Par level calculator for kitchens
A par level is the quantity of an item you want on hand at the start of service (prep par) or when a delivery lands (order par). Par = average daily usage × days of cover × (1 + safety buffer). What to prep or order today is par minus what you already have.
Work out your pars
| Item | Unit | Avg daily use | Days of cover | Buffer % | Shelf life (days) | On hand | Par | Prep / order | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | ||||||||
| — | — | ||||||||
| — | — | ||||||||
| — | — | ||||||||
| — | — |
Enter usage and days of cover to see the par.
The formula, step by step
Par = daily usage × days of cover × (1 + buffer ÷ 100)
To prep or order = Par − on hand (never below zero)
Use the same unit for usage, par and on hand: kilograms, litres, portions or whole items. Round the answer up to whole packs or whole batches when you order or prep.
Two worked examples
Prep par (diced onion). The kitchen uses 6 kg a day and preps every second day, so days of cover is 2. With a 15% buffer, par = 6 × 2 × 1.15 = 13.8 kg. There is 4 kg left in the walk-in, so prep 13.8 − 4 = 9.8 kg.
Order par (milk). Use is 8 litres a day with deliveries on Monday and Thursday. The longest gap is Thursday to Monday, 4 days. With a 10% buffer, par = 8 × 4 × 1.10 = 35.2 litres. With 6.5 litres on hand, order 35.2 − 6.5 = 28.7 litres, which is 5 cases if a case holds 6 litres (30 litres).
Getting the usage number right
Use real usage, not a guess: prepped quantity minus what was left at close, averaged over ten to fourteen days, with weekdays and weekends kept apart. If you have sales data, multiply portions sold by the recipe quantity per portion. Our guide to setting par levels for kitchen prep walks through the whole routine, and forecasting daily covers covers the demand side.
Turn the pars into a prep sheet
A prep sheet is this table with a column for what the cook finds on the shelf: item, par, on hand, prep-to amount. The free kitchen prep sheet template has that layout ready to print, and the free stock take template gives you the counts. For ordering, the Par-Level Prep & Order Sheet (£5.99) is a spreadsheet that works out the order quantity back up to par.
Questions people ask
What is a par level in a kitchen?
A par level is the target quantity of an item you want on hand at a set point: for a prep item, at the start of service; for a stock item, when the next delivery arrives. You prep or order only the gap between par and what you already have.
What is the par level formula?
Par level = average daily usage × days of cover × (1 + safety buffer). For example, 6 kg a day for 2 days with a 15% buffer gives 6 × 2 × 1.15 = 13.8 kg. Days of cover is the number of days until the next prep or the next delivery.
What is the difference between prep par and order par?
Prep par is the made-up quantity you want ready for service, such as diced onion or portioned protein, so days of cover is the gap between prep sessions. Order par is the raw stock you hold back up to between deliveries, so days of cover is the longest gap between deliveries, including any lead time.
How big should the safety buffer be?
A common starting point is 10–20% for steady items and up to 25–30% for fast-selling, hard-to-remake items. Keep it close to zero on cheap, short-life items, where an oversized buffer is just waste. Adjust it from what is left at the end of service.
Why does the calculator warn about shelf life?
A par that covers more days than the item stays usable guarantees waste. If you enter a shelf life and the days of cover exceed it, the row is flagged so you can prep more often rather than hold more.
How often should par levels be reviewed?
Every two to four weeks, and after any menu, season or sales change. Consistent leftovers at close mean par is too high; running out before close means it is too low.
PrepSheet is built by a working UK chef. The calculator uses the standard par arithmetic above; your own usage figures decide whether the answer is right for your kitchen.