UK wholesale prices for kitchen staples: what we costed with, and when

By The ChefSums team · 23 Oct 2026

Beef mince was £7.50 a kilo and onions £0.75 a kilo at UK wholesale on the dates we checked (7 September 2026, 9 October 2026, 10 October 2026 and 17 October 2026), on the public price lists linked below. This table is the 38 staple prices behind ChefSums' costed dishes, each with its pack, supplier and check date. It is not a market average: it is what one supplier listed on one day, and your own invoice is the number that counts.

Method: per kg or litre = pack price ÷ pack size × 1,000. Prices are as shown on the supplier's public pages on the date given (collection prices where the supplier shows them; raw food is zero-rated for VAT). Where the same staple appears in several of our dishes, the most recently checked price is shown. Each staple links to the costed dish it comes from, where the full product name is listed.

How to use this

• As a sanity check on an invoice that looks high: compare per kilo, not per pack.
• Not as your costing. Delivery, account terms, brand and pack size all move the price. Put your own invoice prices into the recipe cost calculator or open any costed dish and type them in.
• Watch the per-kilo price when a pack changes. A smaller pack at the same price is a price rise; see keeping recipe costs accurate when supplier prices change.

Questions chefs ask

How often is this updated?

When we re-check the prices on our costed dishes. The date checked is shown on every line, so you can see how old each price is.

Are these prices with or without VAT?

As the supplier shows them. Most raw food is zero-rated in the UK; oil, alcohol and some other lines carry standard-rate VAT.

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 · Sunday roast cost per cover · Prep par and shelf life