What does each dish leave you?
The worked example behind this tool is in restaurant profit margin in the UK. VAT on hot takeaway food is covered in VAT on takeaway food.
Type the price a customer pays and what the food in one portion costs you. The target food cost and the commission are your own numbers: the 30 shown is an example, not a benchmark. Leave commission at 0 for orders on your own ordering page. Everything stays in this browser tab.
| Dish | Selling price (£) | Food cost per portion (£) | Food cost % | Food left (£) | Left after commission (£) | Price for your target (£) | Remove |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All dishes above | – | – | – | ||||
Food left is before wages, rent, energy, packaging and waste. With a VAT option selected, the sums use the price without VAT. Commission is taken off that price in this tool, which is an assumption: check how your own statement calculates it.
How to use it
- Add your dishes. Type the dish name, the price a customer pays and the cost of the food in one portion you actually serve.
- Choose the VAT option. If the price you typed includes VAT, pick the rate so the sums use the price without VAT. Otherwise leave it as typed.
- Read the result and set your own target. See the food cost percentage and the money left for each dish, and the price that would hit your own target food cost.
The sums
- Food cost % = food cost of one portion ÷ selling price × 100.
- Food left = selling price − food cost.
- Price for your target = food cost ÷ target food cost %.
- Left after commission = food left − (selling price × commission %).
Take a £10.00 dish with £3.00 of food in it. The food cost is 30% and £7.00 is left. With a 30% marketplace commission, £3.00 comes off the price and £4.00 is left before wages, rent and the VAT on that commission. That is the same made-up example as in the profit margin guide, and it is not a benchmark for your kitchen.
Getting the food cost right
- Weigh the portion you actually serve, not the portion on the recipe card.
- Include oil, sauce, garnish, packaging for takeaway and the share that gets wasted, or the percentage will look better than it is.
- Re-do the sum when a supplier changes a price. A small rise in a main ingredient can move several dishes.
- Work from your supplier invoices, then keep the allergen details for each dish in step with them using the allergen matrix.
To see what delivery costs on top, use the delivery cost calculator, and for what marketplaces take, the commission calculator.
Questions
What is food cost percentage?
It is the cost of the food in a dish divided by the selling price, as a percentage. A dish that sells for £10.00 with £3.00 of food in it has a food cost of 30%, and a food margin of 70%.
What food cost percentage should I aim for?
There is no single figure that suits every kitchen. A chip shop, a dining room and a dark kitchen carry different costs. Set a target from your own wages, rent and energy costs, and use the calculator to see which dishes sit above or below it.
Is the food left the same as profit?
No. It is what remains of the price after the food is paid for. Wages, rent, energy, packaging, waste, VAT and software still come out of it.
How do I use the VAT option?
If you are VAT registered, the VAT in a price is not your income, so the sums should use the price without VAT. Choose the rate that applies to the dish. Whether hot takeaway food is standard-rated depends on the HMRC tests, which are explained in our guide to VAT on takeaway food.
How does commission affect the result?
Enter the percentage you pay on marketplace orders and the tool shows what is left after it. This tool applies the percentage to the price without VAT, which is an assumption, so check how your own statement calculates it. Leave it at 0 for orders on your own ordering page.
Is anything uploaded or saved?
No. The sums run in this browser tab and nothing is sent to Chefzi or saved after you close the page. Download the CSV if you want to keep the result.
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