to think that £4.50 is a ridiculous price for a scone?

[emsyj]

I have just been to a new cafe that has opened on my local high street (small town in the north west, not a big city, not central London - just a bog standard local high street).

There were 4 of us and 3 tried to order carrot cake. The waitress returned a few moments after taking the order to say there was no carrot cake left, all they had was Victoria sponge or scones. So without the benefit of the menu in front of us listing the prices, two of us went for the sponge and one for the scone.

When it came time to pay, the person who had the scone was charged £4.50 for the scone and another £2.45 for a black coffee. I thought it must be a mistake so went to ask if it was right and the cafe owner was quite aggressive in saying that yes, it was £4.50 for the scone because they are 'baked fresh every day with locally-sourced ingredients'. I said I thought that £4.50 was a silly price for a scone, even if it were embellished with gold leaf.

So AIBU? Needless to say, we won't be going there again which is a shame as the cafe is seeking to be family-friendly with buggy parking, lots of high chairs, paper and drawing stuff for the older kids etc and we had high hopes for it being a nice weekly meeting place.

And Betty's is delicious food in a lovely setting with fantastic service, which is mostly what you're paying for.

I would take one look at that menu and leave.

I dont mind paying for decent coffee etc but that is an outrageous amount to charge for a scone, I wouldnt pay more than half that. I think that Costas et al take the piss with the prices they charge for their cakes and sandwiches, but this wipes them off the board!

She needs to get realistic about her prices and soon if she wants to be in business by the end of the year!

And "locally sourced"? Flour and eggs, ok, but raisins and sugar?! Do you live in California?! :o

It's an ok town - nice area, pleasant and all - but not 'posh' in the way that, say, Harrogate is.

There are a couple of other cafes in the immediate area - one is very nice and another is more 'greasy spoon' style, but ok. I don't go in there much as it is quite small so not practical with a pushchair, but it is good for dirty greasy weekend breakfasts.

Another cafe opened and closed again within six months on the same high street - it smelled a bit funny, which I think was the problem (although I don't know, of course).

There is another town about a mile down the road that has a lot of cafes and several of them are very good. So there is plenty of local competition.

Thinking about it, "locally sourced" could just mean she bought the ingredients at the Tesco down the road!

You have to feel sorry for these folk who have had a lovely dream of opening a small cafe and being mine host/ess to the locals.

But they dont do their homework and decide to run the business like their own homes. My house ,my rules might work with family who have little choice ,but in business you must make sure your customers choose to stay with you.Not just pay grudgingly and never return . There used to be a sign up in a shop I went into which said " if we do well tell others,if we do badly tell us" which surely is the motto of every small business wo/man.

Bettys tea rooms are famous for their teas ,queues and prices charged . But Bettys only charge £2.50 for their "freshly baked,all butter " scone.

I know where I would more happily spend my money.

And yes -as a woman with no small children I would definitely expect more of a 'genteel' experience for those prices. Im not interested in pram parks and wouldn't take children anywhere so expensive for a quick snack .

feeding strawberries to donkeys< icon :D

Pump Rooms in Bath Fruit scones with butter £2.75

Again I'm sure that you pay a premium for such a prestigious location

You really should send the cafe owner the link

I live in London, and there is no way on earth I would pay £4.50 for a scone with some jam and cream! Any decent place would at least include tea in the price. She is having a larf.

I was thinking that too, Bogeyface! I do a lovely lemon drizzle cake with 'locally sourced' ingredients - from Tony, my lovely corner shop owner.

"locally sourced" hee hee hee

That reminds me of a teashop job i had when i was 17. Every morning I would be sent to Morrison's with a brown wicker basket, under strict instruction NOT to use their carrier bags.

environmentally aware??

No. He just didn't want his customers knowing he used Morrison's basics flour and butter!

locally sourced ingredients? So is the flour local?? Totally agree there is a ceiling price on just about any cafe item.

My friend runs a somewhat fancy cafe and is just putting her huge, homemade scones up to £1.90. And that is in a cafe with an established reputation to support it.

Poshest scone establishment I've visited is The Orchard in Grantchester. A huge scone with jam and cream costs £3.45 but includes a lazy time in a deckchair under the apple trees.

£4.50 ????

Fecking hell. That is disgusting

The £2.45 for coffee is a disgrace too

My advice stay away from this robbing expensive cafe, and see if its still there in 12 months

I very much doubt it

Fortnum and Masons 2 scones (1 plain & 1 fruit) with jam preserve and clotted cream £6.50
So £3.25 per scone
Americano £3.75

Fifth floor Cafe - Harvey Nicks Knightsbridge
2 scones & tea or coffee - £7.95

I really don't think she has done her market research.

Gosh ChazsBrillaintAttitude that just totally and utterly proves this cafe owner is seriously taking the fecking biscuit.

I have been on a diet for a month..I still wouldn't pay bloody £4.50 for a medium scone.

Instead of putting the price down they should just chuck a pot of tea/ coffee in with it and they will still be getting more than their money's worth.

Now I want a scone though.....

someone I know runs two cafes

Where the locals go 60p per scone

Where the wanabe 'country lifestyle' blow ins and yummy mummy weekenders go £3.50

There the same scones, you are paying for the ambience not the food

whatsallthehullaballoo - PUT THE SCONE DOWN - TOO LATE ITS' SCON..

YANBU

Small world. I know Blackheath and Greenwich very well.

I'd pay £4.50 for a proper cream tea (including a pot of tea mind) but not for a scone and a thimble sized pot of jam and cream. Does sound extortionate. I know places are struggling right now, but they should be more competitively priced.

You could make a batch of scones, buy a decent sized pot of clotted cream (now I'm craving the things) and buy a pot of good quality jam for the same price.

Why not do that and invite your friends round for a girlie afternoon tea?

Well it's quite nice as cafes go, but it is child-friendly and not 'genteel', so I don't think they can make too hefty a charge for the ambience!

I will send a link to this thread in hopes that the cafe owner pays more attention to the Mumsnet jury than she did to little old me!

OP - Your duty is to name/shame/hint - I live in the NW and don't want to be caught out and I am rather partial to a scone...

The cafe owner is taking the piss and will surely go under with stupid prices and a shitty attitude. I don't wish it on her but there's no way it'll stay afloat, customers aren't mugs!

Ridiculous....plus you epect garden centres to be expensive as they have a captive audence....not that this makes it ok...but in a normal high street cafe you would eect to be charged £3.00 TOPS for what you describe. More reaonable would be £2.50.