Macaroni cheese: how much it costs to make, per portion
Ten pub portions of baked macaroni cheese: macaroni in a mature-cheddar béchamel, topped with more cheese and breadcrumbs and baked until bubbling. Costed from JJ Foodservice wholesale prices dated 9 October 2026.
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Ingredients and cost, 10 portions
| Ingredient | Pack price | Pack size | Used | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macaroni | £8.99 | 5000 g | 1000 g | £1.80 |
| Unsalted butter | £30.49 | 5000 g | 120 g | £0.73 |
| Plain flour | £12.49 | 16000 g | 120 g | £0.09 |
| Whole milk | £1.69 | 2000 ml | 2000 ml | £1.69 |
| Mature cheddar, grated | £11.99 | 2000 g | 500 g | £3.00 |
| Breadcrumbs | £9.99 | 3000 g | 80 g | £0.27 |
| Table salt | £10.99 | 6000 g | 10 g | £0.02 |
| Ground black pepper | £15.99 | 1000 g | 3 g | £0.05 |
| Batch total | £7.64 | |||
| Per portion (÷ 10) | £0.76 | |||
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
- Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water for 2 minutes less than the pack time; drain.
- Melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, then whisk in the milk a ladle at a time and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Off the heat, stir in 400 g of the cheese and season.
- Mix with the pasta, tip into a gastronorm, top with the remaining cheese and the breadcrumbs, and bake at 200 °C for 20-25 minutes.
Costing notes
Cheese is the biggest cost line, and the cheapest way to make the dish taste more cheesy is a stronger cheddar, not more of it. A teaspoon of English mustard in the sauce does the same job. Two litres of milk is a full 2 L bottle, the cheapest way to buy it at wholesale.
Where the prices came from
JJ Foodservice collection prices as shown on its public search pages on 9 October 2026 (delivery runs about £1-2 a case higher). A few lines JJ did not list in that day's searches reuse the dated prices already on our other starter recipes (7 September 2026, JJ Foodservice or Tesco retail, marked on each line). 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.
- Macaroni: Pasta Reggia Macaroni Chifferini No.94 1x5kg (PST171), 5 kg, £8.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-09
- Unsalted butter: Lakeland Unsalted Butter 20x250g (DAI186), 5 kg, £30.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-09
- Plain flour: JJ Plain Flour 1x16kg, 16 kg, £12.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-09
- Whole milk: Fresh Whole Milk 1x2L (DAI005), 2 L, £1.69 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-09
- Mature cheddar, grated: Vittorios Mature Grated Cheddar 1x2kg, 2 kg, £11.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-09
- Breadcrumbs: Golden Breadcrumbs 1x3kg (FLO084), 3 kg, £9.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-09
- Table salt: DP Table Salt Tub 1x6kg (SPI277), 6 kg, £10.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-09
- Ground black pepper: Ground Black Pepper 1x1kg (SPI293), 1 kg, £15.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-09
More costed dishes: pub and restaurant classics
- Cottage pie — £1.90 a portion
- 8 oz beef burger and fries — £2.64 a portion
- Fish and chips — £4.00 a portion
- Chicken tikka masala with rice — £1.34 a portion