Portion Control and the Cost of a Garnish
You are running the plating station for a 120-cover lunch. The standard recipe card says 180 g of chicken per serve, 120 g of rice, and 40 g of salad garnish. The chicken costs $9.50 per kg, rice $2.20 per kg, and salad $7.00 per kg. At 12:40 pm you notice the chicken is running low and only about 14 kg remains for the 70 covers still to come. The cook has been giving generous 200 g portions, and the garnish has been about 55 g per plate. The supervisor wants no shortfalls and no visible reduction in plate size. You have 10 minutes before the next wave.
1. Calculate whether the remaining chicken will cover the remaining covers at the current portion size, and at the standard size.
Read the worked answer
At 200 g per serve, 70 covers need 70 × 0.200 kg = 14 kg. That exactly equals the 14 kg remaining, leaving no margin for error, trimming, or seconds. At the standard 180 g, 70 covers need 70 × 0.180 kg = 12.6 kg, leaving 1.4 kg spare. So the current portion size is too generous for the remaining stock. The garnish at 55 g instead of 40 g uses 70 × 0.055 = 3.85 kg rather than 70 × 0.040 = 2.8 kg, an extra 1.05 kg. The fix is to bring portions back to the standard, not to reduce plate size visibly.
2. What would you do in the next 10 minutes, and what would you tell the supervisor?
Read the worked answer
Bring the chicken back to 180 g using a scale or a portion scoop, keep the rice at 120 g, and bring the garnish back to 40 g. Plate so the plate still looks full, for example by spreading the garnish and using the rice as a base. Tell the supervisor the figures: 14 kg left, 70 covers, 200 g portions would use all of it with no margin, 180 g leaves 1.4 kg spare. Ask for confirmation before the next wave. Do not short the customer silently or pad with extra rice without checking, because that changes the dish and the cost.
3. Explain the cost impact of the over-portioning and why the standard recipe card matters.
Read the worked answer
At $9.50 per kg, 20 g extra chicken per serve costs $0.19. Over 70 covers that is 70 × $0.19 = $13.30, and over 120 covers it is $22.80. The garnish at 15 g extra per serve at $7.00 per kg costs $0.105 per serve, or $7.35 over 70 covers. The standard recipe card matters because it controls portion size, cost, stock, and consistency. Without it, portions drift, stock runs out, and customers get different plates. The card should be followed and checked, and any change should be agreed with the supervisor and reflected in the recipe and costing.