How do I work out food cost per head?

Divide what you paid your suppliers for the job by the number of people you fed. That is it — and it is the only figure on this page that needs nothing from us.

What food cost percentage should a caterer aim for?

There is no single right answer, which is why this page will not pretend there is. Around 30% is commonly quoted for catering, but it swings with your service style, your labour and what you are selling. Type your own target and the suggested price stops being our guess.

Does this include labour?

No, and it says so. The margin here is food only. Crew, travel, fuel and hire are not in it, so it is not profit — try the pricing calculator for a per-head price with those in.

Why does one number say “includes an assumption”?

Because it does. The suggested price needs a target food cost, and if you have not given us one we are using ours. CaterCloud badges every estimated number this way, in the product and here.

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What your food actually costs, per head.

Put in what you spent and how many you fed. It shows the cost per head, what share of your price the food is eating, and what you would need to charge to hit a target — and it tells you which of those numbers is yours and which rests on an assumption of ours.

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Your numbers

What the food costs you, all in

Ingredients for the whole job — what you actually pay your suppliers.

How many people

guests

What you charge, per head

Your price for the food, before travel, staff or hire.

Your target food cost

Untouched, so we are assuming 30% — and the suggested price below says so.

What that means

Food cost per head

From your numbers

$15

Your spend divided by your guest count. Nothing of ours is in it.

Food cost as a share of your price

From your numbers

31.3%

Your own two numbers, divided.

Gross margin per head, on food alone

From your numbers

$33

⚠️ Food only. Crew, travel, fuel, hire and overheads are not in this, so it is not profit.

Price to hit 30% food cost

Includes an assumption

$50

Rests on a 30% target we assumed. Type your own above and this becomes your arithmetic rather than our guess.

Why it says that

Which half of the answer we actually know

Most calculators present everything they show you as a fact, including the parts they guessed. This one marks them.

From your numbers

Arithmetic on figures you typed. Nothing of ours is in it, so it is allowed to look certain — because it is.

Includes an assumption

A default of ours is in the sum. It is named, it is amber, and the working says what it is worth. Replace it and the number becomes yours.

This is how CaterCloud treats every number it works out, not a flourish for this page. An estimate that looks like an observation is a number you would quote a customer from.

Questions

What people ask

How do I work out food cost per head?: Divide what you paid your suppliers for the job by the number of people you fed. That is it — and it is the only figure on this page that needs nothing from us.
What food cost percentage should a caterer aim for?: There is no single right answer, which is why this page will not pretend there is. Around 30% is commonly quoted for catering, but it swings with your service style, your labour and what you are selling. Type your own target and the suggested price stops being our guess.
Does this include labour?: No, and it says so. The margin here is food only. Crew, travel, fuel and hire are not in it, so it is not profit — try the pricing calculator for a per-head price with those in.
Why does one number say “includes an assumption”?: Because it does. The suggested price needs a target food cost, and if you have not given us one we are using ours. CaterCloud badges every estimated number this way, in the product and here.

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