Optimizing recipes: breakdowns
Maximize the use of your recipes by separating their components into different final products. With breakdowns, you can assign each part of a base preparation (stocks, stews, long cooking) to different recipes or service moments, reducing waste and improving your profitability. In the video below, we guide you step by step to do this easily.
In the video below, we'll guide you through the process step by step so you can complete it easily.
What is a breakdown in a recipe?
A breakdown in a recipe consists of, after cooking a base preparation (for example, a stock or a stew), separating the resulting parts (liquid, shredded meat, bones, etc.) to use them independently. This way, a single preparation generates several products that can be used in different recipes or service stages.
Step by step: add breakdowns in recipes
Select the recipe
Go to the "Offer" section on the platform.
Click "Recipes", then choose the recipe you want to add breakdowns to.
Enter cuts & breakdowns
Within the recipe, locate the "Cuts & Breakdowns" section. Click the three dots and select "Edit breakdown".
Assign descriptive names
For each resulting part, write a name that identifies its use, for example:
Chicken broth
Shredded meat
Waste
Choose the waste calculation method
tspoonlab offers options to determine the yield of each part:
Direct entry: tspoonlab distributes 100% of the base product by assigning fixed percentages to each part (e.g. Breast 40%, Thighs 40%, Waste/Unusable matter 20%).
Average: lets you average an ingredient's seasonal waste by comparing the initial weight against the usable weight. For example, if you record an entry of 5 kg of potatoes (gross weight) and after peeling them you get 4 kg ready to cook (net weight), the system detects 1 kg of unusable matter (20% waste). As you accumulate several records, tspoonlab calculates the weighted average to stabilize the ingredient's cost in your recipe costings.
Last entry: the last recorded weight entry is used to calculate the yield.
Selected: with this option, the user manually selects the weight entry to use.
Check that the total adds up to 100%
Make sure the sum of the percentages of all parts is exactly 100%. This ensures the calculation reflects the real yield of your recipe.
Distinguish usable parts from waste
Indicate which portions will go to other recipes and which are discarded as waste. This way, the yield report will show both the useful outputs and the losses.
Add images
To make training your team easier, upload photos of the product in its gross state and of the net result:
Gross image
Net image
📢 Warning: The cuts and breakdowns module lets you record detailed cuts (useful for raw meat or fish). However, for recipes it is more common to rely on the overall yield of the recipe, which faithfully reflects the final usage of your preparation.
Did you find this article helpful?
If you need further assistance, contact support by clicking the built-in Support Chat in the bottom-right corner of your screen.