Product details:
The app calculates menu prices for chefs in two ways. By keying in the cost of ingredients and the target percentage Gross Profit (GP), chefs can quickly find the correct price to charge on the menu. It can also ‘reverse engineer’ a dish by working out the GP when the chef keys in the menu price and food costs.
USP:
John Pinder, managing director of Lynx Purchasing, said: “Our laminated GP calculator, which uses a simple grid and can be pinned to the kitchen wall, has been a huge success with everyone from student chefs to experienced kitchen managers.
“The app is even more flexible, allowing any chef to calculate the GP whether they’re working in the kitchen, ordering from suppliers, or shopping at the cash & carry.”
Cost:
Free
Availability:
The app is available now, to download for the Apple iPhone and iPad, as well as for Android phones and tablets.
To download the free Lynx GP App, go to:
iPhones: Lynx Purchasing GP Calculator App for Apple iPhone and iPad
Android: Lynx Purchasing GP Calculator App on Google Play
Why you should get it:
Achieving the right GP is fundamental to the success of any catering business. Many chefs are now also expected to be kitchen managers and purchasing experts, but a passion for food doesn’t always go hand-in-hand with the ability to do rapid calculations in a busy kitchen.
“With high food inflation forecast for the coming year and the cost of many menu staples fluctuating from week to week, it’s very easy for the target GP to slip on both core dishes and specials. Once margins come under pressure, a business can find itself in trouble very quickly.
Testimonials:
Corin Earland, group chef operations manager for Lynx customer Peach Pubs, said, “We’ve been trialling the GP App for a couple of weeks. It’s easy to use and takes the human error out of calculating GP, which makes it perfect for a busy kitchen.
“For our business, the real benefit of the App is in helping chefs to add specials to the menu – they can be getting a quote for an ingredient from a supplier and at the same time using the App to work out whether that will deliver their target GP.
“I’m in charge of the chefs in 16 pubs, so to know that they have the GP App at their fingertips is hugely reassuring. I can also see it being of value to our front of house teams, as they’re not necessarily trained in menu costing but as they move up to management roles it’s something they have to understand.”
Ashley McCarthy, head chef and co-owner of the award-winning Ye Old Sun Inn pub in Colton, North Yorkshire, and a former catering lecturer at Thomas Danby College in Leeds, added: "Managing GP on the meals you serve is one of the most important jobs in the kitchen, particularly as costs rise. It's something I always work with trainee chefs at the pub to emphasise, just as I did when I was a lecturer working with students, and having the Lynx App on their smartphone will be a big help.
“We use a great deal of fresh, local produce and change the menu regularly, so the GP App is a useful kitchen tool to help us ensure that we maintain the right margins."
More information:
Lynx Purchasing works with more than 1,200 businesses including hotels, pubs, restaurants, care homes and education providers. The business offers caterers access to the best prices in the market, with no fees or contracts. Lynx customers also benefit from detailed market insight, enabling them to plan menus more effectively.
For more information on Lynx Purchasing visit www.lynxpurchasing.co.uk.