Standard recipe development and costing

Standard recipes are essential for creating consistent, high-quality dishes. Each recipe should include measurements, preparation methods, and expected output.
Developing a standard recipe requires a clear understanding of cooking techniques, food science, and your customers’ preferences.
Knowing how to tweak recipes for different dietary requirements is crucial, e.g., making a dish gluten-free or vegan.
Testing and refining a recipe is part of the development process, so it’s important to leave room for trial and error.
When developing recipes, considering the seasonality of ingredients is important. This can make dishes more cost-competitive and flavourful.
Balancing a variety of flavours and textures in a single recipe creates more satisfying and well-rounded dishes.

Recipe costing is the process of determining how much it costs to prepare a dish, which then helps set menu prices.
Major components of recipe costing include food cost, labour cost, overhead, and desired profit margin.
Food cost includes the cost of every ingredient used in the recipe. This might require calculations if you’re only using a portion of an item.
Labour cost represents the wages of those involved in preparing the dish.
Overhead costs include things like utilities, advertisement, equipment costs, rent, etc. These indirect costs are often spread out over every dish.
Deciding on a profit margin helps determine the final dish price. This percentage will provide the business enough profit to continue running.
Tools like recipe costing software can streamline the process, but understanding the principle is crucial.

Accuracy in measurement, preparation, and costing is critical for maintaining recipe quality and predicting profits. Using scales and standard measuring equipment can help.
Consistency refers to repeating the same procedures each time the recipe is prepared. This ensures that the dish’s flavour and quality remain the same.
Inconsistencies in recipe preparation or costing can lead to loss of quality in dishes or incorrect pricing that may affect business profits.
It’s important to keep all written information regarding recipes accurate and up-to-date, incorporating any changes made during development and testing stages.

Aside from costing, other factors can influence recipe development, such as customer preferences, dietary requirements, the restaurant’s concept and brand, and current culinary trends.
Factoring in waste and yield affects the accuracy of costings. For example, if a recipe calls for a peeled and cored apple, the cost of the whole apple isn’t the final cost; the waste must be factored in.
Keeping up with market prices for food items can help ensure your recipe costs and associated menu prices are appropriate and competitive.