An extra handful of parsley seems harmless, but costs you hundreds of euros per year. Many kitchen teams don't think about garnish portion sizes, which causes your margin to leak away unnoticed. In this article you'll see exactly how small extras have big consequences for your profitability.
Why garnish destroys your margin
The problem isn't in the main ingredients. You keep a close eye on those. It's the little things that eat away at your margin: an extra scoop of vegetables, a handful more salad, some extra herbs on the plate.
💡 Example:
Your chef puts 15 grams of parsley on every pasta as standard, but you calculated with 10 grams:
- Parsley: €24 per kilo = €0.024 per gram
- Extra per plate: 5 grams × €0.024 = €0.12
- At 80 pastas per week: €0.12 × 80 × 52 = €499 per year
Just this parsley costs you an extra €499 per year.
The hidden costs of 'a little extra'
Chefs take pride in their plates. They want them to look good. But every extra garnish costs money:
- Extra olive oil: 5ml more per plate = €156 per year (at 100 plates/week)
- Thicker cut meat: 25 grams more = €2,340 per year (at €18/kg meat)
- Larger vegetable portion: 20 grams more = €468 per year (at €4.50/kg vegetables)
- Extra sauce: 10ml more = €234 per year (at €4.50/liter sauce)
⚠️ Watch out:
These aren't big deviations. We're talking a few grams here and there. But added up across thousands of plates per year, it becomes serious money.
How your team unknowingly sabotages your margin
Your team wants to do good work. But without clear guidelines, habits develop that cost money:
- Inconsistent portions: Every chef does it differently
- 'Better safe than sorry' mentality: Rather too much than too little
- No control over portion tools: Scooping with different spoons
- Busy moments: During the rush, more is taken
💡 Example:
A bistro with 3 chefs notices these differences in their best-selling salad:
- Chef A: 180 grams salad per plate
- Chef B: 200 grams salad per plate
- Chef C: 220 grams salad per plate
At €3.50/kg lettuce and 60 salads per week, this difference costs €273 per year between the most economical and most generous chef.
The impact on your food cost percentage
These small extras have a direct effect on your food cost. A dish you calculated at 30% food cost quickly runs up to 33% or 35%:
- From 30% to 33%: 3 percentage point difference = €15,000 less profit on €500,000 turnover
- From 30% to 35%: 5 percentage point difference = €25,000 less profit on €500,000 turnover
This amounts to half a month's turnover disappearing due to oversized portions.
Control without micromanagement
You don't need to control your team on every gram. But do make clear agreements:
- Standard portion tools: The same spoon for the same garnish
- Visual references: Photos of how plates should look
- Weekly food cost check: Are the percentages still on target?
- Discuss it in team meetings: Explain why it matters
💡 Practical tip:
Create a 'portion guide' with photos. Hang it in the kitchen. That way everyone knows exactly how a plate should look without you having to constantly check.
Digital control of your food cost
With a system like KitchenNmbrs you immediately see when your food cost deviates from your calculation. You can track the actual costs per dish and compare them with your target.
This way you notice if your team is unknowingly giving larger portions and can do something about it in time.
How do you calculate the impact of extra garnish?
Measure the actual portion size
Weigh all the garnishes that go on the plate for a week. Note per dish how many grams of parsley, olive oil, vegetables or sauce actually go on. Compare this with what you have in your cost price calculation.
Calculate the extra costs per year
Take the difference in grams, multiply by the price per gram of the ingredient. Then × number of plates per week × 52 weeks. This shows you what each 'little bit extra' costs you per year.
Set standard portion sizes
Determine exactly how much garnish goes on each dish. Provide standard portion tools (spoons, bowls) and take photos of how plates should look. Discuss this with your team and explain why it matters.
✨ Pro tip
Check your 3 best-selling dishes first. If you have the portions under control there, you've solved 80% of the problem.
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 extra garnish cost my margin?
An extra handful of parsley (5 grams) per plate can already cost you €500 per year. With multiple ingredients and larger portions you quickly miss thousands of euros in profit.
How do I prevent my team from giving oversized portions?
Provide standard portion tools and visual references. Take photos of how plates should look and discuss in team meetings why consistent portions are important for profitability.
Do I need to control every gram?
No, that's micromanagement. But you do need to make clear agreements about portion sizes and check your food cost weekly. If it deviates, you can look specifically at where the difference is.
What if my chef says larger portions are better for guests?
Explain that consistency is more important than large portions. Guests expect the same plate every time. If you want larger portions, consciously increase your cost price and adjust your menu price.
How do I see if my food cost is deviating due to portions?
Check your food cost percentage per dish weekly. If this is consistently higher than your calculation, it's often due to oversized portions. Then measure your actual portion sizes for a week.
📚 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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