Below is a description of many of the features found in StarChef. Click on the screenshot on the right to view an enlarged image. If you would like to view a demonstration of the feature click on the run demo button. If you are not sure which edition is right for you please refer to our product comparison table.

StarChef can store information for thousands of Ingredients. The cost price, pack size and unit size (volume or weight) is stored for each ingredient in the database. Unit size can be specified in metric or imperial measurements (US & UK).  Each Ingredient can be associated with a single Supplier and with multiple Categories and Regions. It is also possible to specify whether an ingredient is vegetarian, vegan and non GM.

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Ingredient unit sizes can be specified in Metric or Imperial measurements (US & UK). When adding an ingredient to a recipe the unit of measurement can differ from the supplied unit, for example, an ingredient can be supplied in grams but added to a recipe in ounces.

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All ingredients for a selected supplier can be updated simultaneously by a specified percentage with a click of a button.

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Each ingredient can easily be linked to one or more ingredient images. StarChef supports JPG, GIF and BMP image formats.

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StarChef displays a list of all dishes and sub dishes containing the selected ingredient, this is displayed on the ingredients usage tab.

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StarChef is capable of storing thousands of dish recipes. Each standard recipe is built using Ingredients taken from the list of Ingredients stored in the database. Dish recipes can be associated with multiple Categories, Regions, Seasons/Special Occasions, Users and Outlets.  It is also possible to specify whether a dish is vegetarian, vegan and non GM. 

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StarChef Light accurately calculates and displays the cost and cost per serving for a recipe.

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StarChef does all the work for you by accurately calculating and displaying the cost of each added Ingredient (three decimals). It is possible to specify metric quantities for an Ingredient that was supplied in imperial units and vice versa.  StarChef will automatically perform the unit conversion and display the resulting cost.  The number of servings a recipe yields is specified for each record. 

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StarChef supports the addition of one dish recipe to another dish recipe. For example, a recipe may exist for a sauce or dressing. This recipe can then be added to another recipe. A recipe that is added to another recipe in this way is referred to as a sub dish.  It is possible to 'nest' recipes many levels deep.

Dish recipe methods can be specified for each recipe. Copy and paste buttons save you time letting you quickly copy methods from one recipe to another.

Specify Critical Control Points for each recipe. Copy and paste buttons allow you to quickly copy CCPs from one recipe to another.

Link multiple images to each dish recipe

Easily incorporate multiple images in your recipes.  StarChef supports JPG, GIF and BMP image formats.

Recipe Yield

Enter Total Recipe Yield and Uncooked weight values. Let StarChef automatically calculate Total Recipe Yield %, Total Recipe Wastage % and Total Wastage Amount for each dish.

StarChef provides easy recipe scaling allowing a dish recipe to be scaled up or down to increase or decrease serving yields. StarChef will automatically recalculate the cost price of the dish.

All units within a dish recipe can be converted from one unit to another. It is possible to specify metric quantities for an Ingredient that was supplied in imperial units and vice versa.  StarChef will automatically perform the unit conversion and display the resulting cost.

StarChef is capable of storing thousands of menus. Menus are built using the dishes stored in a StarChef database. With StarChef Standard and StarChef Professional each menu can have up to 32 courses, each containing any number of dishes.

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The StarChef Menu Layout Wizard helps you to quickly and easily create professionally-presented menu layouts, saved in Microsoft Word format. StarChef offers you a selection of stylish layouts. We can even develop custom layouts tailored to your requirements. Layout documents are linked to your database, enabling you to update selling prices at the click of a button.

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StarChef takes the guesswork out of menu costing. The cost price of each dish is used to calculate the overall menu cost and GP%. StarChef supports the creation of two menu types, Standard (á la Carte) and Fixed Price (table d'hôte). The formula used to calculate menu costs depends on the menu type selected. It is possible to specify wastage percentages for each dish in a menu.

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StarChef provides easy-to-use tools for analyzing the profitability of both Standard (á la Carte) and Fixed Price (table d'hôte) menus.

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Use StarChef's powerful menu engineering feature to evaluate your current and future menu pricing. Simply enter the selling price and number of sales for each dish on the menu and StarChef will do the rest. StarChef calculates the menu mix percentage (MM) and contribution margin (CM) for each menu item. Dishes are then ranked by menu mix percentage category and contribution margin category and given a menu classification.

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StarChef allows you to create your own customized units of measurement.

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The StarChef Import Wizard enables you to effortlessly import ingredients, dishes, menus and suppliers from other StarChef databases.

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The StarChef Export Wizard lets StarChef users share ingredients, dishes, menus and suppliers.

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StarChef includes a powerful search utility which enables users to search through their ingredient or dish database for a specified ingredient or dish. The advanced filter tool can be used to display ingredients or dishes which meet a defined criteria.

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Organise your ingredients, dishes and menus by categorizing data by multiple user defined groups. StarChef lets you create your own groups within existing categories.

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StarChef lets you define outlets for each revenue centre within your business.

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Define price bands for your outlets and link them to menus, enabling you to view the correct target GP% and wastage% when costing your menus.

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Store all your culinary terms in StarChef's updateable glossary.

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With StarChef you can radically speed up data entry by copying ingredients, dishes or menus. For example, you can copy your Chicken Stock recipe as Beef Stock and then simply change the name, the relevant ingredients, methods and CCPs.

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StarChef's Synchronization Wizard drastically reduces the time it takes to update your databases. Maintain a central set of data in a "master" database and synchronize all your regional "local" databases seamlessly.

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Protect your StarChef data by managing read and write permissions in "local" databases. Databases can be secured by setting database passwords.

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The Find and Replace tool is an invaluable new feature available in StarChef Professional. It allows users to find an ingredient or dish in their StarChef database and replace it with another ingredient or dish. Ideal for replacing an ingredient with a sub dish or replacing a delisted ingredient with a newly procured ingredient.

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Users of StarChef Professional can make use of SC Importer; an applet which enables ingredient cost prices to be updated or ingredients to be imported from various sources including Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

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StarChef includes a variety of ingredient reports allowing you to easily produce market lists and summary reports. These reports can be filtered by ingredient category, supplier or individually selected ingredients.

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Generate professional-quality food manuals with StarChef's five different Recipe Sheet styles. Recipe sheets can be printed with or without dish pictures in various formats.

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StarChef offers extensive menu reports including menu costing reports. Market lists can be produced for selected menus displaying all the required ingredients, quantities and costs.

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Customize your StarChef reports to include company logos, headers, footers and preferred fonts.

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With StarChef's powerful report engine you can output your reports to a variety of export formats. Seamlessly create Web pages from your recipe sheets or produce ingredient lists in Excel format.

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