Ingredient Management
One library for every ingredient. Update once, every recipe updates.
Enter each ingredient once with its price, pack size, unit and supplier, and MenuCost works out the price per usage unit for you. Change a supplier price and every recipe using it updates right away.
- No card needed
- Set up in minutes
- Unlimited ingredients
| Ingredient | Purchase | Per unit (auto) | Allergens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breastProteins | SAR 28.00 / 1 kg | SAR 0.028 / g | None |
| All-purpose flourFlour and grains | SAR 45.00 / 25 kg | SAR 0.0018 / g | Gluten |
| CheddarDairy | SAR 38.00 / 1 kg | SAR 0.038 / g | Milk |
| TahiniGeneral | SAR 26.00 / 1 kg | SAR 0.026 / g | SesameMay: nuts |
| Plastic spoonPackaging | SAR 15.15 / 250 | SAR 0.06 each | Packaging |
3 recipes recalculated automatically
- Grilled Chicken Salad, 180 g+SAR 0.72 per serving
- Chicken Kabsa, 250 g+SAR 1.00 per serving
- Chicken Wrap, 120 g+SAR 0.48 per serving
Example library. Price history records every change automatically.
Why this matters
A recipe cost is only as accurate as your ingredient prices
If a supplier raised a price three months ago and your spreadsheet still shows the old number, every recipe built on it is wrong too. Here is the Grilled Chicken Salad after chicken goes from SAR 28 to SAR 32 per kg.
What an old spreadsheet still shows
Based on last quarter's chicken price.
What MenuCost shows, after one update
Based on what you actually pay today.
Update one ingredient, and every recipe, your Profitability view, reports and catering quotes reflect the new cost. The margin on screen is the margin you really have.
Five things Ingredient Management does for you
The ingredient library is the base of every cost in MenuCost.
Stores purchase details, works out unit cost
Enter the pack price, pack quantity and unit (g, kg, ml, l or unit). SAR 10 for 1,000 g becomes SAR 0.01 per g, the number every recipe uses.
Organises by category and supplier
Tag each ingredient with a category and supplier, then filter the library, handy when checking a supplier's price list or reviewing all dairy costs together.
Tags allergens: "Contains" and "May contain"
All 14 major allergens in both sections. Tags flow into the allergen profile of every recipe using the ingredient automatically.
Records price history on its own
Every price change is dated and stored. The history icon on each row shows when prices changed and by how much, useful in supplier conversations.
Imports your library from a spreadsheet
Download the template, fill it in and import. The preview shows which rows are ready, which are duplicates and which need fixing first.
What changes when your ingredient library is properly maintained
Unit cost calculated for you
No manual maths and no formula mistakes in per-gram, per-ml or per-unit prices.
One update flows everywhere
Recipes, profitability, reports and catering quotes all reflect the new cost.
Allergens set once
Tag an ingredient once and every recipe profile is built from it.
Packaging in the same library
Cups, spoons, boxes and bags carry a unit cost that feeds the packaging layer of every recipe.
What's the difference between purchase unit and usage unit?
The purchase unit is how you buy an ingredient, like a 1,000 g bag of flour. The usage unit is how you measure it in a recipe, like grams. If you buy by the litre and use by the millilitre, set the purchase unit to L and the usage unit to ml, and MenuCost converts the price for you.
Why is the price per usage unit marked "auto"?
MenuCost calculates it from your purchase price and quantity, so you never type it in. That avoids the most common costing mistake: hand-worked per-unit prices with small errors, or ones that go stale after a price change.
What's the difference between "Contains" and "May contain"?
"Contains" means the allergen is in the ingredient, like gluten in flour. "May contain" means a cross-contamination risk, like flour processed on equipment shared with nuts. Both are tracked separately and both appear in the profile of every recipe that uses the ingredient. See Allergen Management.
Can I store packaging items in the library?
Yes. Cups, lids, boxes, bags, cutlery and labels go in the library under the packaging category, with a purchase price and quantity like any ingredient. Attach them to a recipe and the cost feeds into the packaging layer of its true cost.
How does price history work?
Every time you update a purchase price, MenuCost records the old price and the date. Open the history from any row to see how costs have moved over time, useful for supplier negotiations, explaining margin shifts and tracking seasonal prices.
Works hand in hand with
Keep your ingredient costs accurate automatically
Update a price once and your whole menu stays current.
- No card needed
- Set up in minutes
- Unlimited ingredients