Use ChefSums in Claude

ChefSums works inside Claude as a connector. Ask Claude to cost a recipe, work out GP with UK VAT taken off, scale a prep sheet to your covers or build a prep list, and it gets the answer from the same maths as the calculators on this site.

What the connector does

The ChefSums connector is a set of six kitchen costing tools that Claude can call while you chat. You describe the dish, the pack prices or the par levels in plain words; Claude passes them to ChefSums and shows you the costings. Every tool is read-only: it works out numbers and never creates, changes or deletes anything.

Connector details

• MCP server URL: https://chefsums.com/mcp
• Transport: Streamable HTTP
• Authentication: none. No ChefSums account or sign-in is needed.
• Access: read-only. All six tools are marked read-only and non-destructive.

How to add it in Claude

On an individual plan:

1. In Claude, go to Customize › Connectors.
2. Click + Add, then Add custom connector.
3. Enter a name, for example ChefSums.
4. Paste the URL https://chefsums.com/mcp and click Continue.
5. Under Authentication, choose No sign in, then click Add.

To use it in a conversation, click the + button at the bottom left of the chat, open Connectors and switch ChefSums on.

On Team and Enterprise plans, an Owner adds the connector first under Organization settings › Connectors; members then find it under Customize › Connectors and click Connect.

Steps follow Claude's help article Get started with custom connectors using remote MCP. Claude says custom connectors are available on Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans, and Free plans are limited to one custom connector. Menu names change often; if a step has moved, check Claude's help.

The 6 tools

Cost a recipe cost_recipe

Cost any recipe from its ingredients: give the pack price, pack size and quantity used for each one. You get each line cost, the batch cost, cost per portion and a suggested menu price from a target food cost % (30% unless you say otherwise), ex-VAT and inc-VAT.

Calculate GP calculate_gp

UK gross profit for food and drink. Give the cost and the selling price to get GP % and GP per sale (VAT is taken off first, as UK hospitality measures it), or give a target GP % to get the menu price you need.

Build a prep list build_prep_list

Give the par level and the amount on hand for each item. Prep quantity is par minus on hand, never below zero, grouped by station.

List starter recipes list_starter_recipes

List ChefSums' library of pre-costed UK starter recipes (pub, café, restaurant and takeaway dishes) with base portions and ingredient cost per portion. You can search by name.

Get a recipe prep sheet get_recipe_prep_sheet

A prep sheet for one starter recipe scaled to your number of covers: every quantity scaled, the method, and the costing (batch cost, cost per portion, suggested menu price ex and inc 20% VAT).

Get a starter menu get_starter_menu

A ready-costed starter menu for a pub, café, restaurant or takeaway: every dish with its menu price, ingredient cost per portion, food cost % and GP %.

Try asking

• “Use ChefSums to make me a prep sheet for cottage pie for 80 covers.”
• “Cost this recipe with ChefSums: 2 kg tomatoes from a £12 6 kg box, 500 g onions from a £6 10 kg sack, 200 ml cream from a £5 litre, makes 10 bowls. What should I charge?”
• “I sell a pint for £6.50 and it costs me £1.80. What's my GP?”
• “Build my prep list: shallots par 2 kg, have 0.6; stock par 10 L, have 4.”

Data and privacy

• The connector cannot read or change a saved recipe book, an account, purchases or invoice scans. It only works with what you type into Claude.
• ChefSums does not store what Claude sends to the tools or the answers they return. For each connection and tool call, the server keeps a short usage record: the time, which tool was used, the kind of app that called it and its user-agent string. It does not record the tool inputs, the answers or your IP address.
• Starter recipes and menus use sample UK wholesale prices, not your suppliers' prices. When you cost your own recipe, the tool uses the pack prices you give it. The figures are estimates, and Claude can misread what you asked, so check the numbers before you rely on them.
• Claude's own handling of your conversations is covered by Anthropic's terms.

Full details: privacy policy (see “Using ChefSums inside AI assistants”), terms and contact.

Support

Questions or problems with the connector: email chef@getprepsheet.com. The ChefSums team reads every message.

Prefer a page? The same maths runs in the browser: the food cost calculator, the GP calculator and the recipe and prep sheet tool. Other assistants: all AI connectors and ChefSums in ChatGPT.