A chef creates an amazing spring asparagus dish in March, only to discover it's costing the restaurant €3.50 per plate in losses. Your chef knows exactly which ingredients work well together and how to prepare them perfectly. But without insight into seasonal pricing, even talented chefs create dishes that taste incredible but destroy your bottom line.
Why involve chefs in margin guidelines?
Your chef knows exactly which ingredients work well together and how to prepare them best. But without insight into costs, they often create dishes that taste great but aren't profitable.
⚠️ Note:
If your chef doesn't know that asparagus costs €18/kg in March and €8/kg in May, they'll create a dish that loses money in March.
By involving your chef in the numbers, you develop dishes together that are both delicious and profitable. One of the most common blind spots in kitchen management is assuming chefs naturally understand food costs - they don't, and that's not their fault.
Set clear margin guidelines
Before you develop seasonal dishes, determine what food cost percentage is acceptable. For seasonal dishes, many restaurants use slightly more generous margins because they're temporary.
- Fixed menu: 28-32% food cost
- Seasonal dishes: 30-35% food cost
- Specials: Up to 38% food cost (as compensation for novelty)
💡 Example margin guideline:
For a dish priced at €28.00 (incl. 9% VAT) = €25.69 excl. VAT
- At 30% food cost: max €7.71 ingredient costs
- At 35% food cost: max €8.99 ingredient costs
Give your chef these amounts as a framework for recipe development.
Make seasonal ingredients transparent
Many chefs know when ingredients taste best, but not when they're cheapest. Create an overview of seasonal ingredients with their price fluctuations.
💡 Example spring ingredients:
- Asparagus: March €18/kg → May €8/kg
- Strawberries: March €12/kg → June €4/kg
- Lamb rack: Winter €28/kg → Spring €22/kg
- Fennel: Winter €4/kg → Spring €2.50/kg
Show your chef when ingredients are most affordable.
Update this list monthly based on your supplier prices. This way your chef can anticipate price drops and develop dishes around the cheapest times.
Organize joint recipe sessions
Schedule a monthly session where you develop new seasonal dishes together with your chef. You bring cost knowledge, your chef brings cooking expertise.
- Preparation: Select 5-8 seasonal ingredients that are affordable
- Brainstorm: Chef comes up with dish ideas using these ingredients
- Cost check: Calculate the food cost together for each idea
- Adjustment: Modify recipes if food cost is too high
⚠️ Note:
Always calculate with current purchase prices, not prices from last season. Suppliers adjust their prices annually.
Give your chef tools for cost control
If your chef can check what a dish costs themselves, they can adjust while cooking. Give them access to a simple system where they can quickly look up costs.
Food cost calculators help your chef see directly on their phone what a dish costs while they're developing it. They don't have to wait for you to calculate the cost.
Make agreements about portion sizes
A seasonal dish can quickly become more expensive if portions are too large. Discuss in advance which portion sizes go with which prices.
💡 Example portion agreements:
Lamb shoulder seasonal dish for €32.00:
- Lamb meat: 180 grams (not 220 grams)
- Seasonal vegetables: 120 grams
- Garnish: max €1.50 in ingredients
This way you stay within your 32% food cost target.
Monitor results together
Track weekly how your seasonal dishes are performing. Discuss with your chef not only sales figures, but also actual food cost.
- Sales: How many portions per week?
- Food cost: Are we staying within the agreed margin?
- Waste: How much seasonal ingredients are we throwing away?
- Feedback: What are guests saying about the dish?
If a dish sells well but the margin disappoints, adjust the recipe together. Maybe an expensive ingredient can be replaced with a cheaper alternative.
How do you involve your chef in seasonal dish development? (step by step)
Set margin guidelines
Determine what food cost percentage is acceptable for seasonal dishes (usually 30-35%). Calculate what this means in euros per dish, so your chef has concrete amounts to work with.
Create a seasonal ingredients overview
List the main seasonal ingredients with their prices per month. Update this monthly so your chef knows when ingredients are most affordable.
Schedule monthly recipe sessions
Organize a monthly session where you develop new dishes together. Your chef comes up with flavor combinations, you check the cost in real-time.
Give your chef cost tools
Make sure your chef can look up costs themselves while cooking. A mobile app or simple list helps to adjust immediately if a dish becomes too expensive.
Monitor and adjust weekly
Discuss weekly how seasonal dishes perform on both sales and margin. Adjust recipes if the food cost comes in higher than planned.
✨ Pro tip
Challenge your chef to create 3 seasonal dishes under €6.50 ingredient costs each quarter while maintaining restaurant quality. Track which chef consistently hits these targets - they often become your most valuable kitchen asset.
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
How do I motivate my chef to look at costs?
Explain that cost control gives more creative freedom, not less. If dishes are profitable, your chef can experiment more often and the kitchen has more budget for quality ingredients.
What if my chef thinks cost is less important than taste?
Make clear it's not either taste or profit, but both. Give examples of how small adjustments (slightly less expensive garnish) maintain flavor but improve margins.
How often should I update seasonal ingredient prices?
Check your supplier prices for seasonal ingredients at least monthly. Some products like asparagus can fluctuate significantly in price weekly during the season.
Can I give seasonal dishes a higher food cost than fixed dishes?
Yes, many restaurants use 2-5 percentage points more generous margins for seasonal dishes because they're temporary and guests are willing to pay more for seasonal products.
What if a seasonal dish is popular but not profitable?
Try small adjustments first: slightly smaller portions, cheaper garnish or sides. If that doesn't work, then raise the price or replace expensive ingredients with affordable alternatives.
Should I share actual supplier invoices with my chef?
Absolutely - showing real invoices builds trust and helps chefs understand price volatility. Many chefs are shocked to see how much premium ingredients actually cost during off-season periods.
📚 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.
Purchase smarter with real-time insights
Seasonal prices fluctuate — so do your recipe costs. KitchenNmbrs automatically recalculates your margins when purchase prices change. Never get surprised again. Start free.
Start free trial →