Cookery for the Hospitality Industry

The Australian culinary scene has changed significantly over the past 20 years or so. Meal arrangements in the home, extended working hours that spill over to the evening and weekend, the diversity of leisure and sporting activities, an ageing population and the acceptance of Asian and other cuisines have influenced our approach to commercial cookery.

Only rarely do we see raw vegetables and carcass meat coming into even the largest kitchens. Basic preparation often is completed in dedicated food-processing plants and boning rooms. Standardisation of size, weight and quality is readily available. Sauces, pre-mixed ingredients, par-baked and pre-portioned meat cuts are accepted and available even to the retail market.

In the past the hotel and catering industry comprised residential hotels and restaurants, industrial catering, hospitals and institutions. Today, industrial catering has all but disappeared and the food-service industry includes many businesses that provide meals away from home, such as coffee shops, licensed clubs, event catering, bakery cafés and service stations. It contributes to books and magazines, participates in television entertainment and recognises celebrity chefs. It organises its own exhibitions and national competitions, and has a significant influence on the population's food choices and nutrition.

It is against this background that young (and not so young) chefs will start their training and enter the food service industry. Everyone knows about cooking, but not so many acquire the depth of knowledge of ingredients and flavours and understand the chemistry and physics of food preparation that the aspiring chef must achieve.