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Modern-day menus are the result of a combination of a number of factors. Menu content, traditionally based on classic cuisine, is continually being influenced by food trends, fads and fashions. In the main, customer demand is being affected by a greater understanding of:

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◗ the relationship between health and eating

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◗ dietary requirements

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◗ cultural and religious influences

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◗ vegetarianism

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◗ ethical influences.

Because of these influences there is now a greater emphasis on offering alternatives such as low fat milks (for example, skimmed or semi-skimmed), non-dairy creamers for beverages, alternatives to sugar such as sweeteners, sorbets alongside ice creams and polyunsaturated fat and non-animal fats as alternatives to butter. These influences have also affected

cooking ingredients and methods, with the development of lower fat dishes, lighter cuisine and attractive and decent alternatives for non-meat eaters, with greater use of animal protein substitutes such as Quorn and tofu.

Health and eating

The key issue in the relationship between health and eating is ensuring a healthy diet. This means eating a balanced diet rather than viewing individual foods as somehow more healthy or less healthy. Customers are increasingly looking for the availability of choices that will enable them to achieve a balanced diet. Customers are also requiring more specific information on methods of cooking used, for example, low fat or low salt methods. General consensus suggests that the regular diet should be made up of at least one third based on a range of bread, cereals, rice and potatoes; one third based on a variety of fruit and vegetables; and the remainder based on dairy foods, including low fat milk, low fat meats and fish and small amounts of fatty and sugary food.

Dietary requirements

There are a variety of medical conditions, including allergies, which are more common than was previously understood. Customers may therefore require a certain diet for medical reasons (including the prevention of allergic reactions). Such customers will need to know about the ingredients used in a dish since eating certain things may make them very ill and may even be fatal. Although such customers will usually know what they can and cannot eat, it is important that when asked, a server is able to accurately describe the dishes so that the customer can make the appropriate choice. The server should never guess and if in doubt, should seek further information. Some examples of dietary requirements are given in Table 4.1.

Cultural and religious dietary influences

Various faiths have differing requirements with regard to the dishes/ingredients that may be consumed, and these requirements often also cover preparation methods, cooking procedures and the equipment used. Examples are given in Table 4.2 below.

Table 4.1 Examples of dietary requirements

Allergies Food items that are known to cause allergies include the gluten in wheat,

rye and barley (known as coeliac), peanuts and their derivatives, sesame seeds and other nuts such as cashew, pecan, brazil and walnuts, as well as milk, fish, shellfish, eggs and tropical fruits. Sometimes these foods can cause anaphylactic shock resulting in the lips, tongue or throat swelling dramatically over a very short period of time. Prompt medical treatment is needed in such cases.

Diabetic This refers to the inability of the body to control the level of insulin within the

blood. An appropriate diet may include foods listed in the low cholesterol section below and the avoidance of dishes with a high sugar content.

Low cholesterol Diets will include polyunsaturated fats and may include limited quantities

of animal fats. Other items eaten may include lean poached or grilled meats and fish, fruit and vegetables and low fat milk, cheese and yoghurt.

Low sodium/

salt This requires a reduction in the amount of sodium or salt consumed. Diets will include low sodium/salt foods and cooking with very limited or no salt.

Table 4.2 Dietary requirements according to the various faiths

Hindus Do not eat beef and rarely pork. Some Hindus will not eat any meats, fish

or eggs. Diets may include cheese, milk and vegetarian dishes.

Jews Only ‘clean’ (kosher) animals may be consumed. Jews do not eat pork or pork products, shellfish or animal fats and gelatine from beasts considered to be unclean or not slaughtered according to the prescribed manner. There are restrictions placed on methods of preparation and cookery. The preparation and eating of meat and dairy products at the same meal is not allowed.

Muslims Will not eat meat, offal or animal fat unless it is halal (i.e. lawful, as required

under Islamic Dietary Law) meat. Will not consume alcohol, even when used in cooking.

Sikhs Do not eat beef or pork. Some will keep to a vegetarian diet. Others may

eat fish, mutton, cheese and eggs. Sikhs will not eat halal meat.

Rastafarians Will not eat any processed foods, pork or fish without fins (e.g. eels). Will not

consume tea, coffee or alcohol.

Roman

Catholics Few restrictions on diet. Usually will not eat meats on Ash Wednesday or Good Friday. Some keep with the past requirement for no meat to be eaten on Fridays. Fish and dairy products may be eaten instead.

Vegetarianism

Vegetarianism may derive from cultural, religious, moral, ethical or physiological considerations. It is therefore important that food descriptions are accurate. The various forms of vegetarianism are summarised in Table 4.3 below.

99 Menu and service knowledge

Ethical influences

Customers have become increasingly aware of ethical issues, such as:

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◗ ensuring sustainability of foods consumed

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◗ fair trade

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◗ the acceptability or otherwise of genetically modified foods or irradiated foods

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◗ reducing food packaging and food waste

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◗ reducing the effects that food production and food transportation have on the environment generally.

There is also a greater trend towards using more seasonal and locally sourced food and beverage items, when the quality, taste, freshness and nutritional value are all at their peak, and when supplies are more plentiful and cheaper. For foodservice businesses, the benefits can also include:

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◗ improved menu planning, as suppliers can give information in advance on what they are able to provide

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◗ more reliable products and service, with greater flexibility to respond to customer needs

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◗ increased marketing opportunities through making a feature of using locally sourced food and beverage items and through special promotions related to local seasons and food and beverage specialities

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◗ support for training of staff from local suppliers.

Legal considerations are summarised in Section 12.1, p.361 and additional information about how to meet customer needs is given in Section 12.2, p.363.

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4.5 Menu and service knowledge

Knowledge about the product is at the core of successful food and beverage service. This knowledge enables the server to advise the customer of the content of dishes, the methods used in making the dishes and also ensures that the customer is provided with an appropriate service lay-up and the correct accompaniments. The rest of this chapter provides information on the lay-ups and accompaniments for a selection of menu items by Table 4.3 Forms of vegetarianism

Vegetarians: semi Do not eat red meats, or all meats other than poultry, or all meats.

Diet will include fish and may include dairy produce and other animal products.

Vegetarians: lacto-ovo Do not eat meat, fish or poultry but may eat milk, milk products

and eggs.

Vegetarians: lacto Do not eat meat, fish, poultry and eggs but may eat milk and milk

products.

Vegans Do not eat any foods of animal origin. Diet will mainly consist of

vegetables, vegetable oils, cereals, nuts, fruits and seeds.

Fruitarians More restricted form of vegetarianism. Excluded are all foods of

animal origin together with pulses and cereals. Diet may include mainly raw and dried fruit, nuts, honey and olive oil.

course. Additional information is contained in Annex A: Glossary of Cuisine and Service Terms (p.402).

There are a number of dishes where traditional accompaniments are normally served. Accompaniments offered with certain dishes are mainly to assist in improving the flavour or to counteract richness. There are also traditions indicating the appropriate lay-up or cover for certain dishes. The sections that follow contain guides to these lay-ups and accompaniments. However, these guides are not intended to be prescriptive, as changes are constantly taking place and new accompaniments being tried. Also, the desire for healthier eating has led to a number of changes, for example, alternatives to butter such as Flora are often provided and frequently bread is not buttered in advance, thereby allowing the customer to choose his or her requirements. The availability of lower fat milks, non-dairy creamers and non-sugar sweeteners is also now standard.

For the lay-up the most important consideration is to aid eating. The use of fish knives and forks, for instance, is becoming less fashionable (the original reason for these Victorian items was as much to do with people wanting to show that their silver was new, rather than inherited, as it was to do with being able to keep these items separate from other items). Small (demi-tasse) coffee cups are now seen less often in restaurants although these cups are still used for espresso.