Week 6 - Wiki Assignment

Q1. Update your wiki about the functions and responsibilities of F&B operations

F&B operations involve in many departments operations. Generally, they are kitchen, bars, stewarding and catering.

First of all, the director of F&B is responsible for operation of those departments efficiently and effectively. The director needs to exceed guests’ expectations in food and beverage offerings and service and has a detailed working knowledge of the front-of-the-house operations. Besides, the director needs to have leadership skill, knowing how to elective, motivate and train employees, and as well as do budgeting and control costs. It is a top position for other departments.

The executive chefs or managers

of a hotel kitchen need to set and maintaining quality standards to exceed guest service expectations, do marketing and present forecasts and budgets to the F&B directors, hire, train and develop employees and do some in-room dining, minibars, coffee service, and sometimes, banquets.

Bars take an important position on the F&B operation as well. The sommeliers, who run bars, are responsible to supervise the ordering and storage of wines, prepare wine list, do schedule and cost control, and oversee staff.

The responsibilities of chief steward are cleanliness, inventory control and monthly stock check; forecast lobar and cleaning supply needs and others such as sanitation and pest control.

The catering department director

is able to lead a team, make up departmental goals and objectives. And set service standards to ensure the catering departments is properly maintained. The director has to be creative and knowledgeable about food, wine and service, be very well versed in the likes, dislikes and dietary restrictions of various ethnic groups.

Q2. Discover the recent trends and challenges in operating F&B operations

Challenges
1.In-room dining
Every step of the in-room dining process needs to be considered according to expert chefs, it isn’t enough to have a menu designed to perfection as poor execution leads to an unsatisfied guest. Factors such as guest needs, seasonality of the ingredients used, and the quality of the food at the time of delivery are all capable of jeopardising the whole experience for the guest.

2.Subpar food

Although hotels earn their reputations over a long time, Hotels may offer their in-hotel dining spaces to third party food and beverage providers who may in turn serve subpar food and hence lead the said hotel restaurants and by default, the hotel to get a bad reputation.

3.Corporate responsibility

Consumers expect restaurants and hotels to move towards greener practices and feel satisfied knowing that their views are being respected and adhered. Some of the hotels have taken initiative and begun measures to ensure a greener more climate friendly supply chain. By adopting eco-friendly practices restaurants can manipulate their customer demographic. (Cont’d in next paragraph)

4.Changing Demographics

The Hong Kong population especially is an aging one, and the same can be said about most populations, hence by adopting a clean-eating, eco-friendly path to food accumulation and menu, restaurants and hotels can expect more health-concerned elderly diners coming in, not to mention the younger generation that is forever on a health frenzy.

Trends

1.Green Eating
As mentioned in the challenges portion, it is a recent trend to eat green and there has been recent controversial talk about how much the consumption of meat is negatively affecting the earth. Trends like these and exposure to such media and information, has diners paying more attention to what they consume, where it came from and how it was prepared.

2.Smaller Portions

The recent trends have restaurants serving up ridiculously small portions of meat, pasta etc to diners, nay, health fanatics. In this day and age where presentation is everything, and calorie counting has become a reflex, diners not only look forward to smaller portions but expect it.

3.Convenience

Convenience is the biggest concern of most diners, where a sushi roll or a frozen yogurt is perfect for their five minute walk from the MTR to work. Extravagant, lavishly prepared meals are only appreciated on special occasions, otherwise its about speed and satisfaction.

4.Nostalgic Feelings

Restaurants know about our tendency to forever have an affiliation with that one dish that brings us right back to our childhood, and they manipulate this to create menu items like “Homemade Tomato Soup” , etc. which draw on diners’ heart strings and has them placing and order for said “Homemade” soup.

Q.3 Explore different ways of sustainability in Food and Beverage

1. Build a robust risk assessment process: Set a clear measure to source the key agricultural inputs sustainably.

2. Improve public disclosure about agriculture sourcing: The company need to make the information transparent also disclose their information about their performance. And the customers will have a high confidence about the food safety of the hotel.

3. Establish sound programs and incentives. : Farmers and agricultural suppliers need to be supported and encouraged to implement sustainable practices in the field and to measure their improvement.

In the hotel

1. Keep the environment friendly concept in mind.

2. Measure the company’s carbon footprint and trace the supply chain.

Reflection:

It is no doubt that food and beverage operations management play an important role in the hotel segment. It is a critical sector which help generating sales for the hotel operation. Now, we have clear concepts about the organisation within the food and beverage division including each responsibilities.


On the other hand, in order to rival within the hotel industry, hotels should pay more effort on sustainabie food and beverage like setting more low-fat, low carbohydrate menu items. Also, keep the environment friendly concept in mind in every corners of the hotel.