Abstract
This paper seeks to add to the debate surrounding contemporary hospitality management education from the perspective of the 'hospitality systems' school of thought. In particular, it outlines the use of soft systems methodology (SSM) in an innovative educational venue that, at one and the same time, functions as a small catering enterprise and is the facility that delivers a range of learning outcomes. An outline of a teaching strategy based on implementing a Mode 2 SSM in a real-world context that provides students with a working model of a simple catering system is provided. This paper promotes the importance of a practical content within undergraduate programmes and …