Seasonal changes are ideal moments to check and adjust your cost prices. Ingredient prices fluctuate significantly by season - asparagus costs €18/kg in March, €8/kg in May...
Seasonal changes are ideal moments to check and adjust your cost prices. Ingredient prices fluctuate significantly by season - asparagus costs €18/kg in March, €8/kg in May. By systematically reviewing your cost prices four times a year, you prevent losing money unnoticed through outdated calculations.
Why seasonal review is crucial
Your suppliers adjust their prices by season, but many restaurant owners forget to update their menu prices. The result: your food cost creeps up unnoticed from 28% to 35%, which at €500,000 turnover costs €35,000 per year.
💡 Example:
Restaurant De Seizoenen reviews their asparagus menu every March:
- Winter: asparagus €18/kg (imported)
- Spring: asparagus €8/kg (Dutch season)
- Cost price drops from €12.50 to €6.80 per portion
Food cost improves from 38% to 21%
Plan the four seasonal moments
Choose fixed moments that logically align with ingredient changes:
- March: Spring vegetable season starts (asparagus, peas, young vegetables)
- June: Summer season (tomatoes, zucchini, summer fish)
- September: Fall season (mushrooms, game, pumpkin)
- December: Winter season (cabbage, winter vegetables, festive products)
Systematic review per season
Don't review all 200 dishes - focus on impact:
💡 Example review:
Bistro Het Seizoen checks in March:
- Top 10 best-selling dishes: 80% of turnover
- Seasonal ingredients: asparagus, lamb rack, spring onions
- More expensive alternatives: what becomes cheaper?
Time investment: 2 hours per season
Calculate price adjustments
New ingredient prices mean new food cost percentages. Calculate systematically:
Formula: Food cost % = (New ingredient costs / Sales price excl. VAT) × 100
⚠️ Note:
Always calculate with prices excluding VAT. A dish priced at €24.00 on the menu is €22.02 excl. 9% VAT for your food cost calculation.
Adjust menu or not?
Not every price change needs to reach the customer. Make conscious choices:
- Seasonal advantage: Keep lower purchasing, improve margin temporarily
- Seasonal price increase: Don't raise prices for 6 weeks of cheaper season
- Competition: Check what others do with seasonal prices
- Guest experience: Communicate seasonal advantage as 'fresh Dutch asparagus'
Digital support for seasonal review
Manual calculations take too much time and create errors. Many restaurants use a system like KitchenNmbrs to:
- Update ingredient prices per season
- Automatically see new food cost percentages
- Calculate impact on annual basis
- Identify which dishes benefit most from seasonal changes
💡 Example impact:
Brasserie De Vier Seizoenen adjusts every quarter:
- Spring: 3% better margin from Dutch vegetables
- Summer: 2% better margin from local fish
- Fall: 4% better margin from game and mushrooms
- Winter: 1% worse margin from imports
Average: 2.5% better annual margin = €12,500 at €500k turnover
How do you perform seasonal review? (step by step)
Collect new seasonal prices from suppliers
Ask your suppliers for seasonal price lists or check their online catalogs. Focus on ingredients that change 20%+ in price. Note both price increases and decreases.
Select dishes for recalculation
Choose your 10 best-selling dishes plus all seasonal specials. These represent 80% of your turnover. Ignore dishes that sell fewer than 20 times per month.
Calculate new food cost percentages
Update ingredient prices in your system and calculate new food cost. Formula: (New ingredient costs / Sales price excl. VAT) × 100. Flag dishes above 35% food cost for adjustment.
Decide on menu adjustments
Raise prices for structurally higher costs, keep seasonal advantages temporarily for better margin. Communicate seasonal change to guests as 'fresh seasonal ingredients' rather than price change.
✨ Pro tip
Schedule your seasonal review in your calendar as a recurring appointment. Investing two hours per quarter saves you thousands of euros per year in margin leakage from outdated cost prices.
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
How often should I do my seasonal review?
Four times a year is optimal: March, June, September, and December. This follows natural seasonal ingredient changes and prevents you from working with incorrect cost prices for months.
Which ingredients fluctuate most by season?
Vegetables (asparagus, tomatoes, zucchini), fish (seasonal catches), meat (lamb in spring), and specialty products (truffles, game). Focus your review on dishes with these ingredients.
Do I need to adjust my menu prices every seasonal change?
Not automatically. With temporary seasonal advantages, you can use the lower purchasing for better margin. Only raise prices for structural cost increases or if food cost exceeds 35%.
How do I communicate seasonal price changes to guests?
Focus on quality: 'fresh Dutch asparagus' or 'seasonal special with local ingredients'. Guests understand seasonal prices better than random increases.
What if my supplier raises prices but my competitor doesn't?
First check if your competitor delivers the same quality. Consider switching suppliers for large differences. Small differences you can offset through more efficient portioning or promoting other dishes.
⚠️ EU Regulation 1169/2011 — Allergen Information — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/1169/oj
The allergen information on this page is based on EU Regulation 1169/2011. Recipes and ingredients may vary by supplier. Always verify current allergen information with your supplier and communicate this correctly to your guests. KitchenNmbrs is not liable for allergic reactions.
In the UK, the FSA enforces allergen regulations under the Food Information Regulations 2014.
📚 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.
Automate your daily kitchen controls
Manual controls take time and miss errors. KitchenNmbrs automates temperature logging, inventory management, and HACCP checks. Try it free for 14 days.
Start free trial →