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Original poster

Cost of Chinese takeaway!

42 replies

TinkerTiger · 02/02/2025 16:22

If you hate Chinese/takeaways/never get one/prefer to cook then this isn’t for you.

For those who do indulge in a takeaway, I ordered some Chinese for the first time in a while and I am SHOCKED at the costs! I’m in London FWIW. Seaweed was £8 and change??? Wtf! I didn’t get that. Went for a simple meat/rice box, side of salt and pepper chips and came to £18.

To top it off, food was less than good. And it’s from a place that I’ve ordered from regularly and used to be really good! 2 other places I also frequented have permanently closed.

With prices I can see why people maybe haven't been buying as frequently (I’ve been trying to save money/dieting) but I assumed they’ve all had to hike prices up really ridiculously for a reason. Energy bills?

What’s takeaways like where you are?

OP posts:

Zanzara · 02/02/2025 17:39

Husband and I both get a main course with chips or fried rice and free prawn crackers for around £15 in a pleasant corner of Yorkshire. Delivery not an option to our village, so we drive three miles to collect.

GotAGoodThing · 02/02/2025 17:40

Had a Chinese on a trip to the Midlands last weekend and it was £56 for sweet and sour chicken, chicken balls, beef chow main, fried chicken in sweet and sour, egg fried rice, plain rice, and prawn crackers. We had to pay for the prawn crackers; I'm sure they used to be free in our local one but maybe you have to pay for them everywhere now.
Still a lot less than a pizza which is now reaching dizzying heights of almost £90 with a 30% voucher for 2 large pizzas, a medium pizza, drinks, and 3 sides.

Sunnyside4 · 02/02/2025 18:08

We go Cantonese as it's much better than our Chinese. Only two of us. Usually order beef in wine and chilli £6.80, tofu in satay sauce £6.30 and fried rice £4, so under £20. Gloucestershire.

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Mum2jenny · 02/02/2025 20:19

Around Nottingham, the prices are lower but the quality is not so good. But I can get an ok Chinese for under £20 for two. It’s ok but not brilliant!!

InTheRainOnATrain · 02/02/2025 20:23

I can beat you- £8.40 for seaweed from our closest one! We hardly ever order it as the kids always want a duck and that’s almost £63…

TappyGilmore · 02/02/2025 20:27

It’s very expensive now. I have been going to the same Chinese place for the last 40 years because it really is that good! It was local 40 years ago; I have moved house a few times since then and now it is about a 20 minute drive away with thousands of other Chinese places (and other takeaways) in between. But because it’s all so expensive now, we only get it very rarely, and I like to know what I am getting! So it really is worth the drive haha. So yes, very expensive now, but definitely can’t complain about the food.

WhineAndWine1 · 02/02/2025 20:27

@TinkerTiger I'm just outside Glasgow and I can get 1x salt and chilli chicken, 1x sweet and sour Cantonese style, fried rice, curry sauce and Sui Mai for £26 delivery. I would feel ripped off paying £18 for your order.

Spurber · 02/02/2025 20:28

Yeah it's expensive but so is all food. Takeaways are treats for us so we don't kind paying more and going all out.

Spurber · 02/02/2025 20:29

Ps you're going to get competitive mumsnetters insisting one meal will last a family of 4 for a week..

AtticusCatticus · 02/02/2025 21:30

I try and cut back a bit - I get a duck from Lidl and cook it to arrive at the same time as the takeaway. Sometimes I buy Morrisons prawn toast and cook my own rice too.

Similar with chippy tea - we used to get fish and chips. We still buy the chips, but I can buy and cook a whole gammon for less than the price of two fish, and it feeds six of us.

Crikeyalmighty · 02/02/2025 23:01

@TappyGilmore we drive 20 minutes too and 7 miles away!! Like you though it's something we have maybe every6 weeks or so

invisiblebark · 02/02/2025 23:33

It's mad!

We ordered a Chinese for DHs birthday earlier this week. Came to £53 for the three of us, including the ridiculous Just Eat charges.

Egg Fridd Rice £4.80!!

I remember a few years ago, it was about £2.40!

UbiquitousObjects · 02/02/2025 23:41

I absolutely love Chinese and ours is excellent so I really don't mind the cost.

The only takeaway I balk at the cost of nowadays is fish and chips. When I was growing up it was the cheap option. My parents were skint so it was a we-can't-afford-a-chinese-but-can-stretch-to-a-chippy treat.

Nowadays...fuck me sideways, it's SO expensive!

medianewbie · 02/02/2025 23:55

AtticusCatticus · 02/02/2025 21:30

I try and cut back a bit - I get a duck from Lidl and cook it to arrive at the same time as the takeaway. Sometimes I buy Morrisons prawn toast and cook my own rice too.

Similar with chippy tea - we used to get fish and chips. We still buy the chips, but I can buy and cook a whole gammon for less than the price of two fish, and it feeds six of us.

Me too. I now cook fish at home to go with the chippy chips (half the price). 'Hoose rice' here too (Kevin Bridges :)

Mmhmmn · 02/02/2025 23:57

For two chicken dishes and two rices, it’s now about £24. Always good but definitely not cheap.

Ladyof2025 · 03/02/2025 01:06

On EastEnders most families seem to have no visible means of support, and yet they "grab" a take away three or four times a week. The moral of the story is move to Walford.

treesocks23 · 08/07/2025 20:59

I know I’m reviving an old thread but really interesting! We seem cheap round here then, not that I feel it is.

Our regular ish order (once pm) would be just over £30 for 4 adults. So 4x main meals and 2x egg fried rice.
If you order a curry you get rice or chips in the price for £6.30 which is great value

A set meal for 4 is £36.80 (4 mains, ribs, 2 large special fried rice and prawn crackers)

Same village fish and chips is now £8.90 for a large cod! We just had 2x large cod, 1x mini cod, halloumi gyros, large chips to share and large curry sauce for just over £37. That feels really expensive now. Although the large fish are huge and I think the mini are more than fine.

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