Our hub of engineering tips to unlock your menu’s full potential and deliver real value

We’re more than just a wholesaler to our customers. As a partner in your success, we’re here to support you navigate the many challenges your business faces. This is where Unlock Your Menu comes in. We’ve put together expert tips, advice and cost-saving tools that will unlock your menu’s full potential and deliver you real value. Whether you’re focused on managing costs, streamlining kitchen operations or building a flexible, profitable menu, we’ve gathered valuable resources that support your long-term success.

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What is menu engineering?

Menu engineering is the process of analysing and optimising your menu to increase profitability by focusing on pricing, food costs, and customer preferences. By understanding your menu’s performance and making data-driven adjustments, you can highlight high-margin dishes, streamline your offerings, and design an experience that encourages customers to order more strategically.

How to engineer a more profitable menu

Designing a profitable menu doesn’t happen by chance – it requires a thoughtful approach that blends strategic pricing, effective food cost control and an understanding of customer psychology. Here are some tips:

  • Know what’s making money

    Not all best-selling dishes are your most profitable. Analysing your sales data, cost breakdowns and profit margins is key to building a more cost-effective menu to identify which items sell and generate strong profits. It is equally important to identify underperforming items which may need to be reworked ot removed altoghter to boost effciency and profitability.

  • Price smarter, not just higher

    Effective pricing isn’t just about simply adding a high mark up. It’s about finding the right balance between food costs and customer perceived value. Consider what your customers are willing to pay based on presentation, ingredients and overall dining experience. Benchmark against competitors, factor in inflation and don’t be afraid to test small pricing adjustments. Psychological pricing techniques, like removing currency symbols or using £9.95 instead of £10.00, can also subtly influence purchasing decisions. When done well, pricing can boost profitability without compromising customer satisfaction.

  • Design your menu to influence decisions

    Menu layout can steer choices more than you think. Key areas like the top-right and centre naturally draw the eye, making them ideal spots to feature your most profitable dishes. Use design elements such as bold text, boxes, icons or colour accents to spotlight them. Pair your dishes with clear, enticing descriptions to create interest. Less is always more when it comes to menu design. A well-organised menu helps customers make decisions with confidence.

  • Manage costs with ingredient swaps

    Ingredient swaps are one of the easiest ways to improve profitability without affecting customer satisfaction. Explore our own brand options

    Discover more ways to reduce food costs and drive profitability, by clicking the button below:

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  • Reduce food waste

    Food waste is not only bad for the environment but a hidden cost that eats into your margins. Consider cross-utilising ingredients across dishes to minimise leftovers and streamline preparation.
    Standardise portion sizes and train your team in food waste reduction practices can also make a big impact. Even small adjustments, like offering multiple dish sizes or repurposing trimmings into stocks or sauces, can reduce waste while improving consistency and profitability.

    Could the wording be changed to – Want more ideas? Click the button below to explore our food waste support and guidance.

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  • Review and refresh with the seasons

    Your menu shouldn’t stay stagnant. It should evolve with the seasons, ingredient availability and changing customer preferences. Regular updates not only keep your offering fresh and exciting for returning customers, but also help you stay aligned with cost-effective, in-season produce. Refresh your menu quarterly with a focus on profitability, not just novelty.

    Our fresh food brand, Oliver Kay shares the latest availability, trends, new products and recipe inspiration for seasonal menu planning.

    Click the button below to explore their seasonal support.

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  • Promote the dishes that pay off

    Your most profitable dishes won’t sell themselves! Draw attention to them with descriptions, chef recommendations or limited-time offers. Train your staff to confidently upsell high-margin items, and consider giving them incentives. You can also use social media to spotlight standout dishes.

    To support your teams, check out Caterer’s Campus our free E-learning platform with 30 modules including everything from profitability and menu planning to a social media masterclass and more. Click the button below to find out more.

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  • Make data your secret ingredient

    The MyRecipes & Menu Planning tool within Bidfood Direct is perfect for menu enginnering. It enables chefs to build recipes using live product data, including allergens, nutritional values and up-to-date costs, ensuring accurate gross margins even as prices change. With detailed cost reports, it highlights profitable dishes and those needing adjustment. Having the right data at your fingertips, you can fine-tune your menu continuously and make confident, cost-effective decisions.

    Click the button below to explore Bidfood Direct.

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Delivering more than just food

High food inflation and the rising cost of goods and services are making it harder to to make the margin you need to keep your business on track. That’s why Real value is a key ingredient in every customer partnership we build. Through our products, procurement expertise, supplier partnerships and passionate team, we are focused on keeping costs in check and offering value beyond price. We source quality products with long term sustainable pricing and we work hard to save you money through menu engineering and product swaps.

Blogs

Explore our series of blogs covering all our unlock your menu topics. From cost savings to kitchen efficiencies, you can find it all here.

Frequently asked questions

What is menu engineering and why is it important?

Menu engineering is the process of optimising your menu to improve profitability, reduce food waste and enhance the overall customer dining experience. It is important because a well-engineered menu can directly impact your bottom line by increasing sales of high-margin items and improving operational efficiency.

How can I identify the most profitable items on my menu?

Look at sales data and profit margins to identify which items are your most profitable.

How can I adjust menu pricing for higher profitability?

Pricing adjustments should be based on food costs, perceived value and market demand. Analyse competitors’ pricing, evaluate your own food costs and experiment with small price changes to see how they affect sales and customer satisfaction.

How do I optimise my menu layout for more sales?

The layout of your menu should highlight high-margin dishes by strategically placing profitable items in prime spots, such as the top-right corner or centre of the menu. Utilise design elements like bold fonts or boxes to attract attention to these key dishes.

What are ingredient swaps, and how can they help my business?

Ingredient swaps are substitutions of high-cost ingredients with more affordable options that maintain or improve the dish’s quality. They can help reduce overall food costs and reduce waste without compromising customer experience.

How can I reduce food waste while increasing menu efficiency?

To reduce food waste, accurately track inventory, portion control and consider modifying menu items to use ingredients more efficiently. Menu items that are versatile in ingredients and preparation can help minimise waste while maintaining variety. Explore our ‘Food waste management support and guidance webpage to find out more.

What tools can I use to track food costs and optimise my menu?

The MyRecipes & Menu Planning tool in Bidfood Direct is ideal for tracking costs and menu engineering. It uses live product data to calculate accurate margins, highlight high or low-performing dishes and helps you make smart, cost-effective decisions—all in one place.

How long does it take to see results from menu engineering?

Typically, you can begin to see results from menu engineering within a few weeks to a couple of months, depending on the changes you make and how well they are executed. Tracking performance and making ongoing adjustments will ensure long-term success.

How can I promote my high-margin dishes?

Promote high-margin dishes by featuring them prominently on your menu, training staff to recommend them and using specials or limited-time offers to draw attention to these items. Additionally, highlighting them with descriptive language can help increase their appeal to customers.

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