Hierarchy of Store Department

Documentation and Procedures in Store

Many different approaches have been taken over the years in an effort to control food and beverage costs. However, the objective has always been the same: to keep costs in line without sacrificing the quality or quantity of the food which goes to the customer.

 
To control and to maintain highest level of service standards, a storekeeper has to follow certain procedures and document or record all the transactions of the day. The following documents serve as essential tools to keep a check on the storage procedure.

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Daily perishable order

This is one of the most important documents handled by the stores. All the perishables that are purchased by the hotel are ordered through this format. The Executive Chef of the hotel does the ordering a day ahead of the receipt of the perishables. While ordering the items, the chef takes into account any social functions due to be hosted and the stock level in the stores. The stores department is consulted to know the stock in hand. While ordering fruits, an excess stock is necessary as this
would help in the following day issues. When ordering fruits, it is done in numbers of the item.

An adequate stock of perishables helps to give a speedy issue to the outlets. If there is a remainder for the items, then those are issued once the new supplies arrive. The order form is made in four copies. The original and second copy goes to the Purchase Department, the third copy is sent stores, and the fourth is the book copy. The Purchase Department in turn places the order with the suppliers, and the original is sent to the Receiving Department to receive the items. If an item is short supplied then it is notified to the Purchase Department, Executive Chef, and the store through a shortage report.

The ordering of the perishables by the Executive Chef means that the chef takes responsibility of the items including those that fall short. But in the same way, if the items are short supplied, the chef can hold the Purchase Department responsible for that lapse.

The purchase requisition: Ordering of the storeroom provision on a daily basis is done through the requisition. Reordering of grocery items is done twice a month-normally on the first and the fifteenth of every month. But this may vary as per the consumption. Although ordering is done on two days, the store can send a requisition that it needs the stocks.

At any given time the store should have a grocery stock adequate for 25 days for consumption.

The requisition is made in three copies, of which two copies are sent to the Purchase Department and the third copy is the book copy.

In case of the grocery items, the Purchase Department retains the copy and sends out a purchase order to the supplier of which one copy is sent to the stores for its reference.

The purchase has to be sanctioned by the F&B Controls before it is sent to the Purchase Department. In case of the short supply of items ordered, the store in turn prepares a shortage report and sends it to the Purchase Department for them to rectify the matter.

Store's credit report

When food and beverage items are received by the stores from the receiving department, the items are either weighted or
counted as per the requirements and the quantity of the items, date of receipt, serial and the remarks are entered in the receiving tag which is sent to the stores with the items. Generally the items weigh more than what is weighed at the receiving end as there is a margin for shrinkage.

In the mean time these details are entered in the store's credit report that has a receiving Report No., Date, Item, Quantity and Unit, Unit Price and Extension, and the Bin Card No. At the end of the shift, this report is sent to the F&B Controls for their references. The F&B Control day the original copy of the receiving report and the store's Credit Report to look for any kind of discrepancy. In case of one, the tags from both the stores and the receiving department can be tallied to trace the folly.

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Store receiving procedures

The receiving procedures in the store can be summarized in the following points.

1. When the items are received at the stores, the items are weighed or counted as per the requirements and entered in the store credit report.
2. In case of groceries, they are counted or weighed and entered in the store credit report and in the bin card.
3. In case of perishables, they are stored at the appropriate temperature as per the requirements.
4. Groceries and beverage items are entered into the cards after consulting the stores credit report.
5. In case of smokes (cigarettes/cigars) and liquor, two entries are made in the card.

BEVERAGE STORAGE FACILITIES (CELLAR)

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Alcoholic beverages are among the major revenue grosser of any hospitality property. Little wonder, cellars or rooms where beverages are stored form an important feature of any big hotel or restaurant and bar. Like food items, various beverages require different optimum conditions for their storage, which makes the organization and planning of cellars an arduous task that must be executed carefully and meticulously. The security aspect of the cellar is an equally important task.

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Guidelines for Planning and Operations of a Beverage Storage Facility

Some useful tips or guidelines that have evolved in the industry pertaining to the operations of beverage storage facilities are as under.

1. Ensuring safety and security of the beverage facility. This includes assigning responsibility for the security of stored items to a single person, and keeping the facility locked when required.

2. Organizing the beverage storage facility In general, the physical arrangement of a cellar comprises the following:
* The main storage area held at 13-16°C for the storage of red wines and spirits. This area is also used for general collections and preparations of orders for the various bars. 
* A refrigerated area held at 10°c for storage of white wines and sparkling wines.
* Another refrigerated area held at 6-8°C for the storage of keg beers only if necessary.
* An area held at 13°C for the storage of bottle beers and soft drinks.
* A totally separated area for the stacking empty bottles, crates, etc.

3. Maintaining appropriate conditions. It includes maintaining the temperature, humidity, and light in the beverage storage facility to maximize shelf life of the stored beverages.

4. Maintaining cellar records This is necessary for the purpose of control.

5. Ensuring par stock for bars Par stock is the precise quantity stated control in numbers of bottles or other containers that must be on hand at all times for each beverage in the bar.

6. Beverage store This should have only one access and it must be locked and sealed with a print on a tape with time of entry and code of key used to open the door.

7. Ideal location This is necessary to provide direct and easy access to bars.

8. Maximum height of shelves This should be 7.6·from floor level as it reduces the chances of breakages.

9. Size of the shelves This should be according to the size of bins which are approximately 22" wide, 1+ high, and 18" deep.

10. Space for cleaning Leave 4 space between the lower shelf and floor to facilitate cleaning and to keep goods dry in case of flooding or spillage.

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List of Documents Used in the Cellar of a Five Star Hotel

The following is the list of documents that are generally used in five star hotel beverage storage facilities.
* Cellar control
* Cellar control ledger
* Bin card
* Cellar perpetual inventory control ledger
* Daily beverage inventory sheet
* Beverage requisition book
* Empties outward book
* Ullage (word used to describe sub-standard quality/weeping wine bottles due to loose cork and the air space above the wine and under the cork or screw cap) and breakages book 

Checklist of Cellar Tools

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A good cellar should have all essentials tools and equipment, which should be stored in one part of the cellar over a workbench. It is a simple task that entails building a rack for taps, mallets, and other larger items. 

The minimum cellar tools and equipment are:

* Adequate number of taps
* Vent pegs
* Scotches
* Shivers
* Spiels
* Corks
* Tapping plugs
* Hard wood or rubber mallet
* Gimlet for boring shivers
* Punch for knocking the holes
* Spanners for beer pipes, engines, and unions
* Washers
* Filtering equipment and filtering papers
* Jugs
* Brushes for taps cleaning
* Brooms and scrubbing brushes
* Swabs and glass cloths
* Glasses for sampling and tasting
* Thermometer
* Torch and spare battery
* Vice on bench
* Dipstick
* Washing soda and salt
* Disinfectant (outside the cellar)

Standard Practices and Procedures: Do's and Don'ts of Cellar Management

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Do's

* Location: between bar and receiving area.
* Follow FIFO.
* Wines should be laid down.
* Spirits and liqueurs should not be laid down but keep straight.
* Port and sherry should keep upright
* Crusted and vintage port must be binned or moved with the whitewash mark on the top
* Keep separate bin cards for all wines and liqueurs.
* Keep a record of breakage with appropriate evidence
* Unwrap all bottles and destroy the packing.
* Make sure that access to the cellar is controlled.
* Priority should be given to the security of keys
* Keep your beer at even temperature between 56-60°F
* Keep everything clean in cellar: walls, ceilings, drains, pipes, draining boards, and floor.
* Keep the cellar free from smell.
* Keep the cellar free from small and unnecessary gadgets.
* Keep your beer engines free from traces of dirt and yeast.
* Deal with returned beer promptly
* Wash glasses well.
* Cork and peg the casks as soon as they are empty.
* Turn off taps of casks in use and tighten spiles (valves used to control air flow) at each session.
* Sample for all beers for brightness, condition, and flavour at the beginning of each day.
* Learn about the product you are selling.
* Keep your utensils spotless.

Don’ts

* Overstock
* Return stale beer to casks

* Hang a thermometer on the wall.
* Permit warm or cold draughts in the cellar.
* Be afraid of consulting your brewer.
* Clutter up the cellar with lots of rubbish, odds and ends, or anything with a strong smell.

Useful Measures used in Bar/Cellar