Significance of Food Production Department & kitchen Planning in Hotel Industry

There is a new concept of Food production gaining the spotlight in the food and culinary Industry. Professional chefs often talk about the significance of Food production in the Hotel and Hospitality Industry. Let’s understand the concept and role of the food production department in detail.

Food production involves the preparation of food where raw material is converted into ready-made food products.  It’s utilized either for Human use or for the food processing Industry. Also, often the food production techniques involve the use of scientific methods. Culinary and Hospitality courses in NFCI includes Food production courses for making students learn and practice modern food production techniques.

There are different kinds of plants and animal products that become the source of human food. These include grains, pulses, spices, honey, milk and dairy products, vegetables, egg, meat, fish, and much more. Several kinds of food production methods include chopping and slicing vegetables,  food fermentation,  boiling, frying, grilling, mixing, fruit juice processing, steaming, preserving, packaging, etc.

So, the food production department is responsible for food preparation in a hotel, restaurant, or hospitality industry.  As a career, the scope of food production is increasing in India as well as the world. The guests who stay in a hotel or walk in a restaurant come to enjoy the meals.

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The sub-departments in a food production department are:  

1. Main Kitchen– It’s a large kitchen area for the preparation of food in Food and beverage outlets. There are further subsections in the main kitchen that include Indian section, Continental section, South Indian Section, Tandoori.
2. Pantry– The majority of orders in the pantry section are tea/coffee, salads, raita, sandwiches that operate 24/7.
3. Bakery and Confectionary– It serves baked items like Cakes, Pastries, Muffins, Chocolates, etc.
4. Butchery– In this section, all meat supplies are received, cleaned, and stored.
5. Banquet section– The large-scale cooking for functions takes place in the Banquet section.
6. Chefs area– All the executive chefs sit together and make menu planning.
7. Commisisonary– In this section, all the green vegetables are stored in bulk.
8. Walkins– Based on the Size of the hotel, there are at least 2 to 3 walk-in refrigerators and one particular to store meat.

Introduction to the Professional Concept of Kitchen:

In common terms, Kitchen is a place where food is cooked and it has equipment that is used in the processing of cooking. At the same time, a chef is a person tasked with managing the kitchen and cooking. The Kitchen includes several units of food production from cultivation to waste management.

NFCI (National Finishing and cookery Institute) Culinary Institute in India  makes students learn and practice cooking in different kinds of kitchens for specialized courses. Students learn to work in a professional setup and manage different kinds of responsibilities.

The different kinds of the kitchen include:- 

(1). Main kitchen-  Main Kitchen or central kitchen is the conventional kitchen that is usually located in the center of a restaurant. It occupies a large space and has multiple sections. It provides a wide range of food varieties Indian, Continental,  Mexican, Italian, etc. There is a hierarchy of chefs working in the main kitchen. The main kitchen is made adjacent to a pantry, bakery, and commissary.

(2). Satellite Kitchen- Satellite Kitchen is constructed for a particular outlet where it is not possible to set up the main kitchen for location issues. It’s an important asset for specialty restaurants like Chinese, Nepalese, Continental, etc that are separated from the main kitchen.

(3). Fast food kitchen- The concept of fast food kitchen is inspired by American Catering technology. Mostly,  it provides dry and light food. It’s located in a public area where food is taken away and consumed. A fast-food kitchen is common at airports, railway stations, roadside service complexes, etc.

(4). Display kitchen- The food is prepared and cooked in a full open view of customers in the Display kitchen. This kind of kitchen appeals to the eyes, plating is lucrative, and adds to the dining experience of the guests. Also, the pleasant aroma and simple fresh cooking become a source of attraction for the customers.

(5). Experimental kitchen- The objective behind an experimental kitchen is different from a conventional kitchen. It has the task of improving food production instead of serving the guests. Experimental Kitchen researches and develops new food items for the menu.

NFCI makes its students equipped with kitchen planning skills for preparing them to take up professional roles in the F & B Industry.  There are expert educators, theory classes, and practical workshops for students in different courses to gain a thorough knowledge of kitchen Management in the hospitality industry.

Kitchen planning is a vital aspect of F & B and hospitality outlets. Kitchen planning or kitchen layout is designed to ensure that the staff can move freely without any fatigue or accident. Furthermore, it ensures smooth and efficient workflow with the timely pickup of food.

A good kitchen should save time and effort, ensure easy supervision, should have an efficient workflow and sufficient workplace to work safely.

Summing Up,

Food Production department and Kitchen planning plays an important role in the professional Culinary and hospitality field. So, students can have knowledge about these concepts in detail and an experience for the same. You can learn these concepts in specialized culinary and hotel management courses at NFCI.

We have fully equipped modern labs for students to gain practical skills. Also, students get an opportunity to do internships in some of the top hotels, restaurants, and other culinary outlets across the country to gain Industrial experience. You can carve a successful career in Food production with culinary courses by NFCI.