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Original poster

Afternoon tea is a rip off largely aimed at ripping women off

759 replies

Coddy · 07/04/2024 16:16

Somebody suggested this to me and I’ve never thought of it that way.

You don’t get very men going for afternoon tea do you? The Mark up on afternoon tea is absolutely enormous aside from staffing and cost of the building and stuff- it must be money for old rope for the businesses concerned. Specially the ones that charge over 50 quid ahead.

Are we being conned by the whole afternoon tea debacle?

(yes cake is nice I get that)

OP posts:
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15
Bjorkdidit · 08/04/2024 08:55

RampantIvy · 07/04/2024 19:20

Where are people having afternoon tea at £40 a pop?

Now this being Mumsnet, I have no idea whether that poster was asking 'where are people having afternoon tea for only £40 a pop' or 'where are people paying as much as £40 pp for afternoon tea'.

saraclara · 08/04/2024 08:50

Longsight2019 · 08/04/2024 02:01

Oh. I’ve just booked afternoon tea with some reluctance for my wife’s birthday. And now I’ve read this and it kind of proves my fear/point.

It’s a bloody con!

Should I cancel?

Of course not! Much as OP would have you believe that you shouldn't pay more than the cost of a Tesco 'take home' meal deal, to have excellent service in a lovely setting, with beautifully prepared interesting sandwiches and varieties of cakes made by professional pastry cooks, she's wrong.

TheGiantEmperor · 08/04/2024 08:41

ShadesofPoachedSmoke · 08/04/2024 04:57

@TheGiantEmperor did you not check the price when you booked? Even a glance?

I checked little ones- stupidly overpriced but a special occasion! Didn't realise they only served afternoon tea, thought I'd be able to get myself a breakfast.

PenguinLord · 08/04/2024 08:21

Surely that's just any dining not just afternoon tea? Does a full English cost £14+ (it does in some of the nice cafes around us)? It doesnt. Do ingredients of a pizza amount to £18? No they dont.
But you pay to sit down and have a nice meal.

Bjorkdidit · 08/04/2024 08:17

It is easy to spend about £15 a head in McDonalds

But that must have bought 2 large burger meals and extra sides/dessert as well. That is not a normal amount of food for one person.

I went to McDonalds a couple of weeks ago and had a meal, it was under £6 and that was at a service station so probably more expensive than average.

Whycantiwinmillionsandsquillions · 08/04/2024 08:10

McDonalds 🙀🙀🙀🙀
Faints.

Wagonwheelforme · 08/04/2024 08:08

Coddy · 07/04/2024 16:47

Being a woman of the people I went to McDonald’s for lunch the other day and had a cheeseburger, some chips and a Diet Coke. It was 600 cal and £4.49. What the fuck are you buying for 50 quid?

So you ordered from the ‘saver’ menu and you bought the small size of everything?

my DS would still be starving after eating that.

It is easy to spend about £15 a head in McDonalds.

I don’t understand all these posters who still seem to be living in 1997 when a meal was £3.79. Check the prices on the website

PracticallyPerfectedIt · 08/04/2024 08:00

Coddy · 08/04/2024 07:59

Bolded giggling too. Excellent work

Thank you. It took all of my limited brain power.

LlynTegid · 08/04/2024 07:59

It is a rip-off, largely aimed at women, though to begin with probably was as well a way of dating I guess in older times.

Original poster
Coddy · 08/04/2024 07:59

Bolded giggling too. Excellent work

OP posts:
WandaWonder · 08/04/2024 07:58

Coddy · 08/04/2024 07:42

Anyway, I noticed that I’m comfortably in the lead now in the voting, so I’m right it seems

All it would show to me is women are gullible then

PracticallyPerfectedIt · 08/04/2024 07:57

Longsight2019 · 08/04/2024 02:01

Oh. I’ve just booked afternoon tea with some reluctance for my wife’s birthday. And now I’ve read this and it kind of proves my fear/point.

It’s a bloody con!

Should I cancel?

No. It's probably not a con (I've never felt short changed at any afternoon tea, but I always take the leftovers home in a box even from Gleneagles etc)

Don't bow to the blatant misogyny and snobbery of this thread, unless you're desperate to prove (to yourself - no one else gives a shit) that you are SO much better than all those silly daft ladies who PAY money for a sandwich and cakes. All the while filling their fluffy heads with chit chat and prosecco! giggles

Original poster
Coddy · 08/04/2024 07:42

Anyway, I noticed that I’m comfortably in the lead now in the voting, so I’m right it seems

OP posts:
ThePoshUns · 08/04/2024 07:41

Hang a banger, Greggs do a lovely ham and egg salad roll I'll have you know!

Original poster
Coddy · 08/04/2024 07:35

Agree with you on Greggs it’s just flabby horrible pastry and processed nonsense.

They should pop down to McDonald’s for a nice 600 cal 😜.

OP posts:
Whycantiwinmillionsandsquillions · 08/04/2024 07:34

Why don’t men take there own lunch to work and save money?
Why is there always an enormous queue at the Greggs in town, mainly consisting of workmen buying what can only be described as shit food.
Yes I know, I know, I must be the only person alive to consider Greggs total shit.
But it’s truly heart attack fodder.
Now if you want to talk about sickly cakes that’s the place to be. There must be about 2000 calories in there pasty stuff and cakes.
If I’m going to tray myself I go to the bakers around the corner, much nicer.
Dons hard hat.

Original poster
Coddy · 08/04/2024 07:29

KitKatChunki · 07/04/2024 23:03

It does make me laugh to think this is being pondered on as sexist though. Men are literally paying hundreds to see strangers feet wiggle across the globe and paying cam girls to moan a bit and call them "big boy" on the regular and there's all of us women having actual conversation with tea and CAKE! World has gone mad, indeed 😅

Ha ha yes

OP posts:
Whycantiwinmillionsandsquillions · 08/04/2024 07:26

It’s probably already been said but you can say this about eating and drinking out at any venue.
I’m more annoyed that a pint of Diet Coke is the same price as a pint of lager. Now that is wrong.
I don’t mind afternoon tea. I’ve never paid anywhere near £50 for it. I don’t mind paying more to sit in peace in a beautiful location.

Original poster
Coddy · 08/04/2024 07:19

theduchessofspork · 08/04/2024 00:17

Have you thought about putting your internalised misogyny in a finger sandwich ?

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That sounds a bit painful

OP posts:
Original poster
Coddy · 08/04/2024 07:17

Mixedvegetables · 07/04/2024 22:24

You still make me laugh after 20 yrs

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Thanks mate!

OP posts:
HulaChick · 08/04/2024 06:59

I've been to quite a few afternoon 'teas' with the usual sandwiches, cakes & Proseco. Very nice, I thought, at first but, actually, like you, I think they're a complete ripoff & am just not interested in them anymore, especially the 'themed' ones. I'd rather have just the sandwiches as the cakes are so sweet & sickly. No interest in doing anymore!

SusieLawson · 08/04/2024 06:55

ShadesofPoachedSmoke · 08/04/2024 05:37

@SusieLawson I would definitely say that £21 for a wash and haircut is very cheap! That's a bargain.

Yes true, but if you do an image search for Cellys, it was only a few years ago that their sign outside said everything £11, so a wash and cut would bt £11, and blow dry another £11. I was surprised that now a wash, cut and blow dry would be £42, in what was once a cheap salon.
Well anyway, I would also see men in there for the same price

I liked a woman's hair so asked where she had it done, and was surprised that she told me it was cut in a traditional barbers

SusieLawson · 08/04/2024 06:30

theresnolimits · 07/04/2024 16:26

On that basis why does anyone go out for a meal? Why do I pay £9 for a glass of wine in a pub when I can get a bottle for that and drink it in my living room?

I love an afternoon tea with my friends. I love putting on a nice dress, sitting comfortably in nice surroundings and being served. I accept I have to pay for that far beyond the actual cost of the food. And if there are no screens showing football and no noisy men, all the better.

Take away my afternoon teas at your peril!

That's true. My afternoon tea was an afternoon out at a beautiful hotel with a lovely garden to look around after. I found it more value for money than buying a take away, as I felt ripped off from my last few take aways, that cost a lot but obviously cheap ingredients and often badly cooked.

BlueThursday · 08/04/2024 06:17

ShadesofPoachedSmoke · 08/04/2024 04:55

customers can’t be offered a double spirit or a large glass of wine. It has to be a single or small unless requested.

@BlueThursday ummm I live in Scotland and every place I go has the option of 175 ml or 250ml wine on the drinks menus. No curbing as far as I'm aware?

Yes it’s available but the server must default to small unless the guest asks for the larger

WandaWonder · 08/04/2024 05:55

ilovesooty · 07/04/2024 16:26

Agreed. Anyone would think women are silly and vulnerable and incapable of making social and financial choices.

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Well that is an endless daily thing on here I find

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