A-products are your most valuable ingredients that represent 80% of your purchasing value but only 20% of your inventory. While many chefs focus equally on all ingredients, smart operators know A-products deserve special treatment because mistakes here directly crush your profit margins.
What are A-products in ABC analysis?
ABC analysis splits your inventory into three categories based on value and turnover speed. A-products sit at the top because they pack the biggest financial punch - mess these up and you'll feel it immediately.
💡 Example ABC distribution:
- A-products: 20% of items, 80% of value (beef, fresh fish, truffles)
- B-products: 30% of items, 15% of value (chicken, vegetables, cheese)
- C-products: 50% of items, 5% of value (spices, oil, vinegar)
How do you identify A-products?
List every ingredient with its monthly purchasing value. Sort from highest to lowest, then add up until you hit 80% of your total purchasing spend.
💡 Example calculation:
Restaurant with €8,000 monthly purchasing:
- Beef: €1,600 (20%)
- Fresh fish: €1,200 (15%)
- Wine purchases: €800 (10%)
- Veal: €640 (8%)
- Shrimp: €560 (7%)
These 5 products = €4,800 = 60% of purchases = A-products
Daily monitoring of A-products
Check your A-products every morning for stock levels, quality and shelf life. Spoiled beef hurts way more than wilted parsley - that's basic math.
- Stock level: Enough for today and tomorrow?
- Quality: Color, smell, texture still good?
- Shelf life: Which products to use first?
- Price: Supplier raised prices? Adjust menu price?
⚠️ Watch out:
An A-product that spoils can cost you more than your entire day's profit. Always check A-products first during delivery and daily after that.
Purchasing and suppliers for A-products
For A-products, it pays to shop around and nail down quality agreements. Beef prices can swing €3-5 per kilo between suppliers - that's a mistake that costs the average restaurant EUR 200-400 per month.
💡 Example cost impact:
You use 50 kg beef per month:
- Supplier A: €32/kg = €1,600
- Supplier B: €28/kg = €1,400
- Difference: €200 per month = €2,400 per year
On one A-product you can save €2,400 per year
Optimize stock levels
Order A-products more frequently but in smaller batches. Better to order 3 times weekly than risk spoilage from over-ordering once a week.
- Fresh fish: Order daily based on reservations
- Meat: 2-3 times per week, max 3 days stock
- Dairy: 2 times per week, watch expiration dates
Digital management of A-products
For A-products, tracking prices and suppliers digitally makes sense. If your most expensive ingredient jumps in price, you need to know immediately so you can adjust menu pricing.
A system like tools helps you spot price changes for A-products directly in your food cost calculations, so you can react fast.
How do you create an ABC analysis? (step by step)
Gather purchasing data from 3 months
Get your invoices from the last 3 months and make a list of all ingredients with their total purchasing value. Add everything up for a total amount.
Sort products by value
Put all products in order from highest to lowest purchasing amount. Start with the most expensive product and work your way down.
Determine A, B and C categories
Add up from top to bottom until you reach 80% of your total purchases. These are your A-products. The next 15% are B-products, the rest are C-products.
✨ Pro tip
Track price changes on your top 8 A-products every 2 weeks using a simple spreadsheet. A €1.50/kg increase on your primary meat can silently eat 2-4% of your profit margin.
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 many A-products does an average restaurant have?
Usually between 10-20 products. These are often meat, fish, premium ingredients and expensive wines that together represent 80% of your purchasing value.
How often should I update my ABC analysis?
Every 3-6 months, or if you significantly change your menu. Seasons can also affect which products get A-status.
What if a cheap product is used in large quantities?
It can still become an A-product. It's about total purchasing value, not price per kilo. Many restaurants have rice as an A-product, for example.
Should I store A-products differently?
Yes, give them the best spots in your cooler and check them more often. A-products deserve premium treatment because mistakes here cost the most.
Can I buy A-products in bulk for a discount?
Only if you're sure you'll use it before it spoils. With A-products, freshness is often more important than a purchasing discount.
What happens if I ignore A-product price fluctuations?
You'll unknowingly serve dishes at a loss. A €2 increase on your main protein can silently destroy your margins for weeks before you notice.
📚 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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