diff --git a/cli/recipe/sync.go b/cli/recipe/sync.go
index e52856d47..142f6d6bd 100644
--- a/cli/recipe/sync.go
+++ b/cli/recipe/sync.go
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ import (
 
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/cli/internal"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/client"
-	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/compose"
-	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/config"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/recipe"
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/reference"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -31,13 +29,13 @@ the versioning metadata of up-and-running containers are.
 	Action: func(c *cli.Context) error {
 		recipeName := internal.ValidateRecipe(c)
 
-		composeConfig, err := recipe.GetComposeConfig(recipeName)
+		recipe, err := recipe.Get(recipeName)
 		if err != nil {
 			logrus.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
 		hasAppService := false
-		for _, service := range composeConfig.Services {
+		for _, service := range recipe.Config.Services {
 			if service.Name == "app" {
 				hasAppService = true
 			}
@@ -47,7 +45,7 @@ the versioning metadata of up-and-running containers are.
 			logrus.Fatal(fmt.Sprintf("No 'app' service defined in '%s', cannot proceed", recipeName))
 		}
 
-		for _, service := range composeConfig.Services {
+		for _, service := range recipe.Config.Services {
 			img, err := reference.ParseNormalizedNamed(service.Image)
 			if err != nil {
 				logrus.Fatal(err)
@@ -60,8 +58,7 @@ the versioning metadata of up-and-running containers are.
 
 			tag := img.(reference.NamedTagged).Tag()
 			label := fmt.Sprintf("coop-cloud.${STACK_NAME}.%s.version=%s-%s", service.Name, tag, digest)
-			pattern := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/compose**yml", config.APPS_DIR, recipeName)
-			if err := compose.UpdateLabel(pattern, service.Name, label); err != nil {
+			if err := recipe.UpdateLabel(service.Name, label); err != nil {
 				logrus.Fatal(err)
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/cli/recipe/upgrade.go b/cli/recipe/upgrade.go
index ca2c4a1b1..7a577b392 100644
--- a/cli/recipe/upgrade.go
+++ b/cli/recipe/upgrade.go
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/cli/internal"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/catalogue"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/client"
-	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/compose"
-	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/config"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/recipe"
 	"coopcloud.tech/tagcmp"
 	"github.com/AlecAivazis/survey/v2"
@@ -38,12 +36,12 @@ This is step 1 of upgrading a recipe. Step 2 is running "abra recipe sync
 	Action: func(c *cli.Context) error {
 		recipeName := internal.ValidateRecipe(c)
 
-		composeConfig, err := recipe.GetComposeConfig(recipeName)
+		recipe, err := recipe.Get(recipeName)
 		if err != nil {
 			logrus.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
-		for _, service := range composeConfig.Services {
+		for _, service := range recipe.Config.Services {
 			catlVersions, err := catalogue.VersionsOfService(recipeName, service.Name)
 			if err != nil {
 				logrus.Fatal(err)
@@ -129,8 +127,7 @@ This is step 1 of upgrading a recipe. Step 2 is running "abra recipe sync
 				logrus.Fatal(err)
 			}
 
-			pattern := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/compose**yml", config.APPS_DIR, recipeName)
-			if err := compose.UpdateTag(pattern, image, upgradeTag); err != nil {
+			if err := recipe.UpdateTag(image, upgradeTag); err != nil {
 				logrus.Fatal(err)
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/recipe/recipe.go b/pkg/recipe/recipe.go
index 9b098f98a..140297cca 100644
--- a/pkg/recipe/recipe.go
+++ b/pkg/recipe/recipe.go
@@ -9,12 +9,55 @@ import (
 
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/client/stack"
 	loader "coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/client/stack"
+	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/compose"
 	"coopcloud.tech/abra/pkg/config"
 	composetypes "github.com/docker/cli/cli/compose/types"
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5"
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/plumbing"
 )
 
+// Recipe represents a recipe.
+type Recipe struct {
+	Name   string
+	Config *composetypes.Config
+}
+
+// UpdateLabel updates a recipe label
+func (r Recipe) UpdateLabel(serviceName, label string) error {
+	pattern := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/compose**yml", config.APPS_DIR, r.Name)
+	if err := compose.UpdateLabel(pattern, serviceName, label); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// UpdateTag updates a recipe tag
+func (r Recipe) UpdateTag(image, tag string) error {
+	pattern := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/compose**yml", config.APPS_DIR, r.Name)
+	if err := compose.UpdateTag(pattern, image, tag); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Get retrieves a recipe.
+func Get(recipeName string) (Recipe, error) {
+	pattern := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/compose**yml", config.APPS_DIR, recipeName)
+	composeFiles, err := filepath.Glob(pattern)
+	if err != nil {
+		return Recipe{}, err
+	}
+
+	opts := stack.Deploy{Composefiles: composeFiles}
+	emptyEnv := make(map[string]string)
+	config, err := loader.LoadComposefile(opts, emptyEnv)
+	if err != nil {
+		return Recipe{}, err
+	}
+
+	return Recipe{Name: recipeName, Config: config}, nil
+}
+
 // EnsureExists checks whether a recipe has been cloned locally or not.
 func EnsureExists(recipe string) error {
 	recipeDir := path.Join(config.ABRA_DIR, "apps", strings.ToLower(recipe))
@@ -70,21 +113,3 @@ func EnsureVersion(version string) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
-
-// GetComposeConfig merges and loads a recipe compose configuration.
-func GetComposeConfig(recipeName string) (*composetypes.Config, error) {
-	pattern := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/compose**yml", config.APPS_DIR, recipeName)
-	composeFiles, err := filepath.Glob(pattern)
-	if err != nil {
-		return &composetypes.Config{}, err
-	}
-
-	opts := stack.Deploy{Composefiles: composeFiles}
-	emptyEnv := make(map[string]string)
-	compose, err := loader.LoadComposefile(opts, emptyEnv)
-	if err != nil {
-		return &composetypes.Config{}, err
-	}
-
-	return compose, nil
-}