diff --git a/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/benchmark/relations_bench/widget.bench.cpp b/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/benchmark/relations_bench/widget.bench.cpp
index d1d468b0f8f..a47d1cc1460 100644
--- a/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/benchmark/relations_bench/widget.bench.cpp
+++ b/barretenberg/cpp/src/barretenberg/benchmark/relations_bench/widget.bench.cpp
@@ -12,23 +12,59 @@ auto& engine = numeric::random::get_debug_engine();
 
 namespace proof_system::plonk {
 
-template <typename Flavor, typename Widget> void execute_widget(::benchmark::State& state)
+struct BasicPlonkKeyAndTranscript {
+    std::shared_ptr<proving_key> key;
+    transcript::StandardTranscript transcript;
+};
+
+BasicPlonkKeyAndTranscript get_plonk_key_and_transcript()
 {
     barretenberg::srs::init_crs_factory("../srs_db/ignition");
     auto inner_composer = plonk::UltraComposer();
     auto builder = typename plonk::UltraComposer::CircuitBuilder();
     bench_utils::generate_basic_arithmetic_circuit(builder, 80);
-    auto inner_prover = inner_composer.create_prover(builder);
-    auto inner_proof = inner_prover.construct_proof();
+    UltraProver inner_prover = inner_composer.create_prover(builder);
+    inner_prover.construct_proof();
+    return { inner_composer.circuit_proving_key, inner_prover.transcript };
+}
+
+template <typename Flavor, typename Widget> void execute_widget(::benchmark::State& state)
+{
+    BasicPlonkKeyAndTranscript data = get_plonk_key_and_transcript();
+    Widget widget(data.key);
     for (auto _ : state) {
-        Widget widget(inner_composer.circuit_proving_key.get());
-        widget.compute_quotient_contribution(barretenberg::fr::random_element(), inner_prover.transcript);
+        widget.compute_quotient_contribution(barretenberg::fr::random_element(), data.transcript);
     }
 }
+void plookup_auxiliary_kernel(::benchmark::State& state) noexcept
+{
+    BasicPlonkKeyAndTranscript data = get_plonk_key_and_transcript();
+
+    using FFTGetter = ProverPlookupAuxiliaryWidget<ultra_settings>::FFTGetter;
+    using FFTKernel = ProverPlookupAuxiliaryWidget<ultra_settings>::FFTKernel;
+
+    auto polynomials = FFTGetter::get_polynomials(data.key.get(), FFTKernel::get_required_polynomial_ids());
+    auto challenges = FFTGetter::get_challenges(
+        data.transcript, barretenberg::fr::random_element(), FFTKernel::quotient_required_challenges);
+
+    for (auto _ : state) {
+        // NOTE: this simply calls the following 3 functions it does NOT try to replicate ProverPlookupAuxiliaryWidget
+        // logic exactly
+        widget::containers::coefficient_array<barretenberg::fr> linear_terms;
+        FFTKernel::compute_linear_terms(polynomials, challenges, linear_terms, 0);
+        barretenberg::fr sum_of_linear_terms = FFTKernel::sum_linear_terms(polynomials, challenges, linear_terms, 0);
+        FFTKernel::compute_non_linear_terms(polynomials, challenges, sum_of_linear_terms, 0);
+    }
+}
+BENCHMARK(plookup_auxiliary_kernel);
 
 void plookup_auxiliary_widget(::benchmark::State& state) noexcept
 {
-    execute_widget<honk::flavor::Ultra, ProverPlookupAuxiliaryWidget<ultra_settings>>(state);
+    BasicPlonkKeyAndTranscript data = get_plonk_key_and_transcript();
+    ProverPlookupAuxiliaryWidget<ultra_settings> widget(data.key.get());
+    for (auto _ : state) {
+        widget.compute_quotient_contribution(barretenberg::fr::random_element(), data.transcript);
+    }
 }
 BENCHMARK(plookup_auxiliary_widget);