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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

278 replies

emsyj · 07/04/2011 16:23

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.

OP posts:
Original poster
emsyj · 08/04/2011 17:48

£3.50 a head sounds like a bargain for all that, ashamedandconfused !

OP posts:
ashamedandconfused · 08/04/2011 17:50

Thank you. thats what i thought but its only going to be a church hall affair not a posh cafe and i am a bit worried about going all out to do it and it being a flop!

needshoes · 08/04/2011 17:54

people clearly pay that though or they wouldnt be able to charge it! Insane!

expatinscotland · 08/04/2011 17:54

Has anyone sussed out what the name of the cafe is yet? :o

gorionine · 08/04/2011 17:55

When you mentionned the price I thought Alderley or some posh "footballers area" in the North West but the Wirral would have been far down my list of guesses for these sort of prices!Shock

Original poster
emsyj · 08/04/2011 17:57

You say that needshoes, but they only opened last week so I think it is a case of customers going there for he first time, being horrified by the astronomical prices and then planning never to return. If they had been operating for a year or more I would have to agree with you though.

OP posts:
walkingonthemoon · 08/04/2011 18:02

they seemed very nice people and all that - no problems there but I feel that generally, the menu was overpriced and it will be one of those places where you think - that was nice but can't afford to go back!

stuffthenonsense · 08/04/2011 18:04

the scones at the chester grosvenor are £5.50 for two, but they are actually cooked as you order them and the service there is impeccable.

as an aside can i ask, how do people pronounce, emphasise the 'o' or the 'n'

Original poster
emsyj · 08/04/2011 18:07

Scone as in gone - not scone as in own.

OP posts:
ashamedandconfused · 08/04/2011 18:10

scone as in gone

sharbie · 08/04/2011 18:18

scone as in cone

NoWayNoHow · 08/04/2011 18:19

Scone as in gone!

Want2bSupermum · 08/04/2011 18:32

gorionine - the wirral is quite an affulent area on the whole in both terms of lifestyle and money (breeding ground of John Peel, Nicola Horrick, Chris Boardman, Ian Botham and music groups such as the Boo Radleys and The Rascals). Quite a few footballers live in Caldy and Gayton and there are also a lot of self made business people. Most people think of Birkenhead when they think of the Wirral but few think of the Wirral as the birthplace of Unilever or Andrew Collinge hairdressing salons two of many companies that generate quite a lot of jobs in the area.

The mistake this owner is making is that she thinks the more affulent people will spend their money. She is very mistaken. Wirral people tend to be self made and have either worked very hard for it or seen the sacrifices their parents made. There are also a lot of Mrs Bucket types (she and Nicola Horrick both went to Birkenhead High School) who like to have cake with friends in the afternoon but would never dream of spending that much.

Want2bSupermum · 08/04/2011 18:37

Oh I can't believe I forgot Paul O'Grady! The comic genius! I remember seeing him in a pub in Wallasey when I was 14 or so. My Dads friend took my sister and I and we were laughing for 2 days. Half of his lines went right over my head.

gorionine · 08/04/2011 19:08

Want2bSupermum I stand correctedGrin, I confess to only having been in Hoylake on a grey rainy day and found it really depressing, that is what I stupidely based my opinion onBlush

Want2bSupermum · 08/04/2011 19:36

Hoylake isn't my fav place (apart from the golf course which is very nice). If you go to the wirral again I suggest you try Parkgate for ice cream from Nichols, the beach between Lower Heswall (park in a large lot by a restaurant called Sheldrakes) and West Kirby, Thurstaston Common, Caldy 7s (great day out), West Kirby in general and Barnston - brimstage hall for lunch is nice. New Brighton is great too. We used to sail remote controlled boats there as kids and the Pavillion used to have some good productions.

I think I am the only person under the age of 65 who likes Ness Gardens. I used to take the bus there in summer and spend all afternoon in the beautiful gardens reading my book as an 11 year old.

Want2bSupermum · 08/04/2011 19:39

oh and port sunlight is nicer than hoylake too.

northerngirl41 · 08/04/2011 19:40

Haven't read the whole thread but would be interested to see what you'd think of a play centre charging £4.50 for a session and offering the mums a cup of tea and a scone?

It sounds like this cafe is subsidising the cost of high chairs/painting stuff/people bringing in outside food for babies/lingering over their tea etc by high prices on the actual food and drinks. It's pretty steep, but I don't think I'd object to it if it was a nice place to spend the afternoon.

Bumperlicioso · 08/04/2011 19:43

Posting on this thread just so I can see any updates Grin

Agree it's a ridiculous price and I know the feeling about wanting to give feedback. I give feedback a lot Blush good and bad though.

Original poster
emsyj · 08/04/2011 19:53

I got married at Ness gardens!!! Grin

A play centre with facilities appropriate to DD's age, serving a scone with jam and cream AND a pot (not a cup) of tea for £4.50 (NB at the cafe in question you do not get a drink included for £4.50, tea or coffee is extra) would be just about palatable. But have to emphasise that this is a cafe with a few drawing materials and mega blocks available - not a play centre. There wasn't anything appropriate for DD's age (10 months) so to me it is a cafe with room to park a buggy - of which there are several in the area.

I don't think you could spend the afternoon there really - it is not that well equipped.

OP posts:
northerngirl41 · 08/04/2011 20:05

But if you're taking up space with a buggy and kids not actually consuming something, then there's an opportunity cost for the cafe, because they can't accommodate other paying customers.

£4.50 per scone has to cover their rent, their staff, their overheads as well as the cost of the actual food and drink. If it's set up that each visitor has say 2 kids, 1 buggy and consumes one cup of tea, then I can totally see why they have to charge £2.65 per cuppa.

If on the other hand they have a sign saying "no buggys" and can fit in 5 more tables as a result, it might push the cost down.

I'm not saying it's right, and TBH I think they might have misjudged their target market's disposable income, but I can see why the costs are so high.

stuffthenonsense · 08/04/2011 20:11

ness gardens is amazing, as is their wonderful tea room, which serves great food, says in the menu that it actively supports breastfeeding and provides a wonderful, healthy menu for children.....not a chip or a nugget in sight

i am definately under 65 and have been a FONG(friend of ness gardens) for 13 years

Original poster
emsyj · 08/04/2011 20:19

I think the idea of this cafe is great - there is certainly demand for somewhere child-friendly with extra space for kids to play etc. But I reckon you are right, northerngirl41 that the prices (however justified) will put people off and ultimately the venture won't last because they won't get enough repeat business.

OP posts:
microserf · 08/04/2011 21:24

that price is unbelievable. check out the food menus for this place

www.crumpet.biz/tearoom.html

which is located right in the heart of Nappy Valley in SW London. This is a fantastic café, and extremely toddler and baby friendly. Lots of NCT groups meet there. Rent must be astronomical on the Northcote road. They have a built in Wendy House with toys for kids to play with and a parking area inside for buggies.

Scones? £3.45.

I'd like to add that I have no personal connection to the place other than as a customer.

tevion · 08/04/2011 22:03

I went in one cafe that wanted to charge £6 for a slice of gateau and couldn,t believe it

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