Making your own sauces can save you hundreds of euros per year, especially if you use a lot of sauces. Many food trucks buy ready-made sauces because it seems easier, but costs add up quickly. Here's how to calculate exactly what you'd save by making your own versus buying ready-made.
Why making your own sauces pays off
Ready-made sauces often cost 3-5 times more than making them yourself. For a food truck selling 50-100 portions daily, this difference can add up to thousands of euros per year. It's not just about the ingredients, but also the amount you use per portion.
💡 Example: Garlic sauce
For 1 liter of garlic sauce:
- Ready-made purchase: €8.50 per liter
- Making it yourself (mayo, garlic, herbs): €2.80 per liter
- Savings per liter: €5.70
At 2 liters per week = €592 savings per year
Calculate your current sauce costs
Start by adding up what you're currently spending on ready-made sauces. Check your purchase invoices from the past month and calculate forward to a year. Don't forget to include all sauces: mayonnaise, ketchup, barbecue sauce, garlic sauce, chili sauce, etc.
- How many liters per week of each sauce?
- What do you pay per liter?
- Add up for total monthly costs
- Multiply by 12 for annual costs
💡 Example: Food truck with fries
Weekly consumption:
- Mayo: 3 liters × €6.50 = €19.50
- Ketchup: 2 liters × €4.20 = €8.40
- Garlic sauce: 2 liters × €8.50 = €17.00
- Barbecue sauce: 1 liter × €7.80 = €7.80
Total per week: €52.70 = €2,740 per year
Calculate the cost of making your own
For each sauce you want to make yourself, calculate the ingredient costs. Add up all ingredients: base (mayo, oil), flavorings (garlic, herbs), and any additions. Don't forget to factor in the time it takes to make.
⚠️ Note:
Also factor in 15-30 minutes of labor time per batch. If you pay yourself €15 per hour, a batch of 2 liters costs approximately €4-7 extra in time.
Typical ingredient costs for 1 liter of homemade sauces:
- Garlic sauce: €2.80 (mayo, garlic, parsley, salt)
- Barbecue sauce: €3.20 (ketchup, vinegar, sugar, herbs)
- Chili sauce: €2.10 (chili peppers, vinegar, sugar, garlic)
- Herb topping: €4.50 (fresh herbs, oil, salt)
The savings calculation
Subtract the cost of making your own from the ready-made purchase price. And don't forget to factor in the extra time. The formula is:
Savings per liter = Ready-made purchase price - (Ingredient costs + Labor time)
💡 Example: Complete calculation
Garlic sauce (2 liter batch):
- Ready-made: 2L × €8.50 = €17.00
- Ingredients: €5.60
- Labor time: 20 min × €15/hour = €5.00
- Making it yourself total: €10.60
Savings per batch: €6.40
At 1 batch per week = €333 per year on garlic sauce alone
Making your own doesn't always pay off
Making your own doesn't always make sense financially. From tracking this across dozens of restaurants, small quantities (less than 2 liters per month) show minimal difference. Also sauces that need long shelf life or require special equipment are better bought ready-made.
- Very small quantities (under 0.5L per week)
- Complex sauces requiring special equipment
- Sauces with very short shelf life
- If you don't have time for prep
Extra benefits of making your own
Beyond cost savings, you get more control over taste, consistency, and allergens. You can customize sauces to your concept and seasons. Plus you can give larger portions without eating into your profit.
How do you calculate savings? (step by step)
Inventory your current sauce costs
Check your purchase invoices from the past month. Add up all ready-made sauces you buy: mayo, ketchup, barbecue sauce, etc. Note for each sauce how many liters you use per week and what you pay per liter.
Calculate ingredient costs for making your own
Choose 2-3 sauces you use the most. Look up recipes and calculate what the ingredients cost per liter. Add up all ingredients: base, herbs, additions. Don't forget to factor in 15-30 minutes of labor time per batch.
Calculate your annual savings
For each sauce, subtract the cost of making your own from the ready-made purchase price. Multiply by your weekly consumption and then by 52 weeks. Add up all sauces for your total annual savings.
✨ Pro tip
Track your exact mayo consumption for 3 weeks, then calculate both ingredient costs and 25 minutes of prep time per 3-liter batch. Most operators underestimate their actual usage by 40%.
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
How much time does it take to make sauces yourself?
Most sauces take 15-30 minutes to make for a batch of 2-3 liters. Simple sauces like garlic sauce or barbecue sauce are the quickest. Plan this during quiet moments.
Which sauces are most worth making yourself?
Garlic sauce, barbecue sauce, and herb butter have the highest savings. These cost €6-9 per liter ready-made, but making your own costs only €2-4 per liter including time.
Should I factor in labor time in my calculation?
Yes, calculate at least €12-15 per hour for your own time. Otherwise making your own seems cheaper than it is. If you don't have time, buying ready-made is sometimes the better choice despite higher costs.
📚 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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