GASTRONOMY - 2026/7

Module Overview

The module provides a background to the basics of gastronomy including the development and origins of food and drink traditions, within multiple contexts. The development of the modern cuisine styles are examined and the influencing factors in food and drink selection. Current trends and their application to the menu development, quality and awards are also covered

Module provider

Surrey Hospitality & Tourism Management

Module Leader

ASHTON Mark (Hosp & Tour)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): 30

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Seminars:

• A History of Food, Drink and Eating
• Meal Times and Typical Meals
• Gastronomy, Parameters and Theory
• Current Trends in Gastronomy ¿ Provenance, Organic, Biodynamic, Foraging; Vegan; Farm to Fork; Traceability; Gut eating; Forgotten cuts; Food waste; Celebrity Chefs and Media etc.
• Menu Types and Creation including Presenting Food and Beverages
• Ethnic and Cultural influences on Gastronomy through Immigration and mass travel
• Achieving Gastronomic Awards/Recognition ¿ Michelin, AA, Good Food Guide
• Nutritional Considerations, Labelling and Allergens

Practical Tastings:

• Series of tastings to include Food and Beverages
• Taste and Taste Information, Combining Tastes

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the area.

 Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Food Magazine Article: choosing a current gastronomic trend (from a given list) explain how it has developed over time and how your personal experience influences your understanding of this. You should apply contemporary industry examples to the trend
• Practical Tasting Test based on skills and knowledge developed through the tastings 

Formative Assessment and feedback

Students receive feedback throughout the semester via face to face teaching and interactive discussion in the tastings which will support them to complete the assessments.

Module aims

• The aim of this module is to study the basics of gastronomy including the development and origins of food and drink traditions, within multiple contexts. The development of the modern cuisine styles are examined and the influencing factors in food and drink selection. Current trends and their application to the menu development, quality and awards are also covered.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

Seminars will be held to provide a theoretical overview of each topic and also allow students to apply their learning to real world scenarios and contemporary contexts.

Practical tasting sessions will take place to allow students to try a range of foods and/or beverages and consider their sensory characteristics.       

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MAN2159

Other information

This module provides an element of food and beverage related study to Level 5 students. Students who have studied Food and Beverage Operations and Management in Level 4 will be able to apply and add depth to their existing knowledge. Students wishing to further specialise in the consideration and appreciation of the complexity of food and beverage operations drawing on these previous modules may also like to select MAN3255 - Innovation and Development in Hospitality Operations at Level 6.

This module adopts the University curriculum framework, which aims to develop learners with strong capabilities in Digital Capabilities, Employability, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module contributes to the development of the following capabilities: 

Digital Capabilities: This module will cover menu types and design and will cover the trend towards digital menus in multi formats and locations. The potential of dynamic pricing in F&B and robotics, artificial intelligence and service automation in F&B operations will also be covered.   

Employability: The current trends examined in this module and their application to menu development, the consideration given to nutrition, labelling and allergens and also achieving gastronomic awards and recognition may all be of direct use to future hospitality managers.   

Global and Cultural Capabilities: Students will learn about the origins of food and drink traditions, habits and cultures and the development of modern cuisine styles and how these have developed globally. The ethnic and cultural influences on gastronomy through immigration and mass travel are also considered.   

Sustainability: Students will learn of the scale of the food waste problem and also consider current trends in relation to local provenance, farm to fork, and forgotten cuts to be able to support increased sustainability in the future hospitality industry.  

Resourcefulness and Resilience: Students will be required to try a wide variety of foods and drinks in the tastings some of which they may not be to their personal taste requiring resilience in appreciating these. 

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2026/7 academic year.