Hospitality Industry And Catering

Overview

Every plate of jollof served at an owambe in Lagos, every tray of food wheeled round a ward in a teaching hospital, and every buffet laid out in an Abuja hotel belongs to one great enterprise: the hospitality industry. Catering, the business of preparing and serving food and drink to people away from their own homes, sits right at its heart. Learn how the two fit together and you have the map for everything else in this subject.

This lesson defines catering and the wider hospitality industry, then opens up the single most examined idea in the topic: the split between welfare catering, provided as a service to people who need it, and commercial catering, provided to make a profit. You will see how large the trade has grown in Nigeria, why events culture keeps it busy, and the many careers that a well trained caterer can build inside it.

Objectives

  1. Define catering and the hospitality industry
  2. Explain the components of catering, both welfare and commercial
  3. Distinguish catering from the wider hospitality industry
  4. Describe the scope and importance of catering to the Nigerian economy
  5. Outline the career opportunities available in catering and hospitality

Lesson Note

Ask ten Nigerians what a caterer does and most will picture a woman in a bright gele dishing rice at a wedding. That picture is true, but it is a keyhole view of a vast trade. The same skill that feeds three hundred guests at an owambe feeds pupils in a boarding school in Ilorin, patients in a hospital in Enugu, soldiers in a barracks in Kaduna, and oil workers on a rig off Port Harcourt. All of that is catering, and catering is one half of the hospitality industry. Before you can cook, cost a menu or run a kitchen, you have to see the whole field and know where your work sits in it. That is what this first lesson gives you.

Lesson Evaluation

Congratulations on completing the lesson on Hospitality Industry And Catering. 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. The hospitality industry is best described as the business of: A. Growing and selling raw food crops B. Welcoming people away from home and meeting their needs for food, drink and shelter C. Manufacturing packaged food for shops D. Transporting goods between cities Answer: B
  2. Catering is divided into two sectors on the basis of: A. The size of the kitchen B. The price of the food C. Whether the aim is profit or service D. The number of guests served Answer: C
  3. Which of the following is an example of welfare catering? A. A hotel restaurant B. A boarding school dining hall C. A fast food outlet D. An outdoor caterer at a wedding Answer: B
  4. Which one of these belongs to commercial catering? A. A hospital patients' kitchen B. A soldiers' mess in a barracks C. A restaurant in Ibadan D. A prison feeding unit Answer: C
  5. The two main arms of the hospitality industry are: A. Farming and catering B. Accommodation and catering C. Cooking and cleaning D. Hotels and factories 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 Hospitality Industry And Catering from previous years

WAEC SSCE - Catering Craft Practice - 2022

Question 1 Report

(a) Give four methods of preserving fish.

(b) In a restaurant, a customer has lodged a complaint that her beef dish is not well cooked. In four steps, outline how the situation should be managed.

View Answer