Catering services: classification, requirements

Demanded among many people are catering services. They allow you to eat tight or have a tasty snack. They turn out to be exclusively special companies created for profit. Their work should be carried out on the basis of numerous requirements, and they are also regularly inspected by the SES, the fire inspectorate and other supervisory authorities. At the same time, they must take into account the numerous provisions of GOSTs and the requirements of the law.

The objectives of the organizations

The catering services sector appeared a long time ago. It employs a large number of different companies involved in the production and sale of ready-made dishes that can be eaten by people directly in the institution or at home.

The main goal of these organizations is to make a profit. To do this, they must comply with the numerous requirements of the law. In order to prevent people from eating when eating, such institutions are regularly checked by various authorities. When violations are discovered, organizations are not only forced to pay significant fines, but often their activities are suspended or prohibited.

Types of catering enterprises

Catering services are provided by different companies that can offer a diverse range. They differ in different parameters, so you should study all the characteristics of each variety.

Thus, each institution can be reviewed on the basis of several qualifications. This takes into account what kind of catering services are provided to them, since they can vary significantly in different institutions.

Service Description

Any product sold in different institutions should have the necessary consumer properties and meet the standards. Each company that offers ready-made meals must take into account the standards contained in P50764-95 GOST 2013 "Catering services". It indicates the basic requirements that apply to the organizations themselves and the services they provide.

Catering services are represented by certain activities of companies and entrepreneurs, the main purpose of which is to satisfy the needs of citizens in food or leisure, which allows companies or entrepreneurs to receive a certain profit.

All services must be:

• high-quality, therefore, the presence of poorly prepared dishes or the untidy appearance of waiters and cooks is not allowed;
• safe, which indicates the need to use during work exclusively environmentally friendly, fresh and purchased from trusted suppliers of products;
• accurate, therefore, all the information from the menu should correspond to the real look and content of the received dish;
• timely, which suggests that visitors should wait exactly as much time as will be enough to prepare a particular dish;
• match the intended purpose;
• aesthetic, so the appearance of dishes should also be attractive and pleasing to the eye;
• comfortable, which indicates the need to create optimal and convenient conditions for eating.

The provision of catering services implies that each visitor to the institution should have access to information about the dishes themselves and related services that will be provided to him in the organization.

What services are provided?

Organizations working in this field may provide several services at once, which may vary slightly. They are represented by services:

• nutrition;
• creating different culinary dishes or confectionery;
• organization of places for eating;
• customer service;
• sales of culinary products;
• leisure activities;
• packaging of products sold;
• storage of personal items and valuables;
• providing a telephone, if necessary, to make a call;
• taxi call, if the corresponding order is received from the visitor;
• car parking in a specially organized parking near the institution.

Concrete catering services are selected by companies on their own. Some institutions refuse to service at all, so they work on a self-service basis. This allows you to reduce labor costs.

What information is provided to customers?

The provision of catering services implies that each visitor to this institution should be able to receive maximum information about purchased products and services. Therefore, he is offered a menu, and also, if necessary, he can get information about:

• direct list of all services offered;
• their price;
• methods and conditions of payment;
• the brand name of the products sold, and additionally there must be information on the method of cooking;
• information on nutritional value, namely on the content of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, calories and other parameters;
• data on the availability of the necessary certificates confirming that the provision of catering services meets the requirements of GOST and various supervisory authorities.

This information is provided to customers by the direct owner of the business, for which they use menus or price lists. It is allowed to use for these purposes other methods adopted in a particular institution. Each visitor may require familiarization with this information both in the hall and outside it. At the same time, he may ask for other information about the different properties of healthy dishes or about the conditions in which they are prepared. It is allowed to hide various data if they are classified as commercial secrets.

General service requirements

GOST "Catering services" P50764-95 contains numerous requirements for organizations working in this field. If any significant violations are revealed, then this is the basis for holding the leadership of such an organization accountable.

All conditions should be studied in advance by entrepreneurs if they wish to provide catering services. General requirements for such institutions are as follows:

• it is necessary to develop special internal documents on the basis of which the procedure for the provision of services is carried out;
• it is allowed to provide customers with field service, for which an official contract is drawn up and signed between the two parties;
• the place and time of the planned event are pre-agreed, the number of visitors and the format of the event are indicated, as well as the head of the organization should familiarize himself with the scenario and service methods;
• all the work of the institution should fully meet the numerous requirements of Rospotrebnadzor, SES and fire inspection;
• information on the activities of any such enterprise should be accessible, therefore it is posted on the Internet or in the media, and also each visitor can get it by visiting the company personally.

The rules for the provision of catering services are checked by various supervisory authorities, and upon detection of significant violations various serious measures of responsibility are imposed, which are high fines or suspension of the enterprise.

Requirements for premises or open areas

Services can be provided both in closed buildings and on the street. The rules of catering services in this case are as follows:

• it is allowed to work in separate rooms, in hotels, office centers, educational institutions or with the help of open areas located next to different buildings;
• the company must have at its disposal production facilities that are divided into several separate zones, each of which is used by cooks to perform different tasks;
• there should be warehouses where products will be stored, and they should have refrigerators, cabinets for storing finished products, alcohol, dishes and other items used in the operation of any such enterprise;
• a washing room designed for washing dishes;
• the immediate hall, in which tables and chairs are installed, and its main purpose is the eating of visitors;
• the layout of the premises and the arrangement of equipment in them should be carried out solely on the basis of the requirements specified in GOST R50762;
• when working in open areas, the possibilities of lighting tables are taken into account;
• Separately, there should be premises intended for personnel and storage of various equipment for cleaning the establishment;
• when working on the street, modern designs are used that are installed for a limited period of time and presented with different tents, tents or arbors.

Due to these numerous requirements, entrepreneurs often fail to find the optimal premises or a separate building where a catering service could be provided. The definition of such conditions implies that it is usually required to independently engage in the construction of buildings or to lease premises previously used by other similar institutions.

equipment requirements

For the operation of any restaurant or cafe, you need to use different tools, equipment and technology. All material and technical equipment must meet certain conditions:

• the enterprise must have numerous structures represented by handouts, technological equipment, products for the bar and buffet, as well as the furniture necessary for the arrangement of the hall;
• if field services are provided, then the presence of mobile refrigeration and heating equipment is required;
• the company should have the optimal number of dishes for serving, preparing various dishes and other purposes, as well as cutlery, trolleys, table linen and other products that meet the numerous requirements and standards of SES;
• All products must be purchased only through trusted suppliers who have the necessary documents for the goods.

Only with the help of high-quality equipment will optimal catering services be provided. Catering products should be created exclusively with the use of environmentally friendly tableware and utensils, so it is not allowed to have plastic or other products that can change the taste of the product or melt under the influence of high temperature.

Requirements for the manufacturing process

The very procedure for preparing various dishes and products should be subject to many rules. These include:

• the requirements of SES, GOST R50763 and GOST R53523 are taken into account;
• different dishes are created on the basis of the information contained in the menu; moreover, it is allowed to offer a multivariate list of dishes depending on the specific event, and it is also allowed to take into account the wishes of customers who may have their own religious or cultural characteristics;
• the manufacturing process should be based on the information contained in the technological documents presented by technical and technological maps, instructions or recipes;
• production should be carried out in specially prepared premises of the organization.

The presence of insects or rodents in the production facilities is not allowed, therefore, the organization for sanitary treatment is periodically closed. All rooms should be carefully and regularly cleaned using the wet method and using suitable and safe cleaning agents. All dishes after cooking go to the sink, so it is not allowed to use it for several cooking cycles.

Staff requirements

Employees of any such organization should be selected carefully, since the safety of cooking, the quality of the dishes received, as well as the optimal service, depend on them. The main requirements include:

• the organization should have full-time employees involved in the manufacture of products, customer service and cleaning;
• all requirements for personnel are contained in GOST R 50935, and internal documents can also be developed in the enterprise itself, based on which specialists are hired;
• all people working in this company must have open medical certificates, and are also required to regularly undergo a medical examination;
• Before the start of the work process, each new employee undergoes a special briefing, with the help of which he gets acquainted with his main responsibilities, and will also be always ready for unusual situations.

It is the staff that prepares various dishes and customer service. For this, workers should have special clothing. Chefs should work exclusively in headgear and clean clothes. No actions are carried out with products with bare hands, therefore gloves are used.

Different types of services can be included in the service, therefore, often the company’s employees organize leisure time for visitors, use various animation programs, and also serve light, sound or some other specific equipment. If necessary, transport or security services are provided.

Thus, the requirements for catering services are numerous and comprehensive. Only with their observance is it guaranteed that the supervisory authorities will not be able to use any grounds to hold the business owner accountable.In addition, all customers and visitors will be sure that the products and services provided are of high quality. The services of catering facilities should be provided only by companies that clearly follow the above rules, which guarantees their long term of operation, the absence of problems with SES or other state institutions, as well as high demand for the offered dishes.