Price of three-course meal rises by 6% in a year
The cost of a three-course meal in the UK’s restaurants, pubs and hotels has risen over the past year, despite the price of a main course remaining the same.
According to Horizons’ biannual Menurama research, the price of starters and desserts has risen by six per cent year on year, taking the average cost of a three-course meal, excluding drinks, up from £17.40 to £18.45.
Having checked over 400 menus from the UK’s leading chain and independent restaurants, hotels and pubs, the study found that while the price of an average starter and dessert had risen since 2008 by 54p and 39p respectively, the cost of a main course had risen by just 13p.
Paul Backman, development executive for Horizons, said: “The discounts and meal deals currently evident in the market have kept the prices charged for main courses fairly stable - in many cases they are lower than they were last year. But some operators, particularly in the pub sector, have made up for discounting on main courses by increasing the price of other dishes.”
The pub sector was found to have made the most significant increases, with starters now costing 11 per cent more than in 2008, and desserts 6 per cent more. But while pubs dropped their main course prices by 32p between January and July 2009 in a bid to boost trade, Backman warns businesses against hiking starter and main prices too much.
“Operators can use starters and desserts to improve their margins as they are relatively cheap to produce,” he said. “However, customers are very observant when it comes to price increases and could opt for just a main course if the price of starters and desserts rises too high compared to the cost of a main course.”
Horizons has predicted the trend for cut-price promotions will die out as the economy stabilises, although it could take ‘at least 18 months’ for businesses to phase out promotions altogether.
