While most restaurateurs nail their food costs, they often overlook the beverage component entirely. Charcuterie boards with wine pairings demand a dual approach - you're juggling both food and drink expenses. Miss the mark on wine calculations, and these trendy plates become profit killers instead of money makers.
What is beverage cost on a charcuterie board?
Beverage cost represents the percentage of your selling price consumed by drinks. For charcuterie boards with wine pairings, you're merging food costs (cheese, cured meats, nuts) with beverage expenses (wines). Combined, they shouldn't breach 35-40% of your selling price.
? Example charcuterie board for 2 people:
Selling price: €45.00 incl. 9% VAT (€41.28 excl. VAT)
- Cheese and cured meats: €8.50
- Nuts and garnish: €2.00
- 2 glasses of wine at €3.50: €7.00
Total cost price: €17.50 = 42.4% of revenue
First, calculate the food cost of the charcuterie board
Begin with every edible component on your board. Account for literally everything that touches the plate:
- Cheeses: Calculate per 100 grams per person
- Cured meats: Also per 100 grams per person
- Nuts and olives: Typically 30-50 grams per person
- Bread or crackers: Don't skip this!
- Garnish: Grapes, figs, jam - everything adds up
⚠️ Note:
Always calculate using your purchase price per kilo, not per item. That €15 cheese block cut into 8 portions? It's costing you €1.88 per portion.
Calculate the beverage cost of the wines
For wine pairings, calculate per glass served. A standard pour is 125ml, and you'll extract 6 glasses from each 750ml bottle.
? Example wine calculation:
White wine bottle purchase: €8.50
- Per glass: €8.50 ÷ 6 = €1.42
- Red wine bottle purchase: €12.00
- Per glass: €12.00 ÷ 6 = €2.00
With 1 white + 1 red per person: €3.42 beverage cost
Handle VAT correctly
Here's where it gets critical: alcoholic beverages carry 21% VAT, while food sits at 9% VAT. Combined arrangements require mixed VAT rate calculations.
- Food on charcuterie board: 9% VAT
- Wine: 21% VAT
- Your selling price must accommodate both rates
⚠️ Note:
Many operators calculate only with 9% VAT and overlook wine's 21% rate. This oversight can devastate your margins.
Calculate total cost price
Combine all components and determine the percentage of your selling price excl. VAT:
Formula: (Food cost + Beverage cost) ÷ Selling price excl. VAT × 100
? Complete calculation:
Charcuterie board €45.00 incl. VAT for 2 people
- Food cost: €10.50
- Beverage cost: €7.00
- Total: €17.50
- Selling price excl. VAT: ±€39.00
Cost price: €17.50 ÷ €39.00 = 44.9%
Optimize your arrangement
A 45% cost price spells trouble for most restaurants. Here's how to fix it:
- Raise selling price: Push to €52-55 for healthier margins
- Source cheaper wines: Hunt for bottles at €6-8 range
- Reduce portions: Try 80 grams cheese/meat instead of 100 grams
- Mix cheese price points: Balance premium selections with affordable options
One of the most common blind spots in kitchen management is underestimating wine waste and spillage. Tools like KitchenNmbrs can automate these calculations and let you test different scenarios without spreadsheet headaches.
Related articles
How do you calculate beverage cost of a charcuterie board? (step by step)
Make a list of all ingredients
Note all cheeses, cured meats, nuts, bread and garnish with exact quantities per person. Don't forget anything - even the olive oil for the bread counts.
Calculate the food cost per component
Divide your purchase price per kilo by the number of portions you get from it. Add all food costs together for the total edible costs.
Calculate the wine costs per glass
Divide your purchase price per bottle by 6 (number of glasses per bottle). Multiply by the number of glasses per person for the total beverage cost.
Add food and beverage cost together
This is your total cost price. Divide by your selling price excluding VAT and multiply by 100 for the cost price percentage.
✨ Pro tip
Factor in 15% extra cost for wine wastage and staff tastings every 3 months. An opened bottle that doesn't sell completely still hits you for the full purchase price.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
Was this article helpful?
Frequently asked questions
What VAT should I charge on a charcuterie board with wine?
How much wine should I calculate per person?
What's an acceptable cost price for a charcuterie board with wine?
Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
kennisbank.more_in_category
Related questions
Explore more topics
Calculate your cocktail costs down to the ml
Drink margins seem high, but spillage and free pours eat them up. KitchenNmbrs calculates the exact cost price of every cocktail and drink. Try it free.
Start free trial →