Bsc 1st Semester The Hotel & Catering Industry Food & Beverage Services

Definition of Hotel:

A hotel is an establishment that provides basic services of food, beverage and accommodation to the ones who are in the capacity to pay for it and in the ability to receive it.

By British law Hotel or Inn is defined as “a place where a bonafide traveler can receive food and shelter, provided he is in a position to pay for it and in a condition to receive it”

An establishment providing accommodation , meals, and other services for travelers and tourists, by the night.

What is Hotel Management?

It is a field that applies principles and information derived from a number of disciplines regarding selling food, beverages and lodging to persons away from home. The management system that manages all things about hotel business is called hotel management .Another ways, the hotel management is the perfect management techniques including hotel administration, accounts, marketing, maintenance, housekeeping, food and beverage management and catering .

What is hospitality ?

The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the services industry that includes lodging, event planning, theme parks, transportation , cruise and additional fields within tourism industry .

Growth of Hotel Industry:

Hospitality is the second oldest commercial endeavors known to man. Inextricably bound together with the hotel and restaurant business is travel and tourism, a business that provides services to travelers. In fact, the hotel industry has emerged due to the invention of wheel when people began to travel; and the logistics of carrying food for several days became a problem. Hence, at convenient spots, informal lodging operators started providing places to stay and eat in exchange for goods or money.

The earliest inns were ventures by husband and wife teams who provided large halls for travelers to make their own beds and sleep on the floor. They also provided modest wholesome food, thirst quenchers like wine, port, ale, etc. and stabling facilities. The entire cooking, service and recreation was provided by the husband and wife team and his family.

These conditions prevailed for several hundred years. The advent of the industrial revolution in England brought ideas and progress in the business of inn keeping. The development of railways and steamships made travelling more prominent. The industrial revolution also changed travel from social or government travel to business travel. There was a need for quick and clean service.

The lead in hotel keeping was taken by the emerging nations of Europe, especially Switzerland. It was in Europe that the birth of an organized hotel industry took place in the shape of chalets and small hotels which provided a variety of services and were mainly patronized by the aristocracy of the day.

The real growth of the modern hotel industry took place in the USA beginning with the opening of City in New York in 1794. This was the first building specifically erected for hotel purposes. This eventually led to great competition between different cities and resulted in Frenzied hotel building activity. Some of the finest hotels of the USA were built in this era, but the real boom in hotel building came in the twenties. This period also saw the beginning of chain operation under the guidance of E.M Statler . It involved big investments, big profits and trained professionals to manage the business .he opened the statler in buffalo, new york .

In the eighties , the far east too prepared itself to welcome both business people and the tourists who were beginning to discover the mysteries of the orient , such as china, south korea ,Thailand, and japan.

In the modern world , lodging facilities  do not just correspond to the true definition –a lodging accommodation for travelers. those in the hotel industry , from the architects ,designers ,developers, and engineers to the managers, are cognizant of the fact that the tastes of guests vary according to their wishes or needs . Hence, most contemporary hosteliers analyze the global market trends in order to improve the quality of life in hotels and offer the best services.

Initially, travel was for conquests, discovery and trade, with later-day travel extending to pleasure, now a billion-dollar business with operators providing all kinds of options other than just tourist needs of sightseeing.  Nowadays travel is for sports, for study and even for therapeutic reasons.

Growth of Hotel Industry in INDIA-:

India is known for its varied culture heritage, which includes its famous hospitality. It is derived from ancient text, which stated “Athithi Devo Bhava”, which when translated means “The guest is God”. That was initially the status accorded to visitors at home. It was then extended to visitors at the “roadside inns” or “sarais”. Homes were converted into places of stay for visitors travelling top places of religious importance, which were plenty around the country. Later the Mughal and British rule in India also gave rise to famous mosques and churches all over the country.

Leisure travel in the past was restricted to visits during holidays to one’s parents and relatives houses in one’s hometown. The British developed a lot of hill stations across the country to escape the heat of the plains. Slowly the Indian tourist foray into the wide and varied world of leisure travel, and the constant development of hotels in these destinations occurred.

By way of natural resources, India has a lot to offer to the tourist. From the snow capped mountains of the Himalayas to the beaches with long coastline, from the deserts of Rajasthan to the numerous wildlife and bird sanctuaries all over the country, there is something for everyone.

The variety of cultures and its intermingling with invaders also had its effect on the cuisine of the country, e.g., vegetarianism by Hindu, meat influence of Mughals, Anglo-Indian cuisine, Buddhist and Jain eating practices etc, all made their mark on the Indian food scenario. Service in ancient texts was done on the floor on banana leaves or on dried leaves joined to form a plate or cone. However, tables and chairs came with the British prior to which the Mughals used mattresses on the floor where waiting staff served the food on large platters and bowls.

In India, the development of hotel and tourism combine with jet age travel, increase in population and the industrial expansion have all increased the need for catering establishment which form an important source of foreign earnings.

In the recent past there has been a spurt in growth of the domestic tourist as compared to the international tourist. Hotels are now gearing up for an unprecedented demand rooms in the domestic sector. Sports tourism is also coming up in a big way in terms of para sailing, snorkeling, scuba diving, paragliding, white water river rafting, amusement park, trekking, mountain and rock face climbing, etc.

OBEROI HOTELS

Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi, chairman and the founder of Oberoi hotel was born in August 1900 in Bhaun, a small village in what is now in Pakistan.

Soon after his marriage in 1922 he arrived penniless in shimla, and found a job as a front office clerk in the Cecil hotel at a salary of Rs. 40/month. Some years later he moved to Clark hotel (also in Shimla) and gained experience in all aspects of the hotel operations. In 1934 he bought Clark hotel by mortgaging all his assets and selling his wife’s jewelry.

1930: a cholera epidemic struck Calcutta and the Grand hotel, the largest in the city was forced to close. In 1938 Mr. Oberoi acquired the grand and converted it into profitable business venture. The Oberoi Grand remains to this day Calcutta’s leading hotel.

1943:Mr. Oberoi took over the associate hotel of India(AHI) with eight hotels in northern India including the Cecil in Shimla, Maidens and Imperial in Delhi, and 4 hotels now in Pakistan.

The Oberoi International in New Delhi, which opened in 1965, was the first modern luxury hotel in the capital. The 35 story Oberoi Towers opened in Bombay in 1978, the tallest building in India.

Mr Oberoi’s dedication to the industry is evident from the Oberoi Center of Learning and Development (OCLD) based in Delhi.

Oberoi Hotels is an Indian luxury hotel chain established in 1934. It has branches in five countries, situated in two continents (Asia and Africa) including two ships. The chain operates hotels and resorts.

The group has cooperated with the United States television channel CNN to produce a television series named “Eye on India”.

                        Oberoi Hotels & Resorts

Founded :           1934

Headquarters :     India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Mauritius & Egypt

Key People :         Vicky Oberoi, M.S.Oberoi (Founder) 

Industry :              Hotel

Website :              www.oberoihotels.com

TAJ HOTELS

Billed by the Times, London as the finest hotel in the East, the Taj’s first hotel, the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai was perhaps the only place in the world where a British Viceroy could rub shoulders with an Indian Maharajah, where the congress could debate with right wing leaders, and where sailors on shore leave could flirt with the Pompadour Follies. Built at the cost of a quarter of a million pounds, the hotel introduced a series of firsts that set new benchmarks in Indian hospitality. Over the years, the Taj brought into Bombay, “Professors of Dance” Mademoiselle Singy to raise temperatures and a few eyebrows with the Tango, the first air-conditioned ballroom to cool things down, the first cold storage, the first licensed bar and more.

The changing decades ushered in new tastes and newer guests including Mick Jagger, Steven Spielberg and David Rockefeller, to name a few. From Nobel laureates to rock stars, fashion divas, to oil-rich sheiks, Taj represented a global village long before the term was to become a cliché. Even today, a hundred years on, guests will find Taj taking luxury to greater heights in all its hotels around the world including business capitals, fairy-tale palaces on secluded islands, in private yachts, aboard executive jets and amidst spas and resorts. Still, as the discerning traveler will note, a little ahead of its time.

Important Milestones in the History of Taj

1903: Created history with the opening of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Bombay (Mumbai), India’s first luxury hotel

1971-72: Pioneered the concept of authentic Palace Hotels in the country with the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, the palace of Maharajah of the erstwhile state of Jaipur.

1974: Conceptualized the unique beach resort at Fort Aguada, Goa built within the walls of a Portuguese fort overlooking the Arabian Sea.

1976: The fisherman’s cave was built. It is a thirty minutes’ drive from madras from the bay of Bengal with a private beach.

In the same year the Taj group opened the Taj Flight Kitchen in Bombay catering both domestic and international flights.

1978-82: Taj launched in Delhi with its luxury hotel-Taj Mahal Hotel on No.1 Man Singh road and then prepared India for the Asian Games by setting up Taj Palace, Delhi with the largest convention centre in the country.

1982: Taj established a presence in the Western Hemisphere with the historic St.James Court Hotel near Buckingham Palace, London.

1984-92: Well before these destinations became world renown for their beauty, Taj expanded to Kerala and Sri Lanka.

1992-97: Rolled out Business Hotels in key cities and towns across the country, branded as Taj Residency hotels.

2000 : Consolidated its position as the largest chain in India with hotels in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, the latter city being a joint venture with GVK Hotels resulting in a dominant position in the market for premium and luxury hotel rooms.

2002 : The new Taj Exotica Resort  & Spa, Maldives, within six months of its launch, was awarded the title of “The Best Resort in the World” in the first ever Harpers and Queen Travel Awards.

ITC HOTELS

ITC was incorporated on August 24, 1910 under the name of ‘Imperial Tobacco Company of India Limited’. Its beginnings were humble. A leased office on Radha Bazar Lane, Kolkata was the centre of the Company’s existence. The Company celebrated its 16^th birthday on August 24, 1926 by purchasing the plot of land situated at 37, Chowringhee (now renamed J.L.Nehru Road), Kolkata for the sum of Rs 310,000. This decision of the Company was historic in more ways than one. It was to mark the beginning of a long and eventful journey into India’s future. The Company’s headquarter building ‘Virginia House’, which came up on that plot of land two years later, would go on to become one of Kolkata’s most venerated landmarks. The Company’s ownership progressively Indianised and the name of the Company was changed to I.T.C. Limited in 1974. In recognition of the Company’s multi-business portfolio encompassing a wide range of business – Cigarettes & Tobacco, Hotels, Information Technology, Packaging, Paperboards & Specialty Papers, Agri-Exports, Foods, Lifestyle Retailing and Greeting Gifting & Stationery – the full stops in the Company’s name were removed effective September 18, 2001. The Company now stands rechristened ‘ITC Limited’.

In 1975, the Company launched its Hotels business with the acquisition of a hotel in Chennai which was rechristened ‘TTC-Welcomegroup Hotel Chola’. The objective of ITC’s entry into the hotels business was rooted in the concept of creating value for the nation. ITC chose the hotels business for its potential to earn high levels of foreign exchange, create tourism infrastructure and generate large scale direct and indirect employment. Since then ITC’s Hotels business has grown to occupy a position of leadership with over 80 owned and managed properties spread across India.

ITDC HOTELS

India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) was set up as a wholly owned government company in 1966, for the development and promotion of tourism in India.

India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) was established in 1966 as an autonomous public sector corporation, entrusted with the task of helping develop tourism infrastructure and promoting India as a tourist destination. Today, ITDC provides a complete package of tourism services including accommodation, catering, travel-related services, event management, publicity, hotel consultancy, duty free shops, in-house travel agency, entertainment and shopping. 

THE ROLE OF CATERING ESTABLISHMENT IN THE TREVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY

The travel and tourism industry is one of the largest and most profitable industries in most countries. While on one hand, increased stress levels are forcing a lot of working professionals to take regular breaks and holidays throughout the year; on the other hand , there has been a remarkable change in people’s mindsets which encourages people to go on vacation and appreciate the cultures and environment of different places.

One of the aspects of hospitality service is catering. It means professionally organizing the supply of food and beverage, rooms and managing social events.

In the 1940’s the term “hotel and catering industry” was coined to include the economic activities of undertaking whose aim was to satisfy the demands of food, drink and accommodation away from home. The industry has expanded rapidly in the last few decades. It is established that one in every four meals is planned, prepared and served outside the home.

The modern catering industry dates back to the inns of the biblical period, which served food and accommodation to travelers. Inns, taverns, cook shops and tea & coffee houses gradually built up the industry through the ages. It was also influenced by religious orders and houses of nobility, which catered to a large number of people.

The role of catering establishment is defined by its social and economic importance. It increases employment prospects and with the expansion of international tourism it contributes to the national economy. It provides food and accommodation to people of all ages in all walks of life at any time of day or night and in every situation; the one thing in common being the need for food to be cooked and served. However, groups of different ages may have different requirements. These habits may depend on social, religious, national, traditional, geographical and medical situations. The responsibilities of catering establishments include an awareness of the customers, their requirements and the method employed to meet these requirements.

The catering industry is considered one of the fastest growing industries in terms of numbers employed. Jobs exist in hotels, clubs, hospitals, canteens and other welfare units. These establishments exist in public and private sector. The catering establishment plays a substantial role in supporting the travel and tourism industry and earns a considerable amount of foreign exchange.Some of the catering establishments include hotels, restaurants, healthcare, hospitals, convalescent centers, airline catering, railway catering, marine catering, event management, community distress/disaster catering, etc.

The catering establishment has a wide scope for growth in India. According to the FHRAI (Federation of Hotel And Restaurant Association of India), the third economic census conducted in 1990, estimates that there are approximately 50000 restaurants in India in the organized sector. This figure is expected to rapidly increase as a result of the changes in demographic and economic factors.

Likewise a report of the planning commission has forecasted that 17% new jobs will be created in the service sector in the country in the next 10 years. In developed countries, the service sector is growing faster than the manufacturing sector and it is a dominant source of direct and indirect employment. There is a shortage of trained professionals in other countries also and employment opportunities are in abundance. A job is created every 2 to 4 seconds in the tourism industry worldwide.

The Meal Experience:

A professional server must understand why people eat out. The main aim of food and beverage operations is to achieve customer satisfaction. In other words, to meet the customer’s needs.The needs that customer might be seeking to satisfy are:

Hunger: (Physiological) is the basic need for survival. The body needs food for energy and sustenance. People may satisfy this basic need by buying food from any stall or outlet based on availability and budget.

Convenience: (Economic) is an intangible factor that forces people to eat out. Many people who do not have time or resources to prepare meal at home, find eating outlets convenient. There are outlets that cater to all segments of society.   e.g Working people go to an outlet that can provide them food within the given time and budget for a particular meal. Shoppers may combine their meal with shopping and mall food court.

Social Occasions: (Social) are great reason why people eat out. Businessmen may want to entertain their clients or families want to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, religious festivals, etc. in a specialty restaurant. Up market restaurants cater to status and social needs.

Entertainment: Need for enhancement of self –esteem, fulfilling life style needs, the need for variety, as a result of advertising and promotion are great reasons to eat out. That is why restaurants go beyond food and provide costumes, showmanship, impulse buying, décor, music etc. to create an amusing environment.

How do People Choose a Restaurant?

·         Reputation:

·         Price:

·         Atmosphere:

·         Quality:

·         Uniqueness:

·         Portion Size:

·         Consistent Standards:

·         Service Levels:

·         Location:

Hospitality Industry Chart/Types Of F&B Operations/ Structure Of Catering Establishments

The term hospitality refers to the treatment meted out to a guest either at home or any commercial establishment or any other establishment, which exists for the purpose either  the objective being making money, or for charity. The term hospitality industry includes all different types of hotels, motels, resorts, restaurants and those establishments, which exist for same purpose.

Hospitality industry is basically divided into three major categories. They are,

CATERING ESTABLISHMENTS

TRANSPORT CATERING

WELFARE CATERING

COMMERCIAL CATERING

NON-RESIDENTIAL

RESIDENTIAL

Industrial Catering Institutional Catering Service Catering

Railway Catering Airline Catering Marine Catering

Restaurants Bars Pubs Discotheques Nightclubs Kiosk Fast Food Outlets  Cafeteria

Hotel Motel Resorts Floatel Lodge Guest House Circuit House

 

Commercial Catering

Commercial catering involves doing the business of catering for the objective of making profit through customer satisfaction. The main objective of concern is to make money. Money cannot be made without the achievement of customer satisfaction. At the same time the existence of the business concern is also not possible without profit. So from a commercial establishment’s point of view both the profit and customer satisfaction are equally important and one cannot be prioritized over the other.

Commercial catering can be divided into two main categories. They are,

1.      Residential Catering

This category involves organization, which provides the facility of accommodation. They may or may not provide the facility of food and beverage.

The different examples under this category are,

§  Hotel

§  Motel

§  Resort

§  Floatel

§  Lodge

§  Guest house

§  Circuit house

       I.            Hotels

Hotels are establishments or business premises, which provide the basic facility of accommodation as well as food and beverage. An establishment cannot be called as hotel if any one of the facilities is absent. Depending upon the additional facilities offered by the hotel, they could be classified into one star, two star, etc up to five star. The hotel can be categorized into various types depending upon factors like location, type of clientele, length of stay, type of plan, etc. on the basis of location, hotels can be divided into downtown hotel, suburban hotel, motel, transit hotel & inn group hotel and business hotels, etc.

 

    II.            Motels

The term motel has been derived from the term “motor hotel”. The establishments are normally located on highway sides and they aim at catering to the customers travelling by the highway in their own vehicles. Such travelers may like to spend a night in the motel before resuming the journey the next morning. Motels normally provide the travelers with the facility of the most basic type of accommodation and limited facility of food and beverage. Traditionally such establishments are attached with refueling and servicing facility. These establishments are not as expensive as the commercial hotels. The normal duration of stay of the guest in these hotels is comparatively lesser than the normal duration of stay of the guest in the commercial hotel.

 III.            Resort

These are normally located in the remotest places far away from cities. People go to these places to get relieved from the hectic daily life and spend some time with friends, family, and relatives in leisure for fun and recreation. Resorts can be several types such as beach resort, hill resort, summer resort, winter resort, etc. Resorts provide all the recreational facilities depending upon what kind of a resort is it. Resorts are marked by the distinct on and off seasons. Resorts normally sell their rooms on a package basis. The normal duration of the stay of a guest in a resort is more than the average duration of stay of a guest in a commercial hotel.

 IV.            Floatels

The best examples of these hotels are seen in the Dal Lake of Jammu and Kashmir. These comprise self-contained rooms, which provide the luxury of a five star hotel. The rooms are attached with a kitchen and all other amenities, which are required to make the stay of a guest comfortable. The Kerala government is planning to construct houseboats in the same line as J&K to attract the domestic as well as international tourists.

    V.            Guesthouse

These are comparatively less expensive than the star hotels. They provide moderate standard of accommodation and food & beverage services at a reasonable rate. The standard of hospitality is much inferior to the standard of hospitality of the star hotels. Different companies sometimes maintain guesthouses for their guests and other important personnel as and when the company requires them. Guesthouses can also be privately owned.

 VI.            Circuit House

These are government guesthouses. Here the standard of hospitality is comparatively better than the standard of hospitality of a guesthouse. The state government normally maintains these for the delegates from other states. Normally the stay at the circuit house is complimentary and the expenses are taken care of by the state government.

VII.            Lodge

These are catering establishments, which provide the facility of only accommodation. Food and beverage are not provided here. These are normally present in the busy commercial areas and near the train and bus stations. They are not as expensive as the star hotels. The standard of hospitality is not as good but somehow manages to give value for money.

VIII.            Youth Hostel

These are not as elaborate as hotels and motels in the standard of F&B and accommodation. They are much cheaper than hotels and provide basic accommodation to bachelors or spinsters who stay away from family for work or educational purposes. Food and beverage may or may not be served. Tiffin or cafeteria facility may be available attached to the hostel.

1.      Non-Residential Catering

This category includes catering establishments, which provide the facility of food and beverage. No accommodation is provided. The main examples are as follows:

§  Restaurants

§  Bars

§  Pubs

§  Discotheques

§  Night clubs

§  Kiosks

§  Fast food outlets

§  Cafeteria

       I.            Restaurant

These are into the business of serving only food and beverage to the customers. They do not provide the facility of accommodation. They can be attached to a hotel or independently existing. A restaurant can be either a multi-cuisine or a specialty restaurant. Specialty restaurant normally operates for lunch and dinner. Specialty restaurant can be attached to a hotel or can independently exist. Multi-cuisine restaurant are traditionally stand –alone or independently existing. Specialty restaurants are comparatively more expensive than the multi-cuisine restaurants. Specialty restaurants serve one type of cuisine like either Chinese or Indian or Italian or Mexican, etc. each and every aspect of the service reflects some typicality of that culture or region whose cuisine is being served.

    II.            Bar

Bar specializes in alcoholic beverage service. Bar can be attached to a hotel or can independently exist. Although some kinds of light snacks are served, their main commodity of business is alcoholic beverage. They are strictly regulated by the governmental regulations. All the bars have a specific time of operation and they are not supposed to operate after that. Each and every transaction record is kept appropriately authority and the necessary records are produced before the appropriate authority as and when they asked for. All the inventories are to be maintained as per the guidelines laid down by the concerned authorities and their records are to be maintained accordingly.

 III.            Discotheque

These are F&B outlets, which are mainly into the business of dance and encourage people to come and dance in these outlets. Discotheques are attached to a hotel or can independently exist. Most discotheques are attached to a bar to serve alcoholic beverages to the patrons. Discotheques have strict hours of operation and their operations are strictly regulated by the regulations laid down by the government or any other component local authority. All discotheques have a dance floor attached for the customers to dance. Discotheques are marked by unique lighting and music arrangement to create an ambience to encourage patrons to dance.

 IV.            Pubs

The concept of pubs started in the traditional British society with an objective of encouraging the old and the retired people to assemble and chitchat over a bottle of beer. Traditionally pubs serve beer only. Over the years, the concept of pubs has changed and they are not different than bars serving all kinds of alcoholic beverages. In India local law strictly regulates the operation of pubs and just like bars they too have specific operational timings.

    V.            Nightclubs

These are F&B outlets, which are traditionally open for the members and not for outsiders. The nightclubs start operating late in the evening and continue operating till quite late at night. Alcoholic beverages are served. Snacks and light meals are also served. Nightclub operations traditionally involve some kind of an entertainment either in form of musical performance, group or solo dance, cabaret and floor show, etc.

 VI.            Kiosks

Independently existing food stalls are known as kiosks. They are small food outlets which deal with ready-made foodstuffs, bottled beverages, cigarettes, tobacco, etc. They have no specific timings of operation but most of them stop operating after mid-night.

VII.            Fast Food Outlets

Fast food outlets are recent development in India although fast food concept has existed in the western countries since many years back. Fast food outlets specialize in food which can be prepared fast, served fast and eaten comfortably on the way to office or work place. Not much seating arrangement is given and emphasis is given on quick preparation and service of food. Most fast food outlets operations involve guest going up to the counter and ordering for food and beverage and making payment at the same counter, collecting his order from either the same or nearby counter and eating in the same premises itself or carrying it to be eaten on his way.

VIII.            Cafeteria

These are normally seen attached to airport, railway stations, etc. In these outlets food is displayed in glass counter and the guest are excepted to move along the counter and pick up the food they like and either pay then and there or pay at the end of the counter. Seating arrangements are provided in the cafeteria.

 IX.            Vendors

They are generally present on main roadside and railway platforms. They generally deal with local food and non-alcoholic beverages. They normally cater to financially weaker section of the society. No seating arrangement is provided due to lack of space. Generally people on movement avail these facilities; hence these units deal with food and beverage, which can be picked up conveniently and eaten on the move.

2.      Transport Catering

This category of catering involves service of food and beverage in the various modes of transport. This kind of catering has become very professional and developed nowadays. This branch of catering constitutes a significant part of the entire world of catering. Transport catering comprises of the following categories:

·         Railway Catering

·         Airline Catering

·         Sea/Marine Catering

       I.            Railway Catering

Catering to passengers during the journey and at halts at stations is called railway catering .In the mid 19^th century the railway network began in India with an operation that was to extend the length and breadth of the vast subcontinent. With travel made easier, people who traveled from one part of the country to the other required food, drink and route. At most of the larger stations catering refreshment rooms were opened. The trains would halt for an appropriate length of time so that the passengers could get a simple meal.

Passengers unable to afford the luxury of eating in the refreshment room could get snacks from numerous vendors on the station platform.

Railway companies went to the extent of setting hotels attached to the stations so that the passengers who were travelling from one region to another could get some comfort. The luxury of sleeping cars and restaurant cars were a much later development.

At the turn of the century the railway ministry decided to contract out the catering requirements to attract companies with catering background so that the travelers could be more professionally served during their long journey.

In railway catering, palace on wheels is the most prestigious service offered by IRCTC, a subsidiary of Indian Railway .the palace on wheel is a luxury tourist  train . it was launched by the Indian Railways and Rajasthan tourism development corporation to promote tourism in Rajasthan . 

The Role Of Spencer In Railway Catering

The association of Spencer with railway catering began as early as 1910. Spencer was a company of repute with large network. All over India catering was done on contractual basis. The catering and hotel division of Spencer was responsible for this operation. The Spencer was catering under their own name to the madras and southern railway. Also under the name “Brodons” they were catering to the great peninsular railway whose headquarter was in Bombay. Under the name “Kellners” they catered to the Bengal Nagpur railway and also the northwest frontier railway between Delhi, Amritsar and Lahore. Even at that time, Spencer had 180 refreshment rooms all over the country. The size of the restaurant, the staff and menu were structured to meet the demands of the people passing by that particular area.

The biggest refreshment room had a bar attached since prohibition was non-existent then. Still larger facilities dispensed small items such as medicines, aerated drinks and tobacco.

In minor trains, the guard on checking tickets would take order from the passengers of first, second and even third class passengers and telegraph the same to the station ahead depending on the time of the train. Food, crockery, cutlery and glassware were brought in baskets which would hold food for 2-3 persons. Food for one person is usually preplated which for 2 or more is served in ceramic dishes. The size of the basket was quite large, measuring 2ft by 1.5ft. the most important part of the operation was that of the halting of trains was adjusted to suit the meal timings. In faster trains, express and mail they had pantry cars and restaurants on wheels, fitted with regular kitchen, a pantry and an eating area. The cooking fuel was coal. Menus were quite elaborate and reflected British rather than Indian taste. Breakfast would consist of porridge, toast with preserves and butter, and tea or coffee. Lunch would include soup, chicken or mutton curry before dessert.

Catering was considered as an amenity promised to travelers rather than a business. The food served was cheap and wholesome. This was possible because Spencer were given free supplies of coal and free freight for all provisions and perishables. Aerated water was supplied to refreshment rooms by the representative zonal factories.

After independence Spencer lost contract being a foreign company.

Railway Catering Today:-

Today railway catering is much more sophisticated than what it used to be in the years gone by. Today majority of the trains are being catered to by outside contractors who are quite experienced and professional. Some trains are still looked after by the department of railway as far as the catering aspect is considered. Food in most cases is supplied in disposable aluminum foils and in case of upper class compartments in hot cases. Food in most of the trains is prepared in the pantry car of the train itself. So the food is served piping hot then and there. The hygiene quality has also improved compared to earlier times. Many stations are starting to have a restaurant of well-known brand names. Recently the ITDC has undertaken the responsibility of developing the standard of railway catering. Due to suck multi-dimensional approach of the government, supported by the effort of the private sector the standard of railway catering is on the rise and will keep getting better off.

    II.            Airline Catering

Unlike the other transport system like the rail or ocean liners, air transport carry pre-plated food on board as there is no facility available on airline for cooking or presentation. Most airlines design or plan flight-catering establishments or kitchens to meet their requirements.

The system was to continue until the country was nationalized and was divided into two separate corporations, one for domestic route and the other for international.

Modernization and expansion increased the carrying capacity of passengers in both airlines. It was necessary to increase and expand the catering services with a standard compatible to the cost of airline ticket.

To cope with the need of international airline carrier several flight kitchens were established in Bombay (Mumbai), Delhi, Calcutta (Kolkata) and Chennai. Air India started a subsidiary company called the HCI (Hotel Corporation of India) with a view to operate flight kitchens and accommodate passengers in five star hotels at the major airports. Indian airlines also started a subsidiary company called the Allied service to establish flight kitchens at airports where there are no HCI flight catering establishments. There are plans to establish flight kitchens and hotels at the new domestic airport complex in Chennai. This will be a part of Allied service chain.

Meals served in the aircraft during the journey are included in the ticket fare. Most airline meals are deep-frozen, often in blast freezers. Blast freezers are units, which freeze hot food within seconds to prevent the loss flavor as well as bacteria from breeding. The food items are placed in individual casseroles and are stored in the freeze until required. They are transported in portable freezers or on dry ice to the aircraft. They are then heated as required with the aid of microwave oven and served to the passengers.

TajSats and sky chefs are two of the more prominent airlines catering establishments in india .

 III.            Marine/Sea Catering

It is referred to marine catering and it is divided into two major parts,

                                i.            Cruise Line Catering

Here the catering is done to the passengers travelling in the cruise ships. The modern day luxury cruise liners have a very high. They are equipped with facilities like restaurants, ballroom, discotheques, casino, swimming pool, laundry, etc. on board. The quality of service is exclusive compared to the f&b standard of a five star hotel. The passenger’s meal price is included in the price of the ticket. All the meals during the journey are taken care of by the cruise liners. The highest standard of F&B as well as service is provided here. All the necessary ingredients are picked up from the part of origin including water to cover up the requirement for the entire duration of the cruise and some extra stock for 3-4 days in case of any emergency. All the necessary ingredients are supplied by a contractor called as the Victualizing Agent. In shops there are electric heaters and hot plates which are used for cooking. The utensils are bolted down to the floor so that they do not move while the ship travels.

                              ii.            Cargo Ship Catering

Here the catering is done to the members of the crew. They are less in number compared to the guests of cruise liners. Here it is more like an industrial catering. Menu is not very elaborate and the service is not so sophisticated as the cruise liners. Normally a cyclic menu is prepared.

3.      Welfare Catering

This category of catering is done not for the objective of making money but as a welfare measure for the target group. One of the major factors in such kind of catering is the consideration of the cost. Since this kind of catering is done as a welfare measure and no profit is expected, so cost becomes a very important factor. Non-commercial operation include catering services in institution such as prison, schools, hospitals, and industries, colleges, universities and old age homes .

Among the different branches of welfare catering, the following are the most important ones:

·         Industrial catering

·         Institutional catering

·         Service catering

       I.            Industrial Catering

This branch of welfare catering is carried out in the industrial units or manufacturing units. In the manufacturing industries food is cooked for three levels of employees. They are the shop floor level workers, the supervisors and the managers or executives. While the menu is planned for the shop floor level workers, maximum consideration is given to the aspect of nutritional requirements of the workers. Menu is planned in a cyclic manner i.e. the same menu keeps coming back after a particular interval. Cost is next important factor in this kind of catering operations. Service is done either from buffet or plated from various counters to avoid delay and rush. For the supervisor the menu is planned taking into consideration the amount of physical work put in by them on regular basis. The supervisors are normally served from the buffet. There is separate set of menu for executives in a restaurant specifically built in the premises. They may have silver service done here. Industrial catering may be operated by the company or by outside contractors.

    II.            Institutional Catering

This category of catering deals with the service of food and beverage for the students in school or any other educational institutions. This also deals with food served to inmates in prison or an orphanage, etc. in a school or any other educational institution. The primary concern is to cater the appropriate nutritional need of that particular age group. So utmost care has to be taken while planning the menu. Cost is also an important factor which is kept in mind while planning the menu. Food is normally served from a counter to which the students approach in a queue or pick up the food by a couple of servers standing behind the counter. Emphasis is also given to the pace of service.

 III.            Service Catering

Here the catering refers to the food and beverage service carried out in military establishments. In the peacetime areas, the food and beverage is served to the officers in the officer’s mess which is pretty high restaurant for which the amount can be directly deducted from the salary of the officers. Dinning in the officer’s mess is not compulsory and normally the officers avail of the facility as per their discretion. Apart from this the officers are also given free supply of ration once in every 2 to 3 days. In the front of course the food is served free to all the personnel.

Scope of the Catering Industry

·           The food service or hospitality industry is considered one of the fastest growing industries in terms of numbers employed.

·           The hotel industry is a division of the tourism industry. India is placed as second fastest growing tourism market in the world.

·           Travel and tourism is the second highest foreign exchange earner for India in the current scenario.

·           India has become the destination for hotel chains looking for growth. Observing the huge potential in this segment, several international hotel chains have announced major investment plans in the country.

Glossary:

Food and Beverage:  It refers to any service rendered to gratify basic human needs of hunger and the joy of eating and drinking for physiological and psychological satisfaction.

Hospitality (Service):  The dictionary meaning for Hospitality reads “The Friendly and generous reception of guest or stranger.”  So far the industry stands for is all aspects related to the above meaning i.e. skill, knowledge and attitude to fulfill the said goals.

Catering:  One of the aspects of hospitality service is catering. It means professionally organizing the supply of food and beverage and managing social events.

Food and Beverage Department:  Hotels have two branches of hospitality ---Accommodation Operations/Accommodation Services and the other one is Food & Beverage Department. Further  Food & Beverage department has two broad segments:

a)       Food and Beverage Production.

b)      Food and Beverage Service.

The above two segments are so intermingled and interwoven that the study of one has to be supplemented and augmented with the other.

Assignments:

Ten National and Ten International brands of Hotels.

Find out the facilities offered in “Palace on Wheels”

Visit some establishments and see the kind of menu offered and type of service.

List the employment opportunities available for Hospitality Professional.

Questions:

1.        Classify catering establishments with suitable industry example under each category? Explain welfare catering in brief?

2.       Write the brief history of Oberoi group of hotels?

3.       Briefly describe the growth of hotel industry in India.