Kitchen stewarding

Kitchen stewarding is a department in the food and beverage industry primarily concerned with providing relevant and useful instructions and information to kitchen staff in organizations such as restaurants, hotels, hospitals and educational institutions (Andrews, 2007). This paper analyses the key functions and goals of this department in Kitchen – Inc international hotel, its relationship with internal and external environment of the organization as well as the key management competences needed for this department to be effective. Finally, the paper explores the influence of work-integrated learning to hospitality industry and specifically, to the Kitchen stewarding department.

Function and goals of Kitchen stewarding is a department

There are various roles of kitchen stewarding department in Kitchen – Inc international hotel. First, the biggest function of this is to ensure that cleanliness in the kitchen and dining areas is maintained at the highest standards possible (Goudge, 2011). This includes not only the places but also every item that come into contact with guests such as glassware and silverware. All items that come into contact with food such as dishware, pots and crockery are given utmost importance to the stewarding department, when it comes to cleanliness. The department ensues that proper and appropriate detergent is used in washing and cleaning items and places. Further, kitchen stewards ensure that the right sanitizer is used to make sure that all kitchen items are sanitized. Maintaining high levels of hygiene also involves effective waste management through proper collection and disposal of garbage. Apart from maintaining cleanliness of items and places, Kitchen – Inc’s stewards themselves are supposed to be clean at all times.

Secondly, it is the duty of kitchen stewarding department in Kitchen – Inc to keep inventory of all kitchen items (Goudge, 2011). Kitchen stewards are responsible for making correct count of all kitchen items such as dishware, silverware, glassware, utensils, pans, crockery, pots and dinnerware. The department ensures that these items are stored properly and in appropriate places in order to avoid breakages. Kitchen stewards are supposed to record any damages or loss of kitchen items and report such incidents to immediate supervisor.

Lastly, it is the job of kitchen stewarding department in the international hotel to ensure that all kitchen equipments such as washing machines and freezers are working properly and are in good condition (Goudge, 2011). If any kitchen equipment is not working properly, kitchen stewards are supposed to report the problem immediately to supervisor to ensure that the problem is fixed in the right way. Generally, these functions are informed by the key goal of Kitchen – Inc’s stewarding department which is to provide maximum services and assistance to different kitchen and outlets, thereby maximize productivity and efficiency while maintaining the highest standards of hygiene as required by the organization’s policy (Andrews, 2007).

References

Andrews, (2007), Textbook Of Hotel Housekeeping Management & Operations, Tata McGraw

Hill Education, New Delhi

Goudge, M., J., (2011), what is the role of a kitchen steward?, Retrieved 29 March 2012 from,

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