F&B Profit Recovery & Stock Audit Consultancy
Clarity by David Holden works with restaurant, pub, and hotel operators across the UK to find exactly where stock loss and margin leakage are happening - and build the controls that stop it happening again.
I'm a stocktaker, financial controller, and internal auditor with 40 years in hospitality — including roles at Allied Domecq, Hilton, Marco Pierre White, and RedCat. Based in the Midlands, I work with F&B operators across the UK who want to know the truth about their business and have the authority to act on it. One site or a hundred, the conversation is the same: get into the numbers, find where the profit's going, and drive the changes that stop it happening again.
Here's what's usually happening:
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Stock deficiencies on the bar month in, month out with no explanation.
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Loose goods receiving with no checks against the delivery note or purchase order.
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Stock variances identified but not followed up.
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Cash that doesn't reconcile and the conversation never goes further than the site manager.
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GP coming in below theoretical every month and the gap just accepted as normal.
Individually these don't look dramatic. They drop down the priority list. But left unresolved they compound — and the cumulative impact on your profitability is significant.
This is not a stocktaking problem. It's an operational one.
Most businesses either have a stocktaker or do it themselves.
The variances get highlighted and reported every month but nothing changes.
Why? Because identifying loss is just the first step.
Understanding what's driving it, where it's coming from, and what needs to change operationally to stop it - that's the work. And that conversation has to happen at the top, with the person who is accountable for the number and has the authority to drive change.
40 years across kitchens, bars, stock audit, financial control, and internal audit means I understand not just where the numbers are wrong but why, and what needs to change to stop it happening again.
Real Example: £10,000/month recovered
A high-volume restaurant bar. 500 covers a day. Strong revenue. Busy every night.
Losing £10,000 a month.
Nobody had noticed because the top line looked healthy.
The loss was buried — in overpouring, untracked wastage, cash that wasn't making it to the till, and a bar operating without any real controls in place.
Within three months:
✅ Loss eliminated
✅ Profit restored
✅ Controls embedded
Not by selling more, by stopping the leaking.
What I do...
Stock Audits:
Stock doesn't lose you money. Poor control does.
I use stock analysis to identify where your F&B operation is losing profit, what's causing it, and what needs to change.
Profit Recovery:
The numbers in your business are telling a story. Most operators aren't reading it. I get into the detail, identify where the profit is going, and give you the tools to stop it happening again.
Compliance Audits:
Every business is different. We work together to design a tailored audit framework built around your KPIs, your standards, and your operational priorities. The audit then measures your sites against what matters to you — not a generic checklist.
It gives you a consistent, independent view of how your estate is actually performing against the standards we've set together.
Who is this for?
This is not for everyone.
I work with owners, COOs, and CFOs who are accountable for the number and have the authority to drive change. Operators who want the truth about their business and are ready to act on it.
If your margins are not where they should be, your cost of sales keeps creeping up, your sites are busy but not delivering expected profit, or you suspect leakage but cannot pinpoint where - you already know something needs to change.
If you are looking for a report to file and move on, this is not it.
Testimonials
Mike Rothwell
Current : Chief Financial Officer, Red Cat Hospitality Limited.
"David was a key player in improving controls, processes, rigour and ultimately F&B margins across our RedCat portfolio. He has a deep understanding of the mechanics of hotels, pubs and F&B — it's an instinct formed over many years and I would recommend him highly to anyone who needs support on getting margins and controls from where they are to where they should be."
Keith Pentland
Current : Director of Finance and Resources at National Museums Scotland
Was : Director of Finance, Hilton Birmingham Metropole, Birmingham
"One of my proudest moments at Hilton was topping the benchmarking tables in every category. This was done by empowering people like David to do what he does best. David was the driver behind having the lowest Food and Beverage Cost of Sales. He did this by quietly working away with the kitchen and bar teams to improve conversion and eradicating losses. He is a team player working with teams to get better results, and not afraid to call out ineffective controls, processes or people. I would happily work with David again — he would be a great asset to any organisation."
Aleem Tufail
Current : Director - Hospitality Recruiter @ Kerry Robert Associates Limited
Was : Group Finance Director - Black & White Hospitality Limited
"David understands the controls around Food and Beverage outlets very well. He deep dives into the detail, putting in place clear procedures for managing effectively the COS. When I worked with David, I knew our F&B outlets were in good hands as David looked at the revenue capture, stock movement, and the usual staff procedures to ensure we delivered the best margins possible. David was very creative in putting together new F&B packages (i.e. Afternoon Tea) through costing out each menu item and presenting the end piece for launching with all 3rd parties. His EPOS skills are strong and his implementation of F&B projects can always be relied upon."
Common Questions
Why is my restaurant making good sales but low profit?
Hidden operational leakage — overpouring, stock variance, weak delivery controls — erodes margin without appearing clearly in reports. The top line can look healthy while the operation loses money daily.
What causes stock variance in hospitality?
Typical causes include poor goods receiving processes, inaccurate deliveries, overpouring, portion drift, and lack of site-level accountability. A variance that recurs every month is telling you something specific.
How do you improve profits in a pub or restaurant?
Start with a proper root cause analysis, not just a report. Most operators already know something's wrong - The work is actually finding exactly what's driving it operationally, then fixing that, not just measuring it again next month.
I'm based in Sutton Coldfield and work with F&B operators across the Midlands and the wider UK doing exactly this: getting into the numbers, finding where the profit's going, and building the controls that stop it happening again.
What is root cause analysis?
Most stocktakes and reports tell you a variance exists. Root cause analysis is the next step — finding out exactly what's driving it operationally, not just confirming the number. A stock discrepancy might come from theft, poor goods-in checks, portion drift, or a dozen other causes, and each one needs a different fix. Without root cause analysis, you're just re-measuring the same problem every month instead of solving it.
Is stocktaking enough to control margins?
No. Stocktaking identifies variance — it does not explain or fix the underlying cause. That requires operational investigation and on-site correction.
What is a Profit Review?
A straightforward, no-obligation conversation about your operation and where the gaps might be. Most operators know within 20 minutes whether there's a meaningful recovery opportunity.
No pitch. No jargon. Just clarity.
Book a Profit Review
A Profit Review is a straight conversation about your business. No pitch. No jargon.
You tell me what you're seeing. I'll tell you what it's likely telling you and what I'd do about it.
If there's a real recovery opportunity we'll know quickly. Most operators do within 20 minutes.
If we decide to work together, you get full visibility of your stock movements product by product, a definitive set of numbers you can rely on, and my honest evaluation of what your results are actually telling you.
No obligation. Just clarity.
You've found the gap, now let's close it.
The question isn't whether there's a problem. It's where it is — and what it's costing you every week it goes unfixed.