The compiling of a menu is one of the most important jobs of a caterer and there are a number of factors that must be taken into consideration before any menu is written. The aim is to give the customer what he wants and not what the caterer thinks the customer wants. In general, it is better to offer fewer dishes of a good standard rather than having a wide choice of dishes of mediocre quality.
It is necessary to make certain that menu terms are expressed accurately so that the customer receives exactly what is stated on the menu. For example, “Pate Maison” must really be home-made pate, not factory-made. If “Fried Fillet of Sole” is offered on the menu the fish must be Sole, and if an 8 oz Rumpsteak is stated on the menu as the portion size, then it must be 8 oz raw weight. And you should make sure you have a sufficiant amount on stock. If the sole is advertised as “fried” and the steak as “grilled” then these processes of cooking should be applied to.
If the Soles are stated to be Dover Soles and the steak as Rumpsteak then the named food must be served. Likewise if the Sole is states to be served with a Sauce Tartare and the Rumpsteak with Sauce Béarnaise then these sauces should be served according to the description. The description on the menu should indicate the appropriate quality, size, preparation and composition of the dish.
There is so much that goes into creating a menu
You want it to be admirable and representable
Musterkarte – Paulaner EN/RU
Musterkarte – Hacker Pschorr EN/CH
Utilize how the human brain perceives the different elements of your menu. In other words, you might want to learn about menu psychology. The challenge is that there are so many ways, occasions and types of businesses and contents – and to find the best solution for a specific operation.
Classic – High End Restaurant – Brewhouse – Café – Bar …
Style – Format – Colours – Bords – Outside – Inside …
One part is to cast a beautifully designed and colourful cover that reflects the purpose of your business – the more difficult part is to compile the content of your menu.
Kind of menu
It must be clearly understood what kind of menu is required, whether a special party menu, table d’hôte or à la carte.
- Special event menu – these are menus for banquets and events of all kinds
- Table d’hôte – this is a set menu forming a complete meal at a set price. A choice of dishes may be offered at all courses. The choice and number of dishes will usually be limited.
- A la carte – this is a menu with all the dishes individually priced. The guests can therefore compile his own menu. A true à la care dish will be freshly prepared after the guests order and the guests should be prepared to wait for this service.
- Other menus – Coffee, Afternoon Tea, Cocktail, Burger, Children’s Menu, Wedding, Conference, Vegan, Diet, Chefs Special, Daily Special, Bait of the Day, Business Lunch …
- Kind of meal – breakfast, luncheon, tea, supper or for a special function.
Considerations
- Kind of establishment and type of guests
- Menus will vary for events
- The season of the year
- The capability of the kitchen staff
- Size and equipment of the kitchen
- Capabilities of service staff
- Size and equipment of service areas
- Pricing
- Supplies
- Balanced of the menu
- Food values
- Finally the Wording of your menu items
- Trueness, correctness, understandable, clear, local wording, national, international
- Use the Full Power of Words
Do you Need help? – Contact me!
