1st week @ Cheffing!

1st week @ Cheffing…

Everything in the kitchen is about conserving energy and saving time. It is a very stressful industry and I take my hat off to all the chefs in the world!

It’s a harsh environment to work in. It takes a lot of skill and a thick skin to be able to handle all the pressures and deadlines that have to be met. This weekend in the kitchen exposed me to the realities of what goes on behind those two doors.

Our first week in the kitchen went by very fast. I learned how to make a basic béchamel sauce and added it to chicken lasagna, roasted beef and roasted pork and I even made pancakes endlessly for welcoming on Friday!

Cooking is defined as the transfer of energy from a heat source to food. There are 14 methods we have to know.

1.     Blanching: Often a preliminary method. Either in the treatment of green vegetables complete cooking, preserving chlorophyll but breaking plants acids down. Or to remove natural bitterness from strong flavored vegetables, onion and cabbage families. It can be done in water or oil. F.e. Haricot frites.

2.    Poaching:  Gentle cooking process done in water, court bouillon or stock. F.e. eggs.

3.    Boiling: The cooking of food in rapid boiling water, is also applicable  to simmering of vegetables or meat. F.e Pommes nature.

4.    Steaming:  Cooking of food in hot moist air. Reduces cooking time and  retains nutrients. F.e. most vegetables.

5.    Deep frying:  Placed in oil, food is totally submerged.

6.    Shallow frying:  Placed in oil covering half of the medium of food.

7.    Sauteing: Quick frying of food in a pan with little oil and medium to high heat.

8.    Roasting:  Cooking of large joints in a dry heat. F.e. Roast sirloin.

9.    Grilling:  Fast cooking of smaller tender pieces with little or no oil. Done by contact heat. F.e. Grilled Rump Steak.

10. Baking: Cooking of food in dry heat, moistened by its own ingredients.

11. Stewing: Moist cooking method for tough meats, cut into small pieces, medium is stewed in its own liquid. First done in fat then liquid.

12. Braising: Combination of roasting and stewing in a braisiere on stove or oven.

13. Glacing: Same application as braising but used only for white meat.

14. Pot roasting: Cooking of poultry in a fat medium in a pot. Cooked in fat then liquid, and basted frequently. F.e. Pot roast chicken.

The highlight of my week!! Making my own béchamel sauce!!

A basic béchamel sauce:

It’s easy to make and it isn’t very time consuming. You will need butter, flour and milk in a ratio of 1:1:10.

Stir 1 tablespoon butter and flour on medium heat until combined into a paste. Then add a cup of milk stirring continuously till thickened.

·        Béchamel is a mother sauce which can be used to make cheese, garlic, mushroom sauce etc.

1st week at Food and Beverage Services ...

1^st week @ Food & Bev !i!

Last week Tuesday (16/10/12) I started my Skills course at Food and Beverage Services.  It was something to get used to with all the new procedures and terms they use.  All the names of the different types of bar glasses still get me confused sometimes but I am definitely learning a lot!

There are several stations in our Food and Bev department. I have had the opportunity to work in the waiter station where Mise en Place is a huge responsibility.  Then the coffee station, where I learned the proper way of making cappucino’s with foam or cream, filter coffees and teas. I also had to help set up for different conferences and learned shapes for setting up the tables and chairs for the specific occasion. We also had the chance to see how some cocktails were made and had a taste!.

There are also different types of menu’s we had to learn about. A la carte is a menu with a variety of food at individual prices. Table d’hote is a set menu with a sequence that is usually used at weddings and 5 star restaurants. A Buffet has no sequence and a large variety of foods which the guests dishes up for themselves. The price excludes drinks. 

I learned planning plays a very important role in the Food and Bev industry. Factors to be taken into account when planning a function are the menu, pax number, time, type of guests coming and most importantly your checklists, duty list and the amount of staff you have. 

Mise en Place (preparation beforehand) can be the following in the Food and Bev department : Setting up of tables, preparing cutlery and crockery, refilling and cleaning of condiments (standard sauces that can accompany most dishes), cleaning all surfaces and making sure they are ready for service, stock take, maintenance checks(to prevent hazards) and then setting up of rosters/ duty lists.

Cappuccino with foam:

Cappuccino with cream:

Bar glasses:

Cocktails @ Sondela:

1.    Black Russian:

Kahlua & Vodka

         

2.    Bloody Mary:

Tomato cocktail & Vodka

3.    Blue Monday:

Bols Blue, Triple Sec &Vodka

4.    Ginger Square
Ginger Ale & Ginger Liqueur

    

5.    Pina Colade:

Malibu & Pineapple Juice

    

6.    Screwdriver:

Orange Juice & Vodka

7.    Tequila Sunrise:

Grenadine, Orange Juice & Tequila

8.    Sondela Green Bean:

Bols Blue & Orange Juice

9.    Sondela Sunrise:

Bols Van Der Hum & White Grapetizer

10.    Sondela Sunset:

          Bols Van Der Hum, Grenadine & White Grapetizer

11.    Cinderella:

          Lemon Juice, Orange Juice & Pineapple Juice

         

12.   Rock Shandy:

          Bitters, Lemonade & Soda Water

         

13.   Steelworks:

          Kola Tonic, Lemonade & Lime

I have learned a lot this week and I’m sure there are lots more to come with this weekend’s upcoming bicycle races!

 

7th week @ Accommodation

Module 9 - Care of textiles

Linen items used in accommodation:

Bedrooms     -     pillow cases

                     -     fitted sheets

                     -     mattress protectors

                     -     bedspreads

                     -     curtains

                     -     duvets

                     -     throws

                     -     towels etc

Restaurants  -     Table cloths

                     -     seat covers

                     -     napkins

                     -     overlays etc

Material types    -     cotton

                           -     wool

                           -     nylon

                           -     acrylic

                           -     polyester etc

Factors that determine the purchase of linen:

1. Quality of linen

2. Types of linen

3. Prices/ value of linen

4. Storage areas available

5. Facilities available for laundry types

Different types of laundering services:

1. Combined options

2. On premises laundry

3. Commercial laundry

4. Laundry hire

Linen control systems:

1. Clean for dirty

2. Requisition

3. Topping up

4. Set amount

Operational requirements of a linen storage area:

1. No unauthorized persons to enter storage area

2. Area must be easy to clean

3. Sufficient lightinh must be availabe

4. Area must be well ventilated

5. Area restricted to one or two persons

6. Linen gets signed in and out

7. Surfaces must be even and dry

8. Equipment must be maintained & checked daily to prevent fires and mnimize risks of fires. Fire extinguishers must be close and serviced.

Basic rules for stain removal:

1. Always wear protective clothing

2. Store stain removers out of reach of children. Dont store with food products

3. Read label instructions carefully and use chemicals accordingly

4. Avoid getting chemicals on your skin

5. Use chemicals in a well ventilated room

6. Dont use solvents near an open flame/ electical outlet

7. Seal containers properly

8. Never mix materials together. (bleach and ammonia forms toxic fumes when put together)

Procedure for making up a bed:

1.            Remove all soiled/ dirty linen

2.          Check for guest belongings

3.          Turn mattress over

4.          Place mattress protector and tuck in

5.          Place fitted sheet and tuck in

6.          Place flat sheet and tuck in at the bottom. At the top of the flat sheet pull back 30 cm and tuck in along sides

7.          Place duvet/ bedspread and make sure it is even on both sides and that it has no creases or bumps

8.          Place standard pillows followed by oxford pillows

9.         Fold throw and place at the end of the bed

10.      Fold towel and place them at the sides of the bed at the bottom

11.       Place scatter cushions

12.      Check overall appearance

6th week @ Accommodation

Module 8 - Design, Decor and Furnishings

What a customer needs from his accommodations:

1. A bedroom will need a ned, nightstands, closet and a chair/ bench

2. A dining room must have enough tables and seats for daily users

3. Comfortable seating arrangement with a TV in the family room. Add a fire place for warmth.

4. Sanitary items and electrical fittings can be powerful accents and are very visible

5. Color of rooms affect your mood. Light colors add space to a room and dark colors make it look small and cozy

6. Artificial lighting - Incandescant lighting is warm and soft and Fluorescant is harsh and glaring but focus orientated

7. Make a focal point, use rare pieces, beautiful collectibles or color contrasts. F.e. a piano, bed burning candles, anything out of the ordinary

8. Avoid traffic flow bumping into furniture. Arrannge furniture so people can walk easily without a problem

9. Remember space available, size of furniture, where the door is, seatings, light, wires etc. when placing the furniture

Explain the importance of room design:

Lodging facilities are designed to attract guests. Componetns can be used like furniture, wall coverings, floors & carpets, window coverings, fixtures and amenities. Color is also an important factor as it creates a certain atmosphere in a room. Special features make the room more attractiveto guests. You can use a fire place or waterfall as a focal point. Facilities such as ventilation and heating will also attract people who want such type of facilities.

5th week @ Accommodation

Module 7 - Organisation of cleaning

Factors that have an affect on cleaning schedules:

1.         Arrivals

     2.      Departure

     3.      Type of establishment

     4.      Areas that are most soiled

     5.      VIP guests

     6.      Inhouse Policy

     7.      Amount of staff

     8.      Level of training staff has

     9.      Room status - arrivals

                                        - departures

                                        - in house

Benefits of effective and efficient working methods:

1. Job satisfaction

2. Customer satisfaction

3. Word of mouth factor

4. Good company image

5. Increase in sales

6. Time saving

7. Effective use of equipment

8. Effective use of cleaning chemicals

9. Training

Factors affecting the allocation of duties:

1. Room occupancy

2. Priority of room

3. Number of rooms to be cleaned

4. Company policies and procedures

5. Working hours

6. Unexpected arrivals

7. Amount of staff on duty

8. Experience of staff

9. Furnishings of area

Reasons for tasks to be designated:

1. OHS regulations

2. Personal hygiene factors

3. Use of resources in a good way

4. Job and customer satisfaction

Documents we use in the organization of cleaning:

1. Inspection checklist

2. Daily worksheet

3. Arrival and departure list

4. Inhouse list

5. Cleaning request

Explain the need to monitor standards:

1. Low standards will affect customer satisfaction

2. Hygiene can also be affected by poor standards

3. Problems can be identified and solved

4. Security/ safety risks can also be identified and eliminated

5. By monitoring you can see where training is needed and implement it

6. Helps to identify workload appropriately

Other departments in liaison with Housekeeping:

1. Food and beverage

2. Front office

3. Maintenance

4. Laundry

5. Purchase

6. Personnel

7. Stores

8. Security

18 Aug 2012 Trail run @ Sondela Nature Reserve

Trail Run @ Sondela Nature Reserve!!!!


On Saturday, 18 Aug, Sondela had a trail run. At this event I marshalled at the 5km run. We had to start working at 6am. There weren’t a lot of entrees but the spirit was high.

At 7am we were all at our different points we had to marshal. Everything was checked so the race could run smoothly. After all the 10km people passed we had to wait for what felt like ages for the 5km to start. This race went quite fast and before I knew it the people came past me and I had to show them where to go.

After the big trails were done, we had a 500m run with the little kids. There was only 3 kids entered in this race so all the students that was working at the race had to run with them. This was a lot of fun to help the kids finish the race and helping them finish.

After the race they had price giving ceremony with a lot of prices to give away including hampers and Sondela wines. We started packing up everything and we put them away again. When that was finished we all could go home that afternoon and enjoy our off weekends with the peace of mind that everything was a success!!!

4th week @ Accommodation

Module 6 - Cleaning procedures

In this Module we learned about the cleaning procedures that Sondela follows.  There are certain steps we had to learn about cleaning a bedroom and bathroom and there is also a specific way we have to make up the beds! We learned about the different types of spoilages and the reason we clean the chalets and Makhato houses. We have a lot of cleaning chemicals and equipment we have to use. We had to identify the cross contamination hazards and the different types of finishes we have to clean. This Module was by far the longest one we had to do so far but I have learned so much!

Basic reasons for cleaning:

·        Customer expectation

·        Appareance

·        Expanding the life-span of surfaces and finishes

Different types of spoilage:

·        Dirt

·        Dust

·        Organic matter

·        Bacteria

·        Grafitti

Cleaning chemicals we use at Sondela:

·        Swish – Removes watermarks from sanitary fittings

·        Window cleaner – Removes marks from windows and mirrors

·        Bathroom cleaner – To wash the basin, bath, toilet and shower with.

·        Carpet shampoo – Removes stains on carpets and couches

·        Sunlight liquid – Removes grease from dishes

·        Descaler – Removes chalk from kettles

·        Oven cleaner – Removes fat/ greases from oven/ stoves

·        Furniture polish – Protects furniture/ wood and makes it shine

·        Air freshener – Used in the rooms to refresh the area after cleaning

·        Pine gel – Removes dirt from floors and refreshes

·        Bleach – Removes stains from white furnishings/ linen

·        R2/ multipurpose – Removes dirt from numerous surfaces

Cleaning equipment:

·        Manual – Towels, sweepers, brushes, brooms etc.

·        Suction – Vacuum cleaners, water vacuums and curtain steamers

·        Rotary – Polishing machine, dry foam shampooing

Cross contamination hazards:

·        One cloth for different tasks

·        Incorrect procedures

·        Personal hygiene factors

·        Clean/ soiled linen mixed

·        Using guest towels for cleaning

·        Not cleaning mops/ cloths

Different types of finishes:

·        Hard floors

·        Floor coverings

·        Walls & ceilings

·        Sanitary fittings

·        Furniture

Procedures for cleaning a bathroom:

·        Turn light on

·        Open windows

·        Check general condition of the room and report any problems/ faults to supervisor or maintenance

·        Remove rubbish and soiled linen

·        Dust all areas from top to bottom with a yellow cloth & feather duster

·        Clean bath, basin, toilet and shower by using bathroom cleaner and red cloth

·        Remember to wear protective clothing

·        Spray swish on all sanitary fittings

·        Allow to work then wipe off with red cloth and ensure it is watermark free

·        Clean windows, mirror and shower door by using window cleaner and blue cloth ensuring it is spot free

·        Replace any missing items/ amenities and towels

·        Sweep the floor an mop by starting from furthest point from the door

·        Check bathroom for overall product

·        Spray air freshener

·        Close windows

·        Switch off light

Procedures for cleaning a bedroom:

·        Turn on light

·        Open curtains

·        Open windows

·        Check general condition of room and report any fault/ problems to supervisor or maintenance

·        Remove all rubbish & soiled linen

·        Dust the room (cupboards, surfaces and appliances) from top to bottom using yellow cloth & feather duster

·        Polish the room by using green cloth and furniture polish (all wood furnishings)

·        Make up the bed by using clean linen

·        Clean windows and mirrors by using the blue cloth and window cleaner and ensure it is spot free

·        Replace all missing items/ amenities

·        Sweep/ vacuum the floor/ carpet and then mop/ wash it starting from the furthest point to the door.

·        Check room for overall appearance

·        Spray air freshener

·        Close windows

·        Turn off light

Procedures for making up a bed:  

·        Take off dirty/ soiled linen.

·        Check for guest belongings

·        Turn mattress over

·        Place mattress protector and tuck in along sides

·        Place fitted sheet and tuck in along sides

·        Place flat sheet and tuck in at the bottom. Fold the bottom corners as demonstrated, tuck in. Fold the top of sheet backwards with 30com and tuck in along sides

·        Place duvet/ bedspread and make sure it’s even at both sides of the bed. Make sure it’s free from creases and bumps

·        Place standard pillows followed by oxford pillows

·        Fold throw as demonstrated and place at the bottom of the bed

·        Fold towels as demonstrated and place at the sides of the bed

·        Place scatter cushions

·        Check overall product