Food waste is a massive issue in the restaurant industry. In the UK alone, the hospitality sector generates over 1 million tonnes of food waste each year, and that food waste costs UK restaurants approximately £3.21 billion each year.
Food waste isn’t just an environmental issue—it’s a serious financial one.
A food waste audit helps your business identify where waste is happening, why it’s happening, and how to stop it—turning losses into savings and making your operations more sustainable.
As a restaurant owner, you have a legal responsibility to manage waste properly. UK regulations on commercial waste disposal are stricter than residential waste rules, meaning improper food waste handling can result in hefty fines. However, with the right approach, you can turn this challenge into an opportunity—by conducting a food waste audit.
For all you need to know as a food business owner, read the full food waste statistic report breakdown for 2025.
What is a Food Waste Audit?
A food waste audit is a structured process to identify, measure, and analyze the types and amounts of food discarded in your restaurant. It helps pinpoint where and why food is wasted—whether in kitchen prep, storage, or customer plates—so you can develop targeted strategies to reduce waste, lower costs, and improve efficiency.
Why Should Restaurants Do a Food Waste Audit
By conducting a thorough food waste audit, your restaurant can:
- Cut costs significantly – The average UK restaurant could save £35,667 per year by reducing food waste.
- Improve your bottom line – A study of 114 restaurants across 12 countries found that most saved $7 for every $1 invested in cutting kitchen food waste.
- Reduce your environmental impact – Food waste in landfills produces toxic materials such as methane, a greenhouse gas more than 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide
- Enhance your reputation – 34% of UK customers say they are more likely to choose restaurants with visible sustainability practices.
- Stay ahead of regulations – As the UK implements stricter waste separation requirements, your restaurant will already be compliant.
7 Simple Steps to Conducting a Food Waste Audit
Step 1: Set Clear Goals
Before diving into the audit, define what you want to achieve. Having clear objectives will keep your team focused and ensure measurable results. Common goals include:
- Reducing food waste – Identify waste sources and minimize unnecessary losses.
- Cutting costs – Reduce over-purchasing, inefficient storage, and excessive portions.
- Improving kitchen efficiency – Streamline operations to prevent waste at every stage.
- Enhancing sustainability efforts – Reduce landfill contributions and environmental impact.
- Complying with UK waste regulations – Meet the government’s evolving waste management standards.
Pro Tip: Set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to ensure progress tracking. For example: “Reduce plate waste by 15% within three months.“
Step 2: Assemble Your Team
A successful audit requires teamwork. Assign roles to different staff members to ensure accurate data collection and accountability. Key team members include:
- Kitchen staff – Track food waste from prep and storage.
- Servers – Monitor plate waste and customer leftovers.
- Management – Oversee the audit process, analyze data, and implement changes.
- A “waste champion” – Appoint a dedicated team member to coordinate the audit and keep everyone engaged.
Pro Tip: Encourage staff participation with incentives. A motivated team is more likely to follow through! Make it clear that the audit isn’t about assigning blame but finding opportunities. Staff are more likely to participate honestly if they don’t fear criticism.
Step 3: Choose Your Audit Method
Select the approach that works best for your restaurant size and resources:
Weigh and Record (Most Accurate): Use digital scales to weigh different waste categories separately. Perfect for detailed analysis but requires more time and equipment.
Visual Estimation (Quickest): Estimate waste visually using reference guides (e.g., “a full 1L container equals approximately 0.8kg”). Less precise but much faster.
Waste Categorization (Most Insightful): Separate waste into key categories:
- Spoilage waste: Expired or improperly stored ingredients
- Preparation waste: Trimmings, peelings, and bones
- Overproduction waste: Food prepared but not served
- Plate waste: Food returned uneaten from customers
Pro Tip: Combining these methods provides the most detailed insights into your restaurant’s waste patter
Step 4: Collect Data Over a Week
One day isn’t enough to get accurate data—patterns vary throughout the week:
- Run your audit for at least 7 consecutive days to capture weekend and weekday patterns.
- Use a Food Waste Log Sheet with columns for:
- Date and meal period (breakfast/lunch/dinner)
- Food item wasted
- Category of waste (spoilage/prep/plate)
- Quantity (weight or volume)
- Estimated cost
- Reason for waste
- Who recorded the entry
Find the food waste log template, and the kitchen inventory template below.
Provide clear containers or bins labeled for different waste types, positioned conveniently in prep areas and by the dishwashing station.
Step 5: Analyze Your Findings
Once you’ve collected a week’s worth of data, look for patterns:
- Identify your “Top 5” waste items by weight and by cost (they may not be the same).
- Map waste to specific processes or menu items—is one dish generating disproportionate waste?
- Calculate your waste value as a percentage of food purchases.
- Compare different meal periods—is dinner service more wasteful than lunch?
- Look for day-of-week patterns—is Sunday brunch particularly problematic?
Focus on the financial impact—a small amount of wasted protein might cost more than a larger volume of vegetable trimmings.
Step 6: Implement Waste Reduction Strategies
Now for the action! Based on your findings, develop targeted strategies:
High spoilage items? Review your ordering quantities and storage practices. Consider using inventory management software to track use-by dates.
Excess prep waste? Provide additional training on efficient cutting techniques or invest in equipment that reduces trim waste.
Overproduction issues? Refine your forecasting or develop creative specials to use up extras.
Significant plate waste? Consider adjusting portion sizes or offering half-portions. Review garnishes—are they coming back untouched?
Bin management: Ensure you have proper waste segregation to reduce landfill costs. Food waste collections are often cheaper than general waste in the UK due to landfill taxes.
Start with two or three changes that offer the biggest potential savings relative to the effort required.
Step 7: Monitor and Improve
A food waste audit isn’t a one-time effort—it’s an ongoing process. Regularly track and refine your waste reduction strategies to maximize savings.
How to Maintain Progress:
- Conduct mini-audits every quarter to assess improvements.
- Track progress by comparing new data with your initial audit findings.
- Keep staff engaged by setting team goals and rewarding progress.
- Stay compliant with evolving UK waste regulations and best practices.
Pro Tip: Consider investing in food waste tracking software like Too Good To Go, Winnow, or Leanpath for real-time waste monitoring.
Food Waste Audit and Kitchen Inventory Template
Basic Food Waste Log Sheet
Tracking food waste is a crucial step toward reducing costs, improving efficiency, and promoting sustainability in your restaurant. Without proper monitoring, food waste can quickly add up, leading to higher expenses and unnecessary losses.
Our Food Waste Log Sheet Template helps you:
- Identify where waste happens (spoilage, prep waste, or plate waste)
- Track waste quantities and costs to see the financial impact
- Find patterns and problem areas to make informed changes
- Implement waste reduction strategies for better inventory and portion control
By consistently logging food waste, you can cut unnecessary expenses, optimize stock usage, and contribute to a more sustainable food system.
| Date | Time | Food Item | Category | Quantity (Weight/ Volume) | Reason for Waste | Cost Estimate | Notes |
| 12-Mar-2025 | 2:00 PM | Tomatoes | Spoilage | 2 kg | Expired | $5 | Improve stock rotation |
| 12-Mar-2025 | 8:30 PM | Pasta | Plate Waste | 3 portions | Over-estimated portion size | $10 | Adjust portion sizes |
| 13-Mar-2025 | 11:00 AM | Chicken | Prep Waste | 1.5 kg | Excess trimming | $8 | Use trimmings for stock/ soups |
Kitchen Inventory Template
Keeping track of kitchen inventory is essential for reducing food waste, optimizing stock usage, and cutting costs in your restaurant. Without a proper system, over-ordering, spoilage, and supply shortages can quickly impact your bottom line.
Our Kitchen Inventory Log Sheet helps you:
- Track ingredient stock levels in real time
- Monitor expiration dates to prevent spoilage
- Manage supplier orders efficiently
- Reduce unnecessary costs by optimizing purchases
By using this simple yet effective template, you can ensure better stock control, improved efficiency, and a more sustainable kitchen operation.
Programs for DIY Food Audits
If you prefer digital tracking, these free or low-cost options can replace paper logs:
- Google Forms – Create custom digital checklists that staff can fill out on tablets or smartphones. Data automatically compiles into spreadsheets for easy analysis.
- Notion / Trello – Organize your audit process with boards for different waste categories, checklists for daily tasks, and dashboards to track progress.
- ThermoWorks or HACCP Apps – Originally designed for temperature monitoring, but can be repurposed to log waste alongside food safety checks.
- Microsoft Excel / Google Sheets – Use pre-built templates (many available online) to track waste metrics and automatically calculate costs and trends.
Simple Method to Calculate Your Restaurant’s Food Waste
Once you’ve collected data through your food waste audit, the next step is to quantify your waste—not just by volume or weight, but by its financial impact. Follow this step-by-step process to calculate your food waste:
1. Choose a fixed period
Typically one full week is needed to monitor food waste consistently across different days and service times. This ensures you capture accurate trends and seasonal variations.
2. Use Clearly Labeled Waste Bins
Place designated bins in key areas of your kitchen and front-of-house, labeled by waste type:
- Prep Waste – trimmings, overproduction, cooking errors
- Plate Waste – uneaten food from customers
- Storage Waste – spoiled or expired stock
Encourage staff to dispose of food into the correct bin immediately.
3. Weigh and Record Waste Daily
Use digital scales to measure the weight (in kg or litres) of each category at the end of each shift or day. Maintain detailed logs using the Food Waste Log Sheet above.
4. Calculate Financial Impact
Understanding the true cost of food waste starts with measuring both its percentage and monetary value relative to your total food purchases.
Step 1: Calculate Food Waste Percentage
Food waste percentage = (Weight of food waste / Total food purchases) x 100
This gives you a clear view of how much of your purchased food is ending up as waste.
Step 2: Estimate Food Waste Cost
Estimated Food Waste Cost = Total Waste Weight (kg)×Average Food Cost per kg
Example:
If your restaurant wastes 50 kg of food in a week, and your average food cost is £5 per kg:
50 kg × £5 = £250 per week
Over the course of a year, this adds up to £13,000 in avoidable losses.
5. Compare Your Food Waste Totals with Inventory and Sales
Once your food waste data is logged and broken down, it’s time to compare your waste totals against your inventory purchases and sales figures. This step gives you a clearer picture of how efficiently your ingredients are being used.
A US study reports that restaurants waste 4–10% of the food they purchase—so aim to keep your waste at or below 4%. If your percentage is higher, it’s a sign that changes in portioning, ordering, or prep may be needed.
To maintain long-term control, it’s best to conduct food waste audits regularly throughout the year, allowing you to track progress, adjust strategies, and reduce waste consistently.
6. Identify Patterns and High-Waste Areas
Once you’ve gathered initial food waste data from your trial period, take it a step deeper by categorising your wasted ingredients. Group them into types such as meat, dairy, fish, grains, vegetables, spices, and other items.
Break down waste by day, food type, or menu item. Look for trends:
- Are certain ingredients frequently thrown away?
- Are portion sizes too large?
- Is spoilage happening before use?
This breakdown helps pinpoint exactly where your waste is coming from—whether it’s specific ingredients or certain menu items. You might even discover that some dishes are consistently returned uneaten, highlighting areas where portion sizes, preparation, or popularity need reviewing.
7. Share the Results with Your Team
Engage your staff in the process—awareness leads to accountability. Share the weekly results and encourage suggestions on how to reduce waste.
Want to see how much food you’re wasting and how you can improve? Try our Food Waste Calculator to measure your household or business waste and discover actionable solutions.
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Top Money-Saving Changes to Implement After Your Audit
Now comes the rewarding part—turning your audit insights into actual cost savings. These practical strategies have helped UK restaurants significantly reduce waste and boost profitability.
Quick Wins: Reduce Food Waste Instantly
- Zero Waste Menu: Identify high-waste dishes and repurpose ingredients across multiple menu items.
- Portion Control: Adjust serving sizes based on plate waste data to avoid over-serving.
- Storage Optimization: Use clear FIFO (First In, First Out) labeling to prevent spoilage.
- Waste Segregation: Reduce landfill tax by properly sorting recyclables and compostables.
- Order Optimization: Purchase supplies based on actual usage trends, not estimates.
- Bin Downsizing: Reduce general waste bin size after improving recycling and composting.
- Collection Scheduling: Adjust waste collection frequency to match your actual needs—saving you money.
- Landfill Tax Reduction: The updated UK landfill tax standard rate is £126.15/tonne—reduce general waste and cut disposal costs.
These simple changes can make a significant difference to your bottom line while supporting sustainability goals. If you’re interested in exploring these approaches in greater depth, our detailed blog on food waste reduction offers a comprehensive guide, and case studies from restaurants that have successfully transformed their waste management practices.
