Which Thai dish actually survives delivery commissions?
We ran the numbers on 12 popular Thai dishes across Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat. One keeps 71% of its margin. Most keep less than 40%.
The short answer: Massaman Curry. Its high menu price (£13.95–£15.50) and relatively low food cost (25%) mean it retains 71% of its dine-in margin even after a 32% Deliveroo commission. Pad Thai — the most-ordered Thai dish on delivery — retains just 31%.
This is the problem nobody talks about. Restaurant owners set one menu price and hope it works across dine-in, takeaway, and three delivery platforms with radically different economics. It doesn't.
The Numbers
We modelled 12 dishes at UK-average menu prices across the three major platforms. All figures assume a 70% target dine-in GP, £0.50 packaging cost, and 2026 NLW labour allocation of £2.50 per dish.
| Dish | Menu Price | Food Cost | Deliveroo Net | Uber Eats Net | Just Eat Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massaman Curry (Beef) | £14.95 | £3.74 | £3.22 | £3.47 | £5.16 |
| Green Curry (Chicken) | £12.95 | £2.85 | £2.41 | £2.68 | £4.15 |
| Red Curry (Chicken) | £12.50 | £2.50 | £2.48 | £2.71 | £4.16 |
| Pad Thai (Chicken) | £11.95 | £2.39 | £1.92 | £2.16 | £3.51 |
| Tom Yum (Prawn) | £8.95 | £2.24 | £0.82 | £1.07 | £2.06 |
| Spring Rolls (4pc) | £6.50 | £1.14 | £0.48 | £0.65 | £1.36 |
The pattern is clear: higher-priced, curry-based dishes survive. Low-ticket starters and soups get destroyed. A £6.50 portion of spring rolls on Deliveroo nets the restaurant 48 pence after all costs. On Just Eat (14% commission), the same spring rolls net £1.36 — nearly 3× more.
Platform Choice Matters More Than Dish Choice
Look at Pad Thai on Just Eat (£3.51 net) vs Pad Thai on Deliveroo (£1.92 net). Same dish, same kitchen, same customer — 83% difference in profit purely from platform choice. Just Eat's 14% commission vs Deliveroo's 32% is the single biggest lever for delivery profitability.
The trade-off: Just Eat delivers lower order volumes for full-service Thai restaurants. Deliveroo and Uber Eats bring more customers but at a brutal margin cost. Our data suggests the optimal strategy is: list everywhere, but price separately for each platform.
See your actual numbers
These are UK averages. Your food costs, your menu prices, your labour — run them through our Profit Margin Defender and see your real per-dish net on every platform. Free, no signup.
What This Means For Your Menu
1. Build a separate delivery menu. Price it 15–25% higher than dine-in. Your customers won't notice — they're comparing you to other delivery options, not your restaurant menu.
2. Lead with curries. Massaman, Green, Red, Panang — these are your delivery profit engines. Feature them prominently on your delivery menu. Move low-margin items (starters, soups) to "sides" or bundle them.
3. Know your platform mix. If 60% of your delivery orders come through Deliveroo, and Deliveroo leaves you with 31% of your dine-in margin on your bestseller — you have a structural problem. Track per-platform profitability monthly.
Methodology & Sources
Menu prices are UK market averages sourced from ThaiData's menu price index (75 data points across 5 cities, June 2026). Food costs use wholesale benchmarks from UK Thai-specific suppliers. Platform commission rates: Deliveroo ~32%, Uber Eats ~30%, Just Eat ~14%. Labour cost allocation assumes £12.71/hr NLW at 12 minutes per dish. Packaging cost: £0.50/dish industry average. VAT calculated at 20% on the net (post-commission) amount.