Church Fair Prices

We had Christmas Fayre last week.
Tea or coffee, a scone with jam and cream and a biscuit was £1.00!
I was amazed, told it had always been £1.

Thanks for the update OP. Sounds really successful.

Everything you've just written will be really useful info for whoever runs it next time.

Agreed. There were grumblings when our school PTA sold all the cakes at 50p, lots of people saying it wouldn't cover their ingredients. And this was 8ish years ago.

They are donating the ingredients anyway but it sticks in the throat a little if the church ends up with less than if they 'd just donated the cash and not bothered to make the cakes.

It's a fundraising event. The aim is to make money.

What's the point otherwise? Churches still money to operate. GIving away tea/coffee/bacon sarnies at a loss in the name of "inclusivity" would entirely defeat the point.

Greggs etc can afford to do those deals because they run at scale.

That sounds perfect, similar prices to the ones around here(mixed demographic, Yorkshire).

50p a slice wouldn't cover the ingredients and fuel for baking, I imagine. This baker breaks down what the ingredients cost but doesn't include the fuel. It's quite interesting.

http://shewhobakes.co.uk/budget-vs-premium-baking-victoria-sponge/

Our church charges £1 for either coffee or tea and 50p for squash. 50p for cupcake or slice of cake. Most people do give more eg 2 hot drinks and 2 cupcakes will give £5, but it means those who don't have much spare cash can join in too. Also DC often buy a cake.

In my experience people flipping love a nice bacon or sausage sarnie. Especially the stallholders. It's always really disappointing to find just biscuits and some Mr Kiplings on offer.
I'm surprised that so many people seem to think that eating and drinking is an essential part of visiting a church fair. Does it come from the same mentality as the constant offering of snacks? Most times I visit something like this I look around and leave. Anyway, if adults can get a cuppa for £1 surely that's fine? They can eat at home.
Op - the only thing I'd change maybe is to put out jugs of water for people to help themselves. Then you can't be accused of failing to give people something to drink.

The church events I've been too have all had cheaper prices than those.
You can get a sandwich and drinks meal deal for less than £5 in cafes (£2.70 in Greggs)
I think prices for church events need to be as cheap as possible so as to be as inclusive as possible.
I'd go for a donation box as then people can pay what they can. Works well at the local gallery and church near to me.

I'd charge the same for tea & coffee. £1 and it's still a big mark up

It's a church fair, not a business per se.. yes, you want to make money but not price some people out. The elderly on s pension could not be able to afford £5 on a meal. Col as it is. I also doubt that there is a huge market for sandwiches. Wouldn't cakes, biscuits and crisps be easier and cheaper?

A 90% approval rating in the poll OP. Job's a good'un. It was never going to unanimous but you've got surprisingly close.

I do a lot of fairs etc with my jewellery. Tea and coffee usually cost the same. Filter coffee is a waste of time, just do instant. £1 per cup is about average for that, maybe £1.50 but £2 is a bit steep. Charge for squash otherwise people will take the piss. Just make up jugs and 50p per cup. £2.50 for the sarnies is fine, more would be too much I think.
The nicest fairs I do give free tea and coffee to the stallholders. At one of the schools I go to we get given a mug when we arrive, and can take it up for refills all day. Doesn't cost them much and is a really nice touch.

The prices are cheap enough without reducing them further, people don't have to buy it if they can't afford it.

You’re not charging enough

A fair is a place to spend money. If you can't afford 50p for a drink why would you go? And if you know you can't afford a single thing but just wanted to look why wouldn't you bring something for your kids to eat and drink whilst there? It seems entitled.

If nothing else, this thread has proved that OP will get criticised at whatever price she chooses!

FWIW, the prices seem ok to me and are comparable to what we charge at school PTA events. As a couple of PPs have said though, you need to make sure the cost of your ingredients match your pricing so you actually make a profit.

How many children would you expect to come? If it's not many I'd suggest free squash. Keep every thing in £ or 50p increments if you want a happy treasurer. Odd amounts like the £1.60 suggested are a nightmare for change and totting up.

If you've got a local butcher with a good reputation you can normally use that to justify a higher price for bacon/sausages if you advertise the source e.g. "Smith's bacon roll - £3.50". IME people will pay more for something they know is better quality. The butcher may also be willing to charge a reduced price for the quantity/publicity.

Are all the takings from the fair going to the church? If so, worth keeping refreshment prices low as it will encourage people to spend more at the stalls as they feel they are getting a good deal. If stallholders are giving you a fixed fee to be there I'd tweak the prices slightly upwards to increase the amount going into church funds.

Some posters on here seem to want OP to carry out a fundraising event without actually making any funds.

I think your prices are fine, but I’d give the squash for free.

Id skip the filter coffee as it’s a lot more money and hassle for you compared to instant.

I would do mince pies ( no work compared to making hot sandwiches) and chocolate wrapped biscuits for the kids ( again no work ) . You will make more profit on them.

Don’t put out plates of unwrapped biscuits , you will get kids / teens who will take half the plate in one go .

You could make a separate table ( away from the hot food and drinks ) and have it staffed by the guides , for the squash and biscuits . You might be able to get them to make rice crispie cakes or similar , kids love that.

That will keep the queues down and the kids away from the coffee area . Congestion / hot drinks / hyper kids running around is always a problem At these events .

Dear OP, firstly thank you for volunteering.
It is a bit of a minefield. I'd put tea and coffee at the same price £2.00.
Do 50p squash and maybe free water.
Have a bacon and sausage sandwich for £3.00
You will be asked for herbal tea, gluten free bread, etc, etc - been there done that.
I work in a charity shop and get told stories of how a family has nothing and can I bring prices down, only to carry stuff out to a Jag or massive 4 x 4.

Churches as everywhere else have seen an increase in costs and a drop in donations. Have fun op and remember to make sure you have a nice meal prepared when you get home or a chippy tea. Our church fair is Saturday.
Jingle all the way.

It's a fundraising event.

When was the last time you honestly went to a cafe and paid £1 for a coffee or £2 for a bacon sandwich? It's not like the church gets a special God discount on buying the stuff in. A pack of 8 rashers of bacon is what, £3 these days? So if you do say 3-4 rashers per sandwich once you add on the cost of bread/butter and cooking at £2 you are making a loss.

Work out how much it costs to provide everything and stick a profit margin on top. Easy.

I think the prices are fine
I do the cricket club refreshments. There was a significant drop in sales when we tried to out the price of bacon/sausage sandwiches up from. £2.50 to £3!

When was the last time anyone bought a cup of tea for 50p?! Honestly, I'd have to go back to the 80s.

I was charging £1 for a disgusting brew in a paper cup to football parents more than 10 years ago, as did every team in the county.