Shepherd's pie: how much it costs to make, per portion
Shepherd's pie costs £1.58 a portion in ingredients (£15.82 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 £5.93 including 20% VAT (£4.94 without).
The lamb version of the pub pie: minced lamb, onion and carrot in a thickened stock under a mashed potato top. A tray of ten portions, costed from JJ Foodservice prices read on 25 October 2026. The beef version is cottage pie.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minced lamb, 10% fat | £16.99 | 2000 g | 1500 g | £12.74 |
| Brown onions | £7.49 | 10000 g | 400 g | £0.30 |
| Carrots | £7.49 | 10000 g | 400 g | £0.30 |
| Plain flour | £12.99 | 16000 g | 40 g | £0.03 |
| Vegetable bouillon | £11.99 | 1000 g | 20 g | £0.24 |
| Fresh thyme | £1.79 | 100 g | 5 g | £0.09 |
| Potatoes | £16.99 | 25000 g | 2000 g | £1.36 |
| Salted butter | £29.99 | 5000 g | 100 g | £0.60 |
| Whole milk | £1.69 | 2000 ml | 150 ml | £0.13 |
| Table salt | £8.99 | 12500 g | 10 g | £0.01 |
| Ground black pepper | £22.99 | 1750 g | 2 g | £0.03 |
| Batch total | £15.82 | |||
| Per portion (÷ 10) | £1.58 | |||
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 | £1.58 |
| Waste allowance, 5% (trim, ends, the odd one binned) | £0.08 |
| Staff time: 40 min hands-on for the batch of 10 at £12.71/hr + 25% on-cost | £1.06 |
| Food, waste and staff per portion | £2.72 |
At the lowest price (£4.94 ex VAT) that is 55% 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
- Brown the lamb mince in batches and drain off the fat.
- Soften the diced onion and carrot, stir in the flour, then add the mince, 600 ml stock and thyme and simmer for 40 minutes.
- Peel and boil the potatoes, then mash with the butter, milk and seasoning.
- Spread the filling in a tray, top with mash, rough up and bake at 200 °C for 25 to 30 minutes until golden.
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.
- Minced lamb: JJ UK Red Tractor minced lamb 10% fat, 2 x 1 kg (MEA380), 2 kg, £16.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Brown onions: Brown cooking onions (VEG655), 10 kg, £7.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Carrots: Carrots (VEG760), 10 kg, £7.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Plain flour: JJ plain flour (FLO016), 16 kg, £12.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Vegetable bouillon: Gomo vegetable bouillon (MIS112), 1 kg, £11.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Fresh thyme: Fresh thyme (VEG962), 100 g, £1.79 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Potatoes: Chipping potatoes (POT112), 25 kg, £16.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Salted butter: Lakeland salted butter, 20 x 250 g (DAI185), 5 kg, £29.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
- Whole milk: Fresh whole milk (DAI005), 2 litres, £1.69 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
- Ground black pepper: JJ ground black pepper (SPI596), 1.75 kg, £22.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-25
More costed dishes: pub and restaurant classics
- Fishcakes — £2.05 a portion
- Garlic bread — £0.32 a portion
- Halloumi fries — £2.27 a serve
- Ham, egg and chips — £2.07 a serve