Tirades: British restaurant prices
Soutpiel Safari
John & Jenny
Wed 10 Nov 2010 06:15
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From time to time you will encounter tirades in these
columns. You have already had my views on Banks and Bankers; there's more
to come!
You may think that these are the rantings of an
embittered old man - a Victor Meldrew look-alike, perhaps. I like to think
that they are the balanced views and opinions of a mature, well educated,
reasonably intelligent, person who has had the good fortune to have travelled
widely and worked for significant periods overseas, experiencing other cultures
and employing a multi-national, multi-ethnic workforce. Take your
pick!
I have long held the view that British restaurant prices
are ridiculous. When in South Africa we are fortunate to be able to eat
out, experiencing good food, excellent cuisine and excellent wines at an average
of only 40% of equivalent British prices. Last night, as it was blowing
Severe Gale Force 9 outside and near zero temperature, we elected to eat in the
hotel restaurant. Now this is not some rustic hovel in the back of beyond,
it is a modern hotel on the edge of a major European city, with a multi-lingual
staff. The menu featured a "Daily Menu" for an all-inclusive 11.90 euros -
about £10.50. There was a choice of 6 starters, 6 main courses and 6
desserts. The price also included one drink - either wine, beer or water.
Jenny went for white wine and I took the red. We expected a glass each but
received a whole bottle each! The food was good, without being excellent. The
value was excellent and this comparison is at a time when the Euro is very
strong against the Pound.
Recently we had eaten out with friends in a UK
pub where the surroundings were delightful, the menu, the food and the
wines being very good. Most of us had only two courses and yet the bill
per couple was £67. This is not untypical of UK restaurant eating and yet the
price was three times that of our Spanish experience. It has always
baffled me how British restauranteurs can justify taking a bottle of wine that
one can buy in the supermarket for £6-£8 tax-paid, and selling it for
£15-£25. But the Brits seem willing to pay it - so, why not?
Earlier in the day we had called for lunch in a small
bar/cafe and had freshly prepared hamburgers for 2.40 euros each - about
£2.15. Fresh ingredients with a fresh bun, absolutely delicious! Both
quality and value far exceeded anything available in the UK.
The surprising thing is that British pubs and
restaurants are booming, with no lack of customers - at least in the South
East. Something is wrong, somewhere.
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