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Recipe cost and food cost calculator

Enter the ingredients for one batch, the trimming waste percentage and how many portions the batch yields. The calculator works out gross weight, portion cost, food cost and the price that hits your target percentage.

Ingredients

Ingredient Net Waste, % Price per kg / l / unit Gross Cost Remove row

Yield and price

Packaging, seasoning, sauces at the pass — anything outside the recipe card
A common benchmark is 25–35%: the lower it is, the higher your margin

Result

Portion cost

Food cost
Gross profit per portion
Markup on cost
Price at target food cost
Batch cost
Total gross weight

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This calculation is for informational purposes only and does not replace advice from a qualified professional. Formulas and rates may not fit your exact situation — double-check the figures before making decisions.

How it is calculated

Gross is how much you take from storage, net is what ends up in the dish after cleaning and trimming. They are linked by the waste percentage: gross = net ÷ (1 − waste ÷ 100). You pay for gross, so each line costs gross × purchase price.

Portion cost = (sum of all lines ÷ number of portions) + extra cost per portion. Extras are separate because packaging and sauces rarely make it onto the recipe card, yet they move the food cost noticeably.

Food cost = portion cost ÷ menu price × 100%. It is the share of ingredients in the price. Markup is measured against cost and is always larger than margin: at a 30% food cost the markup is 233% and gross profit is 70% of the price.

Suggested price = portion cost ÷ target food cost × 100. This answers the reverse question: not «what is our food cost at this price» but «what price hits the target».

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