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03-07-2016, 11:13
Visit The Pub Curmudgeon site (http://pubcurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2016/07/square-deal-for-square-meal.html)
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OEt3aR3vTzs/V3jyicFksAI/AAAAAAAAE10/IHg-K4tInUsXB_AXvoJGMg7tXQcKMOpBwCLcB/s1600/meal%2Bprice%2Bpoll.jpg (https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OEt3aR3vTzs/V3jyicFksAI/AAAAAAAAE10/IHg-K4tInUsXB_AXvoJGMg7tXQcKMOpBwCLcB/s1600/meal%2Bprice%2Bpoll.jpg)
I was slightly surprised to see a comment (http://pubcurmudgeon.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/the-price-of-success.html?showComment=1466506307770#c5407699880 740327666) on my recent post about Brunning & Price pubs saying “That menu looks to me to be a pretty standard range of pub grub dishes at normal prices”, when to me, and many others, it looked very much towards the top end of the range. I had a similar thing here (http://pubcurmudgeon.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/price-and-value.html) where someone described their offer as “hearty stuff at moderate prices”. B&P do what they set out to do well, but there is no way their menus or prices are run-of-the-mill.
There’s clearly a huge mismatch in perceptions here, so I thought I would run a poll on what people thought was par for the course for a non-steak main meal in a pub. The results are pretty clear, with a definite cut-off point at £10. 91% said £10 or less. I think I answered £9, but a lot of people obviously stick at £7. I would happily pay more than that for a meal in a pub that I was confident was going to be pretty good, but that would be a step outside the norm.
To get a feel for what people are paying in ordinary provincial food-oriented pubs, take a look at this Sizzling Pubs menu (http://www.sizzlingpubs.co.uk/content/dam/sizzling-pubs/pdf/ln16/A-pb3-mainmenu.pdf) from the Vernon Arms in Poynton. 10oz rump steak, with chips, onions, tomato and mushrooms, £8.29. “Pub favourites” range from £5.29 to £7.99. And at the Micker Brook Crown Carvery (http://www.crowncarveries.co.uk/content/dam/crown-carveries/pdf/ln16/pb2-mainmenu.pdf) in Cheadle Hulme, a standard carvery meal is £4.39 Monday to Saturday.
Pubs like this may not be the favourite haunts of CAMRA members or crafterati, but they’re where huge numbers of normal folk eat and drink. I can’t help thinking there’s a hefty dose of snobbery at work here.
More... (http://pubcurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2016/07/square-deal-for-square-meal.html)
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OEt3aR3vTzs/V3jyicFksAI/AAAAAAAAE10/IHg-K4tInUsXB_AXvoJGMg7tXQcKMOpBwCLcB/s1600/meal%2Bprice%2Bpoll.jpg (https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OEt3aR3vTzs/V3jyicFksAI/AAAAAAAAE10/IHg-K4tInUsXB_AXvoJGMg7tXQcKMOpBwCLcB/s1600/meal%2Bprice%2Bpoll.jpg)
I was slightly surprised to see a comment (http://pubcurmudgeon.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/the-price-of-success.html?showComment=1466506307770#c5407699880 740327666) on my recent post about Brunning & Price pubs saying “That menu looks to me to be a pretty standard range of pub grub dishes at normal prices”, when to me, and many others, it looked very much towards the top end of the range. I had a similar thing here (http://pubcurmudgeon.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/price-and-value.html) where someone described their offer as “hearty stuff at moderate prices”. B&P do what they set out to do well, but there is no way their menus or prices are run-of-the-mill.
There’s clearly a huge mismatch in perceptions here, so I thought I would run a poll on what people thought was par for the course for a non-steak main meal in a pub. The results are pretty clear, with a definite cut-off point at £10. 91% said £10 or less. I think I answered £9, but a lot of people obviously stick at £7. I would happily pay more than that for a meal in a pub that I was confident was going to be pretty good, but that would be a step outside the norm.
To get a feel for what people are paying in ordinary provincial food-oriented pubs, take a look at this Sizzling Pubs menu (http://www.sizzlingpubs.co.uk/content/dam/sizzling-pubs/pdf/ln16/A-pb3-mainmenu.pdf) from the Vernon Arms in Poynton. 10oz rump steak, with chips, onions, tomato and mushrooms, £8.29. “Pub favourites” range from £5.29 to £7.99. And at the Micker Brook Crown Carvery (http://www.crowncarveries.co.uk/content/dam/crown-carveries/pdf/ln16/pb2-mainmenu.pdf) in Cheadle Hulme, a standard carvery meal is £4.39 Monday to Saturday.
Pubs like this may not be the favourite haunts of CAMRA members or crafterati, but they’re where huge numbers of normal folk eat and drink. I can’t help thinking there’s a hefty dose of snobbery at work here.
More... (http://pubcurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2016/07/square-deal-for-square-meal.html)