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MAN-20171 - Module Specification
Keele Business School
Faculty of Business, Law, Humanities & Social Sciences

For academic year: 2026/27 Last Updated: 17 March 2026

MAN-20171 - Food, drink, culture and society
Coordinator: Sunday Adebola Tel: +44 1782 7 33425
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 5
Credits: 30
Study Hours: 300
School Office: 01782 733094

Programme/Approved Electives for 2026/27

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2026/27

A country’s culture and society have a strong influence on its food and drink. If we think of fish and chips, pizza, paella, champagne, sake or rum then it is likely that we will link each to a specific country. However, tastes in food and drink are evolving rapidly, affected by travel, globalisation, trends and the media. Offering innovating food and beverage products and services is key to the success of hospitality businesses. It is also important to regions and countries in their attempts to develop a sustainable tourism industry. Gastronomy tourism is an increasingly popular form of tourism, one that is less seasonal and more unique for a destination. In this module you will understand the link between food, drink, culture and society and be able to provide a hospitality business with advice on how to enhance their food and drink offerings, based on a knowledge of contemporary gastronomy.

Aims
This module aims to provide students with knowledge of national, regional and international food and drink and its wider impact on the economy, culture and society. A critical analysis of innovation in gastronomy in a variety of settings will allow students to understand the relationship that food and drink product and service development has to increasing income generation, enhancing levels of performance and boosting productivity for hospitality businesses.

Intended Learning Outcomes

demonstrate critical insights into the social and cultural dimensions of food and drink and their importance to economic development strategies.: 1,2
evaluate the development and diversification of a country's gastronomy.: 1,2
apply knowledge of gastronomy in a particular culture to evaluate a proposal for the start up of a hospitality venture: 2

Study hours

24 x 2 hour sessions that combine lecture style and seminar/workshop content
100 hours assessment preparation
75 hours reading and class preparations
77 individual study

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Group Assessment weighted 50%
Report analysing a country’s gastronomy
Gastronomy report. Students will work in groups to select a country and provide a report on the country's gastronomy with reference to the cultural and practical implications. 1500 words

2: Report weighted 50%
Consultant Report on Hospitality Business
Consultant Report on Hospitality Business Gastronomy Students will act as consultants and apply their learning of gastronomy in a particular culture to advise an organization regarding the start-up of a hospitality venture. 1500 words

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 17 March 2026