What is a good food cost percentage for a café, pub or takeaway?
A UK pub or restaurant typically runs food cost at 31–34% of ex-VAT food sales, which is a food GP of 66–69%. That range is every segment in the UKHospitality × Christie & Co Benchmarking Report 2022 (12 months to December 2021, 4,791 managed outlets), and the survey-wide figure was 33% food cost, 67% GP. The survey did not cover cafés or takeaways separately, so for those the honest comparison is your own dishes against your own prices; the table further down shows where ChefSums' costed café and takeaway dishes land.
By segment: the survey figures
| Segment | Food cost | Food GP | Wet GP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation-led | 31% | 69% | 64% |
| Community local pubs | 32% | 68% | 65% |
| Food-led pubs | 32% | 68% | 65% |
| High street venues | 34% | 66% | 68% |
| Nightclubs | 34% | 66% | 72.7% |
| Wine bars | 34% | 66% | 69% |
| Casual dining | 34.1% | 65.9% | 72.1% |
| Entire survey | 33% | 67% | 66% |
Source: UKHospitality × Christie & Co Benchmarking Report 2022, "Gross Profit Margins by Market Segment", published 26 July 2022. Food cost is 100 minus food GP. The full table, the sample and its caveats are on the UK food cost and GP benchmarks page.
Cafés, takeaways and bakeries: what our costed dishes show
No published UK survey gives a food cost figure for cafés or takeaways that we can source. What we can show is our own arithmetic: each of ChefSums' costed dishes, at dated wholesale prices, against the price it carries on one of ChefSums' sample UK menus (ex VAT). This is ingredient cost only, with no waste, staff food or over-portioning, so a real kitchen's actual food cost will sit above it.
| Type of dish | Dishes with a menu price | Median ingredient cost as % of ex-VAT price |
|---|---|---|
| Pub and restaurant classics | 17 | 16% |
| Café and breakfast | 9 | 20% |
| Takeaway | 5 | 25% |
| Bakery and cakes | 1 | 14% |
Method: ingredient cost per portion ÷ sample menu price ex VAT, median per category, computed from the dishes on /recipes (prices dated on each dish page). Dishes without a sample menu price are left out. The full dish list is in the UK dish cost index.
Why the target differs by venue
- Pubs and restaurants carry table service, so the survey's 66–69% food GP is the useful yardstick.
- Cafés sell a lot of low-cost items (toast, coffee, cake) where staff time is a bigger cost than the ingredients, so a low food cost % does not mean a good margin. Check prime cost too, with the labour cost calculator.
- Takeaways have a VAT split: hot takeaway food is standard-rated at 20% and most cold takeaway food is zero-rated (HMRC VAT Notice 709/1). Work food cost on the price after VAT, or a cold item looks a sixth more expensive than it is.
- Delivery: if platform commission is counted in cost of sales, your food cost % is not comparable with the survey.
Questions chefs ask
What food cost percentage should a café aim for?
There is no sourced UK café-only figure. Use the 31–34% pub and restaurant range as an outer check, then look at prime cost (food plus labour), because a café's staff time per item is high.
Is 25% food cost realistic in the UK?
For a whole menu, rarely. No segment in the UKHospitality × Christie & Co 2022 survey got below 31% food cost (69% food GP). Single dishes, chips and drinks can sit lower.
Do I include VAT when working out food cost %?
No. Divide the cost by the price after VAT has been taken off. A £14 dish at 20% VAT is £11.67 to you.
Work out your own dish with the food cost calculator or the GP calculator.
Sources
More chef questions: Menu price multiplier table · Pub food and drink GP mix · Portions per kg · Cooked vs raw weight · Kitchen energy cost per dish · Kitchen staff cost 2026/27 · Sunday roast cost per cover · Prep par and shelf life · UK wholesale staple prices
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