Pie and a ‘selected’ drink … to think this is an insane cost?

[Ipbual]

Recently seen an ‘offer’ of 19 pounds for a pie and selected drink every Thursday evening between 4-7.

This is a standard country pub on the outskirts of an average town.

I absolutely loving eating out and me and dh have a pretty decent income yet we cannot justify paying these prices anymore. If we both ordered this ‘deal’ it would be 38 quid! That’s without a desert or a coffee.

AIBU to think soon these places will collapse? Or are people still happy to spend on it?

Business rates as well. I was shocked when I learnt how much even a tiny pub or shop will pay in rent and rates

It is. I am single and earn much less than the OP. But I like to go out for meals and don't have any dependents, don't spend a lot on other things so yes, doable for me-perhaps not for the next person.

I'm wondering how much it would be at the grown-up time of 20.00?

A popular restaurant by us is having to close after 30years because even with mains now costing £25, they cant cover their costs. 😪 We loved their food but cant spend almost £100 for a normal weekday tea for 3 of us. Instead of a "bit of a treat" it became a "special occassion only".

We use to eat out a lot. I cant remember the last time we did. We don't get many takeaways but I had a heart attack at the cost of the last one we had so I don't think we'll be getting another one anytime soon.

It's really sad and I cant see how its going to get better.

Weatherspoons food is crap. It used to be OK for a chain pub. I quite liked their curry nights.

They've decided to reduce the quality/quantity but keep the price the same. They seem as busy as ever here so they've obviously chosen the right approach.

I have a home made steak and mushroom pie in the oven for our supper. The steak was £14. The pie would probably feed between four and six so I think the price quotes is fair.

I think that's expensive. Our local farm shop sells an amazing family sized steak and ale pie ( plus other fillings available) which is delicious and full of meat. It costs £9. It takes 45 minutes in the oven. I honestly can't justify eating out for pie and mash/ veg and gravy for that price when you can make the same at home. I'd rather have farm shop pie every week feeding four for the same price as one meal and drink for two. But I get that people are different and will happily pay if they have the means or they prioritise eating pie in pubs over other things.

Pubs can at least get 40% business rates relief.

Haha gotta love autocorrect

We used to go at least once a week, maybe twice. If we did that now it would be in the hundreds each month. We can technically afford it but the amount seems disproportionate to other things, so much so that we now consider it out of reach on a regular basis

Sounds like you were eating out much more than average previously and may have unrealistic expectations?

We got a bit overindulgent with weekly takeaways for a while and all gained weight and we're spending so much. It's just a habit we got I to through lack of sleep with small kids and long work commutes. But eating a meal out beyond a cafe or fast food twice a week or more is probably quite a lot.

This is the thing I think, back in the days when the meals were a decent quality/size and the costs were reasonable pubs and restaurants were thriving and not closing down like they are now. The ones we went in had been in business before I was born. They still had all of the same overhead costs too.

Everything has become so over priced in that time, and then those costs trickle down to the customers and then non-essential businesses like pubs and restaurants close.

I don’t have the answers, but I also don’t eat out anymore and I know a lot of people who have stopped too.

Beefeater have a halloumi or chargrilled skewer meal with chips pizette zatzki pepper harissa and greek salad for £16 each and two for £12 cocktails.

I had the halloumi one i dont eat meat or fish it was delicious i had a aperol spritz two for £12.

Much better value.

The 2 restaurants in my village both do home made steak pies, with fresh veg & mash. One is £14 one is £16 taking an average of £15 then £4 for a pint is pretty good

I eat out a couple of times a week and the restaurants aren't empty. I know lots have cut back, but equally lots like me haven't.

I'd have always expected to pay about £15 for a pie dinner so the price seems fine to me. And it isn't the law that you must have dessert and/or coffee.

It seems reasonable to me. Under £20 for a quick dinner out including a drink. What would you expect the cost to be OP?

I don’t eat out anymore but I think comparatively it sounds fine. A glass of wine is a tenner locally and a pie with sides would be 15+ so £19 seems a decent offer sassuming it’s a good pie.

OP can you answer the question is it a lonely mashless, chipless pie or a full pie and mash meal?

Sounds very reasonable to me. Main course and a drink for under £20 a person is good going these days.

Whaaat? We are charged for lying now….gawd and I thought pubs were one of the few places left we could tell tall tales!

I refuse to engage any further with this thread until OP clarifies if we're talking a pork pie in its packet (they also come in various sizes!), a huge home-made pie with chips or mash and veg, a cottage pie made of last night's leftovers, a pikelet (okay I'm being silly now)...

I own a small business and honestly the costs of hearing the premises and paying staff are astronomical now. I have no idea how publicans survive with such large premises.

I was going to say that it sounds about right, if you think that a mcD's is £7, double it for a bit of a sit down, nice pub atmosphere, add a drink - it's £19
If min wage is £12 and a bit, you have cook, washer up, prep, waiting staff, bar staff, some manager, so that's £80 an hour, add electric, water, insurance etc.., so pure turn around they will need 4 x 2 tables, just to break even for an hour.

When anyone invites people round for dinner or ever a bbq, it's not just the food, you tidy up, take that bag of crap to the tip which you've been meaning to do for weeks, buy some nice things etc.., so even if you add in the extra petrol and the nice silly lights for later on it's way over £10 per person at a simple home bbq/dinner