Think of portion control like tuning an instrument – one small adjustment can make the difference between harmony and chaos. Many kitchens unknowingly serve oversized portions, bleeding money with every plate. Here's how to align your prices and portions for maximum profitability.
First measure your current portions
Before adjusting prices, you need to know what you're actually serving. Spend a week weighing all portions of your 5 best-selling dishes. Do this across different shifts and different cooks.
💡 Example:
Steak on your menu is listed as 200g, but you measure:
- Monday evening: 240g
- Wednesday lunch: 220g
- Friday evening: 260g
- Saturday evening: 280g
Average: 250g instead of 200g
That 50 gram difference costs you money. With steak at €40/kg, that's €2 in extra costs per portion. At 20 steaks per week, you're losing €2,080 per year.
Calculate the impact on your food cost
Every extra gram increases your ingredient costs. And higher costs mean a worse food cost percentage. Here's how you calculate the impact:
💡 Example calculation:
Pasta carbonara for €18.50 incl. VAT (€16.97 excl. VAT):
- Planned portion: 100g pasta = €5.20 total ingredients
- Actual portion: 130g pasta = €6.10 total ingredients
Food cost goes from 30.6% to 35.9%
In this example, your food cost increases by 5.3 percentage points. With annual revenue of €300,000, this costs you an extra €15,900 per year.
Set standard portion sizes
Make clear agreements about portion sizes for each dish. Not just main ingredients, but also garnishes, sauces, and side dishes. From years of working in professional kitchens, I've seen how even experienced cooks estimate portions differently without clear standards.
- Meat and fish: Weigh raw portions before cooking
- Pasta and rice: Measure dry weight, not cooked
- Vegetables: Clean weight after cutting
- Sauces: Use measuring spoons or dosing bottles
⚠️ Important:
Make sure all cooks follow the same portion sizes. A 20% difference between shifts can wipe out your entire profit.
Adjust your prices if portions deviate
If your portions are consistently larger than planned, you have two choices: reduce portions or raise prices. Often raising prices is easier than getting cooks used to smaller portions.
💡 Example price adjustment:
Your steak costs €12.50 due to large portions instead of €10.00:
- Current price: €32.00 incl. VAT (food cost 42%)
- New price for 30% food cost: €38.00 incl. VAT
Increase: €6.00 per steak
Check regularly
Portion sizes creep up if you don't monitor them. Schedule a portion check every month. Weigh random dishes and compare them to your standards.
- Use a digital kitchen scale (accurate to 1 gram)
- Take photos of standard portions for visual reference
- Train new cooks directly on correct portion sizes
- Discuss deviations immediately, not at the end of the month
With a system like KitchenNmbrs you can set standard portion sizes and immediately see what deviations cost in euros per portion.
How do you align prices and portions?
Measure your current portions for a week
Weigh all portions of your 5 best-selling dishes across different shifts. Note the differences between planned and actual portion sizes.
Calculate the cost differences
Work out what each gram difference costs per portion. Multiply this by your number of sales per week to see the annual impact.
Set standards and train your team
Make clear agreements about portion sizes for all dishes. Train your cooks and check monthly whether they're following the standards.
✨ Pro tip
Weigh your portions every 2 weeks during prep time, not during service. Focus on your 3 highest-cost ingredients first – that's where oversizing hits your profits hardest.
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Frequently asked questions
How often should I check portion sizes?
Check at least once per month on random dishes. With new cooks or seasonal staff, check more frequently since they don't know the standards yet.
What if my cooks complain about small portions?
Explain that standard portions aren't small, they're profitable. Show them the numbers: every 20 grams extra costs the business hundreds of euros per year.
Should I also weigh garnishes and side dishes?
Yes, especially with expensive ingredients. An extra splash of olive oil or 20 grams more potatoes per plate adds up quickly with hundreds of portions per week.
How do I prevent portions from getting larger again?
Take photos of standard portions and hang them in the kitchen. Use measuring spoons and scales, not your eye. Discuss deviations immediately.
What if guests complain about smaller portions?
Standard portions are usually still generous. Focus on presentation and quality. Better a perfectly portioned plate than an overloaded one.
Should I weigh portions during busy service periods?
No, that'll slow you down. Do random spot checks after service or during prep time. The goal is monitoring, not disrupting workflow.
How do I handle different portion sizes for lunch versus dinner?
Set separate standards for each service if needed. Document both clearly and train your team on the differences. Consistency within each service is what matters most.
📚 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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