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Price your menu dishes from real ingredient costs
Work out what each plate costs to make and get a suggested selling price that hits your target food cost percentage.
When to use it
When writing a new menu or after supplier price changes
Step by step
Gather recipes and prices
For each dish, list ingredients with the quantity per portion. Then note the latest price and pack size for each ingredient from your supplier invoices.
Ask for a costing table
Paste both into your AI assistant with this prompt.
Prompt to copyCost these dishes for a restaurant. Recipes with quantities per portion: [paste]. Ingredient prices and pack sizes: [paste]. Allow [5]% for waste and trim unless I say otherwise. For each dish give a table: ingredient, quantity, cost per portion; then total plate cost. Then suggest a menu price including [20]% VAT that gives a food cost of [28-30]%, rounded to a sensible menu price. Finish with a summary table of all dishes: plate cost, suggested price, food cost %. Show calculations so I can check them.Check and put it in a sheet
Paste the tables into Google Sheets, spot-check a few lines against your invoices and adjust prices with your knowledge of what your customers will pay.
Update when prices move
When a supplier price changes, update the ingredient line and ask the AI which dishes have drifted above your target.
What you get
Pan-roast chicken, mash, greens: plate cost 4.12 (chicken supreme 2.35, butter 0.38...). At 30% food cost the price is 16.50 incl. VAT; suggested menu price 16.50. Hake special: plate cost 5.60, food cost 33% at 17.00 - consider 18.50.
Tips
- Labour and overheads matter too; ask your accountant what overall margin you need before setting final prices.