For chefs

Chef Recipes

High-margin Italian dishes built around ingredients we deliver every week. Tap “Calculate food cost” on any recipe for a rough plate cost and profit at typical Edinburgh menu prices.

Delica squash vellutata, sage butter & Parmigiano

In this dish

Delica squash, 250gAntica Cremeria butter, 15gSage, a few leavesParmigiano Reggiano 20 months, 10gTropea red onion, 30g

Starter · Soup

Delica squash vellutata, sage butter & Parmigiano

Silky, deep orange and made in one batch for the whole service. Delica squash is dense and sweet, so you need very little else — one of the cheapest starters to plate.

Rough food cost · 1 portion

Delica squash vellutata, sage butter & Parmigiano

Edinburgh menu price£8.00
Food cost~27%
Profit per plate~£1.84
Menu price (incl. VAT)£8.00
VAT 20%−£1.33
Net revenue£6.67
Ingredients (+10% waste & trim)−£1.80
Chef labour (3 min at £16.50/h incl. NI, pension & holiday)−£0.83
Gas & electricity−£0.20
True plate cost£2.83
Overheads (30% of net: rent, rates, front of house, utilities, card fees)−£2.00
Profit per plate (28% of net)£1.84

This is a rough food cost. Ingredients use our current standard list prices (ex VAT); menu price, labour and overheads are typical Edinburgh figures. Your portions, trade prices and costs will change the result.

Ingredients · 1 portion (our list prices)

Method

  1. Sweat the sliced onion in half the butter until soft.
  2. Add the peeled, diced Delica and enough hot stock to cover; simmer for 20 minutes.
  3. Blend until silky, adjust with a splash of cream and season.
  4. To serve, foam the remaining butter with the sage leaves, spoon over the soup and finish with grated Parmigiano.
Adds 1 case of each ingredient we stock
Spaghetti cacio e pepe

In this dish

Pecorino Romano DOP, 50g finely gratedRummo spaghetti n.3, 125g

Main course · Pasta

Spaghetti cacio e pepe

Three ingredients and one of the best margins on the menu. Pecorino Romano DOP and a bronze-drawn spaghetti make all the difference.

Rough food cost · 1 portion

Spaghetti cacio e pepe

Edinburgh menu price£15.00
Food cost~18%
Profit per plate~£4.51
Menu price (incl. VAT)£15.00
VAT 20%−£2.50
Net revenue£12.50
Ingredients (+10% waste & trim)−£2.29
Chef labour (6 min at £16.50/h incl. NI, pension & holiday)−£1.65
Gas & electricity−£0.30
True plate cost£4.24
Overheads (30% of net: rent, rates, front of house, utilities, card fees)−£3.75
Profit per plate (36% of net)£4.51

This is a rough food cost. Ingredients use our current standard list prices (ex VAT); menu price, labour and overheads are typical Edinburgh figures. Your portions, trade prices and costs will change the result.

Ingredients · 1 portion (our list prices)

Method

  1. Toast the cracked pepper in a dry pan, then add a ladle of pasta water.
  2. Cook the spaghetti in lightly salted water until 2 minutes short of al dente.
  3. Finish the pasta in the pan with the pepper water.
  4. Off the heat, add the pecorino mixed with a little warm pasta water and toss until creamy.
Adds 1 case of each ingredient we stock
Risotto with porcini & Parmigiano

In this dish

Curti Carnaroli rice, 90gDried porcini, 10gAntica Cremeria butter, 25gParmigiano Reggiano 20 months, 25g

Main course · Risotto

Risotto with porcini & Parmigiano

An autumn bestseller that sells for a premium. Dried porcini give a deep flavour at a fraction of the cost of fresh, and their soaking water becomes part of the stock.

Rough food cost · 1 portion

Risotto with porcini & Parmigiano

Edinburgh menu price£18.00
Food cost~25%
Profit per plate~£4.20
Menu price (incl. VAT)£18.00
VAT 20%−£3.00
Net revenue£15.00
Ingredients (+10% waste & trim)−£3.70
Chef labour (8 min at £16.50/h incl. NI, pension & holiday)−£2.20
Gas & electricity−£0.40
True plate cost£6.30
Overheads (30% of net: rent, rates, front of house, utilities, card fees)−£4.50
Profit per plate (28% of net)£4.20

This is a rough food cost. Ingredients use our current standard list prices (ex VAT); menu price, labour and overheads are typical Edinburgh figures. Your portions, trade prices and costs will change the result.

Ingredients · 1 portion (our list prices)

Method

  1. Soak the porcini in warm water for 20 minutes; chop them and strain the water into the stock.
  2. Toast the Carnaroli with the shallot and a little butter, then deglaze with white wine.
  3. Add the hot stock a ladle at a time with the porcini, stirring, for about 16 minutes. For service, par-cook to 12 minutes, spread on a tray and finish to order.
  4. Off the heat, beat in the cold butter and Parmigiano until creamy (mantecatura).
Adds 1 case of each ingredient we stock
Spaghetti all'amatriciana

In this dish

Corte Buona guanciale, 60gRummo spaghetti n.3, 125gLa Molisana datterini, 140gPecorino Romano DOP, 25g

Main course · Pasta

Spaghetti all'amatriciana

The Roman classic with crisp guanciale, sweet datterini tomatoes and a sharp finish of Pecorino Romano.

Rough food cost · 1 portion

Spaghetti all'amatriciana

Edinburgh menu price£16.00
Food cost~23%
Profit per plate~£3.96
Menu price (incl. VAT)£16.00
VAT 20%−£2.67
Net revenue£13.33
Ingredients (+10% waste & trim)−£3.04
Chef labour (7 min at £16.50/h incl. NI, pension & holiday)−£1.93
Gas & electricity−£0.40
True plate cost£5.37
Overheads (30% of net: rent, rates, front of house, utilities, card fees)−£4.00
Profit per plate (30% of net)£3.96

This is a rough food cost. Ingredients use our current standard list prices (ex VAT); menu price, labour and overheads are typical Edinburgh figures. Your portions, trade prices and costs will change the result.

Ingredients · 1 portion (our list prices)

Method

  1. Cut the guanciale into strips and render slowly in a dry pan until crisp; keep the fat.
  2. Add the datterini and a pinch of chilli and simmer for 8–10 minutes.
  3. Cook the spaghetti until 1 minute short of al dente and finish it in the sauce.
  4. Serve with grated Pecorino Romano and black pepper.
Adds 1 case of each ingredient we stock

A guide, not an accountant: ingredient costs update live from our standard list prices (ex VAT). Menu prices are typical for mid-range Italian restaurants in Edinburgh. Labour assumes a chef at about £13.75/h plus employer NI, pension and holiday; overheads assume 30% of net sales.