Are these prices reasonable

[Naomi370]

I’m planning to have a small stall selling hot drinks and snacks at the school’s Christmas Fair. The location is the South of England, mixed incomes and diverse.

Tea or Coffee - £1.50
Snacks (e.g crisps) - £1
Can drinks - £1

Would it be worth also selling anything else e.g. mince pies? Not sure how much people like these.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

I agree. If I saw a tuck shop type stall at a school Christmas market event there's no way I would think it was a personal stall.

In terms of pricing a set price for all items is easier but I'd definitely expect some more Christmassy items like hot chocolate, cookies or mince pies.

I thought profits went to the school at school fairs? I’m not sure I’d bother buying a hot drink if it didn’t, I’d just wait until I got home or go to the nearby cafe after.

I'm in the SE no way would I pay £2 for crisps

@Floralnomad the school is charging each person that has a stall so they’re getting money before the event.

@Naomi370 still seems a bit odd to me . If you are making mince pies / cookies does your kitchen have a hygiene certificate .

@Floralnomad yes I have food hygiene cert and public liability insurance.

Is it instant coffee or fresh coffee. If fresh you could charge £1.50 but £1 if it's only instant. You could do hot chocolate with mini marshmallows and a shake of chocolate powder on the top in cups for £1.50. You could sell mince pies or mini chocolate logs for 50p each.

Is it certain the school aren't going to be doing refreshments themselves? It's unusual for them to have just hoped one of the paying stallholders would want to run a tea stand.

@PhilosophicalCheeseSandwich the school is definitely not doing refreshments or having their own stall etc.

Mini chocolate logs is a great idea.

If its just basic tea/coffee/crisps, I'd just have an honesty box an get people to put in what they want. Most will put more than £1 per item!

At a recent fair at our local farm shop (SE) they were selling hot drinks (mulled apple juice/tea/coffee) with a homemade mince pie for £2.50.

Are the crisps multipack packets or proper packets? I don't think you can charge £1 for a multipack bag, id be cross if i paid £1 and it was a pack from a multipack.
And i think £1.50 is too much for presumably the cheapest of the cheap instant coffee.

You need to have Christmassy themed food and drink. Not Crisps.

Hot Chocolate (with an additional option of Marshmallows and cream with it.)

Tea and Coffee are fine.

Snacks need to be gingerbread men, yule Logs, Mince Pies.

Maybe a few cans of Coke for those that don't do hot drinks.

I'd also price everything at £1 (1.50 for the marshmallow and cream hot Choc option)

Although on reflection

£1 for a mini yule log seems steep. But I'd rather spend £1 on a mini yule log than a bag of Crisps.

I'm SE and would never pay £1 for a bag of Crisps! Not unless it was one of those giant bags.

I'd probably price drinks at £1 (extra 50p for Marshmallows and cream)

Then do a £1.50 deal for a drink and snack. (£2 if Marshmallows and cream)

Otherwise snack alone 80p. (Unless all the snacks are homemade - you could charge way more then).

I definitely think deals for a drink and a snack are a good way to go.

@invisibleboo I agree.

I think a Christmas stall selling only instant coffee, cans of drink and bags of crisps would look terribly un-festive and frankly a bit sad. If you have a food hygiene certificate do you cook/bake? There are so many ideas online for festive food and drink I'd try to have a few nice homemade options like mince pies, Christmas cookies, fudge etc alongside the hot drinks.

Please do make it crystal clear that it's for your own profit. I'd also assume that it was benefitting the school, and if I found out afterwards that you'd kept the money I'd see you as a total scrounger.

It's fine to do, as long as there's no confusion.

I agree, make it clear that your tick shop is for personal gain. Maybe have a sign up saying ‘Naomi’s Nibbles’ etc.

The replies on here are unbelievable. Accusing op of scamming the school and parents out of money by setting up a tea stall.
At a school fair the stall holders pay a fee to have the stall and then any money made goes to them, that's common sense.
Its not uncommon for the pta to do the refreshments but op has stated very clearly that they don't do it at her school - why is that so shocking?

Op I'd definitely add festive snacks but it sounds good. Hope it goes well

No one has accused OP of scamming anyone. They have just pointed out it may be wrongly assumed funds from her stall are going to the school so to make sure it is obvious somehow on her stall that it is a private stall.

If OP has all the necessary certificates and insurance she presumably has some sort of catering/good company so she can just make sure that is displayed on her stall.

It would also be advisable to sell things other than shop bought items as this will also make this more obviously a business venture.

Packets of crisps are about a £1 now

No one just buys a single packet of crisps from the section intended for meal deals though. OP will most definitely be buying the ones she sells in bulk.

At ours the vendors pay for the stall. So school gets £40 * 30 or so stalls. That’s 1200 quid for the space really. Then lucky dip, tombola, raffle, face painting, getting the children to come around and sell you their wares. Why yes darling I’d love to spend £2 on your pine cone Christmas tree. I think they raised about £3k and it’s quite a small school. The stall holders need to sell enough to make a profit though otherwise they won’t come and it’ll start to look rubbish.

OP I’d do a quid for tea / coffee/ hot chocolate. An extra 50p for whipped cream and marshmallows. A quid a mince pie but buy the nicer ones with star on top. Also a quid for crisps. I’d get cheaper cans of pop and sell for a quid too and fruit shoot type things. Some enterprising person sells sweets for a quid at ours like 8 celebrations or heroes type things in a little cellophane bag with a foil twist. Looks really festive, cheap to do and excellent pester power.

Is it instant tea/coffee... its usually free most places social event places like schools or even in cafes/pubs a small price with free refills.

I mean what justifies a cup of tea being £1.50? Its hot tap water, a drop of milk and a 2p teabag. Even if you count a disposable cup and/or 'labour' (boiling the kettle/washing a cup) it seems a big mark up.