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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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
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:

shoesarefab · 30/04/2018 08:31

@slightlyconfuddled

I think at those prices (which I consider cheap, cheaper than Toby Carvery as well), that you should plate up and do a “Sunday roast” not a carvery. You are still offering fantastic value for money and people won’t be able to take the piss.

Slightlyconfuddled · 30/04/2018 08:56

shoesarefab Fortunately its only a few twats! My daughter serves the meat, so that is portion controlled (though we are not stingy with it by any means). It's just a minority that we could quite happily throttle haha. The vast majority are considerate and appreciative of what we offer, and enjoy the choice of what to serve up.

I'm actually very proud of what we do and it is proof that good food need not cost the earth. I can offer homemade lasagne, cottage pie or beef and Guiness pie for around £4.50 for example, and it is made from scratch unlike most of the major chain ping food and served with chips/new pots and veg or salad. I pride myself on hearty portions and good food. We offer Christmas Day lunch at a shade under £40 For 5 courses and it baffles me that people will spend £100 a head for a 3 course meal in similar venues tbh!

BackInTime · 30/04/2018 09:04

Recently had a starter in a chain pub and paid £7.95 for 3 little calamari rings and some lettuce. Nothing special, straight from the freezer. The mark up on these things must be phenomenal even taking into account overheads.

squiz81 · 30/04/2018 09:42

I want to eat at slightlyconfuddleds pub, sounds lovely!

shoesarefab · 30/04/2018 09:51

@slightlyconfuddled if you could move your pub down near me, that would be great, thanks!!

MismatchedStripySocks · 30/04/2018 09:55

DSD had a milkshake for £6 the other night! It was more expensive than DH’s cider! I definitely think they must make the money up on the drinks

The80sweregreat · 30/04/2018 10:00

milkshakes and the like ( in jam jar type things) are huge amounts of money, for milk and some colouring! stick to tap water and see their faces drop when you order , although a nice pub i went to the other day gave me a big bottle of tap water and two glasses ( one for my friend) without charge and it was nice and cold with ice, which was good of them ( she was drinking soft drinks)
prices everywhere have shot up though.

pigmcpigface · 30/04/2018 10:18

I would be expecting some seriously high quality food for upwards of £20 a main . £30-40 and I'd be expecting something verging on Michelin star standard. Portion size is a bit of a red herring - it's the quality of the food, really.

Generally in my city you can get very good food for £8-10 a main, and excellent food for £15.

Slightlyconfuddled · 30/04/2018 10:34

Aw thanks squid and shoesarefab.

socks £6? SIX QUID FOR A MILKSHAKE??!!??

BackInTime · 30/04/2018 14:27

Grrrrrr. Don’t get me started on drinks being served in old jam jars and glasses or old cracked mismatch cups trying to look twee and homely.

Peanutbuttercups21 · 30/04/2018 16:10

I have given up on eating out in the UK

It is often just cooking-by-numbers or reheated bulk-bought food.

not worth it IMO

Sadly!

Where have the small authentic ethnic places gone?

TawnyPort · 30/04/2018 16:11

Where have the small authentic ethnic places gone?

Stand in any city or town and throw a stone, you'll hit one.

Peanutbuttercups21 · 30/04/2018 16:14

slightlyconfuddled, would love to eat in your pub! Which area are yoU?

Slightlyconfuddled · 30/04/2018 16:29

East Midlands. Currently doing Sundays only as we are undergoing a mini refurb (last updated in the 1960s I Think!!). Hopefully all will be done by the end of the month and then we get some sun and I can launch a summer menu.

namechangeranonymous · 30/04/2018 19:32

This has just been posted on a thread about the price of coffees, and I think it’s relevant here too..

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/12099760/TripAdvisor-York-Bennetts-cafe-owner-leaves-brilliant-response-to-one-star-review.html

Crispbutty · 30/04/2018 20:15

@Slightlyconfuddled

I don’t know if you’ve tried it, but as a chef who has spent nearly 30 years doing Sunday roasts. Pre cook the Yorkshire’s and put immediately into the freezer. When you want them they take less that five minutes to be perfect from frozen and they don’t lose their shape, and taste as good as if they were fresh from the oven. Another chef taught me this and it’s been a life saver in small manic kitchens!

PermanentlyHungry · 30/04/2018 20:39

Starters & desserts are very over priced. We avoid the starters, just have a main & buy a nice dessert from the supermarket to have when we get home 🍰

Slightlyconfuddled · 30/04/2018 23:08

I do this occasionally crispbutty, thanks. Usually when I'm going on holiday and daughter has to run kitchen and carvery combined as it makes life easier for her.

The oven is on beyond the initial serving up time anyway as I have more roast spuds etc in oven ready to top up as needed so Its only when we get large groups in that I struggle to keep up with yorkies.

SimonBridges · 30/04/2018 23:23

Where have the small authentic ethnic places gone?

I think they have come to my town, we are swimming in them.

JustSeeingHowManyCharactersWeC · 01/05/2018 08:20

Seems about right to me.

ALongHardWinter · 01/05/2018 17:06

I agree. I very rarely have a starter now when I go out for a meal as most of them are ridiculously expensive compared to the main course. I can remember when you could get a prawn cocktail in Harvester/Beefeater or (showing my age here!) a Berni Inn,for 2 quid! I used to have an ongoing disagreement with my late DM about high prices of food and drinks in restaurants,and in particular,at tourist attractions. She maintained that if these places kept their prices high,eventually no one would want,or be able to afford them,and they'd be forced to lower their prices or go out of business. I said there would ALWAYS be enough people happy and/or able or stupid enough to pay the prices,to keep them in business.

WalkingOnAFlashlightBeam · 01/05/2018 17:42

Teacher22 that's a sure fire way to lose customers and accrue lots of terrible reviews 😂

MyRelationshipIsWeird · 01/05/2018 18:07

Wagamama is bad for this. Main meals are like £10-15 for a proper decent sized meal. Starters are £6+ for a tiny bowl of (admittedly delicious!) cauliflower or a little pile of squid.

Butkin1 · 02/05/2018 15:45

Our favourite local pub charges between 8 and 12 pounds for starters and between 15 and 24 for mains although they do get you on the "sides" which are 4 pounds each. (who doesn't eat a burger with chips?!) Doesn't put us off as we like the food and ambience.

However we also like slumming it at a Beefeater near DD's school. We're going there tomorrow to fill in the gap between school and her hockey match. If you go before 6.30pm their menu is unbelievably cheap. £2.79 for starters with mains between 5 pounds and £8.50.

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