Mulled wine: how much it costs to make, per portion
Mulled wine costs £2.84 a portion in ingredients (£22.74 for a batch of 8), from UK pack prices dated 25 October 2026. To reach 66% GP, the UK food benchmark, it needs to sell for at least £10.03 including 20% VAT (£8.36 without).
A batch of mulled wine for the bar or a party night: two bottles of Merlot with port, brandy, orange, sugar and whole spices. About 1.6 litres, eight 200 ml glasses, costed from JJ Foodservice and Morrisons prices read on 25 October 2026.
The lowest price is the one that just reaches 66% 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, 8 portions
| Ingredient | Pack price | Pack size | Used | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red wine (Merlot), 2 bottles | £9.49 | 750 ml | 1500 ml | £18.98 |
| Ruby port | £9.75 | 750 ml | 100 ml | £1.30 |
| Brandy | £19.50 | 1000 ml | 50 ml | £0.98 |
| Oranges | £2.49 | 8 each | 2 each | £0.62 |
| Granulated sugar | £15.79 | 10000 g | 120 g | £0.19 |
| Cinnamon sticks (about 2) | £1.09 | 13 g | 6 g | £0.50 |
| Whole cloves | £1.00 | 50 g | 2 g | £0.04 |
| Star anise | £1.00 | 16 g | 2 g | £0.13 |
| Batch total | £22.74 | |||
| Per portion (÷ 8) | £2.84 | |||
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 | £2.84 |
| Waste allowance, 5% (trim, ends, the odd one binned) | £0.14 |
| Staff time: 10 min hands-on for the batch of 8 at £12.71/hr + 25% on-cost | £0.33 |
| Food, waste and staff per portion | £3.31 |
At the lowest price (£8.36 ex VAT) that is 40% 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
- Put the sugar, spices, sliced oranges and 250 ml of the wine in a pan and warm until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the rest of the wine and the port and heat gently for 15 minutes; do not let it boil.
- Add the brandy off the heat and serve 200 ml a glass.
Costing notes
Wet GP. The target here is 66% GP, the survey-wide wet GP in the UK benchmarks; alcohol carries 20% VAT on every sale. For the full pricing method on festive drinks, see GP on Christmas drinks.
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.
- Red wine: La Colombe Merlot 75 cl (DRN864), 75 cl, £9.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Ruby port: Morrisons Ruby Port (retail), 75 cl, £9.75 shelf price — Morrisons (retail), accessed 2026-10-25
- Brandy: Three Barrels Brandy (retail), 1 litre, £19.50 shelf price — Morrisons (retail), accessed 2026-10-25
- Oranges: Oranges for eating, pack of 8 (FRU159), 8, £2.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Granulated sugar: Tate & Lyle granulated sugar (SPI021), 10 kg, £15.79 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Cinnamon sticks: Morrisons Cinnamon Sticks (retail), 13 g, £1.09 shelf price — Morrisons (retail), accessed 2026-10-25
- Whole cloves: Indus Whole Cloves (retail), 50 g, £1.00 shelf price — Morrisons (retail), accessed 2026-10-25
- Star anise: Morrisons Star Anise (retail), 16 g, £1.00 shelf price — Morrisons (retail), accessed 2026-10-25
More costed dishes: seasonal
- Honey-roast parsnips — £0.35 a portion
- 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