Cheeseboard per head: how much it costs to make, per serve
Cheeseboard per head costs £1.53 a serve in ingredients, from UK pack prices dated 25 October 2026. To reach 68% GP, the UK food benchmark, it needs to sell for at least £5.74 including 20% VAT (£4.78 without).
The per-head cost of a festive cheese course: 30 g each of cheddar, brie and Stilton, with crackers, oatcakes, grapes, celery, chutney and butter. Costed from JJ Foodservice and Morrisons prices read on 25 October 2026.
The lowest price is the one that just reaches 68% GP, the UK food GP benchmark (UKHospitality × Christie & Co, 2022: 65.9–69% food GP across every segment). It covers the ingredients at a normal margin, not staff, rent or energy, and most cafés, pubs and takeaways charge more for simple dishes. Check what places near you charge. GP is worked out on the ex-VAT price.
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Ingredients and cost, one serve
| Ingredient | Pack price | Pack size | Used | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheddar | £25.99 | 5000 g | 30 g | £0.16 |
| Brie | £10.49 | 1000 g | 30 g | £0.31 |
| Blue Stilton | £5.00 | 400 g | 30 g | £0.38 |
| Cream crackers | £39.99 | 7200 g | 25 g | £0.14 |
| Oatcakes | £1.25 | 250 g | 20 g | £0.10 |
| Red seedless grapes | £4.99 | 1000 g | 50 g | £0.25 |
| Chutney | £15.49 | 5000 g | 25 g | £0.08 |
| Celery sticks | £13.99 | 12 each | 0.05 each | £0.06 |
| Unsalted butter | £29.99 | 5000 g | 10 g | £0.06 |
| Total | £1.53 | |||
Cost per line is pack price × (amount used ÷ pack size), the same sum the tool runs. Change one pack price and every line that uses it moves.
What it really costs: waste and staff time
| Ingredients | £1.53 |
| Waste allowance, 5% (trim, ends, the odd one binned) | £0.08 |
| Staff time: 5 min hands-on per serve at £12.71/hr + 25% on-cost | £1.32 |
| Food, waste and staff per serve | £2.93 |
At the lowest price (£4.78 ex VAT) that is 61% of the price, before rent, energy and everything else. Many UK sites aim to keep food plus staff (prime cost) at or under 60–65% of sales. The staff line counts hands-on prep only, not unattended cooking, and uses the April 2026 National Living Wage; put your own rate, minutes and waste in the calculator's real cost section or the prime cost calculator. Every dish side by side: the UK dish cost index.
Method
- Take the cheeses out of the fridge an hour before service so they come to room temperature.
- Cut 30 g each of cheddar, brie and Stilton.
- Plate with crackers, oatcakes, grapes, celery, chutney and butter.
Costing notes
How much cheese. 90 g a head suits a cheese course after a main; as a main course or a sharing board for a party, plan on 120 to 150 g a head and scale the cheese lines.
Where the prices came from
JJ Foodservice collection prices (single-unit price, no multi-buy tiers) and Morrisons shelf prices, read on 25 October 2026. Morrisons lines are used where JJ Foodservice listed no equivalent that day; wholesale is usually lower, so treat those lines as cautious. Prices are as listed; JJ does not label VAT on most lines, and most raw food is zero-rated in the UK while alcohol and some ingredients carry standard-rate VAT. Your supplier's price is the one that matters: open the recipe and type it in.
- Cheddar: JJ Red Label mild block cheddar (CHE116), 5 kg, £25.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Brie: Plaisir de Roy brie (CHE015), 1 kg, £10.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Blue Stilton: Morrisons The Best Mature Blue Stilton Wedge (retail), 400 g, £5.00 shelf price — Morrisons (retail), accessed 2026-10-25
- Cream crackers: Jacob's cream crackers, 24 x 300 g (SNA295), 7.2 kg, £39.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Oatcakes: Morrisons Scottish Rough Oatcakes (retail), 250 g, £1.25 shelf price — Morrisons (retail), accessed 2026-10-25
- Red seedless grapes: Red seedless grapes (FRU009), 1 kg, £4.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Chutney: Natco golden mango chutney (SPI422), 5 kg, £15.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Celery sticks: Celery, case of 12 heads (VEG377), 12 heads, £13.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Unsalted butter: Lakeland unsalted butter, 20 x 250 g (DAI186), 5 kg, £29.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
More costed dishes: seasonal
- Mulled wine — £2.84 a portion
- Honey-roast parsnips — £0.35 a portion
- Honey and mustard glazed ham — £1.67 a portion
- Turkey and stuffing sandwich — £2.21 a serve