Meat price changes
Since this time last year we have seen lamb racks increased by as much as 37%. Diced lamb by 26% and beef topside by 9%.

Lamb prices double
Lamb prices have doubled since 2000, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Consumer Price Index. In an article written by John Rolfe, Consumer Affairs Reporter for The Daily Telegraph, it is proposed that this could mean that households could be paying as much as $100 kg for lamb racks before the end of 2016.

While demand (predominantly international) continues to be strong, a significant fall in the Australian flock (approximately 40%) drives the prices up.

The only other country that exports as much lamb as Australia is New Zealand and you only have to make a fleeting visit to our Eastern cousins to see that their flock is also decreasing. Instead of the traditional paddocks full of sheep, the success of Fonterra has lead to many farmers converting to dairy cows.

The good news is both poultry and pork seem to have remained relatively stable.

The price of eggs has increased by 5%. Not a dramatic increase but as it doesn t happen too often it warrants a note.

Vegetable prices decrease
A number of vegetables have decreased in price this month. Cauliflower by 59%, drumhead cabbages (45%) and zucchini (20%). Rocket, cos and iceberg lettuce have decreased as have continental cucumbers (down 30%) and most tomatoes (except the cherry varieties) have decreased by 15%.

Better growing conditions have eased the pressure on herb supplies so you can expect them to be more readily available and a little cheaper.
Ginger is now available at around 5.00 from 14.00 last month. Red chillis have increased by 30% as have capsicums.

How to keep consistency in your products
After you ve costed your recipes the next important thing is to ensure these standardised recipes are followed. Photos, recipe cards, scales, spoons, quality control are all part of this.

Take a photo of every dish and make it readily available. They say a picture is 1000 words and when your profit margin is at stake, those 1000 words are vital in maximising consistency in your kitchen. By photographing every item on your menu and using these on recipe cards, every staff member will be able to refer to this to ensure the item is produced the same each time.
Ensure recipes are documented using the easy to use measuring units.

While a recipe that uses 60g of eggs is very accurate, it s hard for a chef in a hurry to follow. Use logical units like we have available on MenuCoster e.g. "each to make sure your recipes are easy to follow. When using units like this MenuCoster automatically displays the weight in grams also alongside.

Training new staff members becomes a breeze and this also sets a standard to be adhered to which can be easily enforced. Everyone will always know how items are to be prepared and how they should always look when plated or presented. Consistency in portion sizes means consistent profit. Portion sizes should never be changed without the chefs approval.