Learn to Manage Food and Beverage Services
Run a restaurant or catering business, or find a job in the food service industry.
This course develops an excellent and sound foundation for working in a restaurant, catering or other food service enterprise.
Topics covered vary from kitchen and food management to planning a menu, restaurant staffing and waiter/waitress skills.
Student Comment on this Course: "I have enjoyed the course and would study with ACS again" D. Hennessy
Lesson Structure
There are 9 lessons in this course:
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Human Food and Nutrition
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Introduction
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Quality of ingredients
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Range of ingredients
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Cooking methods used
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Eating
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Major food groups
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Carbohydrates
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Fats
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Proteins
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Grains
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Vegetables
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Vitamins and minerals
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Food allergies
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Terminology
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Weight and energy conversions
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Resources
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Networking - for restaurant managers, food industry employees
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Cooking
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Nutritive value in cooking and processing
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Cooking different types of foods
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Meat
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Fish
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Milk
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Plant foods
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Effect of cooking methods on nutrients
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Baking
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Blanching
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Braising
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Grilling
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Poaching and boiling
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Pressure cooking
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Roasting
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Sautéing
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Steaming
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Preparing vegetables
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Benefits of cooking
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Preserving nutrient value in food
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Managing different nutrients -heat sensitivities, etc.
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Canning and pasteurisation
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Homogenisation and pasteurization of milk
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Freezing
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Dehydration
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Kitchen and Food Management
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Effect of cooking on nutrition
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Managing food contamination
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Contaminants during food processing
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Pathological contamination
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Preventing food poisoning
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Food laws and labelling
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Labelling
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Dating
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Special purpose foods
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Ethics of food additives
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Allergies, sensitivities and poisoning
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Common food allergies
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Kitchen design
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Equipment design
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Criteria for selecting equipment
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Equipment inventory
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Managing a freezer
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Preparation areas
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Vegetable preparation
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Salad preparation
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Meat preparation
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Fish preparation
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Pastry preparation
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Cooking area
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Central range
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Convection ovens
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Microwave oven
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Cleaning area
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Waste disposal
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Food service equipment
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Food service management
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Traditional kitchen staff roles -types of chefs, divisions of larder, pantry, tournants etc
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Menu and production planning
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Types of production - A la Carte, Table d'Hote, Call-Order, etc
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Activities in cook-freeze operation
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Planning A Menu
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Needs of special groups
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School children
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Adolescents
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Expecting mothers
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Nursing mothers
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The elderly
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Immigrants
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Vegetarians
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Menu planning
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Assessing diets
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Assessing your own dietary intake
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A typical diet at a residential school
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Plate waste
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Assessing plate waste
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Diet formulation
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Food additives
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Preservatives
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Additives for enhancing appearance and colour
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Flavouring agents
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Sweetening agents
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Emulsifying agents and stabilisers
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Anti caking agents
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The menu
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Planning
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Types of menus
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Menu composition
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Beverages
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Wine and alcohol lists
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Non alcoholic drinks
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Alcoholic Beverages
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Wine
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Common white grape varieties
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Common red grape varieties
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Wine processing
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Fortified wines -sherry, port, marsala, maidera, vermouth.
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Beer
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Types of beer
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Beer tasting and characteristics
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Spirits - Brandy, Whisky, Gin, Rum, Vodka
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Liqueurs
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Liqueur coffees
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Tea, Coffee and Non-Alcoholic Beverages
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Water
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Providing water
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Soft drinks
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Fruit juices
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Non alcoholic cocktails
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Coffees
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The coffee blend
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Grinding coffee
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Making coffee
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Problems with coffee
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Non alcoholic coffee substitutes
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Teas
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Specialty teas
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Green tea
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Common herb teas
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Scope & Nature Of Catering Services
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Vending machines
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Popular catering
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Hospital catering
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Airline catering
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Function catering
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Personnel Management
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Reservations and bookings
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Reservation systems
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Direct or indirect reservations
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Contracts
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Cancellation procedure
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Refund policy
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Basic waiting tequniques
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Holding a Service Spoon and Fork
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Carrying Plates
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Using a Service Salver
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Using a Service Plate
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Carrying Glasses
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Carrying Trays
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Using a Waiter’s Friend
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Interpersonal skills
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Addressing customers
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Dealing with complaints
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Staff recruitment
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Advertising a position
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Interviewing
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Training staff
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Different ways of learning the job
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Self esteem and motivation
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Assessing training needs
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Management Of Catering Services
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Restaurant marketing
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Feasibility research
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Competitive analysis
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Market analysis
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Financial analysis
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Advertising and PR
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Food purchasing
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Purchasing methods
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Tendering
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Aims
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Explain the role of different food types in human health.
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Understand the alternative cooking processes, in order to make appropriate decisions about the cooking of different foods
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Manage the provision of kitchen facilities, and the handling of foodstuffs (including food storage and preparation), in order to maximise efficiency, hygiene and service with the restrictions of facilities available.
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Plan menus or list of food products for sale, appropriate to different situations.
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Manage the provision of alcoholic beverages appropriately, in different situations
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Manage the provision of non-alcoholic beverages appropriately, in different situations.
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Describe differences in appropriate management for catering in a range of varying situations.
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Discuss how to manage staff in the food and restaurant industries.
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Consolidate skills developed throughout this entire course into an overall understanding of management of catering services.
HOW FOOD PREPARATION CAN AFFECT NUTRITION
The quality, kinds and amounts of nutrients in foodstuffs are first determined by the way they are grown.
Healthful foods are grown in conditions that provide an optimal balance of nutrients from soil (or in the case of hydroponically-grown produce, from the nutrient solution), sunlight and water. Other factors can improve or reduce the nutrient values or taste when growing foods. Over using nitrogen fertilisers for instance, when growing plants may accelerate their growth rate, which may cause a small increase in protein content or slight change in taste. At the same time, vitamin C content usually decreases. It is also debatable whether using organic or inorganic fertiliser makes any difference to the nutrient content of the plant food, or to its health effect on the consumer.
The initial processing of a foodstuff can also affect its nutrient content. For instance, milling cereals can result in loss of various nutrients (including fat, fibre, certain vitamins and minerals), though the loss depends upon the milling processes involved. Also, many grains are stripped of their nutritious outer husk during initial processing, reducing their overall nutrient value. The nutrient content or flavour of some foods is increased or intensified by drying.
Effects of Cooking
Various food treatments and preparation methods can also destroy nutrients. Cutting, peeling or trimming foods in preparation for cooking will remove nutrients. The quantity and kinds of nutrients removed may vary according to which parts of the foods are discarded. Trimming fat from meat may, for example, be advantageous, as it reduces the animal fat content of the meal, while peeling skin from fruit or vegetables will often result in loss of some of the most nutrient-rich parts of the food.
Cooking can improve the taste and digestibility of some foods, and in some cases, increase their nutritional value to the consumer. Heat also destroys microorganisms that may contaminate food and cause problems if ingested. Heat from cooking is destructive to a wide variety of nutrients, and for this reason, many foods are more nutritious if eaten fresh, or with minimal cooking.
Other methods of food processing which can affect nutrition include: controlled-atmosphere storage, blanching, canning, freezing, dehydration (drying), toasting, sprouting and pasteurisation.
JOB TIPS for a Career in Food Service
- A qualification helps open doors, but it's only part of what you need
- Get Experience, even if it is unpaid -Volunteering can be a great way to get a leg in the door
- Experiment with cooking at home. People who know about a greater range of foods and beverages will impress employers; and customers.
- Networking is critical -We show you how and get you started in this course. Often it's who you know as much as what you know that gets you the job
- Build your communication skills. This is a service industry. You need to deal with people, communicating clearly and concisely.
- Be prepared to do anything to get started. Many successful professionals started out sweeping floors and making coffee.
People who communicate well, know their foods and are well networked will have more chance of a successful career than someone with a qualification but lacking those things.
If your studies are to be an advantage, you need to get the lot; not just the qualification.
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