Catering_Services

Introduction For as long as people have existed they have felt the need to provide food at different events where people gather, the trade of providing food service at various locations is called Catering. There are various events for which catering can be practiced, some good examples can be: providing catering services to the guests at a wedding, catering to a group of students in an educational institution, providing food and beverages to people watching a football game in a pavilion and the list could go on. But it’s the idea behind the origin of this practice, which makes the whole concept interesting. According to historians the origin of fine cooking as well as catering trades dates back in China in the 4th millennium BC. On the other hand in ancient Greece the catering trade basically originated from the common practice of hospitality which was given for free. This was developed and continued in the Roman Empire, first as accommodations and food for soldiers along trading routes and later for travelers. The renewed face of catering came to origin during the early middle ages in monasteries in Europe which basically attended to the needs of the several pilgrims on the way to Rome. In the later Middle Ages the church deeply influenced the catering trade, in fact the booming of trade, the newly developed middle class, the change in economy and the growth in transport all the factors added on to the increasing popularity of catering industry. The catering industry spread widely in Germany during the 14th – 15th century which drew the attention of the legislation. This resulted in the first ‘Beer Inspection’ in 1530 the licenses were paid by Augsburg Elector and also in the same year ‘Reformation Gutter Policy’ law was passed which changed many regional laws and policies. After that a new set of rules and regulation was issued for the inns and hostels which led to the regulation regarding the quantity, quality, serving style, portion etc of the liquor and the food being served at the outlets. Guild houses and hostels developed with the passage of time and another area of proficiency, restaurants and guesthouses came into sight, some of which can be found as establishments even today. The technical innovations, increase in population, upgrading of transport and the boom in the industry of travel and tourism made hospitality and catering an important factor for nations economy. The trade started by the monks of the monasteries or a simple meal served to a humble guest during the early ages has become such a huge business of today that it is the source of income and living of innumerous families in the whole world. Weather we realize or not but it has become a part of our lifestyle. The catering industry is going through many changes along with the new trends, the economical mind set of the consumer, the increase in concept of vegetarianism, sustainability of the environment and a lot more because of which the industry is developing and refining itself. Today’s companies offer a variety of culinary option which may sound traditional but are tweaked to suite the palette of the consumer and to go with the current trends. All we can say is we should enjoy our food accepting the fact that it has developed over a period of time. (Source: http://EzineArticles.com/'expert=David_J_Kahan, 03-06-2010, 02:00HRS) Catering is not only about the appeal to the taste buds but also to all the other five senses of the human body. With the right conditions, it is possible to satisfy all of these senses making it an unforgettable occasion. Skilfully prepared food can alone do this, but nowadays, caterers are looking for all possible ways and bowl their customers away. Basically contract catering comprises the services needed to prepare and deliver meals to people working and/or living in communities: public and private undertakings, administrations, crèches, schools, hospitals, retirement homes, prisons, barracks, etc. When these activities are entrusted to a service provider, based on a legal agreement entered by the consumer and the caterer to supply food for a specific period of time, this is called contract catering. (Source: http://www.contract-catering-guide.org/en/cc_in_brief.html accessed on 5/06/2010 at 00:07am) Although catering has been considered a “service for the wealthy,” it is now in demand for many occasions, not only food preparation but also decorations, such as table settings, lighting etc is taken care by the caterers. DIFFERENT SEGMENTS OF CATERING: HOSPITAL CATERING The objective of hospital catering is to provide valuable services without necessarily making a profit and so it can also be sub-categorised under well fair catering. This type of catering operations refers to catering of food for staff as well as patients in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities. Catering in this sector is a big challenge and a great responsibility because of the different types of food prepared considering various health issues face by the patients. Patients today often recover at much faster rates and as a result change diet types of locations more rapidly. For food services, this means being able to deliver high quality, appealing meals at correct service temperatures and at flexible service times. There are demands to make the health care system more "customer or patient focused". Outsourcing has a calming effect on the foodservice staff as it removes the peaks and valleys of a busy production day and allows more time for patient/resident focused care. The need for increased food safety is on the rise. With the advent of SARS and increased expectations of HACCP by local health inspectors, operators are looking at newer technological advancements for answers. The patient today demands that hot food be hot and that cold food be cold. Furthermore, they demand choice and comfort in the dining experience. This demands health care providers to utilize outsourcing of food products and invest only in new cold meal delivery and reteam systems resulting in labor cost savings and enhanced service quality. Another new trend is called ‘Room Service’. In Room Service or as Burlodge calls it ‘Client Focused Dining’, the patient is actually asked just before meal service what they want. They are given a choice at the bedside and the meal is then prepared from the bulk mobile trolley and presented to the patient on a home-style tray just like they would have at home if they were sick in bed. (Source: http://www.rethermsystems.com/food-outsourcing.htm, 01:09, 11-05-2010) INSTITUTIONAL CATERING This refers to the food and beverage services being provided in the institutional establishment sometimes also known as institutional catering. This type of catering can be categorized under both welfare as well as industrial catering as per the operation demands. Catering in education sector is developing in a big way, this has occurred in a very similar fashion in schools as well as colleges and universities. UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGES Many universities in the early 1900s also provided a formal meal in a dining hall in the premises of the establishment. Since then the institutional catering has evolved along with the evolution of the education systems. Today, the foodservices provided by the Colleges and Universities offers a range of menu choices, therefore the students don’t feel the need to go out that often. Also the standards of hygiene and food quality are very well maintained.These days because the economic depression most of the students tend to eat in the university cafeterias instead of going out and spend more money, as they have already paid for food as a part of their institutional fee. DEFENCE CATERING: It is said that The Army marches on its belly, hence to keep the forces strong and healthy they need healthy nutritious food. In the defence services catering can be said same as the welfare catering in terms of business and profits. Each unit of the defence services has a branch of its own. However the ration containing concentrated and convenient foods is prepared as per the requirement. Defence catering includes the messes run in the air force, army, a whole range of paramilitary forces and the more challenging services in the navy. TRANSPORT CATERING: This sector of catering refers to the food and beverage services provided in the modes of transportations that may be in Air, Land or Water. These operations are really very challenging as facilities for equipment and storage of supplies are limited in this kind of operations. AIR CATERING: This refers to the provision of meals and services during flights. In 1936 United Airlines established the first kitchens to prepare the in-flight meals. Frozen or precooked food is loaded in the galleys and later special fabricated ovens are used for heating of food before it is served. There are catering companies such as Taj Sats, Blue Sky etc which provide such services. The meals may vary widely in terms of quality and quantity as per different airline companies and classes of travel. They may range from a simple beverage in the economy class to a seven-course gourmet meal in the first class. Food safety is really essential in the airline catering industry. Even a small case of food poisoning amongst the passengers on a plan could have disastrous consequences. For example, on February 20, 1992, shrimp infected with cholera was served on Aerolíneas Argentinas Flight 386. An elderly passenger (70) died and other passengers fell ill. (Source: http://nytimes.com/1992/02/21/cholera-kills-one-and-fells-many-on-flight.html 02:38, 13-05-2010.) RAILWAY CATERING: This refers to the food and beverages services provided in the Trains. Meals are usually served from the pantry car or the restaurant car, provided within the train. Limited space for movement during operation and the movement caused by the train adds up to the difficulties in the preparation and service. In India IRCTC is the company which is responsible of providing meals in Indian Railways. MARINE CATERING: This kind of catering is very similar to the service in a large hotel kitchen. Although on board there are specially designed equipments which observe weather conditions and work accordingly still it is a very challenging job to work on the high seas. This type of job demands a good health and a focused mind. Most of the merchant ships often have a Catering Officers - specially cruise liners, large cargo ships and ferries. In fact, the term "catering" was used in the world of the merchant marine long before it became recognized as a land-bound business. EVENT CATERING: Providing food for weddings, anniversaries, receptions and large-scale parties is known as event catering. When a person first thinks of the word "caterer", very often they mean a person who serves food with waiting staff or a setup buffet. Event catering includes the presentation and service of the food and also different aspects of event planning. The food could have been prepared on site, (prepared completely at the venue) or the caterer could choose to prepare and then transport the food and put the finishing touches on, once it arrives. BUSINESS CATERING: This type of service refers to the food and beverage services to HODs, CEOs, and Managers of the different industries. Business caterers cater for corporate parties, conferences, lunches, training sessions, and business meetings. This form of catering in high in demand for today’s market but also there is very tough competition out there. INDUSTRIAL CATERING: The term refers to the food and beverage services being provided to the staff in different industries. Industrial caterers provide meals for hospitals, prisons, factories, airlines and other establishments. The most popular example would be Aramark, which actually started out as a peanut vending business and grew into industrial catering, food supply, career apparel and even facility management. MOBILE CATERING: This service refers to a caterer serving food directly from a vehicle which is designed to carry food and equipment. This type of catering can be seen at many places, it can range from a simple truck caring food and beverages which is equipped with heating and cooling provisions fast food or snacks and drinks being served in a stadium. This type of services generally exist where there is lack of permanent catering establishments such as: galleries, circuses, play grounds, amusement parks etc. food may or may not be prepared on site and the sales may vary depending on the location, customer and volume of the business. CHILDCARE AND ELDERCARE CENTRES: Food services provided in the childcare and eldercare centres is a relatively new concept but sure with a promising future. With a growth of single parenting or both working parents the need of childcare facilities has increased to a large extent and so has the need of foodservice in the childcare facilities. Food is an integral part of the growth cycle of a child and the critical factor is providing proper nutrition. On the other hand the eldercare centre offers care to the elders in the morning when the primary care-provider is at work. In such facilities the tasty and nutritious food has to be provided while keeping in mind the dietary or medical requirements of the inmates. • RELIGION AND DIETARY LAWS: The dominating religions largely affect the market demands. In small cities sensitive meats like pork and beef may be a major problem for caterers to supply. The quality may suffer and also the cost might be high for the market. Any of the prescriptions concerning what may or may not be eaten under particular conditions are known as dietary laws of that particular religion. These prescriptions and proscriptions are sometimes religious; often they are secular; frequently they are both. Contract caterers have to keep in mind these laws while serving food to specific communities. Like the Muslims cannot be served pork or any other meat slaughtered in a fashion other than halal, whereas Hindus cannot be served beef. Other religions have their own dietary laws to follow. Contract caterers should be sensitive with these issues as in small cities people might not appreciate negligence to these issues and the contract caterer might lose his clients. • HEALTH AND NUTRITION: One of the major factors responsible for the drift towards contract catering is that the people of the 21st century have realized the importance of a healthy diet. Contract caterers nowadays not only have the responsibility to provide food to the people they are hired to serve but they have a priority of keeping in mind the nutritional value of the meals. It is a scientific art to prepare nutritional meal. Organizations that are inclined on hiring contract caterers insist that the caterers have some knowledge about nutritional values. Contract caterers are required to keep some scientific knowledge about the food they are preparing. • ETHICS/CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY: Leading contract caterers are adopting corporate social responsibility as an important part of their operational approach, and sustainability is accepted as being integral to their operations. (Source: - http://www.crrconference.org/downloads/rimmington.pdf) Sometimes a catering department may encounter conflict-of-interest dilemmas. For example, clients who need outside contractors, such as tour buses, entertainers, and decorators, may ask the caterer for a recommendation. The facility, always mindful of its image and reputation, will tend to recommend only a few outside contractors that can fill the bill adequately. However, such favouritism may be perceived by some as shady dealing. Also in a scenario of contract catering versus in house catering if the later is replaced by contract catering then issues like unemployment may arise. These issues may clash with the work ethics of the employer or even the client involved. • SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT: The social environment of the targeted market also affects contract catering to a large extent. The caterers have to understand the market environment as well as the social environment of the city. In small cities as modernization is still in progress the market may not accept contract catering. The markets in small cities may be well governed by in-house caterers and a change in policies maybe unacceptable even though it might be more profitable. CHALLENGES FACED BY THE CATERERS: • MARKETING THE CATERING DEPARTMENT’S SERVICES: A great deal of time must be spent in this effort to distinguish your facility in the minds of potential clients. Too many caterers can seem exactly alike. Clients tend to perceive caterers as interchangeable as buses: There is always another one available who can handle their needs. You will need to battle this perception constantly. • TIME PRESSURES: The catering department is a pressure cooker. It seems as if everything must be ready “yesterday.” Catering personnel must learn to work well within time constraints. Working with and coordinating with other departments and outside agencies. Proper advance planning is necessary to avoid service glitches that could cause guest dissatisfaction. Caterers must cultivate the ability to communicate effectively. • THE LACK OF TECHNICAL FOODSERVICE SKILLS: One of the greatest challenges plaguing the industry is the unavailability of quality workforce in different skill levels. Many caterers today, both men and women, have less knowledge about food than ever before. They are increasingly reliant on chefs and food and beverage directors for advice. This would not be a major problem if standardized menus were used consistently; however, things are more trendy these days, there is more competition, and many clients want custom menus and something special. This can make it difficult to respond quickly to unusual customer requests. • UNIQUE DEMANDS: All functions have unique demands. For instance, refreshment breaks are sometimes permanently set, but clients may not have a particular schedule in mind and merely wish to visit the refreshment area when time permits. This is especially true in conference centres, where attendees can break at will. Consequently, setups must to be freshened periodically, which requires an employee to be constantly alert to fluctuating needs. • SHORTAGE OF SKILLED EMPLOYEES: One of the greatest challenges plaguing the industry is the unavailability of quality workforce in different skill levels. • RETAINING QUALITY WORKFORCE: Retention of the workforce through training and development in the catering industry is a problem and attrition levels are too high. One of the reasons for this is unattractive wage packages. • CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS: The companies have to focus on customer loyalty and repeat purchases. One of the good strategies can be low cost high quality product service. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION MAJOR SEGMENTS FOR CONTRACT CATERING SERVICE OPERATIONS HEALTHCARE EDUCATION CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES DEFENCE CATERING TRANSPORT CATERING EVENT CATERING BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY MOBILE CATERING CHILDCARE AND ELDERCARE CENTRES FACTORS AFFECTING CONTRACT CATERING CHALLENGES FACED BY THE CATERERS