School: Blue Valley Academy
Class: Culinary Arts II
Instructor: Tina Tillotson
Client: McLain’s Bakery
Problem: What unique sandwich can be created and marketed to be served at McLain’s- Stanley location from April 1 to May 10th to have the greatest sales?
Summary of Project
Students met with McLains Bakery to create a feature menu item. They wrote standardized recipes and costed recipes within the guidelines provided by McLains. Additionally, they had to consider labor, equipment, and prep work. Students prototyped two sandwiches and ultimately one sandwich was picked to be featured. Students created a marketing campaign for sandwiches.
Key Takeaways or Advice
It was very rewarding to see the students step up and shine throughout this project. The prototyping day was amazing! Overall, we had a great partnership with our client. This helped to make the project a success.
Learning Standards
- Benchmark 1.0: Demonstrate industry-based food safety and sanitation procedures
- 1.1: Demonstrate industry standard hand washing and professional standards for personal hygiene including the proper use of gloves
- Example: Use of gloves with ready-to-eat foods
- 1.3: Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of food safety and sanitation to include: how foods become unsafe, controlling time and temperature, preventing cross-contamination, cleaning and sanitizing, shipping and receiving, and how to safely prepare food for others.
- 1.4: Practice first-in, first-out (FIFO) and date marking
- 1.1: Demonstrate industry standard hand washing and professional standards for personal hygiene including the proper use of gloves
- Benchmark 2.0: Demonstrate correct use and maintenance of food production equipment and tools.
- 2.1: Operate tools and equipment following safety procedures and OSHA age restrictions and requirements.
- 2.2: Identify and demonstrate procedures for cleaning, sanitizing, and storage of equipment and food contact surfaces
- 2.3: Recognize sanitary and safety design and construction features of food production equipment and facilities (i.e. NSF, UL, OSHA, ADA, etc.)
- Benchmark 3.0: Demonstrate professional food preparation methods and techniques for all menu categories to produce a variety of food products that meet customer needs.
- 3.1: Apply effective mise en place practices.
- 3.2: Prioritize tasks to be completed.
- 3.3: Demonstrate effective time management
- 3.4: Identify and apply where possible principles of storing, labeling, first in/first out concept, and date marking in food service operations
- 3.5: Demonstrate professional skills in the safe handling of knives, tools, and equipment.
- 3.7: Discuss and demonstrate where possible professional skills for a variety of dry heat, moist heat, and combination cooking methods. Roasting, broiling, smoking, grilling, sauteing, pan frying, deep frying, braising, stewing, poaching, steaming, and baking using professional equipment and current technologies).
- 3.8: Demonstrate knowledge of proper scaling and measurement techniques.
- 3.9: Apply the fundamentals of time, temperature, and cooking methods to cooking, cooling, reheating, and holding of a variety of foods
- 3.10: Prepare various meats, seafood, poultry, and eggs using safe handling and professional preparation techniques.
- 3.12: Prepare various fruits, vegetables, starches, legumes, dairy products, fats, and oils using safe handling and professional preparation techniques.
- 3.14: Prepare sandwiches, canapes, and appetizers using safe handling and professional preparation techniques.
- 3.15: Demonstrate professional plating, garnishing, and food presentation techniques.
- Benchmark 4.0: Apply menu management and production principles.
- 4.1: Describe the types of menus used by various food service establishments.
- 4.2: Explain menu planning principles exploring dietary recommendations to build balanced meals according to nutritional standards.
- 4.3: Demonstrate meal appeal factors including temperature, texture, color, flavor, shape, and size
- Benchmark 5.0: Perform mathematical functions in food-related applications.
- 5.1: Demonstrate basic conversions of measurements (oz in a gallon, etc.).
- 5.2: Understand basic culinary math concepts (i.e. APQ (as-purchased quantity), EDP (edible-portion quantity)/yield, total cost).
- 5.3: Demonstrate the process of recipe yield adjustments for small and large quantities based on operational needs.
- 5.4: Identify how food cost is determined.
- Benchmark 6.0: Analyze restaurant management and business techniques.
- 6.1: Compare restaurant concepts and service styles.
- 6.2: Identify the different forms of management and their purposes (kitchen brigade) – BOH and FOH.
- 6.5: Understand the process for creating and implementing a business plan for a restaurant or food production business (i.e. food truck, food mixes, innovative foods, etc.).
- 6.6: Determine business components to maximize the chance for success. (i.e. product niche, standard portion control, minimizing product loss, etc.).
- Benchmark 7.0: Enhance career readiness through practicing appropriate skills in the classroom and working in culinary situations.
- 7.1: Demonstrate appropriate communication skills (verbal, listening, writing).
- 7.2: Understand and practice appropriate social skills, manners, and etiquette, including the use of social media.
- 7.3: Use leadership and teamwork skills in collaborating with others to accomplish food production goals and objectives.
- 7.4: Solve problems using creativity, innovation, and critical thinking skills independently and in teams.
- 7.5: Know and understand the importance of professional ethics and legal responsibilities in culinary/food-related applications
- 7.6: Understand and demonstrate employability skills (e.g. timeliness, responsibility, work ethic, cooperation, appropriate use of technology) according to industry standards.
- 7.7: Review and enhance an electronic career portfolio to document knowledge, skills and experiences, and individual plan of study.