How much does a Sunday roast cost per cover?
ChefSums' costed roast beef dinner comes to £3.45 a cover in ingredients (£34.49 for ten), from wholesale and retail prices dated 7 September 2026; at the 68% food GP benchmark it needs to sell for at least £12.94 including VAT. The beef is 70% of that cost (£24.18 of the £34.49 batch), so the joint price and how much it shrinks in the oven decide what a roast earns.
The cover, line by line
| Ingredient | Used for 10 | Cost for 10 | Per cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef roasting joint (topside) | 2200 g | £24.18 | £2.42 |
| Potatoes (chipping) | 3086 g | £1.91 | £0.19 |
| Carrots | 1220 g | £0.85 | £0.09 |
| Parsnips | 1176 g | £1.74 | £0.17 |
| Savoy cabbage | 2 each | £1.54 | £0.15 |
| Plain flour | 250 g | £0.20 | £0.02 |
| Eggs (medium) | 4 each | £0.47 | £0.05 |
| Whole milk | 400 ml | £0.34 | £0.03 |
| Beef dripping | 200 g | £0.46 | £0.05 |
| Gravy granules | 100 g | £0.52 | £0.05 |
| Horseradish sauce | 150 g | £2.10 | £0.21 |
| Table salt | 20 g | £0.04 | £0.00 |
| Ground black pepper | 10 g | £0.16 | £0.02 |
| Total | £34.49 | £3.45 | |
Every price, pack size and supplier is listed with its date on the roast beef dinner page. The beef is costed raw at 2.2 kg for ten with a 30% roasting loss assumed (about 150 g cooked a cover).
What to charge
| Lowest price at 68% GP | £12.94 inc VAT (£10.78 ex) |
| ChefSums' sample pub menu | £18.95 inc VAT · 78% GP |
| ChefSums' sample restaurant menu | £19.96 inc VAT · 79% GP |
GP is worked on the ex-VAT price: (price ÷ 1.2 − cost) ÷ (price ÷ 1.2). The 68% target is the food GP benchmark from the UKHospitality × Christie & Co 2022 survey.
With waste and staff time
Add a 5% waste allowance (£0.17) and 45 minutes of hands-on prep for the batch at £12.71 an hour plus 25% on-cost (£1.19 a cover) and the real cost is £4.81 a cover, before energy and rent.
Where a roast loses money
- Carving over spec. Every extra 10 g of cooked beef at a 30% loss is 14 g raw: about £0.16 a cover at this joint price.
- Leftover joint. Price the Monday use (sandwiches, a pie) or the unsold beef is waste.
- Shrinkage. Cook it further and you sell less of what you bought; see cooked vs raw weight.
Questions chefs ask
How much should I charge for a Sunday roast?
At these prices, at least £12.94 to reach 68% GP on ingredients alone. Check what pubs near you charge, and your own beef price, which moves this more than anything.
How much beef per person for a Sunday roast?
Our costing uses 220 g raw a cover, about 150 g cooked at a 30% loss.
Open the roast in ChefSums and use your prices →
More chef questions: Food cost % by venue type · 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 · Prep par and shelf life · UK wholesale staple prices
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