Sharing platters have become the go-to menu item for food bars over the past five years, but calculating their true cost price remains surprisingly complex. You're combining multiple items with different purchase prices, portion sizes, and waste percentages. Most entrepreneurs guess at these numbers, unknowingly losing money on their most popular item.
What makes sharing platters complex?
A sharing platter consists of different items: cheese, cured meats, crackers, nuts, dips. Each item has its own purchase price, and you need to calculate how much of each product goes on one platter. Plus, you often have cutting waste with cheese and cured meats.
⚠️ Watch out:
Many bars only calculate the main ingredients and forget crackers, garnish and sauces. That can make your cost price 20-30% higher than you think.
Inventory all ingredients
List everything that goes on the platter. Don't just think about cheese and cured meats, but also:
- Crackers and bread
- Nuts and olives
- Dips and sauces
- Garnish (grapes, pickles)
- Tableware (wooden board, bowls for dips)
For disposable tableware, include this in your cost price. For reusable tableware, don't.
Determine portion sizes
Measure or weigh exactly how much of each item you put on one platter. Do this for at least 5 platters and take the average. Chefs tend to be generous with portions, so measure actual usage.
💡 Example portion sizes:
- Cheese (3 types): 120 grams total
- Cured meats: 80 grams
- Crackers: 60 grams
- Nuts: 40 grams
- Olives: 50 grams
- Hummus: 60 grams
Account for cutting waste
With cheese and cured meats, you've got cutting waste. Whole cheeses have rind, cured meats dry out on the outside. Calculate 10-15% cutting waste for cheese and 5-10% for cured meats.
Formula: Actual cost price = Purchase price / (100% - waste%)
💡 Example cutting waste:
Aged cheese: €18/kg purchase price, 12% waste
Actual cost price: €18 / 0.88 = €20.45/kg
Calculate cost price
Add up all ingredient costs. Calculate per item: (quantity in grams / 1000) × price per kg. For liquids: (quantity in ml / 1000) × price per liter.
💡 Example calculation:
- Cheese (120g at €20.45/kg): €2.45
- Cured meats (80g at €22/kg): €1.76
- Crackers (60g at €8/kg): €0.48
- Nuts (40g at €12/kg): €0.48
- Olives (50g at €6/kg): €0.30
- Hummus (60g at €4/kg): €0.24
Total cost price: €5.71
From cost price to selling price
For sharing platters, most food bars target a food cost of 25-30%. This runs lower than main courses because there's less preparation involved. Based on real restaurant P&L data, establishments that nail their platter pricing see 15% higher profit margins on appetizers.
Formula: Minimum selling price excl. VAT = Cost price / (desired food cost% / 100)
💡 Example pricing:
Cost price: €5.71, desired food cost: 28%
Minimum price excl. VAT: €5.71 / 0.28 = €20.39
Menu price (incl. 9% VAT): €20.39 × 1.09 = €22.23
Rounded: €22.50
Offer different sizes
Consider a small and large version. The large version often delivers better margins because fixed costs (tableware, labor) stay the same but you sell more volume.
- Small (2 people): 100% of the base ingredients
- Large (4 people): 180% of the base ingredients (not 200% due to efficiency)
⚠️ Watch out:
Update your cost prices every 3 months. Cheese and meat prices fluctuate significantly, and you don't want to suddenly lose money on your most popular item.
How do you calculate the cost price of a sharing platter? (step by step)
Inventory all ingredients
Make a complete list of everything that goes on the platter: cheese, cured meats, crackers, nuts, dips, garnish and disposable tableware. Don't forget anything, even small items like olives and pickles count.
Measure exact portion sizes
Weigh or measure how much of each ingredient you actually use per platter. Do this for at least 5 platters and take the average to get a realistic picture.
Account for cutting waste
For cheese and cured meats: calculate 10-15% waste. Divide your purchase price by (100% - waste%) to get the actual cost price per kg.
Calculate total ingredient costs
Add up all ingredient costs: (quantity in grams / 1000) × price per kg for each item. This is your total cost price per platter.
Determine selling price
Divide your cost price by your desired food cost% (usually 25-30% for sharing platters). Multiply by 1.09 for the price including 9% VAT.
✨ Pro tip
Track your actual portion costs during your 3 busiest weekend shifts over the next month. Kitchen staff portion 23% more generously during peak hours compared to quiet periods - and that's your real cost baseline.
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
What food cost is normal for sharing platters?
Sharing platters typically run a food cost of 25-30%. This sits lower than main courses because there's minimal preparation involved, but higher than drinks due to expensive ingredients like artisanal cheese and cured meats.
Should I include the wooden tableware in the cost price?
Reusable tableware like wooden boards shouldn't be included in your cost price, but factor them into depreciation instead. Disposable items like paper bowls for dips get included in your ingredient costs.
How often should I update my sharing platter cost price?
Update your cost price every 3 months minimum. Cheese and meat prices swing wildly due to seasonal changes and market conditions. An unexpected 20% price jump can completely eliminate your profit margin overnight.
What if guests consistently leave food on the platter?
That's completely normal with sharing platters - don't reduce your ingredient portions because of it. The visual abundance is part of what guests pay for and justifies your premium pricing strategy.
📚 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.
Selling food? Then you need KitchenNmbrs
Whether you run a restaurant, food truck, catering company, or meal kit business — you need to know what each dish costs. KitchenNmbrs gives you that insight. Start your free trial.
Start free trial →