How to price a Sunday roast in London: formula and worked example
Before you set a price
To set a price for a Sunday roast in London you need two numbers: your full ingredient cost per portion and the share of the menu price you want it to be. We do not yet have enough London listings to publish a price range, and we do not guess one. What we can give you is the method, so that you can reach the number yourself.
The formula
Menu price per portion = ingredient cost per portion ÷ target food-cost share.
| Target food-cost share | Menu price for a cost of £6.00 |
|---|---|
| 28% | £21.43 |
| 30% | £20.00 |
| 33% | £18.18 |
Example (illustrative numbers): if your full cost per portion is £6.00 and you aim for 30%, then 6.00 ÷ 0.30 = £20.00. Replace 6.00 with your own cost.
The three shares are common choices, not recommendations. A lower share means a higher price for the same plate and more room for labour and overheads; a higher share means a lower price and a thinner margin.
The reverse check: what can I spend?
Sometimes the price is already set by the market and you need to know what the plate is allowed to cost. Then multiply: maximum ingredient cost = price × target share. At a price of £18.00 and a 30% target, the ceiling is 18.00 × 0.30 = £5.40. If your recipe costs more than that, change the portion, the recipe or the price.
What a 10% cost rise does
Suppose your ingredients rise 10%, from £6.00 to £6.60. At a 30% target the price moves from £20.00 to 6.60 ÷ 0.30 = £22.00, a difference of £2.00 per portion. If you leave the price where it was, your food cost moves from 30% to 33.0%.
A note on this dish
A Sunday roast carries many components on one plate (meat, potatoes, vegetables, Yorkshire pudding, gravy), and each one has its own yield and waste. Cost the plate item by item, because the roast joint loses weight in cooking and the trimmings are where costs get forgotten.
Three checks before you print the menu
- Count everything on the plate: side, bread, sauce, oil, garnish.
- Add waste: what you trim or throw away is part of the cost.
- Look at what comparable places near you charge, then decide where you sit.
Also check VAT: compare your net price with your net cost, and show the price including VAT where your country requires it.
FAQ
What food-cost share should I aim for? Pick the share that works for your own kitchen and check it against your real costs. The table shows three common choices.
Where can I check it? Use the price analyzer, and see real menu prices for other cities at pricora.app/city-prices.