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Original poster

£3.75 for a coffee

127 replies

CoffeePricing · 26/04/2023 09:58

Just a flat white, is this normal? I live I the countryside, mostly WFH now.

I've just come to a local café for a change of scenery, and can't believe how expensive just a cup of coffee is now!

OP posts:
clusterfuck101 · 26/04/2023 11:45

my weekly coffee treat at work (starbucks) usually costs me around £3.75. It feels ridiculous really for what it is but it keeps me going on a stressful day!
I usually have iced latte with almond milk- they like to charge extra for that too!

Precipice · 26/04/2023 11:48

CheeseLouisePlease · 26/04/2023 10:45

I came on to complain about tea. It’s usually crap weak tea as well, water not hot enough as well. At least with coffee they seem to care about quality and there’s a bit of effort into making it.

I find that it's frequently mediocre and fairly weak coffee as well! It does come hot, I'll give it that.

HurdyGurdy19 · 26/04/2023 11:52

Our local independent coffee shop charges 99p for all coffees and tea. I don't know how they do it, but I am very grateful that they do.

I think milkshakes with whipped cream are also 99p - possibly just over £1, but not anywhere near the sums other places are charging.

BarbaraofSeville · 26/04/2023 11:53

cosmiccosmos · 26/04/2023 11:44

The problem for me is that it's getting to a stage where the service is usually poor eg get the order wrong, tables not cleared, no water cups, most recently the one toilet not working, that I will just reduce, not go, cut down my order.

The metrics of coffee shops/restaurants is an issue. There's only so much people will put up with, it's supposed to be nice to go out. I am frequently now coming way knowing I could produce much better stuff at home.

I agree. It's all very well people saying that 'you're paying for the experience' or 'I need a change of scene' but when you're paying to queue up for ages while they produce coffee at glacial speed, and then you have to pick your way through other people's rubbish to be able to sit down, your 'relaxing time out' is disturbed by Other People who never stop talking and when you go to the toilet it's covered with the bodily fluids of strangers, it's not really something you'd be pleased to pay a premium for is it?

And it's not I have a big posh house that I don't need to escape from, it would perform very poorly in all essential MN tests for location, size and cleanliness/decor.

Helendegenerate · 26/04/2023 11:53

In an average year my Costa type coffee purchases will total one or possibly two. Those occasions will be if I am meeting someone in my local town for a shopping trip. Other than that I take my mini thermos flask (one cup size) and find a seat to have my free coffee.

Helendegenerate · 26/04/2023 12:00

or tea 😀☕

Gufo · 26/04/2023 12:00

£3 is the going rate for a flat white in my town, plus 50p or so for a milk alternative.

I don't get one very often!

Bonbon21 · 26/04/2023 12:17

I drink black coffee, no sugar.
Rarely do I receive a black Americano as good as I make at home in my filter machine.
I grudge nearly 4 quid for something mediocre... but sometimes there is no alternative if away from home... or out for a meal etc...
And black tea is awful made with cheap teabags....

ZenNudist · 26/04/2023 12:18

This is a bit pricey but I probably wouldn't blink. We go out for coffee a lot. I love a really nice blend of decaff (pret acceptable, costa dross, Starbucks tasteless, I prefer independents but not if its one button press machine coffee, that's crap).

We don't go to the pub or anything like that. I figure going for a coffee has replaced going to the pub.

we were doing "coffee catchups" at work One guy took his team for a pint instead. He pointed out a pint was cheaper (in our city centre) than coffee and a biscuit). Which is very true.

mjf981 · 26/04/2023 12:19

Wow. Its more expensive than Australia (never thought id say that!).

My extra shot flat white in Sydney hasn't really changed in price in the past few years. Generally about $4-$5. Which is about 2-2.50 pounds. And its almost always from an independent (hundreds to choose from), and invariably excellent quality.

Greenfairydust · 26/04/2023 12:22

''@Hbh17 · Today 10:14
Rent, wages, power, business rates, raw materials, marketing, fixtures & fittings, accountancy and other fees..... I mean, what do people really expect?''

But equally what do businesses expect?

People's wages are not going up to match inflation so people are cutting down. Coffee is a luxury for many.

If you keep putting the price up, you put yourself out of business.

To me it means that before I would have spend more time sitting down and having a break in a coffee shop, now I will only do it once a week if that.

Thinking that you can just increase prices and people will continue with the same spending habits is unrealistic.

Cluelessasacucumber · 26/04/2023 12:29

That's a bit pricey but if its a nice independent serving proper coffee then I'd expect anywhere between £2.50-£4.25 now.
I went to a coffee shop in London and the menu included a coffee for - I kid you not - £16!!! The place was heaving but I think most people were just buying the ordinary lattes

dramalynn · 26/04/2023 12:30

I don't tend to sit in to be fair, it's coffee on the go. I do prefer a small independent, than one of the busy chains, if sitting in.

I drink too much takeaway coffee, several a week. I'd like to make my own but only have a dolce gusto machine (not great) and a cafetière at home though, but I've been looking around for a Nespresso with attached milk frother.

GreenDressy · 26/04/2023 12:37

It really is normal...I have the Pret subscription but when they put my coffee order in I can see that it would cost me £3.45 if I was paying for it 🤦🏻‍♀️

Mephisneon · 26/04/2023 12:40

I think it's normal. I live in Newcastle so not London prices.

Fiftyisthenewsixty · 26/04/2023 12:48

I'm in Italy and in our town we're about to get our first Starbucks (unfortunately!) I'm intrigued to see what their pricing is going to be as a cappuccino currently costs €1.20 to €1.50 in local independent cafés.

evtheria · 26/04/2023 12:50

It's pricey, but unfortunately that's roundabout the typical price I'm seeing nowadays.

Daffodilwoman · 26/04/2023 12:53

Sounds pretty normal to me. I expect to lay over £3. There again if I’m meeting a friend or chilling on my own I think it’s worth it.

Daffodilwoman · 26/04/2023 12:54

That’s inclocal independents too. I don’t care for Starbucks and don’t like the toilets in Costa.

GloomySkies · 26/04/2023 13:00

They have a Costa machine in my workplace so you make your own coffee and you're only in the work building anyway, and that was £2.55 for a small coffee. I wouldn't have paid it but I was about to go into a mega tedious meeting and needed the caffeine to stay awake.

Crikeyalmighty · 26/04/2023 13:44

Yep it's all about that here in Bath. I noticed a massive difference when we came back to UK in May last year from 2020 when we left. Coffee up around £1.

OlivePinkSky · 26/04/2023 13:56

Greenfairydust · 26/04/2023 12:22

''@Hbh17 · Today 10:14
Rent, wages, power, business rates, raw materials, marketing, fixtures & fittings, accountancy and other fees..... I mean, what do people really expect?''

But equally what do businesses expect?

People's wages are not going up to match inflation so people are cutting down. Coffee is a luxury for many.

If you keep putting the price up, you put yourself out of business.

To me it means that before I would have spend more time sitting down and having a break in a coffee shop, now I will only do it once a week if that.

Thinking that you can just increase prices and people will continue with the same spending habits is unrealistic.

Exactly! There was a thread on here a while back where posters were bemoaning the price of a coffee out, and lots of business owners waded in to say that they were paying extortionate business rates/staff wages/increased energy costs etc etc and their profit margins were cut to the bone so they simply couldn't afford to drop their prices. Well what's the answer then? Because the average Joanna who's also going through the COL crisis can't afford their prices and will vote with their feet. Cue lots of boarded up coffee shops... There has to be a compromise here. Otherwise coffee drinking is going to become a very elitist activity enjoyed only by the few!

BarbedButterfly · 26/04/2023 13:59

Normal here

CheeseLouisePlease · 26/04/2023 13:59

dramalynn · 26/04/2023 11:43

It's actually £2.25 in my Costa (London). I've just looked it up.

Show quote history

And I’m in a crappy part of the north east, not many coffee shops though. So little competition

Capitulatingpanda · 26/04/2023 14:02

The independent coffee shops/roasters near me that serve amazing coffee are £3.20/£3.30 and that's in London. I'm really surprised that people say Costa is more when it tastes so shit!