Food Cost Leak Self-Audit: How Well Do You Control the Forty Thieves?
The food cost leak self-audit is a 31-point checklist across six stages of the food flow: purchasing, receiving, storage, preparation, production and service. Answer yes, partly or not yet for each one, and the tool scores how well you control each stage and shows where to start.
How to read your result
- Controlled: your overall score as a percentage. Yes counts 2 points, Partly 1 and Not yet 0.
- Answered: how many of the 31 checks you have answered.
- Stage scores and Start with: a percentage for each of the six stages, and a list of the checks you answered Not yet. Start with the stage that scores lowest.
- The score is a self-assessment that shows where to begin. It is not an audit.
Download the matching form
Two forms help close the commonest gaps: the Receiving Checklist for deliveries and the Daily Sanitation Checklist for storage and cleaning.
Related reading
- All kitchen management tools
- Printable kitchen forms and Excel worksheets
- The Chef’s Guide to Conquering the Forty Thieves of Food Cost
- Mastering Restaurant Food Costing: A Comprehensive Guide to Profitability
Frequently asked questions
Where does this checklist come from?
It follows the stages and leaks described in our guide to the Forty Thieves of food cost. It is a practical self-check built for kitchens, not a formal audit.
How often should I do it?
Every quarter is a good start, and again after a change of supplier, menu or head chef. Keep the answers so you can see progress.
Should I answer for the whole kitchen or one area?
Answer for the kitchen as a whole, then repeat it with your team. You may be surprised how differently the people on the line answer.
How to use this tool
- Go through each check and choose Yes, Partly or Not yet. Be honest: the tool is for you.
- Do it with your sous chef or a cook as well, and compare answers.
- Read your overall score and the stage with the most gaps.
- Pick one stage and fix its Not yet items first.
- Use the paired forms to put the fixes into daily routine.
- Repeat the audit next quarter and compare.
