Honey-roast parsnips: how much it costs to make, per portion
Honey-roast parsnips costs £0.35 a portion in ingredients (£3.54 for a batch of 10), from UK pack prices dated 25 October 2026. To reach 68% GP, the UK food benchmark, it needs to sell for at least £1.33 including 20% VAT (£1.10 without).
Honey-glazed roast parsnips from frozen roasting parsnips, which come peeled and cut. Ten portions of about 120 g, 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, 10 portions
| Ingredient | Pack price | Pack size | Used | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen roasting parsnips | £2.49 | 1000 g | 1200 g | £2.99 |
| Honey | £13.49 | 3170 g | 80 g | £0.34 |
| Rapeseed oil | £9.49 | 5000 ml | 60 ml | £0.11 |
| Fresh thyme | £1.79 | 100 g | 5 g | £0.09 |
| Table salt | £8.99 | 12500 g | 5 g | £0.00 |
| Batch total | £3.54 | |||
| Per portion (÷ 10) | £0.35 | |||
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 | £0.35 |
| Waste allowance, 5% (trim, ends, the odd one binned) | £0.02 |
| Staff time: 5 min hands-on for the batch of 10 at £12.71/hr + 25% on-cost | £0.13 |
| Food, waste and staff per portion | £0.50 |
At the lowest price (£1.10 ex VAT) that is 45% 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
- Toss the parsnips from frozen in the oil and salt and spread on a tray.
- Roast at 200 °C for 25 minutes, turning once.
- Drizzle with the honey and thyme and roast 5 to 10 minutes more until sticky.
Costing notes
Frozen against fresh. Fresh parsnips lose about 15% to the peeler, and big woody ones up to 30% (parsnip yield). Frozen ones cost more per kilo bought but nothing is lost, and the prep time is zero.
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.
- Frozen roasting parsnips: Darta frozen roasting parsnips (VEG323), 1 kg, £2.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Honey: Rowse honey (SPR042), 3.17 kg, £13.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Rapeseed oil: KTC rapeseed oil (OIL110), 5 litres, £9.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Fresh thyme: Fresh thyme (VEG962), 100 g, £1.79 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Table salt: JJ table salt (SPI019), 12.5 kg, £8.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
More costed dishes: seasonal
- Honey and mustard glazed ham — £1.67 a portion
- Turkey and stuffing sandwich — £2.21 a serve
- Carrot and swede mash — £0.24 a portion
- Christmas turkey dinner — £3.93 a portion