AIBU to blame people who constantly pay high prices for food and drink at events for keeping those prices high?

When Cornettos first came out in the UK, at school we used to sing a parody of the advert "Just one Cornetto, give it to me, you must be joking, they're 30p"

I laugh now at the effects of inflation on that version. We thought 30p was an absolute fortune for an ice cream in those days. You could get a bog standard ice cream for 10p.

I've also got a book of a policeman's memoirs and he mentions having a quiet word with an ice cream seller (in the 70s) who was charging unsuspecting Japanese tourists £1 per ice cream cone.

I love how funny those things sound 50 years later.

You bought drinks and ice cream i don't think you can complain much tbh. .people go to events and can decide if they want refreshments or not you. Chose to have some.

It's not the price of the food you are paying for; it's the convenience and venue which costs. You can't expect supermarket or icecream van prices. There are much more overheads at a venue like a cricket ground that you are probably not aware of. They have to cover their costs somehow.

Your husband still paid so obviously he is prepared to pay the prices. Watch the cricket on tv at home if you want to eat cheap icecreams!

Prices at the cricket were actually reasonable I thought last week, £6.50 for thatchers, £5 for 2 scoops of local excellent ice cream, we took food with us which most venues don’t allow so another plus point for cricket.

local football ground is similarly priced but big stadiums like principality or areas like the nec, ouch, a pound or more extra per item.

local mr whippy to me is £5 for a 99, I don’t like it, we buy ice cream from the supermarket

And people who " can easily afford it" ...have a medal for being tone deaf.

Yanbu op. These prices are ridiculous and the vendors are greedy.

Husband took little one off for a promised ice cream (it was hot and young children love an ice cream treat)

Thank God you clarified that young children love an ice cream treat; I thought that most people thought ice cream akin to dog shit.

Is the 4 year old not yours, the way you keep saying the kid like the child is nothing to do with you is a little strange.

as is saying it was my husband not me, your husband clearly felt it was fine, he even bought himself one, bought drinks, and if you’re married then I assume it’s ultimately all joint money,

you do seem tight, enjoying what your husband bought, but complaining and wanting others to say no,

it won’t be prices will come down if everyone refuses, it will be no one will rent a pitch,

You're saying this happened on a very rare day out, so I think you're being pretty mean to call your husband an idiot for treating himself and your child. It was part of a day out, and holding off for an ice cream at home wouldn't have been as fun. I agree £8 is expensive for an ice cream, but this was a very rare treat decided on in the moment. I couldn't get upset about it.

It's part of their business model. That's why cheap seats were available. If you got such a cheap seat and were allowed to take a picnic in, you were doing well. You aren't just paying for the ice cream but all the running costs of the cafe being there to sell it to you.

Believe me nobody in hospitality or events is raking it in these days. All their wages and overhead costs have increased. It's obvious that places like cinemas are making their margins on refreshments, because people won't pay an extra £5 on the ticket (as that's where it's competitive) but will spend £50 on drinks and snacks once they are there.

If you want a cheap ice cream, better to stay at home and buy it from the co op!

That is a lot. We only paid £6 for a sausage sandwich (large hot dog size) and £10 for a pie, chips, peas and gravy inside a football stadium at the weekend. It fed all 3 of us for lunch.

I have a good income and limited outgoings so I spend on holidays and theatre mainly. Those are my priorities.

I like a glass of prosecco before and during the performance which is £26 at the Palace Theatre. It's ridiculous. Add to it drinks for dc (so 4 fantas if we drink before and at interval) plus dh has a coffee. The bill is generally £50-60 . On top of £200-£300 of tickets.

It's a lot but we don't do it too often.

The idea of sitting there parched doesn't occur to us. You get frisked for drinks on the way in so you can't take your own.

Theatres are always packed.

I’m so impressed that you can manage to get a four year old to sit through 6+ hours of cricket with just one ice cream bribe! I think you got off lightly! You must have an exceptionally well-behaved child.

AIBU to blame people who attend The Hundred for damaging the viability of domestic county cricket in the important summer season? It’s flashy and pointless and takes away valuable players and resources from the domestic game.

Just making the point — as with your question, the issue is with the organisers and those directing and setting events and prices. Don’t shoot the consumers !

I asked for a glass of wine at the O2 last year. DH came back with 2 lagers, he said that was pricy enough but the wine was £17.50!! A glass. Ridiculous.

I think they have a captive audience and therefore can charge what they want. It sounds like you were lucky and were able to take food or snacks in (as you don't mention buying those but were there 6.5 hours). Lots of venues don't allow people to take their own.
I think you have to factor this in when you go to places.
I live near a tourist area. My parents often go to an ice cream shop where ice creams are £2.50. They are small, but enough for a bit of a treat when they go. That is definitely the cheapest I have heard of and most are £3.50 for a basic cone.
£8 does seem excessive but I am sure places like Legoland were also extortionate when we went for things like that and because you can't go off elsewhere then they know people will pay.

Also to add there have been lots of issues where I live lately with people not wanting to pay at a venue but happy to use the facilities. Some places do have picnic areas, but when it comes to pubs with play areas and farm shops with a cafe they have recently had to post reminders and reply to negative reviews where they have been criticised for telling people not to take their own food. I can't imagine rocking up at someone's business with my own food and then just ordering a drink, but apparently that is what is happening. As mentioned earlier, costs are higher for everyone. While going out for the day is expensive and therefore taking a picnic makes it cheaper, for a business if they rely on food sales then they can't afford to run if people don't buy anything. The result will be that these places close down.

I dont know what the rules are where you went but a lot of stadiums dont allow you to take your own food. (I usually manage to sneak some in anyway) If I go to a concert in the eve I always eat first because I know the food will be a) v expensive and b) usually crap.
If its an all day thing though you havent got much option depending on whether you can take in your own food. Lots of people would just factor it in to the over-all cost of the day

why should i take the blame for the high price?

I agree £8 is ridiculous for an ice cream and ripping people off. I would leave a review and maybe other people will bring their own or come prepared not to buy from them.

Prices need to be fairly high so they can ensure they don’t sell out in the first hour on a hot day.

If they had cost less than £2 like you expected, ice cream stocks would have run out very quickly and you would have had a disappointed child on your hands with no ice cream, and the ice cream seller would have to deal with hot, disgruntled queuers demanding to know why they hadn’t brought enough stock with them.

£8 ensures enough people shake their heads in disbelief, and there is still ice cream for those that are willing to pay, and yet enough ice cream is sold to ensure a profit for the seller.

We're in the Midlands and I can't remember paying less than £3.50 for an ice cream van treat for a while. I tend to get twitchy above £4.50.

£8 is ridiculous though. I think others are right about pitch fees being a big part of it.

Food van prices in general have gone up a lot over the last few years.

Prices are high because the ground charges a huge uplift to the vendors to have a stall within the ground and the food stalls have to break even. If people
didn't buy from them, the ice cream stall wouldn’t be there next time.

Most cricket grounds have water stations for free - just refill your drink bottle, no need to die of thirst. You weren’t in the Sahara desert!

Yes, going to watch any sport in a stadium is expensive which is one reason why people take their own food. We just factor the cost in when we go.

You are justifying the spend here - and that’s absolutely fine - but it’s also probably the justification a lot of families use which is why the products get bought and prices remain high.

Mugs like your DH are the cause here. I'd have said we'll stop at Tesco on the way home and buy a pack for a couple of quid. 4 year olds can wait. Also "the little one" makes my teeth itch. Can't you just say DD/DS?