Curry houses live on consistency. Portion drift, rice yield mistakes, and underpriced naan are what kill margin.
This UK guide gives you VAT math, portion controls, and a pricing workflow you can use on every curry night.
Quick Summary
- Price using net menu price (VAT removed)
- Cost rice and naan as separate line items
- Curry sauce and protein must be portioned, not eyeballed
Why Curry House Costs Drift
- Protein portions creep. A 20g swing in chicken adds up across a busy service.
- Sauce base is undercounted. Ghee, cream, and spices live in the base, not the meat.
- Rice yield is assumed. If you do not measure cooked yield, you are guessing.
- Naan is priced as a free add-on. It is not.
Core Cost Formulas
Food cost % = Ingredient cost per serving / Net menu price x 100
Net menu price = Menu price / 1.20VAT Pricing Reality Check (UK)
If your menu price is GBP 15.60, the net price is:
GBP 15.60 / 1.20 = GBP 13.00Use GBP 13.00 when calculating food cost %.
Example: Chicken Tikka Masala Plate
Assumptions (example):
- Chicken + sauce + garnish: GBP 3.40
- Rice portion: GBP 0.45
- Naan: GBP 0.55
- Packaging: GBP 0.30
- Menu price (VAT included): GBP 15.60
Total cost: GBP 4.70
Food cost %:
GBP 4.70 / GBP 13.00 x 100 = 36.2%If your target is 32%, either reduce portions or raise price.
CPIH Reality Check (UK, Dec 2025)
Use CPIH as a signal for how often to review prices.
| CPIH category (12-month change) | Rate |
|---|---|
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | 4.5% |
| Restaurants and hotels | 3.8% |
| All items | 3.6% |
If your ingredient costs are rising faster than CPIH, review pricing more often than quarterly.
Portion Standards to Lock In
- Cooked protein weight per curry
- Sauce ladle size (oz or ml)
- Rice cooked yield per batch
- Naan size and weight
- Garnish portions (cream, herbs, pickles)
Weekly Curry House Costing Checklist
- Update protein and dairy costs
- Weigh cooked protein portions
- Measure rice cooked yield
- Recalculate top 5 curries
- Review naan and rice as separate profit lines
How KitchenCost Helps
KitchenCost tracks curry recipes, sauce bases, and rice yields in one place. When costs move, your pricing updates automatically.
Want a faster way to protect curry margins? Try KitchenCost.
Related guides:
- UK Food Cost Calculator
- UK Restaurant Menu Pricing Guide
- UK Restaurant VAT Pricing Guide
- UK Restaurant Labour Cost Calculator
- UK Restaurant Prime Cost Calculator
- Menu Engineering Guide
- Recipe Costing Guide