Porridge with honey: how much it costs to make, per serve
50 g of porridge oats cooked in 300 ml of whole milk, with a pinch of salt and 15 g of honey on top. One bowl, costed from JJ Foodservice prices dated 10 October 2026.
The menu price is the one ChefSums uses for this dish on its sample café 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porridge oats | £4.99 | 3000 g | 50 g | £0.08 |
| Whole milk | £1.69 | 2000 ml | 300 ml | £0.25 |
| Honey | £13.49 | 3170 g | 15 g | £0.06 |
| Table salt | £10.99 | 6000 g | 1 g | £0.00 |
| Total | £0.40 | |||
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 | £0.40 |
| Waste allowance, 5% (trim, ends, the odd one binned) | £0.02 |
| Staff time: 2 min hands-on per serve at £12.71/hr + 25% on-cost | £0.53 |
| Food, waste and staff per serve | £0.95 |
At the sample café menu price (£4.13 ex VAT) that is 23% 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
- Bring the oats, milk and salt to a simmer, stirring.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes until thick and creamy, adding a splash more milk if needed.
- Serve with the honey on top.
Costing notes
The milk is the biggest line, £0.25 of a £0.40 bowl. Made with half milk and half water, the bowl costs about £0.28. Toppings such as berries, banana or a nut butter are where the extra price goes, so cost each one as its own row.
The price the tool suggests at a 68% GP is low for a café menu; most cafés charge far more for porridge, which is why it is such a high-margin breakfast line.
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.
- Porridge oats: Triple Lion Porridge Oats 1x3kg, 3 kg, £4.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Whole milk: Fresh Whole Milk 1x2L (DAI005), 2 L, £1.69 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Honey: Rowse Honey 1x3.17kg (SPR042), 3.17 kg, £13.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Table salt: DP Table Salt Tub 1x6kg (SPI277), 6 kg, £10.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
More costed dishes: café and breakfast
- Chicken Caesar wrap — £1.39 a serve
- Bacon roll — £0.68 a serve
- Flat white — £0.41 a serve
- Full English breakfast — £2.24 a serve