Food & Beverage Management

Study restaurant management online. Learn about nutrition, cooking, kitchen and food management, menu planning, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, personnel management, catering services, and more.

Course Code: BTR102
Fee Code: S2
Duration (approx) Duration (approx) 100 hours
Qualification Statement of Attainment
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Learn to Manage Food and Beverage Services

Run a restaurant or catering business, or find a job in the food service industry.

This course develops an excellent and sound foundation for working in a restaurant, catering or other food service enterprise.

Topics covered vary from kitchen and food management to planning a menu, restaurant staffing and waiter/waitress skills. 


Student Comment on this Course:  "I have enjoyed the course and would study with ACS again"  D. Hennessy


Lesson Structure

There are 9 lessons in this course:

  1. Human Food and Nutrition
    • Introduction
    • Quality of ingredients
    • Range of ingredients
    • Cooking methods used
    • Eating
    • Major food groups
    • Carbohydrates
    • Fats
    • Proteins
    • Grains
    • Vegetables
    • Vitamins and minerals
    • Food allergies
    • Terminology
    • Weight and energy conversions
    • Resources
    • Networking - for restaurant managers, food industry employees
  2. Cooking
    • Nutritive value in cooking and processing
    • Cooking different types of foods
    • Meat
    • Fish
    • Milk
    • Plant foods
    • Effect of cooking methods on nutrients
    • Baking
    • Blanching
    • Braising
    • Grilling
    • Poaching and boiling
    • Pressure cooking
    • Roasting
    • Sautéing
    • Steaming
    • Preparing vegetables
    • Benefits of cooking
    • Preserving nutrient value in food
    • Managing different nutrients -heat sensitivities, etc.
    • Canning and pasteurisation
    • Homogenisation and pasteurization of milk
    • Freezing
    • Dehydration
  3. Kitchen and Food Management
    • Effect of cooking on nutrition
    • Managing food contamination
    • Contaminants during food processing
    • Pathological contamination
    • Preventing food poisoning
    • Food laws and labelling
    • Labelling
    • Dating
    • Special purpose foods
    • Ethics of food additives
    • Allergies, sensitivities and poisoning
    • Common food allergies
    • Kitchen design
    • Equipment design
    • Criteria for selecting equipment
    • Equipment inventory
    • Managing a freezer
    • Preparation areas
    • Vegetable preparation
    • Salad preparation
    • Meat preparation
    • Fish preparation
    • Pastry preparation
    • Cooking area
    • Central range
    • Convection ovens
    • Microwave oven
    • Cleaning area
    • Waste disposal
    • Food service equipment
    • Food service management
    • Traditional kitchen staff roles -types of chefs, divisions of larder, pantry, tournants etc
    • Menu and production planning
    • Types of production - A la Carte, Table d'Hote, Call-Order, etc
    • Activities in cook-freeze operation
  4. Planning A Menu
    • Needs of special groups
    • School children
    • Adolescents
    • Expecting mothers
    • Nursing mothers
    • The elderly
    • Immigrants
    • Vegetarians
    • Menu planning
    • Assessing diets
    • Assessing your own dietary intake
    • A typical diet at a residential school
    • Plate waste
    • Assessing plate waste
    • Diet formulation
    • Food additives
    • Preservatives
    • Additives for enhancing appearance and colour
    • Flavouring agents
    • Sweetening agents
    • Emulsifying agents and stabilisers
    • Anti caking agents
    • The menu
    • Planning
    • Types of menus
    • Menu composition
    • Beverages
    • Wine and alcohol lists
    • Non alcoholic drinks
  5. Alcoholic Beverages
    • Wine
    • Common white grape varieties
    • Common red grape varieties
    • Wine processing
    • Fortified wines -sherry, port, marsala, maidera, vermouth.
    • Beer
    • Types of beer
    • Beer tasting and characteristics
    • Spirits - Brandy, Whisky, Gin, Rum, Vodka
    • Liqueurs
    • Liqueur coffees
  6. Tea, Coffee and Non-Alcoholic Beverages
    • Water
    • Providing water
    • Soft drinks
    • Fruit juices
    • Non alcoholic cocktails
    • Coffees
    • The coffee blend
    • Grinding coffee
    • Making coffee
    • Problems with coffee
    • Non alcoholic coffee substitutes
    • Teas
    • Specialty teas
    • Green tea
    • Common herb teas
  7. Scope & Nature Of Catering Services
    • Vending machines
    • Popular catering
    • Hospital catering
    • Airline catering
    • Function catering
  8. Personnel Management
    • Reservations and bookings
    • Reservation systems
    • Direct or indirect reservations
    • Contracts
    • Cancellation procedure
    • Refund policy
    • Basic waiting tequniques
    • Holding a Service Spoon and Fork
    • Carrying Plates
    • Using a Service Salver
    • Using a Service Plate
    • Carrying Glasses
    • Carrying Trays
    • Using a Waiter’s Friend
    • Interpersonal skills
    • Addressing customers
    • Dealing with complaints
    • Staff recruitment
    • Advertising a position
    • Interviewing
    • Training staff
    • Different ways of learning the job
    • Self esteem and motivation
    • Assessing training needs
  9. Management Of Catering Services
    • Restaurant marketing
    • Feasibility research
    • Competitive analysis
    • Market analysis
    • Financial analysis
    • Advertising and PR
    • Food purchasing
    • Purchasing methods
    • Tendering

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

  • Explain the role of different food types in human health.
  • Understand the alternative cooking processes, in order to make appropriate decisions about the cooking of different foods
  • Manage the provision of kitchen facilities, and the handling of foodstuffs (including food storage and preparation), in order to maximise efficiency, hygiene and service with the restrictions of facilities available.
  • Plan menus or list of food products for sale, appropriate to different situations.
  • Manage the provision of alcoholic beverages appropriately, in different situations
  • Manage the provision of non-alcoholic beverages appropriately, in different situations.
  • Describe differences in appropriate management for catering in a range of varying situations.
  • Discuss how to manage staff in the food and restaurant industries.
  • Consolidate skills developed throughout this entire course into an overall understanding of management of catering services.

 

HOW FOOD PREPARATION CAN AFFECT NUTRITION

The quality, kinds and amounts of nutrients in foodstuffs are first determined by the way they are grown.

Healthful foods are grown in conditions that provide an optimal balance of nutrients from soil (or in the case of hydroponically-grown produce, from the nutrient solution), sunlight and water. Other factors can improve or reduce the nutrient values or taste when growing foods. Over using nitrogen fertilisers for instance,  when growing plants may accelerate their growth rate, which may cause a small increase in protein content or slight change in taste. At the same time, vitamin C content usually decreases. It is also debatable whether using organic or inorganic fertiliser makes any difference to the nutrient content of the plant food, or to its health effect on the consumer.

The initial processing of a foodstuff can also affect its nutrient content. For instance, milling cereals can result in loss of various nutrients (including fat, fibre, certain vitamins and minerals), though the loss depends upon the milling processes involved. Also, many grains are stripped of their nutritious outer husk during initial processing, reducing their overall nutrient value. The nutrient content or flavour of some foods is increased or intensified by drying.

 

Effects of Cooking

Various food treatments and preparation methods can also destroy nutrients. Cutting, peeling or trimming foods in preparation for cooking will remove nutrients. The quantity and kinds of nutrients removed may vary according to which parts of the foods are discarded. Trimming fat from meat may, for example, be advantageous, as it reduces the animal fat content of the meal, while peeling skin from fruit or vegetables will often result in loss of some of the most nutrient-rich parts of the food.

Cooking can improve the taste and digestibility of some foods, and in some cases, increase their nutritional value to the consumer. Heat also destroys microorganisms that may contaminate food and cause problems if ingested. Heat from cooking is destructive to a wide variety of nutrients, and for this reason, many foods are more nutritious if eaten fresh, or with minimal cooking. 

Other methods of food processing which can affect nutrition include: controlled-atmosphere storage, blanching, canning, freezing, dehydration (drying), toasting, sprouting and pasteurisation.

 

JOB TIPS for a Career in Food Service

  • A qualification helps open doors, but it's only part of what you need
  • Get Experience, even if it is unpaid -Volunteering can be a great way to get a leg in the door
  • Experiment with cooking at home. People who know about a greater range of foods and beverages will impress employers; and customers.
  • Networking is critical -We show you how and get you started in this course. Often it's who you know as much as what you know that gets you the job
  • Build your communication skills. This is a service industry. You need to deal with people, communicating clearly and concisely. 
  • Be prepared to do anything to get started. Many successful professionals started out sweeping floors and making coffee.

People who communicate well, know their foods and are well networked will have more chance of a successful career than someone with a qualification but lacking those things.

If your studies are to be an advantage, you need to get the lot; not just the qualification.

 

 
Member of Study Gold Coast Education Network.
Member of Study Gold Coast Education Network.
ACS Global Partner - Affiliated with colleges in seven countries around the world.
ACS Global Partner - Affiliated with colleges in seven countries around the world.
Since 1999 ACS has been a recognised member of IARC (International Approval and Registration Centre). A non-profit quality management organisation servicing education.
Since 1999 ACS has been a recognised member of IARC (International Approval and Registration Centre). A non-profit quality management organisation servicing education.

How can I start this course?

You can enrol at anytime and start the course when you are ready. Enrolments are accepted all year - students can commence study at any time. All study is self paced and ACS does not set assignment deadlines.

Please note that if a student is being assisted by someone else (e.g. an employer or government subsidy), the body offering the assistance may set deadlines. Students in such situations are advised to check with their sponsor prior to enrolling. The nominal duration of a course is approximately how long a course takes to complete. A course with a nominal duration of 100 hours is expected to take roughly 100 hours of study time to complete. However, this will vary from student to student. Short courses (eg. 100 hrs duration) should be completed within 12 months of enrolment. Certificates, Advanced Certificates and Awards (eg. over 500 hours duration) would normally be completed within 3 -5 years of enrolment. Additional fees may apply if a student requires an extended period to complete.
If a student cannot submit their assignments for 6 months to ACS, they should advise the school to avoid cancellation of their student
registration. Recommencement fees may apply.

Simply click on the ENROL OPTIONS button at the top of this screen and follow the prompts.

You can see the course price at the top of this page. Click 'enrolment options' to see any payment options available.

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What do I need to know before I enrol?

There are no entry requirements that you need to meet to enrol in our courses, our courses are for everyone.
If you are under 18, we need written permission from your parent/ guardian for your enrolment to continue, we can arrange that after you have enrolled.

You don’t need to purchase any additional resources to complete our courses.

We aim to teach you the essentials without you having to purchase any specific computer program.
We recommend that you have access to a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, so that you can easily complete and submit your assignments.

You sure can. We are here to help you learn whatever your abilities.

Yes, if you are enrolling in a Certificate or Advanced Certificate, you might be eligible for credits if you have evidence of your previous studies or relevant experience. More information is here.

We recommend that you are able to browse websites, send emails and conduct online research. You will need to be able to type and submit your assignments.
If you have limited computer skills, we can make special arrangements for you.

This is possible, it depends on the institution. We recommend that if you would like to use our courses that you contact the institution first. Our Course Handbook is a good resource for this.

Our courses are written in English and we only have English speaking academic staff. If you can read and complete your assignments in English, our courses are ideal for you.

Our courses are designed to build knowledge, hands on skills and industry connections to help prepare you to work in the area, running your own business, professional development or as a base for further study.

This course has been designed to cover the fundamentals of the topic. It will take around 100 hours to complete, which includes your course reading, assignment work, research, practical tasks, watching videos and anything else that is contained in the course. Our short courses are a great way to do some professional development or to learn a new skill.

It’s up to you. The study hours listed in the course are a rough guide, however if you were to study a short course (100 hours) at 10 hours per week, you could finish the course in 10 weeks (just an example). Our courses are self-paced, so you can work through the courses in your own time. We recommend that you wait for your tutor to mark and return your assignment before your start your next one, so you get the benefits of their feedback.

The course consists of course notes, videos, set tasks for your practical work, online quizzes, an assignment for each lesson (that you receive feedback from your tutor from) and ends in an exam (which is optional, if would like to receive the formal award at the end), using our custom built Learning Management System - Login.Training.

Our courses are designed for adults to gain professional development and skills to further their careers and start businesses.

Our custom online learning portal allows you to conduct your learning online. There may be practical tasks that you can do offline. You have the option of downloading your course notes or print them to read later.

There is also the option to pay an additional fee for printed course notes and or USB (availability limited to location and deliverability).

Yes, if you don’t have access to the internet, you can receive the course as paper notes or on a USB stick for an additional fee. We can also make alternative arrangements for you to send your assignments to us.

We offer printed notes for an additional fee. Also, you can request your course notes on a USB stick for an additional fee.

Yes, your tutor is here to help you. Simply post any questions you have in your login.training portal or contact the office and we can pass on a message to your tutor.

We are more learning focussed, rather than assessment focussed. You have online quizzes to test your learning, written assignments and can complete an exam at the end of the course (if you want to receive your certificate). You will not receive a pass/ fail on your course work. If you need to add more details on your assignment, we will ask you to resubmit and direct you where you need to focus. If you need help, you can ask your tutor for advice in the student room.

Each module (short course) is completed with one exam.

Exams are optional, however you must sit an exam if you would like to receive a formal award. You will need to find someone who can supervise that you are sitting the exams under exams conditions. There is an additional cost of $60 incl. GST for each exam.
More information is here

There are practical components built into the course that have been designed to be achieved by anyone, anywhere. If you are unable to complete a task for any reason, you can ask your tutor for an alternative.

When you complete the course work and the exam and you will be able receive your course certificate- a Statement of Attainment. Otherwise, you can receive a Letter of Completion.

You can bundle the short courses to create your own customised learning bundle, Certificates or Advanced Certificates. More information is on this page.

Yes, our courses are built to be applicable for people living anywhere in any situation. We provide the fundamentals, and each student can apply their own unique flair for their own interests, region and circumstances with the one-on-one guidance of a tutor. There is also a bit of student directed research involved.

Employers value candidates with industry skills, knowledge, practical skills and formal learning. Our courses arm you with all of these things to help prepare you for a job or start your own business. The longer you study the more you will learn.

ACS has an arrangement with OAMPS (formerly AMP) who can arrange Professional Indemnity from Australian and New Zealand graduates across all disciplines. Ph: 1800 222 012 or email acs@oamps.com.au.


Who are ACS Distance Education?

ACS Distance Education have been educating people for over 40 years.

We are established and safe- we have been in education for over 40 years.
We are focused on developing innovative courses that are relevant to you now and what you will need to know in the future.
We are focused on helping you learn and make the most of your experience.
You can enrol at any time, you can work on your course when it suits you and at your own pace.
We are connected to many industry bodies and our staff participate in continuous improvement and learning activities to ensure that we are ahead of what learning is needed for the future.

Our courses are not accredited by the Australian Government. However many of our courses are recognised and held in high regard by many industry bodies.

Our courses are written by our staff, who all have many years experience and have qualifications in their speciality area. We have lots of academic staff who write and update our courses regularly.


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We can arrange bulk discounts for your course enrolment, please get in touch with us to discuss your needs.

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Course Contributors

The following academics were involved in the development and/or updating of this course.

Karen Lee

Nutritional Scientist, Dietician, Teacher and Author.
BSc. Hons. (Biological Sciences), Postgraduate Diploma Nutrition and Dietetics.
Registered dietitian in the UK, with over 15 years working in the NHS. Karen has undertaken a number of research projects and has lectured to undergraduate university students. Has co authored two books on nutrition and several other books in health sciences.

Jade Sciascia

Biologist, Business Coordinator, Government Environmental Dept, Secondary School teacher (Biology); Recruitment Consultant, Senior Supervisor in Youth Welfare, Horse Riding Instructor (part-completed) and Boarding Kennel Manager.
Jade has a B.Sc.Biol, Dip.Professional Education, Cert IV TESOL, Cert Food Hygiene.

Lyn Quirk

M.Prof.Ed.; Adv.Dip.Compl.Med (Naturopathy); Adv.Dip.Sports Therapy
Over 30 years as Health Club Manager, Fitness Professional, Teacher, Coach and Business manager in health, fitness and leisure industries. As business owner and former department head for TAFE, she brings a wealth of skills and experience to her role as a tutor for ACS.





Tutors

Meet some of the tutors that guide the students through this course.

Julia Mayo-Ramsay

Dr Julia Mayo-Ramsay is a practicing environmental and agricultural lawyer. She holds a PhD in International Environmental Law, LLM, BLJS, GDLP, LLM (Environmental Law) and a Master of Applied Science (Agriculture).
Julia started out in agriculture working on various dairy farms in the 1980s before working as dairy manager / tutor at Hawkesbury Agricultural College Richmond NSW. Julia then went on to work at Riverina Artificial Breeders at Tabletop (Albury) NSW as an embryo transfer technician assisting vets with artificial breeding and embryo transfer in cattle, sheep and deer. This was followed by two years as a herd manager for a very large commercial dairy herd milking 3,000 cows over three dairies on the outskirts of Sydney before heading overseas. In 1994 Julia accepted a position in NE Thailand at the Sakhon Nakhon Institute of Technology (now a University) training farmers and students in cattle breeding and dairy farm management. On returning to Australia in late 1996 Julia completed a Master of Applied Science in Agriculture at Hawkesbury Agricultural College (UWS) as well as law degrees and maritime studies. Julia now works as a Lawyer in the area of environmental and rural law.
Currently Julia teaches a variety of maritime subjects for Marine Rescue NSW.
As well as teaching Julia is working on a number of environmental research projects.

Rosemary Davies

Originally from Melbourne, Rosemary trained in Horticultural Applied Science at Burnley, a campus of Melbourne University. Initially she worked with Agriculture Victoria as an extension officer, taught horticulture students, worked on radio with ABC radio (clocking up over 24 years as a presenter of garden talkback programs, initially the only woman presenter on gardening in Victoria) and she simultaneously developed a career as a writer.

She then studied Education and Training, teaching TAFE apprentices and developing curriculum for TAFE, before taking up an offer as a full time columnist with the Herald and Weekly Times and its magazine department after a number of years as columnist with the Age. She has worked for a number of companies in writing and publications, PR community education and management and has led several tours to Europe.

Diana Cole

Diana Cole B.A. (Hons), RHS Diploma in Horticulture, BTEC Higher Diploma in Garden Design, Diploma Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, PTLLS (Preparing to Teach in the Life Long Learning Sector), P.D.C.

In addition to the qualifications listed above, Diana holds City & Guild construction qualifications and an NPTC pesticide spraying licence (PA1/PA6). Diana runs her own landscape gardening business (Arbella Gardens). She also has skills gained through leading a group of volunteers renovating a local park on behalf of a local council and has been a volunteer leader with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. She continues to teach the Royal Horticultural Society qualifications (Levels 2 and 3) at her local college. She is a member of The National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners Ltd.

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In my role within a large Aged Care Facility a great deal of my employment is spent in the area of Turf management and garden care/refurbishment. With ACS I was able to study at my own pace allowing me to put into practise and thoroughly research the subject matter broadening my knowledge and study experience further. I enjoyed the way in which the subject matter was presented as it allowed you to study each subject further, allowing for greater depth, clarity and knowledge.
Overall there are not many areas in which the course subject matter will not turn out to be invaluable, everything is covered to allow you to become successful within your own business or place of employment. A big thank you to Gavin Cole [tutor] and all at ACS. It was a pleasure to study with ACS, look forward to further study.

- Craig Ledbury
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