Apple crumble and custard: how much it costs to make, per portion
Green apples baked under a butter and demerara crumble, served with 100 ml of hot custard. Twelve portions costed from JJ Foodservice prices dated 10 October 2026; the sugars are Morrisons shelf prices from the same day.
The main price uses 68% GP, in line with the UK food GP benchmarks (UKHospitality × Christie & Co, 2022: 65.9–69% food GP across every segment). The 75% line is a premium price; few UK sites hold it across a whole menu. GP is worked out on the ex-VAT price.
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Ingredients and cost, 12 portions
| Ingredient | Pack price | Pack size | Used | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green apples (whole weight) | £16.99 | 12000 g | 2400 g | £3.40 |
| Caster sugar | £4.20 | 2000 g | 120 g | £0.25 |
| Ground cinnamon | £8.99 | 390 g | 5 g | £0.12 |
| Plain flour | £12.49 | 16000 g | 450 g | £0.35 |
| Unsalted butter | £30.49 | 5000 g | 225 g | £1.37 |
| Demerara sugar | £3.30 | 1000 g | 225 g | £0.74 |
| Custard, ready to serve | £2.49 | 1000 ml | 1200 ml | £2.99 |
| Batch total | £9.22 | |||
| Per portion (÷ 12) | £0.77 | |||
Cost per line is pack price × (amount used ÷ pack size), the same sum the tool runs. Change one pack price and every line that uses it moves.
Method
- Peel, core and slice the apples; toss with the caster sugar and cinnamon and spread in a buttered tray.
- Rub the butter into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs, then stir in the demerara.
- Scatter the crumble over the fruit and bake at 180 °C for 35-40 minutes until golden and bubbling.
- Cut into twelve and serve with 100 ml of hot custard.
Costing notes
The apples are costed on whole weight: at the 78% usable yield in our apple yield page, 2.4 kg as bought gives about 1.9 kg of peeled, cored fruit. Bramleys are the classic crumble apple but JJ did not list them that day; they cook down more, so allow a little extra weight.
The custard is £0.25 a portion. A pudding like this at £0.77 a portion is where a menu earns its margin, so make sure the custard jug isn't free-poured.
Where the prices came from
JJ Foodservice collection prices as shown on its public search pages on 10 October 2026 (delivery runs about £1-2 a case higher; one line JJ listed on delivery only is marked). Lines JJ did not list that day are Morrisons shelf prices from its website on the same day, marked on each line; a supermarket pack usually costs more per kilo than a wholesale case. JJ does not label VAT on most lines: raw food is zero-rated in the UK, while soft drinks, alcohol, confectionery and some ingredients carry standard-rate VAT. Your supplier's price is the one that matters: open the recipe and type it in.
- Green apples (whole weight): Green Apples 1x12kg (FRU161), 12 kg, £16.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Caster sugar: Tate & Lyle Pure Cane Caster Sugar 2kg, 2 kg, £4.20 shelf price — Morrisons (retail), accessed 2026-10-10
- Ground cinnamon: Schwartz for Chef Ground Cinnamon 1x390g, 390 g, £8.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Plain flour: JJ Plain Flour 1x16kg, 16 kg, £12.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Unsalted butter: Lakeland Unsalted Butter 20x250g (DAI186), 5 kg, £30.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Demerara sugar: Tate & Lyle Fairtrade Unrefined Demerara Pure Cane Sugar 1kg, 1 kg, £3.30 shelf price — Morrisons (retail), accessed 2026-10-10
- Custard, ready to serve: Kerrymaid Ready to Serve Custard 1x1L (CRE021), 1 L, £2.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
More costed dishes: pub and restaurant classics
- Steak and ale pie with chips and peas — £2.84 a portion
- Beef lasagne with garlic bread — £2.26 a portion
- Chilli con carne with rice — £1.82 a portion
- Scampi and chips — £1.98 a portion