Celebrity Recipes to Add to Your Café Menu: Lessons from Tesco Kitchen

Start here: Add celebrity-tested, scalable dishes from Tesco Kitchen to your café menu — without breaking your food cost

Struggling to find menu ideas that are current, easy to scale and profitable? Tesco’s new Tesco Kitchen celebrity series (launched late 2025) is a timely inspiration well-suited to cafés and casual restaurants that want instant credibility and reliably delicious dishes. Below you’ll find a curated set of scalable recipes inspired by the series, practical cost estimates, plate-run tips and menu-development steps you can implement in 2026.

Why this matters for cafés in 2026

In 2026 diners expect menu stories, dietary clarity and fast service. Content-driven retail—supermarket and media brands producing chef-led recipes—has become a rich source of café-ready dishes. Tesco Kitchen pairs familiar supermarket ingredients with celebrity storytelling, which reduces sourcing friction and improves customer trust. For cafés, that means recipes that are:

• Ingredient-accessible — Tesco-stocked ingredients keep supplier logistics simple and reduce variability.
• Visually strong — TV-tested plates translate well to social menus; invest in lightweight gear and lighting (see portable LED panel kits for on-location food photography) to make dishes pop online.
• Adaptable — recipes designed for home cooks can be scaled and standardized for service.

“Tesco launched an eight-part series, Tesco Kitchen, to inspire customers with mouth-watering new recipes” — Retail Gazette, Jan 2026.

What follows: curated dishes, cost models and plate-run playbooks

Below are six scalable dishes inspired by episodes of Tesco Kitchen. For each dish you’ll get: a short concept, suggested café-friendly adaptations, cost-per-plate estimates (UK 2026 average ingredient pricing from Tesco ranges), and detailed plate-run tips for service at 25–100 covers.

1) Spiced Chickpea & Freekeh Bowl (Vegetarian, easily vegan)

Concept: A protein-rich, warm grain bowl with roasted spiced chickpeas, freekeh (or bulgur), herby yoghurt (swap to tahini for vegan), pickled red cabbage and a citrus dressing. Ideal for daytime menus and lunch rushes.

• Why it works: High margin, minimal plating time, broadly allergen-friendly when dairy swapped.
• Per-plate food cost estimate: £1.40–£1.80 (assuming bulk freekeh 2.5p/100g, chickpeas 0.40 per tin, veg & dressings from Tesco ranges).
• Menu price suggestion: £6.95–£8.50 to target a 28–32% food cost.
• Plate-run tips:
  • Batch-roast chickpeas in hotel pans (GN pans) and keep at 80°C for 1–2 hours in a holding oven.
  • Pre-portion freekeh into portion trays — reheat rapidly (steamer) and fluff with oil to maintain texture. For dosing and portion accuracy, consider the olive oil drizzle & dosing tools field guide to reduce waste and maintain plate consistency.
  • Assemble at a single station: grain > veg > chickpeas > pickles > dressing — target 40–60 seconds per plate.

2) Celebrity Brunch Shakshuka (Brunch hero — vegetarian; GF adaptable)

Concept: A tomato-pepper base dotted with eggs baked or cooked to order, served with grilled sourdough or gluten-free flatbread. Great as a social media hero and high check-average driver when paired with hot drinks.

• Per-plate food cost estimate: £1.80–£2.40 (eggs, tomatoes, peppers, herbs, toast).
• Menu price suggestion: £8.50–£11.00, with optional add-ons (halloumi, chorizo, avocado) to increase average spend.
• Plate-run tips:
  • Make a large sauce batch (3–6 litres) in advance and reheat in gastronorm pans; hold on bain-marie during service.
  • For 25–50 covers, pre-poach eggs to 70% and finish in the sauce to reduce plating time; or use baked eggs in smaller hotel pans for speed.
  • Serve family-style skillets for slower-paced cafés to increase perceived value.

3) Crispy Cauliflower Katsu with Pickled Ramen Slaw (Vegan option available)

Concept: Panko-breaded roasted cauliflower steaks or pieces with a katsu-style sauce, topped with a quick-pickled ramen slaw for crunch. Eye-catching, shareable and perfect for mid-price menus.

• Per-plate food cost estimate: £1.60–£2.10.
• Menu price suggestion: £7.50–£9.50.
• Plate-run tips:
  • Bread and par-fry cauliflower in batches; hold on paper-lined trays and finish in an oven to crisp before service.
  • Make slaw the day prior — it improves texture and reduces assembly time to 30 seconds per plate. If you want ramen ingredients or inspiration, check curated noodle boxes and subscriptions such as instant ramen subscription reviews for flavour ideas and pantry staples.
  • Prep sauce in squeeze bottles for fast, consistent presentation.

4) Lemon & Herb Baked Sea Bass with Crushed New Potatoes (Premium fish option)

Concept: A simple, high-margin fish main that feels premium but is quick to produce. Use frozen or Tesco fresh sea bass fillets, bake with herb butter, and serve over crushed baby potatoes and seasonal greens.

• Per-plate food cost estimate: £3.40–£4.50 (depending on fish price volatility — monitor weekly).
• Menu price suggestion: £12.50–£16.00.
• Plate-run tips:
  • Pre-portion potatoes and steam; crush with butter and hold in hot wells.
  • Bake fish in small batches (6–10 fillets) to maintain texture — rotate pans every 8–10 minutes.
  • Use timer-based plating to achieve consistent cook level; aim for 90–120 seconds final garnish time.

5) Honey-Soy Roast Chicken Bao (Fast-casual favorite)

Concept: A café-friendly take on street food — tender sliced roast chicken glazed in honey-soy, quick-pickled cucumber, coriander and steamed bao or soft rolls. High perceived value and scalable.

• Per-plate food cost estimate: £1.90–£2.60.
• Menu price suggestion: £7.00–£9.00.
• Plate-run tips:
  • Roast whole birds or large breast roasts overnight and shred/portion on service day — this lowers labour during service.
  • Steam bao in batches or use pre-steamed frozen buns; reheating steam 60–90 seconds.
  • Keep glaze in a warm pan; toss shredded chicken quickly and portion with tongs for 20–30 seconds per bun.

6) Heritage Grain & Winter Vegetable Salad with Warm Mustard Dressing (Seasonal, vegan)

Concept: A flexible, low-labour bowl using heritage grains (spelt, barley) and roasted veg. Suits takeout, meal deals and caters to growing plant-forward demand noticed in early 2026.

• Per-plate food cost estimate: £1.10–£1.60.
• Menu price suggestion: £6.00–£8.00.
• Plate-run tips:
  • Cook grains in large kettles or combi ovens; cool and portion into containers for grab-and-go.
  • Roast vegetables in full-sheet pans; reheat in convection ovens and toss with dressing to serve. For scaling grab-and-go operations and quicker delivery windows, consider micro-fulfilment workflows outlined in micro-fulfilment hub playbooks.

How we estimated food costs (transparent method you can replicate)

Food cost accuracy is critical. Use this simple, repeatable method used by experienced menu developers:

1. List ingredients & quantities per plate (e.g., 150g chickpeas, 80g freekeh, 30g dressing).
2. Fetch current supermarket bulk prices (we used Tesco prices in late 2025–early 2026 as a baseline).
3. Calculate cost-per-portion by dividing package price by yield (e.g., a 1kg bag of freekeh yields 6.6 x 150g portions).
4. Add condiments & waste factor (5–10% standard wastage), plus a small labour allowance per plate (estimated 10–20p for cafés).
5. Set target food cost % (cafés typically target 28–32% for mains, higher for premium dishes) and derive final menu price.

Example: Quick cost calculation for Spiced Chickpea & Freekeh Bowl

Ingredients per plate: freekeh 80g, chickpeas 120g (drained), veg & pickles 120g, dressing 30g.

Assumed grocery costs (Tesco benchmark): freekeh £2.50/kg, chickpeas 60p/tin (400g), veg average 80p/portion, dressing & herbs 20p. After yield and waste, total ingredient cost ≈ £1.60. Adding labour 15p and rounding gives £1.75 per plate.

Plate-run optimisation: tools and tactics for busy services

Scaling from 1–2 plates to 25–100 is a different operational problem. Use these proven tactics:

• Componentise — turn recipes into components (grains, proteins, sauces, pickles) that can be batch-prepared and recombined.
• Mise en place for speed — pre-portion into containers sized for your busiest service (e.g., 25-litre tubs for grains, 2-litre pans for sauces).
• Station design — set a clear assembly line: hot hold > protein finish > garnish station. Train one person to finish 8–10 plates/minute at the line.
• Time targets — aim for 60–90 seconds assembly per plate for lunch; 2–3 minutes for plated mains in dinner settings.
• Batch-finish strategy — keep proteins/par-cooked components in holding ovens (70–85°C) and finish in a hot pan or under salamander for 30–60 seconds.
• Quality checkpoints — taste sauces daily, check holding temperatures and use portion scoops for consistent yields. For pop-up and market proofing (lighting, payment and kit), field reviews of portable kits can help you plan workflows — see portable lighting & payment kits for pop-up shops.

Dietary, allergen and sustainability considerations (2026 expectations)

By 2026 diners expect clear labeling and sustainability notes. Tesco Kitchen’s accessible ingredient lists make it easier for cafés to adapt and label dishes correctly.

• Allergen labeling: UK law still requires clear display of 14 major allergens — ensure your menu and digital boards list them per dish.
• Vegan/Vegetarian swaps: Identify swaps (yoghurt → tahini, panko → cornflake crumb) and mark them on menus.
• Seasonal sourcing: Use Tesco’s seasonal ranges to reduce cost volatility, especially for proteins and key veg. If you plan to tie menu items to local sourcing and market stalls, look at why urban farmers’ markets win in 2026 for merchandising ideas.
• Non-alcoholic pairings: The Dry January momentum and the growth of non-alc drinks into 2026 mean pairing menu items with zero-proof options is a simple upsell.

Menu development and printable/digital templates

Use menu templates that let you update prices weekly and toggle dietary icons. Key features to include:

• Editable price fields for weekly updates as Tesco prices change.
• Dietary icons (Vegan, Veg, GF, Dairy-free, Nuts) with hover or footnote allergen details.
• Plate-run notes for back-of-house staff included in the digital recipe card.
• Printable sizes for chalkboards or A4 specials sheets and mobile-friendly PDF for takeaway ordering. If you are preparing merch or special packs to promote a dish, see guidance on designing pop-up merch that sells.

Tip: Maintain a single source of truth — a cloud document for recipes that links to your point-of-sale prices and weekly supplier cost sheet. That lets you reprice instantly if fish markets spike or Tesco runs a promotional deal.

Case study: 50-cover weekday lunch service using two Tesco Kitchen-inspired dishes

Scenario: A café serves 50 covers at lunch; menu focuses on Spiced Chickpea Bowl and Brunch Shakshuka. Assumptions: 60% bowl / 40% shakshuka mix.

• Prep: Two cooks prep grains, sauce, roasted chickpeas and eggs. Batch sizes: 10L grain, 8L sauce, 6 trays roasted chickpeas.
• Service flow: One assembly station (grain bowls), one finish station (shakshuka eggs). Turnover: 25 minutes for full covers with concurrent coffee orders.
• Outcome: Average plate-run time per dish 60–90 seconds; labour cost per plate in target; food cost maintained at 30% with menu prices above. If you plan a short-run market or pop-up to test the dishes, the high-ROI hybrid pop-up kit playbook helps you size kit and staffing.

Advanced strategies & future predictions for 2026–2027

1) Expect more supermarket-produced culinary content to influence café menus — leverage this for ingredient parity and cross-promotions (e.g., weekly specials tied to Tesco Kitchen episodes). 2) AI-assisted pricing tools will become common to auto-reprice menus based on supplier cost feeds — adopt a template-compatible workflow now. 3) Sustainability labelling and carbon-impact mini-labels will move from novelty to expectation; start tracking ingredient provenance for hero dishes and consider seasonal gift and ethics-aligned bundles inspired by sustainable seasonal gift kits.

Actionable checklist — launch a Tesco Kitchen-inspired dish in a week

1. Choose 1 hero dish from the list above and run a kitchen tasting (day 1).
2. Build a standard recipe card with weights, yields and allergen notes (day 2).
3. Source ingredients via Tesco or local supplier; confirm prices (day 3).
4. Create a digital menu tile and a printable A4 special (day 4).
5. Train staff on plate-run timing and assembly (day 5).
6. Soft-launch with a promotional price and monitor food cost for 2 days (weekend 1).
7. Adjust portions/pricing based on real food-cost and labour data (week 2).

Final thoughts: Turn content into consistent café revenue

Tesco Kitchen gives cafés a ready-made creative source of dishes that customers recognise and trust. The key is replication: standardise recipes, control portions, and design plate-run systems so your team can deliver quality under pressure. Use the cost-estimating method above and adopt printable and digital menu templates that let you update prices and dietary labels in real time.

Ready to test a dish this week?

Download our printable and digital menu templates built for rapid updates and plate-run notes at menus.top — swap in any of the Tesco Kitchen-inspired dishes above, adjust prices and launch.

Want a custom cost sheet or a plate-run checklist tailored to your kitchen size? Contact our menu development team at menus.top for a free 20-minute audit and downloadable recipe card pack. If you need kit or staging advice for market days, portable lighting and payment reviews are a good place to start: portable lighting & payment kits for pop-up shops.

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