Food and Beverage Management: A Comprehensive Guide
Book Review
The Food and Beverage (F&B) industry is one of the most thriving ones in present day Bangladesh. Even a few decades ago, this industry was at the infant stage. However, with the advent of advanced technologies coupled with a huge shift in the socio-economic sector, F&B has turned into a booming industry.
There has not been any proper, authentic text on this sector till now. Yes, there are innumerable recipe books with all the dos and don'ts of cooking and serving. However, there is no such book depicting and defining the basics of the F&B industry.
Food and Beverage Management, written by Saidul Islam Chowdhury, is a first -of-its-kind in Bangladesh. Published very recently, this is a comprehensive text on the different segments of this industry.
The book comprises of five parts, each part detailing basics from food service, the personnel involved and careers and many more related topics. The first part has seven chapters, each describing important elements like personnel, equipment, and the menu, along with the styles of service.
The second part informs the readers about beverages. This is quite an interesting chapter, where one gets to know about the huge varieties of beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. There are seventeen chapters, which very explicitly detail the different types of beverages, ranging from Beer-n-Brandy to Tequilas-n-Liqueurs. It also has a few chapters on non-alcoholic refreshing, nourishing beverages.
Part three is all about food production in The Kitchen, its different sections, methods of cooking, different condiments-n-stocks-n-sauces are the main elements of this chapter. More importantly, it sheds light on Food Safety, Hygiene, and Sanitation. HACCP Guidelines and Food Science and Nutrition are also described in this part.
Careers in F&B are discussed in part four. This focuses on major career opportunities, education and pathways, skills required, employment sectors, and advantages of working in F&B. This is followed by Current Trends and Technologies used in F&B in Part 5. Here a bunch of images describe the latest additions in this regard (page 306-309). The images detailed with short descriptions are indeed very helpful for the food enthusiasts. The benefits and managements of these advanced technology terms and images are also described briefly in the next few pages.
The F&B Industry in Bangladesh has been witnessing an upward surge since the last few years. Now almost every nook and cranny around the country are teeming with restaurants. Be it a café or a sweet shop or a cha shop or a fine dining restaurant- neighborhoods are thronging with food outlets. With the onset of food delivery services - like Pathao and FoodPanda - anytime anywhere is food-n-fun!
A book so thorough and informative is indeed a great guide, which is very much needed for all concerned. Published by Rup Prakashan this 309-page book tells us all about the what/how/when/where of (almost) anything and everything related to this industry as a whole. A few more images describing some cookware, crockeries, and cutleries would have made it more complete.
This book is the culmination of the author's decade long profession in this industry. This experience coupled with a vast knowledge that ranges from service to variety to career makes this book indeed a pioneer in this segment. The easy but detailed description of each topic is sure to make it a favorite among the readers - both at home and abroad.
