SITHKOP013

plan cooking
operations

SITHKOP013 Plan cooking operations 1

Contents
1: Introduction 7
2: Planning cooking operations 23
Chef’s Toolbox 30

SITHKOP013 Plan cooking operations 2

 SITHKOP013 Plan cooking operations

Application
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to plan the
production of food in commercial kitchens. It requires the ability to organise required food supplies
for food production and supervise food production processes.
Food production can be for any type of cuisine and food service style. It may include Asian
cookery, patisserie products and bulk-cooked foods.
The unit applies to hospitality and catering organisations, including hotels, restaurants, clubs,
educational institutions, health establishments, defence forces, cafeterias, residential caterers, in
flight and other transport caterers, event and function caterers.
It applies to those people who operate independently or with limited guidance from others including
senior chefs and catering managers.
The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory
legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice.
No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this unit at the
time of publication.

Prerequisite
SITXFSA005 Use hygienic practices for food safety

Learning goals
• Plan food production requirements.
• Organise availability of supplies and equipment.
• Plan kitchen operations.

Fact Sheets
• Fact Sheet 1 - Following Hygienic Work Practices

• Fact Sheet 2 - Food Safety Programs

• Fact Sheet 3 - Food Safety Laws, Regulations and Standards

• Fact Sheet 4 - Managing Food Safety Hazards and Risks

• Fact Sheet 5 - Safe Food Handling

• Fact Sheet 6 - Receiving, Storing and Maintaining Food

• Fact Sheet 7 - Cleaning and Sanitisation

• Fact Sheet 8 - Working Sustainably

• Fact Sheet 9 - Reading and Interpreting Recipes

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 • Fact Sheet 10 - Workflow Planning

• Fact Sheet 11 - Special Dietary Requirements

• Fact Sheet 12 - Understanding Your Customers

• Fact Sheet 13 - Costing Dishes

• Fact Sheet 14 - Culinary Terms

• Fact Sheet 15 - Gathering Feedback

• Fact Sheet 16 - A Tour of the Large Equipment in a Commercial Kitchen

• Fact Sheet 17 - Commercial Kitchen Utensils

• Fact Sheet 18 - Pots, Pans, Trays and Steamers

• Fact Sheet 19 - Knives

• Fact Sheet 20 - Equipment Safety, Cleaning and Maintenance

• Fact Sheet 21 - Blenders, Mixers, Food Processors and Food Mills

• Fact Sheet 22 - Graters, Mouli and Mandoline Slicers

• Fact Sheet 23 - Weights and Measures

• Fact Sheet 25 - All About Blanching

• Fact Sheet 26 - All About Boiling

• Fact Sheet 27 - All About Braising

• Fact Sheet 28 - All About Frying

• Fact Sheet 29 - All About Grilling

• Fact Sheet 30 - All About Poaching

• Fact Sheet 31 - All About Roasting and Baking

• Fact Sheet 32 - All About Stewing

• Fact Sheet 33 - All About Steaming

• Fact Sheet 34 - All About Microwaving

• Fact Sheet 35 - Garnishes

• Fact Sheet 36 - Marinades

• Fact Sheet 37 - Accompaniments

• Fact Sheet 38 - Kitchen Safety

• Fact Sheet 39 - Presentation and Plating Techniques

• Fact Sheet 40 - All About Sous Vide

Overlap alert
Learners may already be familiar with the following concepts:

• cleaning and sanitisation

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 • safe food handling

• hygienic work practices

• workflow planning

• sustainable work practices

• use of commercial kitchen equipment and utensils

• freshness and quality indicators

• spoilage and contamination

• safe food storage

• knife skills

• culinary terms

• cooking methods

• special dietary requirements

• leading a team to oversee day-to-day work

• problem solving

• workplace health, safety and security.

You might consider a brief refresher with an emphasis on applying the existing knowledge and
skills in the context of receiving, storing and maintaining stock.

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1: Introduction

This section provides a brief overview of the key requirements when working in a commercial kitchen.
You will already be very familiar with these concepts from your work so far in this course, however,
feel free to review them to refresh your memory. Remember that you will be applying these
requirements in the role of overseeing production.

Safe food handling

TR A I NE R NOT E

Safe and hygienic work practices in the kitchen are addressed in the following units:

• SITXFSA005 Use hygienic practices for food safety (which you will already be familiar with)

• SITXFSA006 Participate in safe food handling practices

• SITXWHS007 Implement and monitor work health and safety practices

If students have completed these units already, you may like to direct them to look over their guides
for these units and refresh their memory on key principles.

TIME FOR SOME FACTS

You may like to take a few moments to review:

• Fact Sheet 1 - Following Hygienic Work Practices

• Fact Sheet 2 - Food Safety Programs

• Fact Sheet 3 - Food Safety Laws, Regulations and Standards

• Fact Sheet 4 - Managing Food Safety Hazards and Risks

• Fact Sheet 5 - Safe Food Handling

• Fact Sheet 36 - Kitchen Safety

You may like to take a few moments to review the food safety/handling requirements
for specific types of ingredients and food by looking at the guides for units such as:

• SITHCCC028 Prepare appetisers and salads

• SITHCCC029 Prepare stocks sauces and soups

• SITHCCC030 Prepare vegetable fruit and farinaceous dishes

• SITHCCC035 Prepare poultry dishes

• SITHCCC037 Prepare seafood dishes

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 • SITHCCC036 Prepare meat dishes

• SITHCCC041 Produce cakes, pastries and breads

• SIHTPAT016 Produce desserts

Food storage
TR A I NE R NOT E

Food storage requirements are addressed in detail in the unit SITXINV006 Receive, store and
maintain stock.

As with any food items you must ensure you are using ingredients that are in date and fresh. Food
safety standards require that food is labelled and rotated to ensure freshness and quality.
Always check the use by dates and best before dates of food before you prepare it.

Labelling

• Place labels on containers/trays.

• Labels/stickers include:
o colour-coded stickers
o ‘days of the week’ stickers
o use by food labels
o prep labels (item, name, quantity, date, use by)
o ‘use first’ or ‘new stock/old stock’ labels.

• Make sure use by or best before dates are not removed from packaging.

• Shelving should be labelled to assist with correct storage, rotation and inventory management.

Storage

• All food must be stored in food-grade storage containers.

• Check the condition of food containers before use and throw out those that are cracked/split,
or have poor fitting lids.

• Wash and sanitise before use.

• Single-use containers should never be reused.

• Lids must be tight fitting.

• If you need to use cling film or foil, make sure it covers the container tightly.

• Check temperature of fridges/cool rooms and freezers.

• Check for signs of humidity and moisture in dry stores.

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 • Check packaged foods for signs of contamination, spoilage or pest infestation.

• Check dry stores for signs of pest infestation.

• Make sure food storage areas have sufficient lighting to assist with identification or spoiled and
contaminated foods.

• Check for adequate ventilation in the kitchen area to reduce condensation build up.

TIME FOR SOME FACTS

You may like to take a few moments to review Fact Sheet 6 - Receiving, Storing and Maintaining
Food.

You may like to further review safe food receiving and storage requirements by
returning to your guide for the unit SITXINV006 Receive, store and maintain stock.

Equipment and utensils

TR A I NE R NOT E

Commercial kitchen equipment and utensils are addressed in more detail in the unit SITHCCC023
Use food preparation equipment.

By this stage you will have used many

different types of equipment and
utensils in the commercial kitchen. Part
of your work in the kitchen when plan
cooking operations will require that you
have the required equipment available
for your team to use throughout the
service period and that you observe
your team for safe and correct usage of
equipment and utensils.
Image by CA Creative on Unsplash

SHARE PLATE

In small groups consider your kitchen – what equipment is there? Your trainer will provide you with
some paper to write down the equipment. Do you have issues with not being able to complete a
task because someone else is using it?
Trainer: Place students into small groups and provide them with butchers paper, paper or a
whiteboard and see what equipment they list. Discuss equipment resource limitations and the
impact that they can cause. As a class determine contingency plans to resolve any issues the
students provide.

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 TIME FOR SOME FACTS

You may like to take a few moments to review:

• Fact Sheet 16 - A Tour of the Large Equipment in a Commercial Kitchen

• Fact Sheet 17 - Commercial Kitchen Utensils

• Fact Sheet 18 - Pots, Pans, Trays and Steamers

• Fact Sheet 19 - Knives

• Fact Sheet 20 - Equipment Safety, Cleaning and Maintenance

• Fact Sheet 21 - Blenders, Mixers, Food Processors and Food Mills

• Fact Sheet 22 - Graters, Mouli and Mandoline Slicers

• Fact Sheet 23 - Weights and Measures

Cleaning and sanitisation

No one wants to use dirty equipment or equipment that isn’t working the way it should. You should
always make sure you have cleaned and performed any necessary maintenance on equipment so
that it is clean and safe to use for the next time, or for the next person.

TIME FOR SOME FACTS

You may like to take a few moments to review Fact Sheet 7 - Cleaning and Sanitation.

Image by Liliana Drew on Pexels

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Common signs of uncleanliness or damage may include:

• food that has not been removed from attachments and accessories

• spatters or splashes of food on equipment housing

• dust and dirt

• stains or marks on equipment

• cracks, slits and chips

• issues with electrical cords and plugs.

Key cleaning and maintenance requirements relate to:

• the correct way to clean and sanitise equipment

• what maintenance can be safely performed (such as blade sharpening and adjusting, belt
tensioning, oiling and lubrication)

• signs of wear and tear or damage.

Commercial kitchens will have cleaning and maintenance checklists and procedures available for staff
to follow.

Working sustainably
Every day you spend in the kitchen means you are using water, electricity, gas and producing waste.
The impact of the hospitality industry on the environment is well known, and has led to changes in
many practices.

TIME FOR SOME FACTS

You may like to take a few moments to review Fact Sheet 8 - Working Sustainably.

Determining food production requirements

This requires you to consider the following:

• customer requirements (for example, any special requests or special dietary requirements)

• menu items

• meal quantities required (for example, what food service style are you planning for)

• organisation standards (food safety, work health, safety, and security, hygiene, equipment
usage, purchasing and inventory, customer service, quality)

• portion control

• standard recipes

• timeframes

• what type of food is to be prepared

• food production processes.

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You will already know these aspects from your previous work, however know it is your role to make
sure these are followed and to quality standards and workplace expectations.

Service planning
When planning for service, first you need to consider the various food service styles depending on the
situation, the business and the business needs. For example, if you were to plan for a wedding it
would require different considerations than if you were creating a buffet for a special event such as
Christmas lunch. We will look further at the different service styles later on.
Once the service style has been decided you then need to consider the food production requirements.

Production requirements
This is where you need to decide on and analyse the recipes that you and your team will be preparing
for service. When considering the production requirements, you should determine:

• What the customer requirements are for service.

• If there are any dietary requirements or special requests that you need to consider.

• How many meals will be required?

• How will you ensure that the correct number of meals are produced?

• How will you manage portion control?

• What the timeframe for mise en place and service will be?

• What the organisational standards for the dishes which you will prepare are.

• How will you ensure that organisational standards are met?

By considering these requirements you ensure that the plan will lead an efficient and quality service,
that the nutritional value, quality and structure of the food will be maintained by using appropriate
preparation and cooking methods, timing, and that you can determine the quality and freshness of
food that will be prepared during mise en place.
You also need to consider the equipment that will be required and ensure that it will be clean and
ready for the service period. Some standard recipe cards have a section for the equipment needed to
create the dish or it may be part of the food preparation list and/or the workflow plan/schedule rather
than a separate list. The lists provide all the equipment required to complete the service period.

TIME FOR SOME FACTS

You may like to take a few moments to review Fact Sheet 9 - Reading and Interpreting Recipes.

TIME FOR SOME FACTS

You may like to take a few moments to review Fact Sheet 11 - Special Dietary Requirements.

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 You may like to further review dietary
requirement further by returning to your guide
for the unit SITHCCC042 Prepare food to meet
special dietary requirements.

You may like to further review dietary

requirements and menus further by returning to
your guides for the units:

• SITHCCC042 Prepare food to meet

special dietary requirements

• SITHKOP010 Plan and cost recipes

• SITHKOP012 Develop recipes for special

dietary requirements.

Image by roam in color on Unsplash

Food service styles

In this unit you will focus on the following food service styles:

• à la carte

• buffet

• set menu and table d’hôte

• bulk cooking operations

• functions and events.

Let’s look at these service styles in more detail.

À la carte
À la carte literally means "by the menu" in French. This type of menu is one of the most common
menus as it lists items with a price and the customer can choose what they would like to order. It
gives the customer flexibility and lots of options.

Buffet
A buffet menu is usually a fixed price where the customer serves themselves to what they would like
from a large choice of dishes offered at a central table/s (buffet). These were popular for breakfast at
hotels, but due to the global pandemic many hotels stopped hosting buffets. It is now starting to slowly
become popular again. Examples of buffets can include: breakfast, cold, hot or seafood buffets.

You may like to further review dietary requirement further by returning to your guide for
the unit SITHCCC038 Produce and serve food for buffets.

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Set menu and table d’hôte
Table d'hôte or set menus may have numerous options for each course but every customer will
receive the same number of courses and pay the same fixed price. They can also be called a prix fixe
menu, degustation or chef’s tasting menu and are typically for fine dining restaurants or special
occasions such as Valentine’s Day. These menus are usually themed and are the careful appreciative
tasting of various foods (a way for the Chef to demonstrate their skills by offering small samples of
their signature dishes). They have numerous courses and can be offered with wine or beer paired to
the food at an additional price.

Bulk cooking operations

Bulk cooking is when you prepare and cook a lot of the same dish at one time and store it in portions
to use later. It is a great way to save time, minimise waste (as it is generally frozen) and can reduce
costs. When doing bulk cooking you need to ensure that food safety is followed and that during the re-
heating process that the food safety plan is followed for reconstitution and re-thermalisation. We will
look at these in further detail in food production processes.

Functions and events

Functions and events can be for a range of diverse customers, food style, themes and service styles.
It can be for a wedding, a corporate event or for a special time of the year such as Christmas. The
way the food service can be provided can also dramatically change as well as the service style such
as table service, alternate drop, silver service, self-service (buffet or family F&B service) or Cocktail /
Pass Around Service such as tapas or canapes.
There are a few different choices for functions or events including:

Canapés or tapas – as part of afternoon tea, pre-dinner drinks or as an entrée to a sit down
meal where wait staff walk among the crowd where everyone is standing (Cocktail / Pass
Around Service).

Alternate drop – two set entrees, mains and desserts that are alternately dropped as table
service or silver service.

Buffet – self serve breakfast, lunch or dinner for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries or
corporate events.

SHARE PLATE

In small groups use the Internet to refresh your memory about any of the service styles and what is
required to plan for them.
If you were required to plan for a wedding what type of food service styles could be used? Choose
two styles and determine how would they be different when planning for each style.
Share your thoughts on the differences when planning with the class.
Trainer: Place students into small groups to research service styles. Weddings could be any
variance of the food styles. Encourage students to participate when discussing the differences.

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Food production processes
Food safety is very important and in the food production process all areas need to be assessed to
determine food safety risks, the risks need to be managed and the organisational procedures and the
business’s Food Safety Program must be followed. Areas that need to be considered when planning
food operations include:

• purchasing and receiving food • cooking food

• storage • cooling and freezing food

• thawing frozen food • reheating prepared food

• preparation • serving food.

Receiving
Always purchase from reputable suppliers and refuse delivery if there are issues with spoilage or
contamination. The food must be safe when you receive it. The process of receiving food includes:

• check for damaged goods

• check use by dates

• check for freshness and quality

• make sure someone is there to receive the food

• check frozen goods have not begun to thaw

• check use by dates have appropriate time left

• check that the temperature of potentially hazardous foods is at or below 5°c

• record on organisational documents.

Storage
Food must be stored in a way that keeps it safe and suitable. This is also a requirement under
Standard 3.2.2. Food safety practices and general requirements. Food which is not correctly stored
can spoil or become contaminated, which can then cause illness.
Food storage refers to food which is kept in a storage area such as a cupboard, a fridge or a freezer.
There are also rules about the temperatures that food must be stored at.

• store food in optimum conditions and follow the manufacturer’s instructions

• do not over fill/overload storage areas

• maintain food storage areas including pest checks, temperature checks etc.

• store stock based on First In, First Out principles (FIFO)

• ensure storage areas are dry, clean and pest free

• store potentially hazardous foods at or below 5°c

• store raw food such as meat and seafood separately or below ready-to-eat foods to avoid
contamination from meat juices.

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You must ensure that you are using ingredients that are in date and fresh. Food safety standards
require that food is labelled and rotated to ensure freshness and quality. Always check the use by
dates and best before dates of food before you prepare it.

Preparing
When preparing food, you need to consider food safety, mise en place tasks and use of time to
maximise the team’s efficiency. When planning cooking operations preparations need to include
practices such as:

• following good hygiene practices

• washing and drying hands before preparing food

• following food safety processes

• cleaning food preparation surfaces

• following the mise en place list

• following the 2 hour/4 hour rule (under 2 hours ok to use or refrigerate at 5°C or less, 2-4 hours
ok to use immediately, over 4 hours dispose of it) for time and temperature control to keep food
safe during preparation.

Image by Conscious Design on Unsplash

Mise en place
Mise en place’ means to put all of the things in place to prepare for service. During mise en place, you
will complete as many tasks as possible. This will, of course, depend on your role and how many
team members are available and the recipes you are preparing but may include:

• gathering all of the required ingredients and checking them for freshness and quality

• gathering all of your equipment and making sure that it is clean, safe and in good working
condition (for example, pots and pans, chopping boards and knives, pre-heating ovens, cleaning
equipment)

• weighing out, counting or measuring ingredients

• preparing ingredients (for example, washing, peeling and cutting up vegetables)

• pre-cooking ingredients where safe and suitable (for example, stocks, pastas)

SITHKOP013 Plan cooking operations 16

• putting all of the ingredients into individual containers, ready for preparation and cooking during
service

• thawing food etc.

The mise en place list assists to maximise the team’s efficiency.

Thawing food
When thawing food ensure you do so in a safe manner. This includes:

• thawing food in the coolroom or refrigerator

• ensuring that food is completely defrosted before cooking, and that defrosting does not
contaminate other food

• separating thawing food from other foods

• using a suitable container while thawing to ensure that the juices cannot come into contact or
drip and cause cross contamination

• using defrosted food as quickly as possible

• avoiding food in the danger temperature zone for longer than two hours.

Reconstitution
This is the process of rehydrating dried food that has been dried to extend their shelf life. To rehydrate
food you need to add water or another liquid and leave it until the food comes back to its original size,
shape and texture. The liquid can also be used in food preparation and dishes to add flavour.
To reconstitute foods, you just add a liquid and stir, soak in water for a set period of time or boil to
speed up the process.

Cooking
Under cooked foods or food that has not been reheated to the correct temperatures can cause food
poisoning and therefore there are processes that need to be followed to ensure that food is safe to
eat. Ways to reduce these risks include:

• following the cooking times and temperatures on the recipe card

• cooking food as closely to the time it will be served or sold

• cooking food thoroughly

• conducting temperature checks

• cooling cooked food within 6 hours following the cook-chill method - food must be cooled from
60°C to 21°C within two hours and then cooled to 5°C or colder within the next four hours

• stirring liquid dishes often

• preheating equipment before use

• following food safety procedures

• if cooking bulk food to extend the shelf time, following the cook chill ESL cooking method (food
that is given a cooking process of 90°C for 10 minutes).

SITHKOP013 Plan cooking operations 17

Cooling and freezing food
Ensure cooked food does not stay at room temperature for long enough to become unsafe by cooling
high-risk food from 60°C to 21°C within two hours. Then once food has cooled to 21°C, put it in the
coolroom/refrigerator or freezer and cool to 5°C or colder within the next four hours so food does not
spend time in the temperature danger zone.

Re-heating prepared food

When reheating prepared food, you must ensure it does not just get warm, but it must be heated to or
above 75°C.

Re-thermalisation
To re-thermalise food, you heat pre-packaged food that has been chilled or frozen. The process
ensures that the pre-packaged food is taken to temperatures in a safe and effective manner. There
are many ways to re-thermalise foods in a commercial kitchen including microwaves, ovens,
salamanders, grills, hotplates, hot water bath etc. The food must be 75°C throughout the entire food
to ensure it is safe to eat.

Serving
Food must be served in a manner that ensures it is safe to eat. Processes for this include:

• washing hands before serving

• using clean undamaged crockery and utensils for serving

• not touching single use items

• getting food to customers as soon as possible

• when holding hot or prepared food do not overload bain-maries and check the temperatures
regularly.
The type of food production process you plan for will of course depend on the type of food being
produced and how to best maintain its quality, structure and nutritional value.

LIFT THE LID

Read more about food production processes and systems at the links below.
Website: https://www.thecaterer.com/news/foodservice/cesa-guide-cook-chill-systems
Website: https://www.ukessays.com/essays/management/food-and-beverage-management-
preservation-systems-management-essay.php

SITHKOP013 Plan cooking operations 18

 TIME FOR SOME FACTS

Look at the following Fact Sheet:

• Fact Sheet 6 - Receiving, Storing and Maintaining Food

If you have already looked at this Fact Sheet you can move on or review it again to refresh your
memory.

Cooking methods

TIME FOR SOME FACTS

You may like to take a few moments to review:

• Fact Sheet 14 - Culinary Terms

• Fact Sheet 25 - All About Blanching

• Fact Sheet 26 - All About Boiling

• Fact Sheet 27 - All About Braising

• Fact Sheet 28 - All About Frying

• Fact Sheet 29 - All About Grilling

• Fact Sheet 30 - All About Poaching

• Fact Sheet 31 - All About Roasting and Baking

• Fact Sheet 32 - All About Stewing

• Fact Sheet 33 - All About Steaming

• Fact Sheet 34 - All About Microwaving

• Fact Sheet 40 - All About Sous Vide

Workflow planning
The importance of good planning in a kitchen cannot be understated. You will have prepared and
cooked many dishes by now and will understand how important it is to be organised and to be using
the right ingredients, equipment and utensils, food production processes and cookery methods.

TIME FOR SOME FACTS

You may like to take a few moments to review Fact Sheet 10 - Workflow Planning to refresh your
memory about:

• food preparation lists

SITHKOP013 Plan cooking operations 19

 • mise en place

• kitchen workflow schedules.

Ordering and purchasing stock

As part of your role in planning cooking operations, it is possible that you will need to order or
purchase stock. Depending on the size of your workplace, you may even need to go out and
purchase items yourself (which could be common in a small establishment).
The first step is to make sure that you know exactly what is to be prepared (referring to menu items,
recipes, special dietary requirements and meal quantities to be produced) and then check the food
stores to determine whether you have enough stock. Depending on your workplace you may be able
to access a computerised inventory system to check stock levels or you may need to simply check the
refrigerator/cool room, freezer and dry stores to see if you have enough.
Next, you may need to complete order forms. This will require you to follow your workplace’s
purchasing or inventory procedures, and may include completing purchase requisitions or similar.
Just because you have items in stock, it doesn’t mean that they should be used. Before assuming you
have adequate supplies, check for quality.

SHARE PLATE

In small groups determine how would you calculate what stock would need to be ordered and what
food is required for the food production list?
Your trainer will facilitate a discussion.
Trainer: Place students into small and provide sufficient time for students to record responses then
encourage students to participate.

Purchasing fresh, quality food

There are different signs of freshness and quality when it comes to food, but as a guide you should
look for the following:

• Fruit and vegetables should be free of damage such as bruising.

• Fruit and vegetables should be even in colour and brightness, as per their expected colouring.

• Leafy vegetables should be crisp and green.

• Potatoes and other root vegetables should be firm and not cracked.

• Weight and size should be consistent.

• There should be no ‘off’ or pungent aromas that are unusual to the type of food.

• Eggs should not be cracked or dirty.

• Farinaceous or other dry ingredients should not smell stale or musty.

• Cuts of meat and poultry should be of the same size and thickness.

• Cuts should be smooth and even.

SITHKOP013 Plan cooking operations 20

• The colour of meat and poultry should look vibrant and rich.

• Meat should not have a strong smell.

• Meat should not feel slimy.

• Fresh fish should not have a strong ‘fishy’ smell and should not smell of ammonia.

Image by Chantal Garnier on Unsplash

Always purchase from reputable suppliers. Remember that you can always refuse delivery if there are
issues with spoilage or contamination.
Your workplace should preferably have sustainable purchasing guidelines in place, either purchasing
from local suppliers or using organic products. If they don’t, it might be worth raising the discussion!

Receiving and storing processes

Part of the process for ordering and purchasing stock is to check and take delivery of stock when it
arrives and appropriately store, rotate and maintain the quality of stock items. You must also store
perishable supplies in optimum conditions to minimise wastage and avoid food contamination.

You may like to further review information on receiving and storing stock by returning to
your guide for the unit SITXINV006 Receive, store and maintain stock.

TIME FOR SOME FACTS

Look at the following Fact Sheet:

• Fact Sheet 6 - Receiving, Storing and Maintaining Food

If you have already looked at this Fact Sheet you can move on or review it again to refresh your
memory.

SITHKOP013 Plan cooking operations 21

2: Planning cooking operations

Your role throughout this process is to plan the food production requirements, organise availability fo
equipment and supplies and plan the kitchen operations so the team can work safely, efficiently and
to quality standards when preparing and cooking dishes.

Scheduling work
In other units you have learned about scheduling work in a commercial kitchen including:

• assessing the current workloads of team members

• setting goals

• scheduling work to maximise efficiency

• customer service

• assessing and meeting customer needs

• costings

• working within budgets.

TIME FOR SOME FACTS

You may like to take a few moments to review:

• Fact Sheet 10 - Workflow Planning

• Fact Sheet 12 - Understanding Your Customers

• Fact Sheet 13 - Costing Dishes

Staff allocations
When planning cooking operations, you need to consider what staff you have available for each
service period, what each staff member’s roles and responsibilities are and what tasks you will be
allocating to them during the service. You will need to communicate and allow for feedback with the
team. You will also be required to delegate tasks listed in the mise en place list as well as the
workflow schedule. We will look in further detail at how to delegate effectively further on. Things to be
considered when allocating tasks include:

• assessing the current workloads of team members

• setting goals

• scheduling work to maximise efficiency.

SITHKOP013 Plan cooking operations 23

Contingency planning
A contingency plan is a plan designed to help you respond
to an event which may or may not happen. In the context of
a commercial kitchen, contingency planning should be done
alongside your workflow planning to help you deal with
certain risks.
Contingencies could include:

• delays and time difficulties

• difficult customer service situations

• equipment breakdowns or technical failures

• a lack of financial resources

• problems with staffing levels

• a lack of the skills that you need among available staff

• issues around rostering

• staff performance issues

• procedural requirements.
Image by cottonbro on Pexels

Delegating
It’s rare that, as a leader in a busy commercial kitchen, we can complete all of the tasks required
during a busy service period ourselves. This means we need to be able to entrust some of the work to
others and that’s where delegation is so important.
Delegating means entrusting or authorising another person (usually someone who reports to us) to
complete a task on our behalf. There are a number of principles of effective delegation.
Principles of delegation:

• Clearly communicating what is required and when.

• Gaining a commitment from the other person to complete the task.

• Avoiding creating undue interference to the person in completing the task.

• Selecting the right person to complete the task.

• Seeking regular reports from the person on progress.

When delegating, consider allocating job tasks that will maximise teamwork, as well as efficiency in
the workflow.

SHARE PLATE

Using the principles of delegation think about your workplace and how each item on the workflow
plan is delegated. How are the allocated tasks communicated with team members? How does the
allocation of job tasks and staff maximise teamwork and efficiency?
Your trainer will facilitate a discussion so you can share your findings with the class.

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 Trainer: allow sufficient time for students to consider these questions then encourage the students
to participate in a class discussion. Students should consider skill levels of each team member and
strategies for assessing workload and maximising workload including:

• recognising people’s strengths and weaknesses

• understanding tasks and requirements of each task

• undertaking comprehensive and accurate menu planning

• undertaking comprehensive and accurate mise en place planning

• ensuring that equipment is available and in good working order

• developing accurate and comprehensive food preparation lists

• ensuring that standard recipes are tested, accurate and that quality standards are clearly
defined

• ensuring that budgetary constraints are clearly defined

• completing accurate costing of menu items

• monitoring and managing service periods.

Quality output
As food moves through production, it’s important to check for presentation and quality indicators. This
is important as you may identify:

• food has not been prepared correctly

• the wrong ingredients have been used

• the wrong recipe has been used or it has been modified without your knowledge

• the dish does not include all menu items

• food is not cooked to the required temperature

• food has not been cooked to customer requests (for example, meat may not have been prepared
to preference)

• special dietary requirements have not been adhered to

• inconsistencies between plates

• poor plating or presentation

• lack of garnishes or wrong garnishes used.

In these cases you will need to provide feedback to the relevant team member and get them to make
adjustments to maintain quality, freshness and appeal.
Check dishes using the following as a guide:

• Appearance:
o How visually appealing is the dish?
o How does the plating look from different angles?
o Do garnishes and accompaniments show a range of colour?

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 o Do garnishes and accompaniments enhance the main dish but not detract from it?
o Do all ingredients look fresh?
o Is the plate balanced?
o How do shapes, lines, patterns and stacks work together?
o Have all drips and spills been wiped (in the direction of the spill)?
o Is the serving-ware clean and free of chips and cracks?
o Has the correct type, size and shape of serving-ware been used?

• Aroma:
o Tangy
o Earthy
o Herby

• Taste:
o Sweet
o Salty
o Acidic
o Sour
o Bitter
o Umami
o Spicy. Image by Terje Sollie on Pexels

• Texture (mouth-feel):
o Chewy o Liquid
o Clean o Moist
o Creamy o Mousse
o Crispy o Rich
o Crumbly o Slippery
o Crunchy o Smooth
o Fibrous o Velvety.
o Juicy

• Consistency:
o Are sauces of the correct consistency?
o Have sauces been served either under or over across all dishes?
o Have all vegetables been cut cleanly and to the right sizes?
o Are cuts of meat and poultry consistent?
o Are desserts consistent in size?

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• Temperature:
o Hot
o Cold
o Warm
o Room temperature
o Is serving-ware at the right temperature?

TIME FOR SOME FACTS

You may like to take a few moments to review:

• Fact Sheet 35 - Garnishes

• Fact Sheet 36 - Marinades

• Fact Sheet 37 - Accompaniments

• Fact sheet 39 - Presentation and Plating Techniques

Other ways of checking quality

Quality checks do not finish once you have checked the food, tasted it and it leaves the kitchen. You
can obtain valuable feedback from your customers and from your team.

TIME FOR SOME FACTS

You may like to take a few moments to review Fact Sheet 15 - Gathering Feedback.

Formal audits against operational standards can help identify any issues that need to be addressed.
Audits can check the following areas to determine current practice:

• food safety (food safety plan)

• cooking operations

• work health, safety and security

• sustainability

• quality of dishes produced

• customer service

• wastage

• checking required documentation such as temperature checks.

As the supervisor it is your role to ensure that your team completes all the required food safety
documentation during the food production process.

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 SHARE PLATE

You are going to develop a food production plan for a breakfast buffet.
In a small group, you are to work together and decide on the buffet items, recipes, food supplies
and food production requirements. You will be required to:

• Plan food production requirements:

o Determine food production requirements.
o Choose food production processes to ensure nutritional value, quality and structure of
foods.
o Select appropriate in-house food production system to meet food production
requirements.
o Select and collate standard recipes for use of food production personnel.
o Develop mise en place lists for food production according to menu and food volume
requirements.

• Organise availability of supplies and equipment:

o Calculate required food supplies for food production.
o Complete purchase order for stock as required.
o Develop list of required equipment for food production.

• Plan kitchen operations:

o Document food production processes to ensure food safety.
o Allocate job tasks and staff to maximise teamwork and efficiency.
o Plan production sequence of food items to enable smooth workflow, minimal delays and
safe storage of food.
You will be provided with templates to complete:

• Service Planning Template

• Food Supplies Template

• Purchase Order Form Template

• Kitchen Workflow Plan Template

• Mise en Place Template

• Food Preparation List Template.

Work through each template in your group. Your trainer will provide you with some recipes that
could be used for a buffet breakfast, and you can also add your own recipes.
Your trainer will explain the stock available so you can determine what will need to be ordered as
well as a list of equipment in the kitchen.

Trainer: place students into small groups and provide each group with the template found in the
resources for this unit. Give sufficient time for students to research recipes and complete each

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 template. Provide the students a range of recipes that they could use to plan a buffet breakfast.
You may choose to use the Hospitality Works Recipe Bank or your own recipes.
The students can use the stock that is in the training Kitchen as a basis for ordering or you may
provide the students with a current stock inventory.
The available equipment can be the equipment in the training kitchen or you may provide the
students with a list of equipment from one of the cooking unit assessment requirements (such as
SITHCCC038 Produce and serve food for buffets).

LET IT SIMMER

Reflect on the activity you just completed and think about:

• what you did well

• what you could improve on

• what you would do different next time.

Don’t forget to use the feedback provided by your team.
For your assessment you will be planning for four of the five following food service styles:

• à la carte

• buffet

• set menu or table d’hôte

• bulk cooking operations

• functions or events.
If you have any concerns make sure you discuss them with your trainer.

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Chef’s Toolbox
Use these pages to record recipes, tips and useful resources to add to your Fact Sheets so, at the
end of your course, you have a set of references that you can take with you into the workforce.

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