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Original poster

To Wonder When Starters Got So Expensive

174 replies

AnotherBoringSaturday · 28/04/2018 12:36

DP & I went out for dinner last night to one of local pubs.
It is a lovely country pub.
Starters were £8.50 + !!
I just had a main (£22.50) but DP has a starter as well. It was a piece of mackerel the size of my thumb (literally 2 mouthfuls) for £8.50 Shock
We did mention it to the waitress & they sent us another piece but I’m just shocked at how expensive it was.
Don’t even get me started at the price of pudding

OP posts:
Grumpbum · 28/04/2018 12:42

I totally agree but everything has got so exspensive. It’s the slice of mass produced cheese cake for £6 that annoys me. It’s why we never have it

ClaudiaWankleman · 28/04/2018 12:43

It doesn’t seem out of proportion to the cost of the main though?

WombatChocolate · 28/04/2018 12:49

I agree that Starters and Desserts are often over-priced in relation to a Main - although in this case, the ratio doesn't seem so far off. I'd hope a starter or dessert was about 1/3 price of main, as a rough guide.

Chain restaurants often do deals of main courses to lure people in, but make up the money on starters, desserts and drinks. Perhaps other places are sneakily trying to boost the spend per head via starters rather than main courses?

Easiest way to eat out more cheaply is to just have a Main and probably 1 drink, plus water. Difficult not to be tempted though by delicious starters and desserts.....and if it's a special occasion, why not go the whole hog now and then.

bellsbuss · 28/04/2018 12:51

OH and I had this conversation recently , we remember when a starter used to be about 2.75 then it started going up to the £5 mark and now pushing towards £10 in some places

AlonsosLeftPinky · 28/04/2018 12:55

I don't think £8.50 is particularly expensive for a starter tbh.

ClaudiaWankleman · 28/04/2018 13:00

@bellsbus

What time period is that observation over? I think in London/ other cities in the UK it doesn’t seem too out of step with inflation to be honest.

Viviennemary · 28/04/2018 13:06

I think that's far too expensive for a pub. And £22 is quite expensive for a main I think for a pub. I think around £5 for a starter though a bit more is OK. And around up to £15 for a main is plenty.

KeneftYakimoski · 28/04/2018 13:08

Starters were £8.50 + !! I just had a main (£22.50) but DP has a starter as well.

Christ. I'd not dream of paying what is going to be, assuming a desert, a drink, a coffee and a tip, approaching fifty quid a head in a local pub, no matter how nice. I'm quite happy to pay fifty quid, or more, when circumstances demand. Friday night in a pub? No way.

charityhallet · 28/04/2018 13:11

I'm more shocked by the cost of your main! I do agree starters are expensive and mich more so than they used to be, but I'd expect to pay around £7-£8 p/h and maybe £11-£13 for a main course. Mind you, I'm used to Pizza Express & similar and don't go anywhere fancy really!

WomaninGreen · 28/04/2018 13:13

I think the starter price is in proportion to the main.

tbh I don't eat out if I can possibly avoid it - sometimes family moan so we go - but that's because I'm quite happy with a cheese sarnie so can never see the point of it.

But £22 for a main seems like real treat territory even for my parents, that's special occasion pricing.

to be clear I have no issue with business charging to make a profit, that's why they are there! but the £8.50 starter seems completely in proportion with the rest of it.

BewareOfDragons · 28/04/2018 13:16

In a pub? £8.50 for 2 bites?

Ridiculous.

SimonBridges · 28/04/2018 13:17

The price of everything has gone up.
Remember the cost of your meal is not just the ingredients but the staffing, energy costs, decor, rent etc too. It's very hard to make ends meet in catering.
If the main was £22 then £8 for a starter is fair.

Crowd · 28/04/2018 13:22

Whoa where is this? I went to a local pub recently and had a delicious starter of 4 tiger prawns, breaded and fried with a small salad and chilli dipping sauce for £3.50!

GreyHare · 28/04/2018 13:23

I think it depends, if it's all freshly prepared on site using high quality ingredients, then no not expensive, if pre packed ready meals that are just reheated then yes expensive.

Westfacing · 28/04/2018 13:24

By 'lovely country pub' I assume you mean it's rather smart and the food is of restaurant standard, rather than (frozen) fish & chips, lasagne etc?

There are often anomalies in the price of a starter and the main course but your prices sound about right to me.

The better country pubs source their produce from local suppliers rather than buy-in from catering companies.

By the way, what was your main and was it worth the price?

WombatChocolate · 28/04/2018 13:25

Lots of pubs have got a bit greedy in my view.
Yes, there are some which really are gastro-pubs with fantastic food - and you expect to pay for that. However, lots of pretty average pubs, with average menus and quality food are charging around the £20 mark for main courses. It seems a lot.

If I was paying £20+ for a Main in a pub, it would have to be a special occasion or a special pub. if I was just going out for an average night out, I'd be checking the menu and prices in advance and hoping for a main, more in the region of £10-12 and probably having 2 courses max, and a drink, making it around £20 per head.

Depends on what you're used to though doesn't it. There are pubs which you see signs outside for offering 2 main meals for £8.50 or pubs which do a main meal and drink deal for about £5. There are lots of chain restaurants which do 2-for-1 vouchers almost all of the time - but these aren't offering home prepared and cooked food, but often microwaved or part-prepared in advance food.

I suppose the key is to check in advance, what the menu and prices are like and only go to places which fit the amount you are willing to pay. Some people will be happy with Wetherspoons, but other people want fine dining.

TawnyPort · 28/04/2018 13:25

OH and I had this conversation recently , we remember when a starter used to be about 2.75 then it started going up to the £5 mark and now pushing towards £10 in some places

2.75 15+ years ago maybe.
It's called inflation. You know how your house used to be worth 50k and now its worth 250k? Like that. You may have heard of it.

WomaninGreen · 28/04/2018 13:28

I've no recollection of starters ever being £2.75

I agree with the poster who said about the price reflecting the place and staffing etc

But I think one thing is some people have become accustomed to seeing the prices of restaurant food pitched too low and now a lot of places are folding. It was obviously part of a business plan and may never have been reflective of how much the whole thing cost anyway.

WombatChocolate · 28/04/2018 13:30

Lots of people eat out more now than they used to. Probably for most who eat out a lot, they don't want every meal to be expensive or impressive - perhaps this is where the chains with their constant deals fit in. Then, when you go to a good independent pub or restaurant, it will seem expensive.

Just out of interest, if you were going for a family meal with children, what would you expect to spend on a meal for all of you, and if you were going out as a couple, what would you expect to spend?

IHaveBrilloHair · 28/04/2018 13:32

This is why I only eat out in my favourite restaurant, which has a Michelin star, however I go max 4 times a year and know I'll have great experience with amazing food and it's a real occasion.
Some people have said they can't believe I'd spend so much on one meal, but the amount they spend on Costa/Starbucks/Wetherspoons etc probably exceeds it many times over.

Original poster
AnotherBoringSaturday · 28/04/2018 13:35

My main was cod which tasted ok.

I understand all the overheads etc. I was just surprised at the size of the portion v the price & the fact that it was a Friday night , jeans kinda night out.
It was packed so I guess most people don’t mind paying the prices. Could have been worse- the Chicken Kiev’s were £21.50 !

DPs main didn’t even have any sides which we paid extra for as his was just a piece of halibut!

OP posts:
WombatChocolate · 28/04/2018 13:36

For example, if DH and myself were going out, just the 2 of us, I would hope we could get away with no more than £50 - that would be a local independent restaurant or fairly decent pub. Neither of us are big drinkers and that keeps the cost down a lot.

If I were going out with family (2 kids) we would be looking for somewhere with a deal on or possibly a chain pub - probably kids eating from a kids menu at about £8 to include their food and a drink - it would probably be around £50-£60 for all of us.

I agree that our expectation of prices is possibly too low....and it's because we eat out more. If all main courses were £22 we would go less frequently.

Prezzo is basically bankrupt, because its 2-for1 deals haven't paid their way.

dayinlifeof · 28/04/2018 13:36

We recently spent £65 for a meal for 4 adults and 2 teenagers at a Brewers Fayre type place, one adult had wine, nobody had a starter as there was a salad bar and the teenagers had a dessert.

I would pay £15 for a main course unless it was a decent steak, for £22 it'd have be something in real treat territory - as I'm vegetarian neither of those would appeal. I expect vegetarian meals to be cheaper but they rarely are.

SimonBridges · 28/04/2018 13:37

Did you know the cost before you went there?

adaline · 28/04/2018 13:37

I'm shocked at £22 for a main meal in a pub!

Most of ours do two mains for £8/£10 or two courses for £12.95, including a drink.

I think if you're happy to pay £22 for a main meal, then £8.50 for a starter is about right.

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