MOBILE CATERING

A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose.
Mobile catering is common at outdoor events (such as concerts), workplaces, and downtown
business districts.

 A food cart is a motor less trailer that can be hauled by automobile, bicycle, or hand to

the point of sale, often a public sidewalk or park. Carts typically have an onboard
heating and/or refrigeration system to keep the food ready for consumption. 

A catering truck enables a vendor to sell a larger volume than a cart and to reach a larger
market. The service is similar; the truck carries a stock of prepared foods that customers can
buy. Ice cream vans are a familiar example of a catering truck in Canada, the United States
and United Kingdom.

A food truck or mobile kitchen is a modified van with a built-in barbecue grill, deep fryer, or
other cooking equipment. It offers more flexibility in the menu since the vendor can prepare
food to order as well as fresh foods in advance. A vendor can choose to park the van in one
place, as with a cart, or to broaden the business's reach by driving the van to several customer
locations. Examples of mobile kitchens include taco trucks on the west coast of the United
States, especially Southern California, and fish and chips vans in the United Kingdom. These
vehicles are sometimes dysphemistic ally called "roach coaches" or "ptomaine wagons".

A concession trailer has preparation equipment like a mobile kitchen, but it cannot move on its
own. As such it is suited for events lasting several days, such as funfairs. A mobile caterer uses
a vehicle or cart in delivering the food.

 Types of vehicles are as follows:

 

1.      Street cart - or a food cart is a motor less trailer that often uses a hand, bicycle or automobile
that can be seen on public sidewalks and parks. Carts have an onboard heating device or a
refrigerator for keeping the food ready for consumption. Beverages and foods include - tacos,
hotdogs, and sausages, Mexican food such as burritos, frozen treats like ice cream, doughnuts,
sandwiches, bagels and Halal food such as chicken or lamb over rice.

2.      Food Truck - the truck carries stocks of prepared foods that enable the vendor sell a large
volume. Examples are the ice cream vans.

3.      Mobile Kitchen - A large modified van with built-in cooking equipments such as grill and deep
fryer. The vendor can prepare food inside the van. Examples are fish and chips vans in UK and
taco trucks on United States.

4.      Concession Trailer - like a mobile kitchen, it has equipments for preparation but it cannot
move on its own. Trailer is suited for lasting events such as funfairs.

Mobile catering services can also be used to feed people in areas of natural disasters and in
places where the infrastructure is destroyed.
 
Requirements for Mobile Catering Vehicles:

Commissary –
 

It’s a place where all mobile units must report for the daily supplies, servicing and cleaning. A
commissary approval form must be submitted and notarized if the owner is not present for
signing.

Requirements for commissary:

 
(1)    Facilities must have a storage of food, washing and sanitizing equipments, single
service articles, disposal of waste and washing and storage of vehicles.
(2)    Facility must be inspected by the health authority.
(3)   City permits.

Construction –
 
(1)    Vehicle must be a commercial type with enclosed, smooth, cleanable floors, walls,
and ceiling with no carpet inside.
(2)    Proper temperature of equipment must be NSF (National Sanitation Foundation)
approved for maintaining hazardous food. Provides and checks thermometer reading
for each holding unit of food.
(3)    Liquid waste must be collected, put in a holding tank, and disposed into a sanitary
sewerage system at the commissary.
(4)    Firm name, address, and contact numbers must be on both sides of the vehicle.
(5)    Empty vehicles are not permitted.
 
Operation –
 
Health code:
 
(1)    Foods cannot be sold from a mobile catering vehicle, cleaning and good repair of the
interior and exterior part of the vehicle, food containers must be stored properly.
(2)    Proper temperature maintenance at all times - cold foods - 41 degrees Fahrenheit or
below, hot foods - 140 degrees Fahrenheit
(3)    Transported food must have insulated units and notify the Neighbourhood Services
Department for the rented vehicle.
 

Permit requirements - payment fee for the mobile food permit and vehicle inspection permit.
 
 Points to be keep in mind: -

 1. Use & Application

 In addition to being operated as private businesses, mobile catering vehicles are also used
after natural disasters to feed people in areas with damaged infrastructure. The Salvation Army
has several mobile kitchens that it uses for this purpose.

It is applied to make hot food and carry fuel, food raw materials and water for 80~100 persons
each day and personnel portable materials of two cooks and one driver.

 
2. Working capability

 It can make staple and non-staple food for 80~100 persons in one hour. 

 
3. Technical parameters
External dimensions of complete vehicle: 5990×2020×3030mm, External dimensions of vehicle
compartment: 3600×2050×2000mm
 
Internal dimensions of vehicle compartment: 3485×1935×1885mm
 
4. Characteristics

Equipments and working environment fit in the major Chinese food processing methods and
main food raw materials required by field food and drink support. Food processing quality and
working environment comply with quantitative standard and sanitary requirement of field food
supply. 
 
 

 
Mobile Kitchen can be refitted according to the customer’s requirements into a vehicle cooking
western-style food.
 
 

 MOBILE CATERING EQUIPMENTS

·         Electrical Model Idly Cookers

·         Rice & Multipurpose Cookers
 ·         Rice Kettles
·         Dosa Plates
·         Masala Trolleys
·         Display Counters
·         Service Counters
·         Deep Freezers
·         Mobile Salad Bars
·         Roti Counters
·         Bain Marie Cabinets
·         Salamander/Bread Toasters
·         Deep Fat Fryers
·         Gas Ranges
·         Gas / Charcoal Tandoors
·         Ovens
·         Vegetable Cutting Machines
·         Coconut Scrappers
·         Wet Grinders Machines
·         Flour Kneading Machines
·         Potato Peelers
·         Halwa Machines
·         Oil Shaking Machines ETC.
 

Branches of Mobile Catering: -

1. Airline catering
2. Cruise/Ship catering
3. Railway catering
4. Automobile catering

SEA CATERING

The catering plays a vital role in the modern era; the catering provides food and beverage
services to the people. The people organize parities at their homes, office or nearby banquet
hall or hotels. The sea catering is a luxury service which facilitates the person & provides
comfort to that extent level. People who are travelling for business purpose or/& vacations from
one country to another, they choose this kind of transport facilities.

There are two types of sea transports, which provide the catering facilities: -

1.       CRUISE LINERS: -

 In cruise liners, trips are sold as a package included food, accommodation and many other
facilities. However, liquor and tobacco are paid individually.

a.       Most of the cruise liners have their own pastry shops, dining halls, bar etc.
Hence the menus are best and they may differ to suit international tourist.
 b.      Table d’ hote menus with wide choice in each course are popular. There is
central kitchen known as “galley”, in which there are various sectors such as
butchery, pastry, raw material are packed up from ports in advance, service could
be fine plated buffet.

2.       CARGO VESSELS: -

 Cargo vessels are the merchant ships which carry foods.

a.       No. of staff is usually limited.

b.      Cyclic menu are prepare to provide meals to the staff.

c.       Hours of operations are pre-decided.

d.      Cost of food should be within budget figure.

e.      Healthy and whole some meal is provided.

  

RAILWAY CATERING

As the rail is the main transport to travel from one place to another and very convenient
transport. The catering facility is provided by the rail staff and the food is prepared at the
railway station kitchen.  There is a coach in the rail, in which the food and beverage is stored
and served time to time.  The catering facilities are provided in the limited rails which run on
long routes such as Rajdhani, The Palace and Duranto express, Shatabadi etc. there are some
points to be keep in mind: -

1.       Cost of food sometimes included in rail ticket or it is payable separate both ways the food
cost should be kept in mind within limits.

2.       Normally a simple menu is planned which includes dal, vegetables, rice & curd, chapatti’s &
salad.

3.       Mostly table d’ hote menu is adopted.

4.       Food is cooked and packed at the kitchen at the station and stored in the pantry in train, soft
drinks are also kept.

5.       Light equipments are used and usually disposable item are used and placed in the pantry.

  

AIRLINE CATERING
An airline meal or in-flight meal is a meal served to passengers on board a commercial airliner.
These meals are prepared by airline catering services.

The first kitchens preparing meals in-flight were established by United Airlines in 1936.

These meals vary widely in quality and quantity across different airline companies and classes
of travel. They range from a simple beverage in short-haul economy class to a seven-course
gourmet meal in long-haul first class.

The type of food varies depending upon the Airline Company and class of travel. Meals may be
served as "one tray" or in multiple courses with no tray and with a tablecloth, metal cutlery, and
glassware (generally in first and business classes).

The airline dinner typically includes meat (most commonly chicken or beef) or fish, a salad or
vegetable, a small bread roll, and a dessert.

Caterers usually produce alternative meals for passengers with restrictive diets. These must
usually be ordered in advance, sometimes when buying the ticket. Some of the more common
examples include:

 Cultural diets, such as French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese or Indian style.

 Infant and baby meals. Some airlines also offer children's meals, containing foods that
children will enjoy such as baked beans, mini-hamburgers and hot dogs.
 Medical diets, including low/high fiber, low fat/cholesterol, diabetic, peanut free, non-
lactose, low salt/sodium, low-purine, low-calorie, low-protein, bland (non-spicy) and
gluten-free meals.
 Religious diets, including kosher, Halal, and Hindu, Buddhist and Jain vegetarian
(sometimes termed Asian vegetarian) meals.
 Vegetarian and vegan meals. Some airlines do not offer a specific meal for
vegetarians; instead, they are given a vegan meal.

Other non-food items

Condiments (typically salt, pepper, and sugar) are supplied in small sachets. For cleanliness
most meals come with a napkin and a moist towelette. First and business class passengers are
often provided with hot towels and proper salt and pepper shakers.