Assignment - How this assessment is conducted:
The assignment requires you to plan and organise a function in AITT kitchen. You are the sous chef and have full responsibility of running the kitchen under the supervision of the trainer. This function will then be prepared, cooked and served by the other students in your group and they will be doing this based on your instructions so you must be fully prepared on the day with all documents ready including.
- You will be required to design the menu. This will be based on the theme you choose and must reflect the style of service you have chosen. It may be a buffet or Table D'Hote style menu. The function must be for at least 150 customers and for the menu items chosen the ENTREE's and MAINS must include cooked fresh and served items but can include cooked then chilled and/or cooked then chilled and re-thermalised foods. The desserts must include cooked then chilled food items.
- Prepare a job workflow checklist. This should be split up into sections and include all preparation tasks and names of other students attached to each task. It should also include the timings of preparation and course service times just like a function running sheet. This must also include possible backup scenarios based on a student unable to attend due to illness or other reasons.
- Prepare the food preparation list. This is a breakdown of every task within each recipe and may include a more detailed list of the tasks that are not in the job workflow checklist including things like: chopping tasks, preparing garnishes and other misen place including the setup of the function room and setting tables etc.
- Cost out your menu and determine the selling price of the function in a basic budget format.
- Prepare all of the standard recipe cards required for every menu item on your menu for the other students to follow.
- Prepare all the food orders for the function. This is a list of all foods and amounts required for the function. You must not over order as you will go over budget and must not under order as you may run out of food. This must be submitted to the trainer 1 week prior to the function in order to have enough time to organise the food deliveries. The list of food required must be split up into the following sections as different types of foods come from different suppliers:
- Meat and poultry supplier
- Wholesaler (this includes all dry goods, frozen foods and dairy products)
- Seafood supplier
- Vegetable supplier
Required skills:
-communication skills to provide clear written and verbal instructions to food production personnel
-critical thinking skills to analyse food production requirements and develop comprehensive operational plans to meet those needs
-literacy skills to:
- read and interpret recipes, menus and stock control documents
- write comprehensive yet easily accessible work flow schedules, mise en place plans and food preparation lists
-numeracy skills to:
- calculate required food supplies for the volume of food production
- determine timings for the production sequence of various food items
- planning and organizing skills to efficiently sequence the stages of food preparation and production for a whole of kitchen operation
-problem-solving skills to:
- identify breakdowns in kitchen work flow and adjust to maximise efficiency recognise deficiencies in the quality of food and make adjustments to ensure a quality product
-self management skills to take responsibility for kitchen management and quality outputs
-teamwork skills to coordinate a team of food production personnel and delegate work within a team
-technology skills to operate a food production system for commercial kitchens.
Methods of Assessment:
-exercises that allow the individual to develop documents tailored for different food production requirements:
- kitchen workflow schedules
- mise en place plans
- food preparation lists
-exercises that allow the individual to calculate and order required food supplies for different food production requirements:
- a la carte
- buffet
- bulk cooking operations
- or set menu