The verdict in three sentences
For a caterer or contract food service company serving 2,000 to 15,000 meals a day, off-the-shelf software (EUR 300 to 1,500, about USD 330 to 1,650, a month) handles recipe cards and menus well if your client sites order in a standard way. Custom software (EUR 45,000 to 90,000, 4 to 6 months) makes sense when orders, cook-chill production and HACCP traceability still live across Excel, email and binders. The deciding factor is waste: each point recovered on 10 to 15 % of lost purchases is often worth more than the software itself.
What spreadsheets cost in a central kitchen
In contract catering, margin is made gram by gram. Central kitchens in London or Dubai serve schools, care homes, clinics and corporate restaurants, each with its own diets, fluctuating headcounts and sustainability commitments (the French EGalim law, for example, requires 50 % sustainable products by purchase value, including 20 % organic, a benchmark many public clients now use).
| Indicator (6,000 meals per day kitchen) | Excel, email, binders | Well-deployed software |
|---|---|---|
| Waste on purchases | 10 to 15 % | 6 to 9 % |
| Gap between orders and meals served | 8 to 12 % | 2 to 4 % |
| Time to compute production needs | 2 to 3 h per day | 20 to 30 min per day |
| Allergen sheets up to date (14 regulated allergens) | 60 to 80 % | 100 %, generated automatically |
| Sustainable sourcing tracking | Manual quarterly calculation | Continuous dashboard |
| Preparing a food safety inspection | 2 to 4 days | A few hours |
| Food cost per meal | Estimated | Calculated per recipe and per site |
With an average food cost of EUR 2.20 per meal, 6,000 meals a day over 220 days means EUR 2.9 million of purchases. At 12 % waste, the loss reaches EUR 348,000 a year.
Off-the-shelf or custom: the 2026 comparison
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf catering software | Custom software |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 3,000 to 15,000 setup and recipe migration | EUR 45,000 to 90,000 |
| Recurring cost | EUR 300 to 1,500 a month depending on sites | EUR 7,000 to 14,000 a year |
| 5-year cost | EUR 21,000 to 105,000 | EUR 80,000 to 160,000 |
| Go-live time | 1 to 3 months | 4 to 6 months |
| Recipe cards and portion sizes | Complete | Complete, tailored to your age groups and diets |
| Client site ordering portal | Basic or add-on | Your rules: D-3 cut-off, diets, day-before adjustments |
| Cook-chill or hot-hold production | Generic | Production plans, use-by labels, delivery rounds |
| HACCP traceability | Manual readings typed in | Batches, temperatures, connected probes, recalls |
| Sustainability reporting per client | Export to rework | Report per site and per public contract |
Off-the-shelf software stays cheaper over 5 years. Custom pays back through lower waste and the ability to answer public tenders with clean sustainability reporting.
Modules and their budget
| Module | Content | Indicative 2026 budget |
|---|---|---|
| Recipes and technical cards | Portions, food cost, nutrition values | EUR 8,000 to 14,000 |
| Allergens and diets | 14 allergens, halal, pureed, diabetic | EUR 4,000 to 8,000 |
| Client ordering portal | Headcounts, menus, changes, approval | EUR 8,000 to 16,000 |
| Production and purchasing | Net requirements, supplier orders, stock | EUR 10,000 to 18,000 |
| HACCP traceability | Batches, use-by dates, temperatures, non-conformities | EUR 7,000 to 14,000 |
| Sustainability and waste reporting | Sustainable and organic share, plate-waste weighing | EUR 5,000 to 12,000 |
| Per-site invoicing | Price per meal, contract amendments, accounting export | EUR 3,000 to 8,000 |
A first release around EUR 45,000 usually bundles recipes, allergens, the ordering portal and production.
Mini case study
Rachel, CEO of a contract catering company in London, serves 6,000 meals a day to 85 sites (schools, care homes, offices). Annual purchases reach EUR 2.9 million, with about 12 % waste.
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- Custom software: EUR 72,000, plus EUR 10,000 a year.
- Target: from 12 to 8 % waste thanks to day-before order adjustments and enforced portion sizes, 4 points on EUR 2.9 million, or EUR 116,000 a year.
- Time saved: 2 hours a day of production planning for the head of production, 440 hours a year.
The project pays back in about 8 months. It also helps in public tenders where sustainability reporting weighs on the score.
FAQ
What budget should I plan for contract catering software?
Allow EUR 300 to 1,500 a month for off-the-shelf software, and EUR 45,000 to 90,000 for custom software. Custom is mostly justified above 3,000 meals a day.
Does the software calculate the sustainable sourcing share automatically?
Yes, if every purchased product carries its label (organic, protected origin, certified farm). The dashboard then shows the sustainable share, target 50 %, and organic share, target 20 %, in real time.
How do you manage allergens across hundreds of recipes?
Each ingredient carries its allergens once, and every recipe inherits them automatically. A supplier change then updates every affected sheet within seconds.
Can we connect temperature probes?
Yes, connected probes in cold rooms and blast chillers send readings every 5 to 15 minutes. Allow EUR 3,000 to 6,000 of integration depending on the hardware.
How long does it take to migrate our existing recipes?
Importing 500 to 1,500 recipe cards from Excel takes 3 to 6 weeks, including portion checks. It is the most underestimated step of the project.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your meal volume, number of client sites and current tools: we will price custom software between EUR 45,000 and 90,000, delivered in 4 to 6 months. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
