Costing a recipe

Why cost a recipe? Know the cost of a recipe before it is made. Calculate the cost of the ingredients used, not the ingredients purchased. Compare the difference in cost of changing ingredients in a recipe on the total cost. Calculate the cost per portion.

Amount purchased v amount used The amount of an ingredient purchased will most likely be different to the amount that is required by a recipe. For example: butter is purchased in 250g ‘blocks’, but the recipe may only need 50g; milk is sold in litres (pints), but the recipe may only need 100ml; apples may be sold in bags of six, but the recipe may only need two. Therefore there is a difference in the cost of the ingredients purchased compared to the cost of the ingredients used by a recipe.

Step 1: Create a costing chart Create a costing chart, or use a template. The chart will need the following headings: Ingredient name Cost of quantity purchased (£) Quantity purchased Quantity needed in recipe Cost of ingredient used in recipe (£)  

Step 2: Find out the cost Find out the cost of the ingredients. This might be through looking at the receipt or by using one of the following websites: www.asda.com www.morrisons.co.uk www.mysupermarket.co.uk www.ocado.com/ www.sainsburys.co.uk www.shop.coop.co.uk www.tesco.com www.waitrose.com Consideration The cost of ingredients may be different in supermarkets, local shops, farm stores and markets. Brands of the same ingredient may have different costs. In addition, costs can change during the year, e.g. due to season, demand, crop failure.

Step 3: Add ingredient details Add the details to the chart: ingredient name; cost of amount purchased; quantity purchased (gram, litre, unit); quantity needed in the recipe (grams, litre, unit). Ingredient name Cost of quantity purchased (£) Quantity purchased Quantity needed in recipe Cost of ingredient used in recipe (£) Butter £1.50 250g 25g   Milk £0.98 1000ml 100ml Eggs £1.20 6 2 Mixed herbs £1.45 11g 2g

Step 4: Calculate cost of purchase Calculate the cost of purchasing all the ingredients. Add up the ‘Cost of quantity purchased’ column. This is the total amount spent on the ingredients – but not what is used in the recipe. Ingredient name Cost of quantity purchased (£) Quantity purchased Quantity needed in recipe Cost of ingredient used in recipe (£) Butter £1.50 250g 25g   Milk £0.98 1000ml 100ml Eggs £1.20 6 2 Mixed herbs £1.45 11g 2g £5.13

Step 5: Calculate cost of ingredients used To calculate the cost of ingredient used, for each ingredient: divide the ‘Cost of quantity purchased’ by the ‘Quantity purchased’; then multiple by ‘Quantity needed in recipe’. Ingredient name Cost of quantity purchased (£) Quantity purchased Quantity needed in recipe Cost of ingredient used in recipe (£) Butter £1.50 250g 25g £0.15 £1.50 ÷ 250g 25g £0.15 x = Note: Cost figures are rounded up/down.

Step 5: Calculate cost of ingredients used Finally, add up the ‘Cost of ingredient used in recipe’ column – this will give the total for the recipe. In this example, it is £0.91. Ingredient name Quantity purchased Cost of quantity purchased (£) Quantity needed in recipe Cost of ingredient used in recipe (£) Butter 250g £1.50 25g £0.15 Milk 1000ml £0.98 100ml £0.10 Eggs 6 £1.20 2 £0.40 Mixed herbs 11g £1.45 2g £0.26 £5.13 £0.91 Note: Cost figures are rounded up/down.

Step 6: Calculate cost per serving The cost per serving is calculated by: dividing the total cost of the ‘Cost of ingredient used in recipe’ by the number of servings. For example, if the recipe served 3 people: £0.91 ÷ 3 = £0.30 each Ingredient name Quantity purchased Cost of quantity purchased (£) Quantity needed in recipe Cost of ingredient used in recipe (£) Butter 250g £1.50 25g £0.15 Milk 1000ml £0.98 100ml £0.10 Eggs 6 £1.20 2 £0.40 Mixed herbs 11g £1.45 2g £0.26 £5.13 £0.91 Note: Cost figures are rounded up/down.

For further information, go to: www.foodafactoflife.org.uk Costing a recipe For further information, go to: www.foodafactoflife.org.uk