Once beverages are received they must be removed immediately to the cellar and a tight level of control maintained at all times.
The storage of beverage is ideally separated into five areas as follows:
- The main storage area for spirits and red wine held at a dry and draught-free temperature 30° C. This area is also used for the general collection and preparation of orders for the various bars and the storage of keg beers when there is a reasonable turnover.
- A refrigerated area of 10-15° C for the storage of white and sparkling wines.
- An area held at a temperature of 5° C for the storage of bottled beers and soft drinks.
- A totally separate area, from those above, for the storage of empty bottles, kegs and crates. This area needs to be as tightly controlled as the beverage storage area, not only because of the returnable value of the crates and bottles, etc. but to prevent free access by bar staff when an empty for full bottle method of issuing is in operation.
- Cellar: The merchandise is unpacked in the cellar and stored correctly (table wines with an alcohol content less than 16% by volume are stored on their sides, bottles of fortified wine, sprits and vintage ports are stored upright) on shelves or racks in the same order as on the standard bottle code/bin list. The objective for preparing a standard bottle code/bin list is to eliminate the confusion of bottle sizes, spelling of names and different brands, and to establish an appropriate starting point for the control of beverages. All requisitions, inventories, wine lists, etc., are related to the code/bin list.
An extract from a list could be as follows:
Bin number 100-149 English table wines
Bin numbers 150-199 Imported white wines
Bin numbers 200-299 Imported red wines
Bin numbers 300-399 Sparkling wines
Bin numbers 400-419 Scotch and Irish whisky
Bin numbers 420-499 Gin
To avoid confusion, the M is usually assigned for magnums, H for half bottles S for split bottles.
Cellar Records: As the value of cellar stocks is high, it is usual for the following cellar records to be kept.
A cellar inwards book: This provides an accurate reference to all beverages coming into the cellar and posting data for the cellar as bin cards. Whenever necessary it is a useful check against the perpetual beverage inventory ledger held in the food and beverage control or accounts office.
Bin cards: These are provided for each individual type of beverage held in stock and record all deliveries and issues made, the cards being fixed on the shelves or racks against each beverage, the bin card numbers referring to the same bin numbers as the wine list and originating from the standard bottle code list.
Cellar control book: This provides a record of all daily deliveries to the cellar and the daily issues of each beverage from the cellar to the various bars and should cross-check with the entries on the bin cards and the perpetual inventory ledger held in the food control or the accounts office.
Beverages perpetual inventory ledger: This master ledger, which is prepared in the control or accounts office, consists of cards prepared for each individual type of beverage held in stock. The purpose is to keep a daily record of any purchases of the separate types of beverages and of the quantities issued from the cellar to each individual bar or other areas and to record a perpetual inventory balance for each item. The information is obtained from the supplies delivery notes or invoices (adjusted at times with credit notes) and the daily beverage requisition notes from the different bars. When the physical stocktaking of the cellar is undertaken, the physical stock take figures should match to those in the perpetual inventory ledger.
Ullages and breakages: It is necessary for any ullages and breakage to be recorded on a standard form, together with an explanation, and countersigned by a member of the food and beverage management department. The frequency of the recording of any ullages and breakages would determine the necessity for management to take corrective action.
The term ullage is used to cover all substandard beverages such as bottles of weeping wines, bottles of wine with faulty corks, unfit barrels of beer, etc., which whenever possible, would be returned to the supplier for replacement. Breakages of bottled beverages usually occur by mishandling by cellar and bar staff.
Empties return book: Many of the containers of beverages such as crates, kegs, beer bottles, soda syphons, etc. are charged for by the supplier against a delivery. It is, therefore, necessary that control is maintained on these charged items to ensure that they are returned to the supplier and the correct credit obtained. A container record book is required which records all containers received from the various suppliers, containers returned and the balance matching the stock take of containers.
This is necessary to record the issue of drinks to the kitchen and other grades of staff as laid down by the company policy.