Yield and trim loss explained for accurate recipe costing

Why the number matters

Yield and trim loss explained for accurate recipe costing always starts from true usable portion cost — not the raw purchase price. Skip yield or unit conversion and your spreadsheet quietly lies.

The formula

Food cost % = (portion cost ÷ ex-tax menu price) × 100. Pick a target (often 28–35% for full-service), then suggested price = portion cost ÷ (target ÷ 100).

| Item | Example |

|---|---|

| Portion cost | $3.60 |

| Menu price | $14.00 |

| Food cost % | 25.7% |

Concrete steps

1. List every ingredient with pack size and price.
2. Apply yield (trim loss).
3. Convert units (kg → g, L → ml).
4. Sum and divide by portions.
5. Compare to your target.

Where kitchens go wrong

Ignoring sub-recipes, forgetting cooking oil, mixing tax-in and tax-out prices, or never updating a supplier quote. That is exactly what end-to-end cost propagation is built to stop.

Try it now

Run the math in the dish food-cost calculator, then keep live recipes in the FoodCost pricing page so threshold alerts fire when prices move.

One last habit: date every price. Without history you cannot explain last week's margin slide — or an inventory variance — to your team.