Why should I study Food and Catering?
In Food and Catering, you will develop the knowledge and practical skills required to plan and cater for special events. You will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of catering activities, such as the Festival of Foods, Women in STEM Breakfast and Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea. This will involve meeting with clients, discussing their needs and collaborating with your classmates to plan, trial, prepare and present a suitable menu.
Food and Catering is a great subject for anyone who has interest in food, wants to develop their cooking skills or even seek part-time employment in the hospitality industry!
Where does Food and Catering lead?
Stage 1 Food and Catering is a pathway to Food and Hospitality in semester 2 and Food and Hospitality at Stage 2. You will also develop knowledge and skills that can be applied to work within the hospitality industry. Other pathways include further study in this area, such as an industry-based apprenticeship, traineeship or certificate course.
What work will I do in Food and Catering?
Food and Catering is taught from no assumed knowledge; therefore, we start with the basics like interpreting a recipe, weighing, measuring and food safety. We then move on to more complex ideas such as menu design, food ordering, sensory analysis and workflow planning.
This subject has a strong practical focus, so you will participate in a variety of introductory practicals to develop your cooking skills. Once confident in the kitchen, you will choose your own recipes according to the brief from the client. You are also required to complete some theory work. This will be in the form of documenting your planning and reflecting on the development of your knowledge and skills.
What do other students think about Food and Catering?
I chose Food and Catering because it offers a balance of practical and theory work which I really enjoy. You don’t sit in a classroom all lesson and there is always a practical outcome to the theory work you do. You get to learn life skills such as how to cater for a large number of guests, cooking techniques and how to apply the food safety standards. What I enjoy most is having the opportunity to work as part of a team to complete tasks.
Cat
I chose this subject because I prefer to work ‘hands on’ rather than doing lots of written work. I really enjoy the cooking practicals and getting to work with my classmates and teacher. The class is a very welcoming environment and I never feel bored. I have learnt lots of cooking skills that has inspired me to study cookery at TAFE. The teachers are very helpful and give you lots of support with your assignments.
Halima
I chose Food and Catering because my old school didn’t offer this kind of subject. I wanted to learn more about cooking and the techniques used in different dishes. I made many new friends in Food and Catering. Being a new student, this subject helped me meet new people and become more comfortable at the school. We worked in teams a lot and everyone was included, which I enjoyed. It was a very friendly and welcoming class to join. The advice I would give to anyone wanting to choose this subject is to give it a go. This subject really helped me ‘come out of my shell’, meet new friends and improve my cooking skills.
Tilly
Where can I find more information about Food and Catering?
For more detail about content and assessment, view the course information:
- Stage 1 (Year 11)
- Stage 2 (Year 12)