7 Best Restaurant Stock Control Software UK 2026 Rankings

Key Takeaways

• Stock control software protects profit in 2026 by reducing waste, tightening margins, and improving visibility of every ingredient cost.
• Automation of invoices, stock counts, and reporting replaces manual admin, which lowers labour costs and reduces costly data errors.
• Real-time dish costing, price alerts, and POS integrations help UK operators respond quickly to supplier changes and menu performance.
• Different platforms suit different stages of growth, from simple POS-led tools for smaller sites to enterprise systems for large groups.
• Jelly offers UK-focused automation, real-time insights, and Xero integration, and you can book a chat to see it in action.

Why UK Hospitality Needs Smarter Stock Control in 2026

UK hospitality faces intense cost pressure in 2026. Ingredient prices remain volatile, and labour remains expensive, so even small stock errors can eliminate profit. Traditional methods such as spreadsheets, paper invoices, and occasional stock counts often fail to keep up with this pace of change.

Manual stock control creates blind spots that hide food cost drift, waste, and theft. If teams only spot price rises during month-end accounts, margins have already suffered. For a restaurant with £500,000 annual revenue, a 2 to 5 percent loss from poor stock control can mean £10,000 to £25,000 in avoidable costs.

Modern stock control software tackles these issues with automation and live data. Invoices feed directly into item databases, stock levels update in real time, and managers see gross profit and variances daily. This shift from delayed reporting to proactive management helps UK operators protect cash flow and plan with confidence.

Key Factors for Choosing Restaurant Stock Control Software

Automation should sit at the top of your checklist. Strong platforms capture invoice data from photos or email, update stock levels automatically, and push information into accounts without retyping. This reduces human error and frees staff for service.

Reliable reporting is essential for decision-making. Useful systems provide real-time views of dish costs, gross profit, waste, and price changes. Clear dashboards and simple exports allow owners, chefs, and accountants to see the same numbers and act quickly.

Ease of use and fit for the UK market complete the picture. Interfaces must be intuitive for chefs and managers, with short training times. Integrations with POS, Xero, and UK suppliers matter, as do VAT handling and support for multi-site growth. You can book a chat with Jelly to review these factors for your own sites.

The 7 Best Restaurant Stock Control Software Solutions for UK Hospitality in 2026

1. Jelly: Automated Profitability & Real-Time Insights for UK Kitchens

Jelly focuses on stock control and profitability for UK restaurants, pubs, and boutique hotels with revenue above £500,000. The platform simplifies back-of-house finances through automated invoice scanning, accurate product databases, and live reporting designed for chefs and operators.

Users capture invoices by photo or dedicated email, and Jelly records quantities, SKUs, prices, and tax without manual entry. This drives real-time dish costing, daily gross profit views, and price alerts when suppliers change rates. Many sites see food cost reductions of around 3 percent within the first three months, and case studies such as Amber in East London report savings of £3,000 to £4,000 per month through better purchasing and menu control.

Menu Engineering links Jelly with POS systems such as Square and ePOSnow, so operators see both popularity and profitability for each dish. Xero integration supports one-click invoice posting and consistent bookkeeping. Pricing from £129 per month per location keeps costs predictable as you scale. Book a chat to see how Jelly could support your kitchen.

2. MarketMan: Comprehensive Inventory for UK Mid-Scale Hospitality

MarketMan offers cloud-based inventory management with strong supplier and purchasing features. The platform suits mid-sized and larger UK operations that manage complex ingredient lists and multiple distributors.

Core tools include automated ordering, low-stock alerts, waste and theft tracking, and detailed cost of goods sold reporting. Teams can access the system on desktop, tablet, or mobile. The broad feature set can cut COGS for sites that commit to full setup, although smaller venues may find the system more complex and slower to implement than lighter tools.

3. Growyze: UK-Specific Stock Control for Streamlined Operations

Growyze focuses on UK hospitality and received recognition as a finalist in the 2025 Best of UK Small Business Awards. The software supports both frontline teams and head office with process-led workflows.

Features include purchasing management, stock counts, recipe costing, waste logging, and invoice reconciliation. The platform places strong emphasis on reducing waste and plugging profit leaks, which fits operators with tight cost targets. Users often highlight its simplicity for back-office work, although the overall depth can be lighter than enterprise systems.

4. Lightspeed Restaurant: Advanced POS with Integrated UK Inventory

Lightspeed Restaurant combines POS, reservations, and reporting with built-in inventory tracking. The platform works well for businesses that want one system for both front-of-house and core back-of-house tasks.

Inventory tools include automated deduction of stock from sales, alerts for low levels, and basic margin analysis. Lightspeed supports multi-location operations and offers a wide set of hospitality features. However, its stock control capabilities can feel less specialized than dedicated inventory platforms, so operators with very detailed costing needs may require add-ons or separate tools.

5. Square for Restaurants: User-Friendly & Scalable UK Inventory

Square for Restaurants provides an accessible POS with simple inventory functionality. Many smaller UK sites and growing concepts already use Square for payments, which makes its stock tools a natural first step.

The system offers menu management, kitchen display options, integrations, and real-time reporting. Inventory covers basic tracking, alerts, and links to sales data. Ease of use is a clear strength, although businesses with complex recipes, central production, or advanced purchasing requirements may outgrow the built-in stock features.

6. TouchBistro: All-in-One UK Restaurant Management & Inventory

TouchBistro delivers a broad restaurant management platform. The software brings together POS, inventory, menu management, loyalty, staff scheduling, and online ordering in one environment.

Inventory tools integrate with sales data and support simple reporting and cost tracking. This suits operators who prefer a single vendor for many tasks. The trade-off is depth. Dedicated inventory specialists typically provide more detailed cost analysis and supplier management functions than all-in-one systems like TouchBistro.

7. CrunchTime: Enterprise-Grade Inventory Control for Large UK Operations

CrunchTime targets large hospitality groups that require tight financial control. The platform focuses on accurate inventory, real-time cost comparisons, and central oversight across many sites.

Features include detailed stock tracking, custom financial reports, supplier integrations, and advanced planning tools. These suit enterprise operators with finance teams and complex reporting needs. Smaller groups and independent venues may find the system heavy to implement and more powerful than they practically need.

Compare Top UK Restaurant Stock Control Software Features

Operators who want tailored advice on these options can book a chat with Jelly to compare features for their own venues.

Conclusion: Automate Stock Control to Protect UK Hospitality Margins

Stock control software has become a key tool for UK restaurants, pubs, and hotels that want to protect margins in 2026. Automation reduces manual admin, real-time data prevents small issues from becoming large losses, and integrated workflows support clearer decisions across the business.

Jelly provides a focused option for growing UK kitchens that need accurate costing, invoice automation, and straightforward reporting without heavy setup. The move from reactive spreadsheets to proactive stock control often marks the difference between surviving and growing in a challenging market. Book a chat with Jelly to explore how automated stock control could support your operation.

Frequently Asked Questions About UK Restaurant Stock Control Software

How much can restaurant stock control software save me in the UK?

Effective stock control software often reduces food waste by 2 to 10 percent and cuts overall food costs by around 3 to 5 percent through better purchasing and tighter margin control. For a UK restaurant with £500,000 annual revenue and food costs at 30 percent, that can mean £4,500 to £7,500 in direct cost savings, with total impact often reaching £15,000 to £25,000 once supplier negotiations and menu optimization are included.

Is stock control software easy to use for UK kitchen staff?

Modern platforms are built for busy kitchens, with clear interfaces and workflows that match how chefs and managers actually work. Jelly, for example, focuses on chef-friendly dashboards and invoice scanning that removes most manual entry. Many teams complete setup within days, not weeks, which keeps disruption low and encourages consistent use.

What integrations are essential for UK restaurant stock control software?

Strong connections with your POS and accounting software matter most. POS integration enables live gross profit tracking, menu engineering, and sales mix analysis. Links with accounting tools such as Xero remove duplicate entries and keep financial data aligned. Supplier integrations and multi-site reporting also become valuable as you scale.

How quickly can I see ROI from implementing new stock control software in the UK?

Many operators begin to see benefits within the first month, especially when platforms provide instant price alerts and clear spending reports. Rapid insights support faster renegotiation with suppliers and quicker menu changes. When software costs are modest compared with food spend, even small improvements in waste and margin usually cover the subscription fee quickly.

Can stock control software help with multiple UK locations?

Quality stock control software centralizes data from all sites while still allowing location-level reporting. Head office teams can compare performance, standardize recipes and prices, and manage supplier terms in one place. Automated invoice capture and shared product catalogues help maintain consistency as you open new venues.