Meat, fish and premium ingredients can make or break your profit. A few extra grams of steak per portion costs you thousands of euros per year, while no one notices. Most kitchen managers underestimate how these small overages drain their bottom line.
The big cost drivers: meat and fish
Meat and fish represent your highest-cost ingredients per gram. That seemingly innocent 20 grams extra per portion? It's silently destroying your margins.
💡 Example:
You serve 100 steaks per week. Price of beef: €24/kg
- Recipe: 200 grams per portion
- Chef gives: 220 grams per portion
- Difference: 20 grams = €0.48 per portion
Extra costs per year: €0.48 × 100 × 52 = €2,496
Products you must always weigh:
- Beef: steak, tenderloin, ribeye
- Fish: salmon, sea bass, halibut, tuna
- Poultry: duck breast, turkey, chicken (fillet)
- Shellfish: lobster, shrimp, scallops
Cheese and nuts: small quantities, massive impact
Premium cheeses and nuts pack serious cost per kilo. And here's one of the most common blind spots in kitchen management: chefs consistently over-portion these items because they "look right" on the plate.
💡 Example:
Parmesan cheese on pasta - price: €32/kg
- Recipe: 15 grams per portion
- Chef sprinkles: 25 grams per portion
- Difference: 10 grams = €0.32 per portion
At 80 pastas per week: €0.32 × 80 × 52 = €1,331 per year
Critical products to weigh:
- Cheeses: Parmesan, goat cheese, buffalo mozzarella
- Nuts: pine nuts, walnuts, almonds
- Truffles: fresh or oil (most expensive ingredient per gram)
- Spices: saffron, vanilla pods
⚠️ Watch out:
Many chefs think that "a little extra" makes the guest happy. But guests don't taste the difference between 15 and 25 grams of cheese. You're giving away money without adding value.
Olive oil and premium oils
Quality olive oil runs €15-25 per liter. Chefs often pour with abandon, especially during plating. That generous drizzle costs more than you think.
💡 Example:
Extra virgin olive oil for finishing - price: €20/liter
- Recipe: 5ml per plate (1 teaspoon)
- Chef uses: 15ml per plate
- Difference: 10ml = €0.20 per portion
At 150 plates per day: €0.20 × 150 × 300 = €9,000 per year
Alcohol in dishes
Wine, cognac and liqueur for cooking carry hefty price tags. Chefs tend to be heavy-handed with alcohol, thinking more equals better flavor.
- Cognac/armagnac: for sauces and flambéing
- White wine: for risottos and fish
- Port/sherry: for jus and reductions
- Liqueur: Grand Marnier, Amaretto in desserts
Practical weighing strategy
You can't weigh everything. Focus on the products that represent 80% of your ingredient costs.
Daily weighing check:
- All meat and fish portions
- Premium cheeses and nuts
- Alcohol for cooking
Weekly spot check:
- Olive oil use per service
- Butter use (often underestimated)
- Herbs and spices
Food cost calculators like KitchenNmbrs help you track exactly what each portion should weigh, keeping your team consistent with measurements.
How do you determine which products are critical? (step by step)
Make a list of all ingredients with prices
Go through your recipes and note the price per kilo of each ingredient. Sort from high to low. The most expensive 20% deserves the most attention.
Calculate the impact per gram difference
For each expensive ingredient: divide the kilo price by 1000 to get the price per gram. This shows what 1 extra gram per portion costs.
Multiply by your volume
Take the number of portions per week × 52 weeks. This gives the annual impact of 1 gram difference. Anything above €500 per year deserves a scale.
✨ Pro tip
Focus on your top 5 protein dishes first - weigh every single portion for 2 weeks straight. You'll likely discover 15-20% cost variance that's been invisible until now.
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 can I save by weighing consistently?
Restaurants that start weighing often see 2-5% improvement in their food cost. At €500,000 turnover this means €10,000-25,000 extra profit per year.
What if weighing slows down the kitchen during service?
Weigh during mise-en-place, not during service. Portion meat and fish beforehand and store in containers. That way during the rush you only need to grab and go.
What scale specifications work for professional kitchens?
You need a digital kitchen scale that weighs up to 5kg with 1-gram precision for main ingredients. For expensive items like spices and truffles, get a precision scale up to 500 grams with 0.1-gram accuracy.
⚠️ 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.
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