SITHFAB016 Provide Advice on Food Project Tasks

Learner assessment guide and evidence

This assessment requires you to research and present information about food, menu, and food and food service trends.

You are required to do the following.

• Complete Tasks 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in Assessment A.

Task 1: Research food and menu items

• You are to research information about a range of menu items and ingredients used to prepare them. Complete one food information and evaluation form for each item, summarising the information you have gathered.
• Menu items and ingredients researched must be able to be classified within the list of research topics provided in the table below.
• Your trainer will provide you with a copy of Assessment A - Food information and evaluation record. Save the record locally on your computer.
• A sample product information and evaluation outlining the type of information required and a sample response is contained in this document to assist in completing this task.
• Information researched about all products should be evaluated and authenticated for currency and accuracy.
• Photos of ingredients and prepared menu items can be submitted to support your food information and evaluation reports.
• Conduct your research using one or more of the following formal and informal research techniques.
• Library, reference books, promotional materials, product reviews, newspaper or magazine publications or other media.
• Personal observation and workplace experience, discussion with industry personnel, suppliers or manufacturers, attendance at trade shows, seminars, presentations or product tastings.
• Sensory appraisals of food products and menu items.
• Save your document.
• Submit to your assessor upon completion.

Research topics

• You can:
• choose products from your workplace or training environment’s food menu
• choose other menu items or recipes to broaden your existing product knowledge.
• Selected menu items must be classified within one of the menu categories listed below.
• Menu items should include one or more ingredients from the ingredient categories listed below.


When selecting an ingredient to research, ensure it has not been covered already in a food information and evaluation record for a different menu item. Each ingredient can only be covered once.
Selected ingredients must be classified within one of the ingredient categories listed below, for example, flour, chickpeas or pasta do not meet the criteria, but apples, chicken, oysters and camembert do.

Task 2: Research industry trends

• You are to research information about each of the following topics.
• One current or emerging food service trend.
• One current or emerging trend in customer preferences.
• Research topics could include one or more of the following.
• Contemporary eating habits.
• Cultural and ethnic influences.
• Major events and festivals.
• Media influence.
• Seasonal and popular influences.
• Prepare a report detailing each trend. The report should include the following information.
• Factors that led to the trend developing, for example, changes in customer preferences, expectations or income, manufacturing processes, immigration, globalisation, quality or availability of ingredients, type or popularity of television shows.
• Its effect on the food service industry in general, for example, impact on types of businesses, what businesses do or how they do it (policies and procedures).
• How the trend might affect your workplace or training organisation’s current or future food service or operational activities, for example, types of menu items and ingredients offered, how food is prepared, presented and served, types of cookery methods or equipment used to prepare menu items.
• Information about all trends should be evaluated and authenticated for accuracy and reliability.
• Conduct your research using one or more of the formal and informal research techniques.
• Library, reference books, promotional materials, product reviews, newspaper or magazine publications or other media.
• Personal observation and workplace experience.
• Discussions with industry personnel (chef, cooks, food personnel), suppliers or manufacturers.
• Attendance at trade shows, seminars, presentations or product tastings.
• Discussions with customers, clients and colleagues.
• Save the report locally on your computer as Trend report SITHFAB016.
• Submit the report to your assessor upon completion.

Task 3: Provide advice to customers – Role-play

• Complete the role-play by discussing different menu items, ingredients and styles of cookery with a customer, offering variations and assisting in menu selection.
• The following resources are required to complete the role-play.
• Workplace or training environment’s food menu.

Learner instructions

A customer requires your advice about what menu items to order for a dinner party for 20 people to be held in your small function room next weekend. They want to choose a three-course set menu with two choices within each course.

• Read your workplace or training environment’s food and beverage menus prior to commencing the role-play.
• During the role-play, you are required to demonstrate the following skills and knowledge.
• Provide current, accurate and relevant advice about menu items.
• Discuss methods of cookery and culinary styles in simple, clear language.
• Provide information and advice on menu items in response to special dietary requirements.
• Incorporate business considerations when providing advice.
• Offer variations to menu items in response to customer preferences and dietary requirements.
• Assist the customer in selecting menu items according to taste, price preference and other needs.
• When providing advice, incorporate information on the following types of food if applicable to the situation and customer needs.
• Appetisers
• Cheeses
• Fruits and vegetables
• Meat, fish and seafood
• Salads
• Sauces and accompaniments
• Soups
• Sweets and desserts
• Incorporate the following business considerations when providing advice to the customer if applicable to the situation and customer requirements.
• Current stock
• Profitability requirements
• Responsible service of alcohol
• Stock availability
• Supplier arrangements
• Conduct the role-play.

Task 4: Contribute to menu development – Role-play

• Complete the role-play by discussing different menu items with your manager and assist in menu development.
• The following resources are required to complete the role-play.
• Workplace or training environment’s current food menu.
• Sales statistics for the current menu that indicate quantity and dollar value of sales for each menu item. Statistics could indicate daily or summarised totals for a period of time, such as one or several months.
• Summaries of formal or informal customer feedback on menu items, if available.

Learner instructions

Your organisation updates its menu twice a year to reflect the change in seasons. You and your manager are discussing what menu items to include in the next food menu.

• Read your workplace or training environment’s food menu and statistical breakdown of menu item sales prior to commencing the role-play.
• During the role-play, you are required to demonstrate the following skills and knowledge.
• Discuss and contribute to content of menus with your manager.
• Suggest a variety of menu items at different cost points to reflect the type of food outlet.
• Provide information on customer feedback and preferences.
• Nominate preferences of particular target groups.
• Identify bestselling menu items to contribute to organisational profitability.
• Provide informed input about food trends and menu items to support organisational activities.
• Incorporate your knowledge on the characteristics of the following food types when providing advice and menu suggestions.
• Appetisers
• Cheeses
• Fruits and vegetables
• Meat, fish and seafood
• Salads
• Sauces and accompaniments
• Soups
• Sweets and desserts
• Incorporate the following business considerations when providing advice and menu suggestions to your manager.
• Current stock
• Profitability requirements
• Responsible service of alcohol
• Stock availability
• Supplier arrangements
• Where possible, menu suggestions should incorporate the basic principles of the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
• Base responses to discussion questions and menu item suggestions on your work experience, workplace or training environment’s customer tastes and preferences, and the results of trend research undertaken in Task 2.
• Conduct the role-play.

Task 5: Conduct sensory appraisals

Note: This task is completed only if sensory appraisals of menu items were not undertaken when completing food information and evaluation records for menu items in Task 1. If sensory appraisals were completed in Task 1 this task does not need to be completed.

• Complete sensory appraisals on a minimum of two of each of the following menu items.
• Appetisers
• Cheeses
• Salads
• Main course
• Sauces and accompaniments
• Soups
• Sweets and desserts
• Your trainer will provide you with a copy of Assessment A - Sensory evaluation record
• Complete a sensory evaluation record with the results of your appraisal for each type of menu item listed above.
• A sample sensory evaluation record outlining the type of information required and a sample response is contained in this document to assist in completing this task.
• Save the completed sensory evaluation records locally on your computer as Assessment A - Sensory evaluation record.
• Submit the record to your assessor upon completion.