Practical guide
Convert guest counts into catering production batches
Menu Cost Desk keeps production assumptions visible. Enter a usable batch yield and portion requirement for each dish before thinking about a quote.
Start with portions, not a recipe guess
Required portions equal guest count times portions per guest. The engine rounds the required batch count up because a partial batch is not a purchasable production unit.
batches = ceiling(guests x portions per guest / usable batch yield)
The illustrative luncheon has 60 guests and one portion per guest for each dish; each line is rounded to whole batches from its entered yield.
Read the leftover field
Whole-batch production can leave portions beyond the planned guest count. Keep those leftovers visible when checking prep quantities, service plans, and the price assumption rather than hiding them in a markup.
leftover portions = batches x usable yield - required portions
Change yields when the source changes
Batch yield is an operator-entered usable yield after trimming, cooking, or service loss. Update the row when the recipe, serving size, or measured production result changes.
Check your own scenario
Replace the illustrative inputs with measured values and dated specifications.
Open Menu Cost DeskMethod and references
Read the full calculation method and its limits
Method and examples reviewed 2026-09-30. Examples are illustrative; input values and specifications are not independently verified.