Guide
The heavy hand costs more than you think.
A few extra grams of the expensive ingredient, repeated all week, is a real number.
In short
Portion drift on high-cost ingredients is one of the most common causes of rising food cost, and it never appears on an invoice. Fix it with portioned tools, a visual standard on the wall, and spot checks on the four or five ingredients that carry the cost, rather than by weighing everything.
Updated 28 August 2026
Do the arithmetic on one ingredient
Take your most expensive per-kilo ingredient. Work out what an extra ten percent per portion costs, multiply by portions per week, then by fifty-two. For most kitchens that single ingredient produces a number large enough to justify the whole exercise. Then remember it is usually happening on more than one.
Control the expensive few, not everything
Weighing every component is unrealistic and staff will abandon it. Identify the four or five ingredients carrying most of your food cost, usually meat, fish, cheese and spirits, and control those precisely. Everything else can be eyeballed without meaningful loss.
- Portioned scoops, ladles and cups for the costly lines
- Pre-portioned protein where the volume justifies it
- A photo of the correct plate on the wall
- Spot checks weekly, not daily
A picture beats a spec sheet
A printed photograph of the correct plate, visible at the station, is the most effective portion control most kitchens can implement. It takes an hour to produce, needs no training, and it settles arguments instantly. Written specs in a folder are not read.
Drift is normal, so check periodically
Portions creep, especially when a kitchen is busy or when new staff learn by watching rather than by being shown a standard. This is not a one-time fix. A short check every week on the costly lines keeps it in range, and catches a new starter's habits before they become the house style.
The honest limitation
Push too hard and you get mean portions, and customers notice a shrinking plate faster than they notice a price rise. The goal is consistency at the portion you designed, not the smallest portion you can serve. Under-portioning costs you reviews, which is more expensive than the food.
Questions, answered straight.
Not covered here? Just ask us.
Should I weigh everything?
No. Weigh the expensive lines, use portioned tools for the rest. Universal weighing slows service and gets abandoned within a fortnight.
How do I raise it with a chef?
With the arithmetic rather than the accusation. Showing what an extra ten percent costs over a year is a conversation about the business, not about their cooking.
Does this apply to delivery differently?
Yes, because delivery portions are often more generous to compensate for presentation. That is a deliberate decision worth making rather than one that happens by drift.
What about garnishes?
Individually trivial, collectively not, and they are often the least controlled item in the kitchen. Worth a look if food cost has drifted with no obvious cause.
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