Practice - 2021

Question 1 Report

TEST OF PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE QUESTION


(a) The table below is a four-day three-course menu plan. Use the listed dishes to complete the table. Egg custard, Cream caramel, Escalope of beef with fried rice, Cream of onion soup, Grilled chicken with jollof rice, Beef sauce with vegetable stew and pounded yam, Pineapple turnover, Consomme royale, Tomato salad, Chicken soup, Fruit salad, Fish stew with boiled rice and plantain. 

    1st Course         2nd Course       3rd Course
Day 1      
Day 2      
Day 3      
Day 4      

 (b) State the other names for first course and third course.
  First Course:...............
  Third Course:..............

View Answer