DEFINITION & CLASSIFICATION OF HOTELS:

The word hotel is a general term for motels,hotels,inns,conference centers & other lodging properties.hotels may be four general criteria:

size,target markets,levels of service,ownership & affiliation.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

The way to a man's heart(or woman's for that matter)is through the stomach.Who will know this better than the hotelier?The restraunt owner,most probably.

central to the scheme of things in the hospitality world,F&B is the lifeline that keeps the business running and gives it the reason for its existence.In the F&B cycle a variety of factors,if properly monitored,play a facilitating role in making the service profitable.From purchasing,receiving,storing,issuing,right to the actual production and service,sales and cash receipt,it is a fine circle of quality control,flow procedures and supervision.Even more important is the tabulation and monitoring of the unique needs of the restraunt,which includes its special cuisine and menu.It is from here that the whole gamut of activity has its origin and raison-de-etre.

F&B is the heart of the food or industrial catering business.Every day in this field is dynamic and unlike the conveyer belt regime,the challenges and innovations are exciting and educative.Whether it is the upmarket starred establishment or the humbler restraunt in the city-all gain by the right approach,which is systematic,scientific,measuredand consistent.

How does one plan the F&B scene? Initially,by keeping three factors in mind.The menu,after it has been fixed,the facilities at hand which include production facilities and whether it is a-la-carte,plated or elaborate service and the capabilities of the staff.By hearing in mind the observation that the cheapest is not necessarily economicl and the most expensive not necessarily good,the procurement of F&B ingredients and raw materials becomes an extension of the right time.This is the reason why contracting is necessary.Once the cost of procurement is fixed,slightfluctuations do not result in menu price changes as these factors are incorporated in the price.Before contracting,standardizaton is called for.Standardization defines the type of stuff needed.

Storage issues come in like whether it is better to buy regularly or maintain a small inventory or keep a staggered supply from the suppliers at a fixed price.The first-in first-out principle along with the bin cards help in monitoring consumption.As a consequence,wastage reduction can be planned and implemented.Simple steps like using bones of deboned chicken for making 'stock' and vegetable peels for making base of soup can be undertaken.A planned F&B department ensures healthier and fresher food plus enhanced profitability.

However nothing can beat the investment in personnel.It is the people-the-staff-who churn out delicacies from everyday ingredients.Training and motivation of staff works wonders to the final product.These are the mere outlines of the system.They work as a composite whole.

The motivation at all stages is the increase in profits which is a direct outflow of guest satisfaction and appreciation.This results in a studied apprasial and monitoring of wastage reduction too.

PURCHASING

All purchasing decisions are based on actual needs,which in turn are based on standard purchase speications(SPS).Food raw material is not a conveyor belt produce. The taste, shpe, size and qulity has to be qualified everytime it comes in.Thus the SPS ARE ENLISTED INITIALLY. For example, in the case of fruits and vegitable,the count,weight,shape,color,smell,taste and the density, while color,appearense and drained weight

in canned items is borne in mind during procurement.The yield test optimisesthe unable meat,bones,fat amount,firmness and waste in meat products.The cooking test measures cooking time and losses,taste after cooking,shrinkage etc. The taste form the basis of the SPS.

In the last two decades, the growth in the use of convenience foods and partially or fully pre-cooked food has gone up greatly , yet the potential has not even been scrabed.

As alternatives to on-premise preparaion,the carrer may find that the convenence products,partially or fully prepared, offer him more advandage for cost reduction because a manufacturer may be able to produce a particularfood item more efficientlyand purchase its incredients more economically than the individual carrer.

Foods with some degree of prepration before purchase can be the best thing or the worst thing that ever happened to be catering industry. It all depends upon how they are used. For example some restaurants use covenience items almost exclusively and by doing so,risk falling into mediocrity.Others use convenience foods only in a few instances or not at all and by doing so waste more time and money than the operation can afford. The right and the best things is to use convenience foods as alternatives.The decision wether to buy convenience foods already made or to make it in-house should be taken wisely.

Convenience foods have always been part of catering.Caterers have always gone for butchered meat, ground spices,pickles etc. and since their development,canned goods.They range from expensive smoked salmon to the common place granulated sugar.Products like these are genuinely convenient foods and there is little possibility that they can prepared more economically.

The solutions offered by convenience foods are the increase in productivity by eliminating cost of the minimally productive unskilled labour.Wastage is cut down,inventory costs are reduced and this results in increased profits.Take the example of spices -oleoresins are liquefied and highly concentrated spices without preservatives and have a high shelf life.The brands available in the market recommend one drop per person.Apart from normal cooking,oleoresins are very easy and useful in some typical preparations.Like cardamom and ginger have an excellent usage for tea and the time and effort required is minimal.Similar garlic and chilli oleoresin can be used for converting tomato ketchup into garlic and/or chilli sauce and ginger can be used for making ginger ale.All these preperations need hardly any extra effort.Moreover manufacturers claim these to be more hygienic and economical .The oleoresins also offer benefits such as saving on storage space,eliminating scope of pilferage and uniformity.