Ham, egg and chips: how much it costs to make, per serve
Ham, egg and chips costs £2.07 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 £7.77 including 20% VAT (£6.47 without).
A pub lunch classic: 150 g of thick-cut honey roast ham, two fried eggs, chips and peas. Costed from JJ Foodservice 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honey roast gammon ham | £25.99 | 3300 g | 150 g | £1.18 |
| Eggs | £3.79 | 30 each | 2 each | £0.25 |
| Frozen chips | £13.99 | 9080 g | 250 g | £0.39 |
| Rapeseed oil (for frying) | £9.49 | 5000 ml | 15 ml | £0.03 |
| Frozen peas | £2.79 | 1000 g | 80 g | £0.22 |
| Total | £2.07 | |||
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 | £2.07 |
| Waste allowance, 5% (trim, ends, the odd one binned) | £0.10 |
| Staff time: 4 min hands-on per serve at £12.71/hr + 25% on-cost | £1.06 |
| Food, waste and staff per serve | £3.23 |
At the lowest price (£6.47 ex VAT) that is 50% 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 chips from frozen at 175 °C for 5 to 6 minutes until golden.
- Warm the thick-cut ham in a pan or under the grill.
- Fry the eggs and boil the peas.
- Plate the ham with the eggs, chips and peas.
Where the prices came from
JJ Foodservice collection prices (single-unit price, no multi-buy tiers), read on 25 October 2026. 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.
- Honey roast gammon ham: Ambassador half honey roasted rindless gammon ham (GAM023), 3.3 kg, £25.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Eggs: Medium eggs, tray of 30 (EGG024), 30, £3.79 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Frozen chips: JJ Blue Label 3/8 frozen chips, 4 x 2.27 kg (CHP007), 9.08 kg, £13.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Rapeseed oil: KTC rapeseed oil (OIL110), 5 litres, £9.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Frozen peas: Darta frozen choice peas (VEG201), 1 kg, £2.79 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
More costed dishes: pub and restaurant classics
- Yorkshire puddings — £0.08 a portion
- Cottage pie — £1.96 a portion
- 8 oz beef burger and fries — £2.82 a portion
- Fish and chips — £4.04 a portion