Last month, a client switched from individual meal delivery to weekly menu bundles and saw their per-meal packaging costs drop by 40%. You sell five meals at once, which creates purchasing advantages but also carries more waste risk. Here's how to calculate your true margin and avoid hidden cost traps.
What makes weekly menu delivery different?
With a weekly menu you sell five meals at once to one customer. This has advantages and disadvantages for your margin:
- You can buy larger quantities (economies of scale)
- Lower packaging costs per meal
- Higher average order value (fewer platform costs per euro in revenue)
- But: higher waste risk if you miscalculate
Calculate your total cost price per weekly menu
For a weekly menu add up all costs. Don't forget any cost item:
💡 Example weekly menu "Healthy Week":
5 meals for €49.50 (incl. 9% VAT)
- Ingredients for all 5 meals: €16.80
- Packaging (5 containers + bag): €2.10
- Platform costs (25% of €49.50): €12.38
- Delivery costs: €3.50
Total costs: €34.78
Calculate what you keep
Your margin is what's left after all costs. Important: always calculate with the price excluding VAT.
💡 Margin calculation:
- Selling price: €49.50 incl. VAT
- Selling price excl. VAT: €49.50 / 1.09 = €45.41
- Total costs: €34.78
- Gross margin: €45.41 - €34.78 = €10.63
- Margin percentage: (€10.63 / €45.41) × 100 = 23.4%
⚠️ Important:
This 23.4% margin also needs to cover your fixed costs (rent, staff, insurance). For a healthy delivery business you need at least 15-20% net margin after all costs.
Platform costs can eat into your margin
Delivery platforms charge 15-30% commission. With weekly menus this is a substantial amount because your order value is higher.
💡 Impact of platform costs:
Weekly menu €49.50 via Deliveroo (25% commission):
- Commission: €12.38
- Same menu via your own website: €0 commission
- Difference in profit: €12.38 per weekly menu
With 50 weekly menus per week this saves you €619 per week!
Estimate packaging costs
Weekly menus have relatively lower packaging costs per meal, but add everything up:
- Meal containers: €0.35 each × 5 = €1.75
- Carry bag or box: €0.25
- Stickers and flyers: €0.10
- Total packaging: approximately €2.10 per weekly menu
Check your food cost per individual meal
Although you sell a weekly menu, also check whether each individual meal would be profitable. From tracking this across dozens of restaurants, I've seen too many operators lose money on expensive proteins while thinking their bundle price covers everything.
💡 Check per meal:
Weekly menu €49.50 = €9.90 per meal excl. VAT
- Meal 1 (pasta): €3.20 ingredients = 32% food cost
- Meal 2 (chicken): €4.10 ingredients = 41% food cost
- Meal 3 (fish): €4.80 ingredients = 48% food cost
Meal 3 is too expensive. Adjust the recipe or increase the weekly menu price.
⚠️ Important:
A food cost above 40% per meal is problematic. Your weekly menu seems profitable, but you're losing money on expensive meals.
Use economies of scale in purchasing
With weekly menus you can buy larger quantities. This lowers your purchase price:
- Chicken: from €8.50/kg to €7.20/kg at 20kg minimum order
- Vegetables: seasonal bulk purchasing for the whole week
- Packaging: bulk buying for lower price per unit
This economy of scale can improve your food cost by 2-5% compared to individual meals.
How do you calculate the margin on a weekly menu? (step by step)
Add up all ingredient costs
Calculate the cost price of all five meals together. Also include spices, oil and garnish. Check if you can get economies of scale with larger purchases.
Add packaging and delivery costs
Add packaging costs (containers, bags, stickers) plus delivery costs. For weekly menus this is relatively lower per meal than for individual orders.
Deduct platform costs from your selling price
Delivery platforms charge 15-30% commission. For a €50 weekly menu this is €7.50-€15.00. Calculate with your selling price excluding VAT (divide by 1.09).
Calculate your margin percentage
Deduct all costs from your selling price excl. VAT. Divide the result by your selling price and multiply by 100 to get your margin percentage.
✨ Pro tip
Track your margin on each meal within the bundle for 30 days - expensive proteins like salmon can silently kill your profitability even when the total weekly price looks healthy. Adjust recipes or pricing immediately if any single meal exceeds 40% food cost.
Calculate this yourself?
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
What is a healthy margin for weekly menu delivery?
A gross margin of 25-35% is standard for weekly menus. This needs to cover your fixed costs, so your net margin becomes 15-25%. Lower than 20% gross becomes difficult.
Should I include VAT in my margin calculation?
No, always calculate with prices excluding VAT. The VAT (9% on food) you pass on to the tax authority, so it doesn't count toward your margin.
How do I prevent waste with weekly menus?
Plan your sales well and only order ingredients once you've sold enough weekly menus. Start with a limited number per week and scale up slowly.
Are platform costs lower for weekly menus?
The percentage stays the same (15-30%), but you pay less commission per meal because your order value is higher. A €50 weekly menu is more efficient than 5×€10 individual orders.
📚 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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