Portion control is referred to as the means of controlling the quantity or size of food or drinks to be sold to each guest. It helps in maximizing profit and cutting of excess loss in catering establishment.
FACTORS THAT DETERMINES PORTION SIZE
- Cost of the ingredient
- Price charged on menu
- Types of customers catered for
- Customer’s turnover
- Competition
- Customer purchasing /bargaining power
- Types of menu and variety in the menu.
METHODS OF PORTION CONTROL
- Standard recipe: the standard recipe prepared should be used be used regularly so as to bring about consistency in the weight and quantity of the portion prepared.
- Portion chart: the portion chart showing the standard portion of the dishes should be displayed to help in controlling size of the dishes.
- Comparing expected portion: this is done to ascertain if the portion served is adequate or not.
- Regular spot check: this is done by the supervisors or managers in other to ensure that the staff responsible for portioning the dishes does it with care since there are aware such checks will come up.
- Instructing staff on the correct use of portion control equipment: the members of staff concerned with the portioning should be trained and well educated on how it is correctly using the portioning equipment.
EQUIPMENT FOR PORTION CONTROL
- Ladles for soups and sauces
- Scales for measuring the weight of items
- Standard recipe chart
- Measuring jugs
- Slicing machine
- Soup plates
- Fruit juice glass
- Scoops for ice-cream or mashed potatoes
- Individual pie dishes, pudding basins.
GENERAL EVALUATION QUESTIONS
- Explain portion control.
- Mention five factors affecting menu planning
- List the factors influence meal planning.
- Mention and explain the parts of a bar
- List five reasons people eat out side..
See also
CONTROL SYSTEM IN CATERING ESTABLISHMENTS
BILL PREPRATION AND PRESENTATION | BILL METHODS. CHECKS, PREPAID, NO CHARGE & VOUCHER
COSTING | ADVANTAGES, ELEMENTS & DISH COSTING
COCKTAILS – FULL EXPLANATION
BEVERAGE IN RELATION TO STILL ROOM