A chef I know bought 50kg of potatoes from a local farmer for €0.80/kg, thinking he'd save money. After transport costs and processing time, his real cost hit €1.15/kg - more than his regular supplier. Direct farm purchases require different math than supplier orders.
What makes direct buying different?
Suppliers quote ready-to-use prices per kilo. Farmers sell raw products that need processing. That quoted price per kilo? It's just the starting point.
💡 Example:
Whole chicken from farmer: €3.50/kg
- Whole chicken: 1.8 kg = €6.30
- After deboning: 1.1 kg meat
- Real price: €6.30 / 1.1 kg = €5.73/kg
Chicken fillet from supplier costs €8.50/kg - you save €2.77/kg
Hidden costs in direct buying
The farmer's quote is never your final cost. These extras add up fast:
- Transport: fuel, time, vehicle wear and tear
- Packaging: crates, bags, ice for transport
- Processing time: cleaning, cutting, portioning
- Extra waste: more trim loss than with a supplier
Calculate transport costs
Budget €0.30 per kilometer for fuel and wear. Your time counts too - that's money walking out the door. This is the kind of thing you only learn after closing your first month at a loss.
💡 Transport example:
Farmer 25 km away, you buy for €200
- Round trip: 50 km × €0.30 = €15
- Time: 2 hours × €15/hour = €30
- Total transport: €45
€45 on €200 purchase = 22.5% extra costs
Trim loss and processing
Farm products carry more waste than supplier goods. Factor this into your cost calculations or you'll underestimate expenses.
⚠️ Watch out:
Trim loss makes your product more expensive, not cheaper. If you have 30% loss, divide by 0.70 to get the real price per kilo.
Direct buying makes sense for...
Direct purchases work when your total cost (including extras) beats supplier prices. Volume matters - bigger orders spread transport costs thinner.
- Large volumes: spreads transport costs over more kilos
- Seasonal products: often much cheaper than suppliers
- Specialties: unique products suppliers don't carry
- Regular orders: farmers discount weekly commitments
💡 Example calculation:
Potatoes from farmer vs supplier
- Farmer: €0.80/kg + €0.20 transport/processing costs = €1.00/kg
- Supplier: €1.40/kg
- Savings: €0.40/kg = 29% cheaper
At 100 kg per month you save €40
Track everything in your system
Record all costs in your recipe system, not just the farmer's quote. Your food cost calculations depend on accurate numbers.
Tools like KitchenNmbrs let you record the real purchase price (including transport and processing) per ingredient, so your cost calculations stay accurate.
How do you calculate the real purchase price when buying directly from a farmer?
Calculate all extra costs
Add up transport (€0.30/km), time (€15/hour), packaging, and any processing costs. These costs are on top of the price the farmer quotes.
Measure the trim loss
Weigh the product before and after processing. Calculate the yield percentage. With 25% loss you have 75% yield.
Calculate the real price per kilo
Divide the total costs (product + extra costs) by the usable weight after processing. This is your real purchase price for your cost price calculation.
✨ Pro tip
Lock in weekly orders for 8-12 weeks during peak season. Most farmers offer 10-15% discounts for guaranteed volume, easily covering your transport costs.
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
Should I count my time as a cost item?
Yes, your time costs money. Budget at least €15 per hour for pickup and processing time. Otherwise you're not comparing fairly with supplier prices.
How often should I recalculate transport costs?
For irregular trips, calculate each time. For weekly runs, average costs over a month. Update if fuel prices jump significantly.
What if I visit multiple farmers on the same day?
Split transport costs by purchase value. If you buy €300 from farmer A and €100 from farmer B, farmer A bears 75% of transport costs.
Should I include VAT in this calculation?
Small farmers often don't charge VAT - check first. If they do charge VAT, add it to your purchase price for fair supplier comparison.
How do I handle seasonal price swings?
Track prices monthly and adjust your menu costs accordingly. Some farmers offer fixed-price contracts for steady items like potatoes or onions.
What's the minimum order size to make transport worthwhile?
Generally €150-200 minimum to justify a 30km round trip. Smaller orders work if the farmer is very close or you're buying premium items.
How do I account for quality differences?
Farm products often have better flavor and shelf life than supplier goods. Factor this into your value calculation, not just the raw price per kilo.
📚 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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