Most kitchen managers think they know their food costs, but they're missing a huge piece of the puzzle. Mise en place like sauces, butter, oil and herbs go into multiple dishes, yet dividing those costs fairly stumps even experienced chefs. The result? Some dishes appear overpriced while others silently drain profits.
What is mise en place cost allocation?
Mise en place are ingredients you prepare for multiple dishes: sauces, butter, oil, herbs, garnishes. You need to divide these costs fairly across all dishes that use them.
💡 Example:
You make 1 liter of hollandaise sauce for €8.50. You divide this across:
- Asparagus (60ml per portion)
- Salmon (40ml per portion)
- Eggs Benedict (80ml per portion)
Each ml costs: €8.50 / 1000ml = €0.0085 per ml
Three methods to divide mise en place
There are three ways to divide mise en place costs. Pick the method that matches your kitchen's workflow:
- Per volume/weight: Most accurate, but requires more tracking
- Per portion: Simple, but less precise
- Percentage of main ingredient: Quick estimation for small amounts
Method 1: Divide by volume or weight
This method delivers the most accurate results. You calculate the cost per ml, gram or piece, then divide based on actual usage.
💡 Example: Garlic butter
You make 500g of garlic butter for €6.25. Cost per gram: €6.25 / 500g = €0.0125/gram
- Steak gets 15g = €0.19
- Bread gets 8g = €0.10
- Shrimp get 12g = €0.15
This works particularly well for sauces, butters, dressings and other liquid or spreadable products.
Method 2: Divide per portion
With this method you split the total costs equally across the number of portions you expect to serve.
💡 Example: Fresh herb oil
You make herb oil for €12.00. You use this for 80 portions this week.
Cost per portion: €12.00 / 80 = €0.15 per dish
This method works well for herbs, spices and other ingredients you use in small quantities. But there's a catch.
⚠️ Watch out:
This method only works if all dishes use roughly the same amount of the ingredient. With big differences it becomes unfair.
Method 3: Percentage of main ingredient
For small amounts you can calculate mise en place costs as a percentage of the main ingredient.
💡 Example: Oil and herbs
With each meat dish you use oil, pepper, salt and herbs. This costs on average 5% of the meat value.
- Steak at €8.00 → €0.40 in mise en place
- Chicken at €3.50 → €0.18 in mise en place
This works well for basic ingredients like oil, salt, pepper and standard herbs. One of the most common blind spots in kitchen management is underestimating how these small percentages add up across hundreds of covers.
Picking the right method for each item
- Volume/weight: For expensive sauces, butters and dressings (>€5 per batch)
- Per portion: For herbs and spices in small quantities
- Percentage: For basic ingredients like oil, salt, pepper (<€2 per batch)
Setting up your mise en place tracking system
Create a list of all mise en place you make regularly. Document for each item:
- Total cost of the batch
- Amount you make (liter, kilo, number)
- Cost per unit
- Which dishes use this
- How much per dish
💡 Example: Mise en place overview
- Hollandaise: €8.50/liter = €0.0085/ml
- Garlic butter: €6.25/500g = €0.0125/gram
- Herb oil: €0.15/portion (fixed amount)
- Basic herbs: 3% of main ingredient
How do you divide mise en place costs? (step by step)
Make a list of all mise en place
Write down all sauces, butters, oils and herbs you make regularly. Note what each batch costs in ingredients and how much you make (liter, kilo, number of portions).
Calculate the cost per unit
Divide the total costs by the amount. For 1 liter of hollandaise at €8.50: €8.50 / 1000ml = €0.0085 per ml. For herbs you can use a fixed amount per portion.
Measure how much each dish uses
Check how much ml of sauce, grams of butter or herbs each dish gets. Multiply this by the cost per unit. 60ml hollandaise = 60 × €0.0085 = €0.51 per portion.
Add to your dish cost
Add the mise en place costs to your main ingredients. A steak at €8.00 + €0.19 garlic butter + €0.15 herbs = €8.34 total ingredient costs.
Update your prices regularly
Check monthly if your mise en place costs still add up. Suppliers raise prices, and your recipes can change. Adjust your calculations where needed.
✨ Pro tip
Track your 3 most expensive mise en place items for exactly 2 weeks. If those calculations are spot-on, you've solved 80% of your costing problems.
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In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need to calculate all herbs and spices separately?
For expensive herbs like saffron or truffle, absolutely. For basic herbs you can use a fixed percentage, around 3-5% of your main ingredient. That saves tons of calculation time.
How do I handle mise en place that's left over?
Calculate based on what you expect to use, not what you make. If you make 1 liter of sauce but use 800ml, calculate with 800ml. The rest is waste and should be tracked separately.
Can I estimate mise en place costs instead of measuring?
For small amounts under €0.20 per portion, estimates work fine. For expensive sauces and butters you absolutely need to measure. Otherwise you'll hemorrhage money without realizing it.
What if a dish uses much more sauce than others?
Then you must calculate by volume or weight, not per portion. A dish with 80ml hollandaise can't get the same mise en place cost as one with 20ml. That's where most kitchens lose money.
📚 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
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (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.
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