Southern fried chicken burger: how much it costs to make, per serve
A 100 g southern fried chicken fillet in a seeded bun with a cheese slice, shredded iceberg and mayonnaise. One burger, costed from JJ Foodservice prices dated 10 October 2026.
The menu price is the one ChefSums uses for this dish on its sample takeaway menu, a realistic UK menu price. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern fried chicken fillet, 100 g | £12.99 | 12 each | 1 each | £1.08 |
| Seeded burger bun, 4.5-inch | £12.49 | 48 each | 1 each | £0.26 |
| Burger cheese slice | £8.99 | 112 each | 1 each | £0.08 |
| Iceberg lettuce (a twentieth of a head) | £9.99 | 10 each | 0.05 each | £0.05 |
| Mayonnaise | £15.49 | 5000 ml | 20 ml | £0.06 |
| Vegetable oil (fryer top-up allowance) | £26.99 | 20000 ml | 20 ml | £0.03 |
| Total | £1.56 | |||
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 | £1.56 |
| Waste allowance, 5% (trim, ends, the odd one binned) | £0.08 |
| Staff time: 3 min hands-on per serve at £12.71/hr + 25% on-cost | £0.79 |
| Food, waste and staff per serve | £2.43 |
At the sample takeaway menu price (£6.24 ex VAT) that is 39% 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
- Fry the chicken fillet from frozen at 175 °C until it reaches 75 °C in the centre (follow the pack time).
- Toast the bun, add the mayonnaise and shredded lettuce, then the fillet and the cheese slice.
Costing notes
The fillet is £1.08 of a £1.56 burger. Fryer oil is costed at 20 ml a burger as a share of the fryer's life. Add a row for the box or wrap, and for chips if you sell it as a meal: our portion of chips costing has the figure.
Hot takeaway food is standard-rated, so the price includes 20% VAT whether the customer eats in or takes it away.
Where the prices came from
JJ Foodservice collection prices as shown on its public search pages on 10 October 2026 (delivery runs about £1-2 a case higher; one line JJ listed on delivery only is marked). JJ does not label VAT on most lines: raw food is zero-rated in the UK, while soft drinks, alcohol, confectionery and some ingredients carry standard-rate VAT. Your supplier's price is the one that matters: open the recipe and type it in.
- Southern fried chicken fillet, 100 g: Tyson Halal Whole Muscle Southern Fried Chicken Steaks 12x100g, 12 x 100 g, £12.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Seeded burger bun, 4.5-inch: JJ 4.5" Seeded Burger Buns 1x48, 48 buns, £12.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Burger cheese slice: Kerrymaid Burger Cheese Slices 1x112 (CHE142), 112 slices, £8.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Iceberg lettuce (a twentieth of a head): Iceberg Lettuce 1x10-12, costed at 10 a case, 10-12 heads, £9.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Mayonnaise: Heinz Professional Mayonnaise 1x5L, 5 L, £15.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Vegetable oil (fryer top-up allowance): JJ Vegetable Cooking Oil BIB 1x20L (OIL114), 20 L, £26.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
More costed dishes: takeaway
- Buffalo chicken wings — £1.72 a portion
- Margherita pizza (12-inch) — £2.01 a portion
- Lamb doner kebab in pitta — £2.62 a serve
- Portion of chips — £0.40 a portion