INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR - F&B Operations in Cruise lines
ABOUT THE SEMINAR
F&B is a service industry, providing good services are a must. Many people think that the job is merely just carrying the food/beverages from the kitchen to the customers. Being the front-liner, knowledge of the menu (product) is key. One needs to know in & out of the menu to be able to provide good services
This seminar broadly outlines the following challenging tasks, faced in cruise line industries. .
First the purchasing process involves determining which types of ingredients, food, drinks or wine etc. should be order, finding and having reliable suppliers’ lists to ensure consistent quality, and determining the suitable order size to avoid over buy which need extra space for storage and some of them may deteriorate or under buy which mean can’t serve the guests properly. Usually, invoices and receipts are required to be signed to facilitate the examination of any misuse or stealing. In fact, the menu planning is not just designing what cuisine or beverages should be included in the menu, but also concerns with what items will be acceptable to the consumers. As the consumers are the one to taste the food and beverages, when planning menus we have to comprehend, empathize on their food habits and enable to meet their changing preferences. For example, now consumers more concern about the health and nutritional values, the menu should be able to adjust to provide corresponding food item to satisfy their needs. It should be ongoing process and dynamic process since the many ingredients are seasonal and sometimes there will be shortages due to particular reasons like weather and delivery problems. So it should be designed upon the availability of the raw materials. Furthermore, the menus should match will the design and the atmosphere of the restaurants as well as the physical facilities and equipments so as to provide a superior dining experience for the guests.
Lastly, the food pricing is also important as consumer will judge the prices whether it is worthwhile. It also should be designed within the available budget and enable to have the profitability against with its costs.
The Stewarding Department plays a supportive role for the Food and Beverage operations. If it doesn’t perform properly and efficiently, the food and beverage division will greatly affected. The main goal of it is to optimize the assistance and service to the different F&B outlets and kitchens by maximizing efficiency and productivity while keeping the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene.
Since a small error will disturb the operation in the kitchen, the stewarding department will have proper sanitation and pest control to keep the cleanliness and organization of the environment in the kitchen to favors the kitchen flow efficiency so everyone will know where everything is. Also, a clean cooking environment ensures the safety of consumers as the food is cooked under the clean environment.