Menu is the list of food and beverages that are available for sale to the customers at any food and beverages selling outlets. It can be priced separately or for a set of dishes.
Menu also termed as “bill of fare “should fulfill the purpose of communication or information to the customer so that they can plan their meal accordingly. In French menu means” in minute details”
It is said that the term menu was first used in the year 1541 by Henry Duke of Brunswick. He was the person who was once spotted referring to a sheet of paper while he was sitting at a banquet function. When asked what was he referring to he replied that he has made a program of dishes which would be served in this function and thus he takes the dishes in consultation of this sheet and keeps his appetite for his favorite dishes which are yet to arrive. This idea became so popular that it got used publicly in most of the functions.
In the olden days the size of the menu used to be very large and displayed at one point for the information of the entire guest about what is about to be served and what would be its sequence so that they can reserve their appetite accordingly. But slowly with time the size of the menu started reducing day by day in today’s world every single guest gets their own individual menu card for their reference. Initially, it used to be the shape of the banner, then to a paper, and in today’s world it is an electronic mode in a form of a tablet for each guest.
Menu is used by every type of food and beverages outlet whether they are commercial or noncommercial, large or a small. It not only informs the guest about the dishes which are available with price but also helps the chefs to prepare the dishes and their mise en place.
