Extending seasonal dishes beyond their prime costs money. Ingredients spike in price, you face fresh competition, and diners crave new flavors. Calculate exactly how much that extra week impacts your bottom line.
Why seasonal dishes get more expensive
Once peak season ends, your main ingredient prices often jump dramatically. Asparagus doubles from May to June. August oysters cost 60% more than March pricing.
⚠️ Watch out:
Many restaurants overlook packaging and transport increases. These spike when ingredients must travel from distant suppliers.
Calculate the price increase per ingredient
Contact your supplier for current pricing versus last week's rates. Focus on these areas:
- Primary proteins (meat, fish, vegetables)
- Seasonal garnishes becoming scarce
- Fresh herbs losing local availability
- Import fees for distant alternatives
💡 Example:
Your asparagus dish in early June:
- Asparagus: €8/kg → €14/kg (+€6)
- Hollandaise: €2.50 → €2.50 (unchanged)
- Ham: €18/kg → €19/kg (+€1)
- Potatoes: €1.20/kg → €1.20/kg (unchanged)
Additional cost per serving: €1.75
Calculate the impact on your margin
Sum your extra costs and divide by selling price excluding VAT. This reveals your updated food cost percentage. One of the most common blind spots in kitchen management is underestimating how quickly these percentages compound.
💡 Example:
Asparagus menu priced at €28.50 including 9% VAT:
- Price excluding VAT: €28.50 ÷ 1.09 = €26.15
- Original cost: €8.00 (30.6% food cost)
- Updated cost: €9.75 (37.3% food cost)
Food cost jumps from 31% to 37% - unsustainable!
Calculate total loss per week
Multiply additional cost per serving by weekly volume. This shows your actual profit erosion.
💡 Example:
Weekly sales of 25 asparagus dishes:
- Additional cost per serving: €1.75
- Weekly volume: 25 portions
- Weekly loss: €1.75 × 25 = €43.75
That extended week costs €44 in lost profit
Calculate alternatives
Compare extended selling costs against other strategies:
- Price increase: How many customers will a €2 bump drive away?
- Smaller portions: 200g asparagus versus 250g saves €1.40
- Menu replacement: What's the development cost for a new dish?
- Complete removal: How much revenue disappears?
⚠️ Watch out:
Include hidden costs: menu reprinting, staff retraining, and inventory clearance time.
Tools for seasonal planning
Food cost calculators like KitchenNmbrs help track ingredient price changes instantly. Update costs and see immediate impact across all dishes. Make informed decisions about seasonal menu timing based on real numbers, not guesswork.
How do you calculate the costs of an extra week? (step by step)
Compare ingredient prices
Ask your supplier for the current prices of all ingredients in the seasonal dish. Compare with last week's prices. Note the difference per ingredient.
Calculate new cost price per portion
Add up all price increases and calculate what one portion now costs. Divide this by your selling price excl. VAT to get the new food cost.
Calculate total impact per week
Multiply the extra costs per portion by the number of portions you normally sell per week. This gives you the total profit loss from that extra week.
✨ Pro tip
Track your seasonal ingredient costs every Monday for the final 3 weeks of peak season. This prevents surprise 50% price jumps that can destroy weekly profit margins.
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
What if my supplier won't provide next week's pricing?
Request estimates or check online market rates. For produce, review auction house results. Apply a 10-20% increase estimate for end-of-season periods.
Should VAT adjustments factor into my calculations?
No, restaurant food VAT remains at 9% regardless. Always calculate food costs using pre-VAT selling prices. Seasonal changes don't affect VAT rates.
Is 37% food cost actually problematic?
Most restaurants can't sustain anything above 35%. Seasonal dishes might temporarily reach 38%, but not long-term. Higher percentages eliminate dish profitability.
Can portion reduction replace price increases?
Yes, but transparency matters. Reducing asparagus from 250g to 200g saves €1-2 per plate. Ensure customers don't feel shortchanged by smaller servings.
What signals it's time to remove the dish permanently?
Food costs above 40% or weekly losses exceeding €50 per dish indicate it's over. The seasonal window has closed and menu changes are necessary.
How do I handle customers who specifically request the discontinued seasonal dish?
Explain the seasonal nature honestly and offer a similar alternative. Many diners appreciate transparency about ingredient quality and pricing.
Should I factor in staff overtime costs for ingredient prep during off-season?
Absolutely. Off-season ingredients often require more preparation time or special handling. Include labor cost increases in your total calculation for accurate numbers.
📚 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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