This document outlines the importance of developing and maintaining food and beverage product knowledge as well as providing customers with relevant product information. It recommends learning about current trends, seasonal items, menus and promotions. Staff should share new knowledge through informal discussions and formal meetings. When assisting customers, recommendations should be based on asking questions to understand preferences, suggesting complementary pairings, and responding helpfully and honestly to questions. Special requests related to dietary needs, culture or health should be handled with extra care by checking with the kitchen.

1. DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN
FOOD & BEVERAGE PRODUCT
KNOWLEDGE
DEDY WIJAYANTO
DEDY WIJAYANTO 1
Part 3

2. Develop & maintain product knowledge in line
with job role & responsibilities
Develop & maintain product knowledge in relation to:
• Current market trends
• Local area products
• Seasonal produce
• Enterprise menus & specials
• Enterprise trends
• Promotional activities
DEDY WIJAYANTO 2

3. Make sure you share any new/updated F&B product
knowledge you identify – this can be done through:
• Informal sharing:
• Talking & telling; answering
questions
• Formal sharing:
• At staff meeting & briefings
• Through handouts
DEDY WIJAYANTO 3

4. Identify features of specific F&B which have potential
customer appeal
You need to identify F&B features so you can:
• Meet customer expectations
• Optimise sales
• Enhance customer experience
• Increase chance of repeat & referral business
• Meet management expectations
• Demonstrate customer-focus
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5. Focus on the following:
• Relationship between food & beverages
• Knowledge of specific foods
• Knowledge of specific beverages
• Local products
• Workplace menus, specials & trends
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6. Regarding the relationship between specific foods &
beverages:
• Identify food & drinks which work well together
• Aim to be able to recommend at least one
beverage for each menu item
• List beverage matches on menu?
• Create a list of beverage matches to put behind bar?
DEDY WIJAYANTO 6

7. Knowledge of specific foods must:
• Cover all menus for all sessions, days & times
• Embrace all the characteristics of every dish listed on the menu – such as:
• Taste, aroma & serve size
• Ingredients, cooking style & preparation
time
• Price
• Cultural & dietary factors
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8. Knowledge about beverages should address:
• Alcohol strength, country of origin and price
• Taste and colour
• Special characteristics
• Prizes, awards, medals and trophies
• Vintage of wines
• Uses
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9. Local products:
• May be regional or national
• Can include:
• Beers, wines, spirits, drinks
• Locally processed items
• Local raw ingredients
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10. Knowledge about local products must cover:
• Name and characteristics
• Growers, producers and providers - and location
• Packages available for sale to public
• Customs restrictions
• Cost
• How to use or consume
• Local popularity
• Growth and the basics of production
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11. Facts to know about menu items:
• Serve size and taste
• Fresh or frozen
• Ingredients
• Time to prepare or ‘ready to serve’ immediately
• Ingredients
• Cooking style
• Cultural and dietary suitability
DEDY WIJAYANTO 11

12. Find out the following about ‘Specials’:
• Items available as part of the
Special/deal/package
• When it starts and finishes
• Cost
• Who is eligible
• Why it is ‘special’
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13. Knowledge about local or venue trends
can be used to:
• Make recommendations
• Engage with guests
• Demonstrate professionalism
• Find out more about emerging trends
DEDY WIJAYANTO 13

14. When obtaining product information on F&B:
• Be proactive in finding relevant information
• Do internal and external research to obtain
facts, figures and product knowledge
• Undertake formal and informal research
activities
• Learn about the different courses, dishes and
ingredients used
(Continued)
DEDY WIJAYANTO 14

15. Summary – Element 1
• Learn about cooking times, styles,
specialist items, national dishes and
signature dishes
• Be able to name all the food and drinks
served and their ingredients
• Learn about beers, wines, spirits, liqueurs
and non-alcoholic drinks
• Learn about service options for F&B items
(Continued)
DEDY WIJAYANTO 15

16. Summary – Element 1
• Taste test items
• Determine specific F&B knowledge you need
for your job role and learn that first
• Read all internal documentation – menus,
drink and wine lists, job descriptions, training
materials
• Share new knowledge with other staff
• Spend time learning about special features
which have the potential to interest and be
attractive to tourists and visitors
DEDY WIJAYANTO 16

17. Element 2 - Provide customers with
relevant F&B product knowledge
Performance Criteria for this Element are:
• Offer advice on suitable combinations of foods and
beverages where appropriate
• Provide assistance to customers on selection of F&B
items
• Respond courteously and authoritatively to customer
questions in relation to menus and drink lists
• Provide advice on menu items that reflect the special
dietary or cultural requirements of customers
DEDY WIJAYANTO 17

18. Offer advice on suitable
combinations of F&B
Many customers require help on F&B combinations –
this may be provided:
• In response to questions
• When serving – at table or bar
• When ‘greeting and seating’
• In public areas
• When delivering room service
• In retail outlets
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19. DEDY WIJAYANTO 19

20. Offer advice on suitable combinations of F&B
You must ask questions before making recommendations:
• Alcoholic or non-alcoholic?
• Just for themselves or to share with others?
• What sort of wine – red or white? Still or sparkling?
• What food have they chosen?
• Local product?
• New taste experience?
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21. When making recommendations:
• Never say to customers:
• “I don’t know”, or
• “I don’t drink”
• Realise you are only making suggestions and guests are
not obliged to accept what you recommend
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22. DEDY WIJAYANTO 22
Suggestions for matching wine
with Western food:
Food Wine
Seafood Semillon, sauvignon blanc, riesling
Game Cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, chardonnay,
semillon
Red meat Cabernet merlot, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz,
malbec
Poultry Chardonnay, chenin blanc, verdelho
Salads Chenin blanc, verdelho, chardonnay, riesling
Antipasto Chardonnay, rosé
Pasta Chardonnay, riesling, shiraz
Cheese platters Cabernet merlot
Desserts Dessert wines

23. Matching Asian food with wine:
• Steer away from strong-flavoured reds
• White wines generally provide a better
match than red wines
• Try to ‘complement’ the food – not ‘contrast’ it
DEDY WIJAYANTO 23

24. ‘Complementing’ means suggesting a wine to harmonise with the
selected food:
• White wine with white meat
• Red wine with red meat
• Reds with cheese
• Delicate with delicate
• Full-bodied with full-bodied
• Sweet with sweet
DEDY WIJAYANTO 24

25. Contrasting’:
• Selecting a wine which stands distinctly different to the food
• Seeks to highlight difference –
rather than ‘harmonise’ food and
wine
• Try to learn which styles of wine contrast well with certain
styles of food
• Taste test to assist your learning
DEDY WIJAYANTO 25

26. Provide assistance to customers
on selection of F&B
When providing assistance on F&B selection:
• Be honest and accurate
• Speak clearly, confidently and audibly
• Be alert to every chance to do so:
• Be proactive
• If in doubt – ask
DEDY WIJAYANTO 26

27. Drink/beverage advice may be given:
• When patrons are undecided or unsure
• The ordered drink is not available
• On special occasions
• When a new product is in stock
• When customer feels ‘off colour’
• When they are eating
• If they do not want alcohol or much alcohol
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28. Ask questions before recommending beverages:
• Hot or cold?
• Alcoholic or non-alcoholic?
• Beer, wine or a mixed drink?
• Cocktail?
• Red or white wine?
• Bottle or can or just a glass?
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29. Information when providing assistance on selection of
beverages can include:
• Taste, colour and aroma
• Imported or domestic
• Options for consumption
• Alcoholic strength
• Size of drink, can or bottle
• Special points or characteristics
DEDY WIJAYANTO 29

30. When advising about food:
• Make it sound appealing but be honest
• Be prepared to suggest or advise on:
• Soups, fish, roast, vegetables, sauces and
Specials of the day
• Signature dishes
• Take notes when the pre-service briefing
takes place
DEDY WIJAYANTO 30

31. Provide other assistance too:
• Carrying their drinks
• Helping with their children
• Getting them some reading material
• Helping with luggage
• Opening doors
• Phoning a taxi
• Obtaining something ‘extra’
DEDY WIJAYANTO 31

32. Respond to customer questions in
relation to menus and drink lists
When responding to questions:
• Answer:
• Courteously, accurately and honestly
• Talk:
• Clearly, confidently and loud enough
DEDY WIJAYANTO 32

33. Plan your answers to customer questions:
• Many questions from customers can be
predicted
• There is a need to plan and prepare
answers to these
• So they help distinguish your venue
from the competition
• Realise questions do not indicate rudeness or
stupidity
DEDY WIJAYANTO 33

34. When responding to questions remember:
• It is part of your job
• Questions are not an interruption to
your work
• Never indicate the questions are ‘silly’
• Customers use questions to enhance their dining experience
DEDY WIJAYANTO 34

35. Strategy for responding to questions:
• Be polite
• Respond promptly
• Never give a negative impression
• Smile
• Give customers your full attention
• Spend the required amount of time
• Ensure information provided is understood
DEDY WIJAYANTO 35

36. If you do not know the answer to a question:
• Apologise
• Tell them you do not know the answer
• Tell them you will find out
• Do so
• Report back to them
Never:
• Lie or make it up
• Ignore the question
DEDY WIJAYANTO 36

37. Special requests from customers can relate to:
• Timing issues
• Cultural issues
• Dietary requirements
• Personal preferences
• How steaks are cooked
• Entrées as main courses and MCs as entrées
ALWAYS CHECK WITH THE KITCHE
DEDY WIJAYANTO 37

38. Special requests can relate to dietary issues:
• Vegetarian requests:
• Lacto-ova or Ova-lacto vegetarians
• Lacto-vegetarians
• Pescatarians
• Vegans
(Continued)
DEDY WIJAYANTO 38

39. • Low-salt foods
• Low or no-sugar meals
• Lactose-reduced milk
• Gluten-free menu items
• Macrobiotic foods
ALWAYS CHECK FIRST WITH KITCHEN BEFORE
TAKING ORDER
DEDY WIJAYANTO 39

40. Always treat requests/food orders with extra care and
attention if guest mentions they have special needs in
relation to:
• Allergies
• Medications
• Health-related conditions
• Specific diet
DEDY WIJAYANTO 40

41. When dealing with special requests involving heath-related issues:
• Check with kitchen or management before taking order
• Ensure those preparing the food understand
the requirement or health issue
• Double-check when you pick up the dish it
has been prepared as required
• Check you have appropriate emergency responses in place if
something goes wrong
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42. You may need to respond to cultural food-related
requests from:
• Jewish guests
• Muslim guests
• Hindu guests
DEDY WIJAYANTO 42

43. Degrees of ‘doneness’ of steak:
• Blue
• Rare
• Medium-rare
• Medium to Well Done
• Well Done
DEDY WIJAYANTO 43

44. Summary – Element 2
When providing customers with relevant F&B product knowledge:
• Be prepared to offer help and advice at every
opportunity – be proactive
• Ask some questions to identify guest needs, wants and preferences
before making recommendations
• Ensure suggestions reflect identified preferences of guest
• Learn the dishes in your workplace and learn the beverages which
match them and make a suitable accompaniment
(Continued)
DEDY WIJAYANTO 44

45. • When recommending wines consider the ‘complement’ or ‘contrast’
approach
• Use product knowledge as the basis for information or help provided
• Try to obtain first-hand knowledge about the food
and beverages you serve – try to taste test everything
• Determine the specials before each service session – from the kitchen
(Continued)
DEDY WIJAYANTO 45

46. • Be alert to the potential to provide extra service when providing customers
with F&B product knowledge
• Respond to questions and queries in a courteous and honest manner
• Always tell the truth about the items you recommend – tell the ‘bad’ as well
as the ‘good’
• Prepare for questions from customers – try to determine the questions they
might ask and plan a suitable response
(Continued)
DEDY WIJAYANTO 46

47. Summary – Element 2
• Never say “I don’t know” or “It’s not my job”
• Be very careful when responding to food queries relating
to health, diet or medical issues
• Always check with the kitchen before taking a special
food order
• Make sure the kitchen understands the requirements for
any special food requests you place with them
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48. DEDY WIJAYANTO 48
See you :
deddywijayanto@stptrisakti.ac.id