Every trade buyer knows the price per kilo. The number that actually runs your business is the cost per cup — beans, milk, cup and lid combined — and what is left after VAT. Work yours out below in under a minute, then see what changes when you buy in a bigger format.
A worked example: the flat white
Speciality-grade beans at £16.95 per kilo, an 18g double, 150ml of milk at £1.30 a litre, and a takeaway cup and lid at 12p. Sold at £3.50 on the menu.
| Component | Detail | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee | 18g at £16.95/kg | £0.31 |
| Milk | 150ml at £1.30/litre | £0.20 |
| Cup, lid & extras | Single-wall takeaway | £0.12 |
| Menu price net of VAT | £3.50 less 20% | £2.92 |
| Gross profit per cup | 79% margin | £2.29 |
What moves the number most
Dose discipline matters more than bean price: two grams of drift per shot changes your coffee cost by over 10%, which is more than most buyers save by switching supplier. Milk is usually the second-largest ingredient cost in white drinks — in a 220ml latte it often costs more than the beans — so cup size and a milk-heavy menu deserve their own costing.
Buying format shifts the whole equation. The same coffee, the same roast, in a larger pack carries a lower price per kilo, which comes off every cup you pour without touching quality.
All wholesale prices on this store are displayed including VAT with the ex-VAT price alongside, so you can take either figure straight from a product page and drop it into the calculator below.