FOOD SERVICE

 CURIOUS APPETITE

Every time someone travels more than a few hours away from home, they must find lodging somewhere else. Due to the distance between his or her home and the restaurant, it is frequently a snack, a drink, or even a meal. Even if a person has a packed lunch, they might still want to drink something throughout a lengthy workday. This could be tea, coffee, juice, or an aerated beverage. As a result, we need services that can provide meals whenever and wherever it is needed. The catering sector provides these services. To varied degrees, the catering sector offers an alternative to the cuisine one may have obtained at home.

There is a growing need for a diversity of cuisines and traditional ethnic meals nowadays due to rising migration, urbanisation, globalisation, travel abroad, tourism, exposure to different cuisines and commercials, as well as rising local interest in trying out new dishes. Everyone agrees that food must be properly prepared and cooked. Institutions that provide care for various target groups, such as hospitals, old age homes, orphanages, and hostels, have emerged in addition to workplace food provision. School, college, office, jails, and feeding programmes run by the government or the nonprofit sector to improve the health and nutrition of particular groups are additional establishments where food is frequently offered.

Food service and catering have developed into an industry that is growing as a result of changes in the socio-economic environment because there is a lot greater need for food that is served outside the home that is tasty, hygienic, healthful, and aesthetically pleasing. There may be a desire from time to time for food with a longer shelf life. The development of science and technology has made it possible for individuals who work in the mass production of food to organise their tasks more effectively, increase the safety and quality of their products, and do so while also reducing their workload. The use of computers has made a significant contribution, not only for maintaining records and accounting systems but also for online food ordering, learning about equipment made in other countries, and finding recipes for diverse meals.

Any location where food is prepared and intended for individual portion service, including the location where individual portions are offered, is referred to as a food service establishment. The phrase refers to any establishment of this type, whether or not there is a fee for the meal and regardless of whether it is consumed on or outside the premises. The phrase does not apply to a private home's kitchen where food is cooked or served but not for sale, or to a bed-and- breakfast where food is prepared and served to guests.

The skill of serving food and beverages to a big group of people in a way that is both satisfying and economical is known as food service management. At each and every level of the food service operation, a professional approach as well as specialised knowledge, abilities, and vigilance are necessary.

Food may be served in a variety of forms, including formal (banquets or buffets), semi-formal (travel services like railway or airline), and informal/self services, depending on the nature of the facility and the requirements of certain events (street mobile food unit or vending machines)

Commercial Food Services- Also referred to as “market-oriented food services”, this group represents the majority of consumer spending on food and drink items purchased outside the home. This includes a broad range of industries, from food trucks to nightclubs. These businesses and services cater to the general public and generally sell food and drinks for financial gain.

However, the reason these services are valuable is that they not only fill consumer demands but also provide as a source of employment. These services are also of enormous economic value to the nation. The tourism, travel, and vacation industries are supported by hotels and catering services. Since this sector brings money into the nation in exchange for its services, it is a significant source of foreign exchange earnings. Through the tourism industry, hoteliers and caterers indirectly contribute to advancing understanding between different countries. Its examples include:

Quick Service Restaurants: They provide a selection of foods that may be prepared quickly and are delivered quickly. Since they can be prepared in a shorter amount of time with the least amount of variation, quick service restaurants typically focus on serving fast food items across a restricted menu.

They don't provide any tables or chairs; instead, they use a single counter to take orders and deliver them. The majority of the orders are pre-made and extremely standardized, leaving little room for modification. Ex- drive-through outlets, outlets within retail stores, fast food restaurants.

Full Service Restaurants: The majority of the time, wait staff prepares meals specifically for each customer and serves it to them at their table. A restaurant that serves quick food or has a drive-through window is not regarded as a full- service establishment. Ex- fine dining restaurants, family restaurants, ethnic restaurants, casual restaurants.

Catering & banqueting : A banquet is a lavish meal served to commemorate a special occasion. It is characterised by a substantial feast with entrées and sweets, frequently accompanied by alcoholic beverages like wine or beer. The industry of providing meal service for special occasions held at distant locations, such as birthdays, dinner parties, or family gatherings, is known as catering.. Ex- catering companies, conference centers, wedding venues, festival food coordinators.

Drinking establishments : It is a company whose main activity is providing alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption. While some places may also offer food service or entertainment, their primary business is the sale of alcoholic beverages. Ex- bars, pubs, nightclubs, cabarets.

Non-Commercial Food Service Establishments:- They offer food and drink items, but only as a complement to other services or for charitable purposes. For instance, it is difficult to picture a hospital in full operation without meals brought to patients or a cafeteria for both staff and guests. And how could you possible sell long-distance tickets without providing an option for your passengers to eat while they are travelling? Without refreshments, would your neighbourhood golf club be the same? These are just a handful of the places where you could encounter non-commercial food services, which have a far lesser market share than for-profit businesses.. Its examples include:

Institutional Food Services : It serves a particular group of people, they are often non profit but not in every case . Ex-hospitals, educations institutions, corporate staff cafeterias, cruise ships, airports and transportation terminals and operations.

Accommodation food services : They provide customers with short-stay accommodation and/or complete meals, snacks and beverages for immediate consumption. Ex- hotels restaurants and bars, room service.

Membership-based facilities : Ex-clubs, groups.

Vending machines & automated food services: There are three key motives for food service businesses to automate. One is to save money on labour by not having to pay actual workers. Another is to improve cleanliness, consistency, efficiency, and other factors. Last but not least, despite its impracticality, some businesses may embrace automation and robotics for branding and PR.

-By BASHAMA ZEHRA

M.Sc Clinical Nutrition and dietetics