Menu Planning & Catering Services
- Agricultural Sciences
- 200 level
- 2 credit units
- 206 pages
- 15 units
This course explores menu planning and catering services within the hospitality industry. It covers menu compilation, arrangement, and the production of palatable and balanced menus. Students will gain an understanding of food commodities, costing, control, and the scope of catering operations. Topics include catering for special nutritional needs, various types of catering establishments, and planning for special functions. The course aims to improve catering service standards and ensure customer satisfaction.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 208 hours
- Maths
- Basic
- Content
- Theoretical, practical
- Practical work
- Yes
- Assignments
- Tutor marked assignments
- Final examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of HCM239, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
HCM239 · UNIT 1 TYPES OF CATERING ESTABLISHMENT
Also, it is worth noting that in commercial sector, catering may be a secondary and additional service to customers for example, catering at departmental stores. Examples of commercial catering include: hotels and restaurants, wine bars, fast foods, takeaway, licensed house (Pub) catering, motel and travel lodges, guest houses, youth hostels, transport catering, outside catering (OOC), and franchising etc.
What you should be able to do
- Explain different types of catering establishments
- Apply principles of meal planning
- Identify food commodities and their uses
- Plan catering for special functions
- Demonstrate pastry and cake making techniques
- Apply costing and control methods in catering
What it prepares you for
- Chef
- Catering Manager
- Restaurant Manager
- Food and Beverage Director
- Event Planner
- Hotels
- Restaurants
- Event Management Companies
- Hospitals
- Schools
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 3: Beverages
Unit 3: Menu for Special Nutritional Needs
Requires understanding of specific dietary requirements for different health conditions and age groups.
- Module 4: Pastry Making
Unit 1: Pastry Making
Involves precise measurements and techniques to achieve desired pastry textures and prevent common faults.
- Module 4: Pastry Making
Unit 2: Cake Making
Requires knowledge of various cake types, mixing methods, and troubleshooting techniques to ensure successful baking.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 30 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: Types of Catering Establishment
Unit 1: Types of Catering Establishment · 2 hours
Define commercial and non-commercial catering.. Identify food served in different catering sectors.. Explain service types in catering..
- Week 2Module 1: Types of Catering Establishment
Unit 2: Measurements and Measures · 2 hours
Identify measuring devices.. Explain measurement conversion to metric.. Practice converting recipes to metric..
- Week 3Module 1: Types of Catering Establishment
Unit 3: Herbs, Spices and Condiments · 2 hours
Define herbs, spices, and condiments.. Describe uses in cookery.. Identify local and imported varieties..
- Week 4Module 1: Types of Catering Establishment
Unit 4: Vegetables and Salads · 2 hours
Explain food value of vegetables and salads.. Classify vegetables.. Identify ingredients for salad making..
- Week 5Module 2: Fruit and Nuts
Unit 1: Fruit and Nuts · 2 hours
Identify fruit types and their nutritive value.. Explain factors for choosing fruits.. Describe fruit preparation methods..
- Week 6Module 2: Fruit and Nuts
Unit 2: Milk and milk Product · 2 hours
Explain milk types and nutritional value.. Describe milk uses.. Identify milk products..
- Week 7Module 2: Fruit and Nuts
Unit 3: Egg Cookery · 2 hours
Describe egg structure and nutritional content.. Explain egg cooking methods.. Identify egg products..
- Week 8Module 2: Fruit and Nuts
Unit 4: Fish Cookery · 2 hours
Classify fish types.. Identify fish cuts.. Explain fish cooking methods..
- Week 9Module 3: Beverages
Unit 1: Beverages · 2 hours
Identify non-alcoholic beverages.. Explain food value of coffee.. Describe coffee making methods..
- Week 10Module 3: Beverages
Unit 2: Catering for Special Function · 2 hours
Explain function catering.. Identify catering function types.. Plan catering for special functions..
- Week 11Module 3: Beverages
Unit 3: Menu for Special Nutritional Needs · 2 hours
Describe nutritional needs of infants, children, adults, and the aged.. Plan balanced meals for different groups..
- Week 12Module 3: Beverages
Unit 4: Bread Making and Dough Product · 2 hours
Explain yeast bread and dough products.. Describe ingredients used in bread making.. Identify steps in bread making..
- Week 13Module 4: Pastry Making
Final Revision · 6 hours
Review all modules and units.. Complete assignments and TMAs.. Prepare for final examination..
Preparing for the exam
- Create detailed menu plans for various catering scenarios from Units 2-3
- Practice costing calculations from Unit 3 weekly using different food items
- Review pastry and cake making techniques from Module 4, focusing on troubleshooting common faults
- Develop a chart comparing different catering establishments from Unit 1, noting their unique service requirements
- Memorize key nutritional guidelines for different age groups from Unit 3, focusing on specific vitamin and mineral requirements
- Create concept maps linking Units 3-5 food commodities, costing and control concepts
- Practice pastry and cake recipes from Module 4 weekly
- Review all TMAs and assignments
- Focus on key concepts
- Manage your time effectively during the exam
- Read all questions carefully before answering
- Answer all questions to the best of your ability
- Review your answers before submitting the exam
- Stay calm and focused during the exam
- Get enough sleep before the exam
- Eat a healthy breakfast before the exam
- Arrive at the exam venue early
- Bring all necessary materials to the exam
- Follow all instructions given by the invigilator
- Do not cheat or engage in any form of malpractice
- Submit your exam on time
- Be confident in your abilities
- Believe in yourself
- You can do it!
Questions students ask about this course
What is HCM239 about?
This course explores menu planning and catering services within the hospitality industry. It covers menu compilation, arrangement, and the production of palatable and balanced menus. Students will gain an understanding of food commodities, costing, control, and the scope of catering operations. Topics include catering for special nutritional needs, various types of catering establishments, and planning for special functions. The course aims to improve catering service standards and ensure customer satisfaction.
How many units does HCM239 have?
HCM239, Menu Planning & Catering Services, has 15 units across 4 modules, over 206 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is HCM239?
HCM239 carries 2 credit units, at 200 level in Agricultural Sciences.
Is HCM239 hard?
HCM239 is rated intermediate level, with basic mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical and practical work, and it has a practical component.
How long does HCM239 take to study?
About 208 hours of study, spread across its 15 units.
How is HCM239 assessed?
HCM239 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assignments and final examination.
What can I do with HCM239?
Chef, Catering Manager, Restaurant Manager, Food and Beverage Director and Event Planner.