Food cost calculator for UK kitchens
Enter supplier pack data and recipe usage to calculate batch cost, cost per portion and food-cost percentage. Free, private in-browser tool for UK kitchens; the reverse menu-price calculation remains available in the results.
| Ingredient | Pack price (£) | Pack size | Used in recipe | Unit | Cost |
|---|
Tip: enter the pack you buy (e.g. price £8.50 for a 1000 g pack) and how much the recipe uses (e.g. 250 g). Keep pack size and amount used in the same unit. Trimming or cooking loss? Calculate usable yield first.
Rule of thumb: many kitchens aim for ~30% food cost (≈70% GP). Drinks and sides usually run lower; premium proteins higher.
How the food cost calculator works
Ingredient cost = pack price ÷ pack quantity × quantity used, after first expressing both quantities in the same unit. For a 2 kg pack and 500 g used, enter pack size 2000, used 500, unit g. Batch cost is the sum of every ingredient; cost per portion is batch cost ÷ yield. For example, a £10.45 recipe making four portions costs £2.6125 raw per portion (display rounding happens only at the end). Sample prices are illustrative.
Enter a selling price in the results panel to inspect food-cost % and GP. Target-price controls are planning calculations, not net profit: VAT, labour, packaging, overhead and waste are not included. For reverse pricing and both GP directions, use the dedicated menu-pricing guide and GP/menu price calculator.
Use /prepsheet to save, scale and print recipes; /yield-calculator for AP-to-EP loss; this calculator for ingredient-led recipe costing; and the food-cost template to save and compare a whole menu.
Want to save and scale your recipes?
The free PrepSheet recipe tool saves every recipe and scales it to any batch with a printable prep sheet. For measured trim and cooking loss before you cost the dish, use the AP-to-EP yield calculator. Try it now, no signup. When you want your recipes on every device, add a free account: email, magic link, no password. Type a new pack price and it lists every dish whose cost moved.
How to cost a dish (quick guide)
1. Cost every ingredient. For each one, take the price of the pack you buy and the pack size, then enter how much the recipe uses. PrepSheet works out the proportional cost.
2. Divide by portions. Total recipe cost ÷ portions = your true cost per plate.
3. Set your price from a target. Food cost % = ingredient cost ÷ sell price. To hit 30% food cost, price = cost ÷ 0.30. Gross profit % is the mirror image (GP% = 100 − food cost %).
4. Don't forget: this is food cost only. Labour, rent, packaging, waste and VAT come on top. That is why a healthy food cost % matters. Add a few % to ingredient costs to cover trim and waste.
Want to see the whole chain on a real dish first? What a £14 burger actually makes walks one gastropub burger from the menu price to what is left: the worked example behind The Pass.
Food cost & menu pricing FAQ
How do you calculate food cost percentage?
Food cost % = ingredient cost ÷ selling price × 100. If a dish costs £3.00 in ingredients and sells for £10, that's a 30% food cost (and a 70% gross profit). Enter your ingredients above and the calculator works it out for you.
What is a good food cost percentage in the UK?
Most UK kitchens aim for a food cost of roughly 30-35%, a gross profit of about 65-70% on the ex-VAT price. That is what the UK trade data actually shows: measured food gross margins across pubs, casual dining and food-led sites sit in the mid-to-high 60s, not the 75% you will see quoted online. Treat it as a target, not a rule. Your rent, labour and waste decide what you actually need.
How do I work out gross profit (GP) on a dish?
Gross profit = selling price − ingredient cost, and GP % = gross profit ÷ selling price × 100. It's the mirror of food cost %: GP % = 100 − food cost %. So a 30% food cost is a 70% GP.
Does this include VAT?
No. These figures are ingredient (food) cost only and exclude VAT. In the UK most restaurant food sales carry 20% VAT, so your menu price has to cover VAT, labour, rent and waste on top of food cost. Price from your target GP first, then add VAT to the menu price.
What's the difference between markup and margin?
Margin (gross profit %) is profit as a share of the selling price; markup is profit as a share of the cost. A dish marked up 100% (cost £3 → price £6) is only a 50% margin, not 100%. Menu pricing works in margin/GP %, which is what this calculator uses.
Is the calculator free?
Yes. It is completely free, with no signup and nothing to install. Calculations and saved costing values remain in browser storage; page-view and funnel metadata are covered by the privacy page. If you want to save and reuse costings, there is an £11.99 spreadsheet template in the shop.
Calculations and saved costing values remain in browser storage. Page-view and funnel metadata, plus the Pinterest tag, are covered by the privacy page. Want recipes on every device? Use the recipe book.