The verdict in three sentences
For a central kitchen producing 6,000 meals a day, the real issue is not menu planning but the whole chain: recipe card, satellite site orders, production, portioning and sustainable sourcing traceability. Packaged software at EUR 500-2,000 per month is enough if your processes are standard, while a custom tool at EUR 40,000-90,000 excl. VAT (2026 market estimate) pays off once you handle several diets, several clients and frequent audits. A 10 to 20 % cut in food waste alone funds a large share of the investment within 18 to 30 months.
What the software must cover in a central kitchen
A Dublin caterer serving schools, nursing homes and staff restaurants juggles four flows: forecast headcounts sent by each site the day before by 10 am, recipe cards with portion weights by age group, supplier purchase orders and cook-chill distribution with use-by labels. On top of that come the 14 regulated allergens (EU FIC regulation, enforced by the FSAI) to display per dish and per site, and sustainability reporting for public contracts: Irish green public procurement criteria increasingly ask for a share of 50 % sustainable and quality produce, including 20 % organic, the same benchmark as France's EGalim law.
| Module | What it does | Measurable gain (2026 order of magnitude) |
|---|---|---|
| Recipe cards and menus | Weights per diner, food cost per portion | Food cost held at EUR 1.80-2.40 per school meal |
| Site orders | D-1 headcounts, adjustments, credits | 6 to 10 hours of data entry saved per week |
| Production and portioning | Production sheets, containers per site | Delivery errors divided by 3 |
| Allergens and diets | FIC matrix, halal, texture-modified | No manual labels, PDF export per site |
| Purchasing and sustainability | Labels, organic share, sustainable share per supplier | Annual report in 1 hour instead of 3 days |
| HACCP and traceability | Batches, temperatures, use-by dates, recalls | Trace a batch in under 15 minutes |
| Food waste | Weighing leftovers per site and dish | 10 to 20 % less food purchased |
Packaged or custom: a costed comparison
The European market offers specialist contract catering solutions. They are solid on the core business, less flexible when you run several contracts with different portion rules or already have an accounting ERP.
| Criterion | Packaged catering software | Custom tool |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | EUR 3,000-10,000 setup | EUR 40,000-90,000 excl. VAT (market estimate) |
| Recurring cost | EUR 500-2,000 per month | Maintenance 8-15 % of build per year |
| 5-year cost | EUR 33,000-130,000 | EUR 56,000-158,000 |
| Time to go live | 1 to 3 months | 4 to 6 months |
| Fit with your contracts | Limited to built-in settings | Full, rules per client |
| ERP and accounting link | Standard connectors or CSV export | Dedicated API to Sage, Xero or your ERP |
| Data ownership | Vendor hosting | You own the code and the data |
The tipping point is often around 4,000 meals a day or 3 clients with distinct specifications. Below that, packaged software is almost always the right call. Above it, the cost of workarounds (parallel spreadsheets, double entry, re-keying headcounts) exceeds the subscription.
A realistic 4 to 6 month project plan
| Phase | Duration | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping and flow audit | 3 to 4 weeks | Process map, item master, sourcing rules |
| Recipe cards and menus | 4 to 6 weeks | Recipe import, portion costing |
| Site ordering portal | 3 to 4 weeks | Mobile D-1 entry, late alerts |
| Production, portioning, labels | 4 to 5 weeks | Production sheets, use-by printing |
| Purchasing, sustainability, connectors | 3 to 4 weeks | Organic and sustainable dashboard, accounting API |
| Testing and cutover | 2 to 3 weeks | Parallel run on 2 pilot sites |
The main risk factor is the quality of your existing recipe cards. Plan 15 to 25 days of your dietitian's time to clean up 400 to 600 recipes before import.
Mini case study
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Siobhan, operations director of a central kitchen producing 6,000 meals a day for 42 sites around Dublin, buys EUR 2.1 M of food per year. She targets 12 % less waste through reliable D-1 headcounts and leftover weighing, i.e. EUR 252,000 of food saved, of which she prudently keeps half (EUR 126,000) since some leftovers are already recovered. Add 8 hours of weekly data entry removed at EUR 35 loaded cost, i.e. EUR 14,500 per year. For a custom tool at EUR 75,000 excl. VAT plus EUR 9,000 of annual maintenance, payback comes in 7 to 8 months. Even with the waste assumption halved, it stays under 14 months.
FAQ
How much does central kitchen software cost in Dublin in 2026?
Expect EUR 500 to 2,000 per month for packaged software, depending on meal volume and number of sites. A custom tool sits between EUR 40,000 and 90,000 excl. VAT as a market estimate, plus 8 to 15 % annual maintenance.
Can the software produce sustainable sourcing reports automatically?
Yes, if every purchased item carries its labels (organic, Bord Bia Origin Green, PDO). The dashboard continuously calculates the 50 % sustainable and 20 % organic shares, and the annual export takes under an hour.
How do we manage the 14 allergens per site?
The allergen matrix is attached to each ingredient, hence to each recipe card. The software generates per-dish, per-site displays as PDF or on screen, and flags any supplier substitution that introduces a new allergen.
How long before go-live?
Packaged software deploys in 1 to 3 months. A custom build takes 4 to 6 months, including 2 to 3 weeks of parallel run on pilot sites before full cutover.
Can we keep our current accounting software?
Yes. An API or structured export to Sage, Xero or your ERP avoids double entry of supplier invoices, often 3 to 5 hours a week for a kitchen of this size.
Let's scope your project. Send us your meal volume, sites and current tools: we price the scope, an indicative budget and a 4 to 6 month plan. 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.
