Am I being unrealistic?

That’s a ridiculous price for a cuppa jacalpad, £3.52 regardless of the rising costs. I’m not suggesting the cafe owner doesn’t need it to keep going, but it’s not a realistic price for a basic cuppa. I thought the 2 x Sauv blancs and G&Ts were bad enough but tea 🤦🏻‍♀️. I fear these prices may stay. I remember when chips had a mad hike from literally pennies, say 30p a portion straight up to a pound a portion due to poor crops one year. They never returned to normal ‘cheap as chips’ prices.

So the £30.80 I recently paid for 5 cream teas and 2 huge pots of tea doesn't seem too bad. Very large scones, jam and clotted cream, excellent.
Nevertheless, when I go out alone I shall stick to my own flask of coffee and a kit-kit.

I'd find that too expensive, but I don't go to Starbuck's or Costa. I'd rather have a meal in a pub for that price.

Wetherspoons prices are just going up apparently.
www.thecaterer.com/news/wetherspoon-raises-food-drink-prices-inflation-tim-martin

Wetherspoons will still be cheaper than many other places.

I was shocked to pay £5 for my usual bag of Kenco instant coffee in Waitrose last week. It says that’s 93 cups of coffee. My daughter said that’s cheap as a cup of coffee out is about £3.
I tried Waitrose own-brand but it’s foul and I love my 4 cups of coffee every morning.

Nannan2

Maybe waitrose should make folk wait till AFTER theyve done a trolley-shop?

Logically they should be doing this as otherwise it could be anyone I suppose.

Wow that was good price bluebelle

I know Costa is expensive but the coffee is always reliably good! Gosh - if we can’t have the occasional good cup of coffee out we are really going to the dogs!!

The food in Costa is utterly dire though.

Always go to one of our amazing local independent café- great coffee, great cakes and scones, great atmosphere, chat and smile. Local staff, and all taxes paid locally/UK. Hurrah.

Starbucks coffee is like bitter dishwater, yuk- yes, Costa or Nero much better- if chain it has to be.

OH says MacD's coffee is cheap and OK - his preference when out and about. Don't think their cakes are anything to write home about though!

I made the mistake of finding a great coffee/bakery not far from here. I call in for bread and somehow find a couple of pastries just happen to arrive back here with me as well. Not doing my waistline any good at all.

We go out for coffee and a shared cake quite often. It’s a little pleasure but the price has certainly gone up. Not much change out of £10.

It sounds about the going rate....I wouldn't pay it personally .....but I don't think its anything out of the ordinary these days

I think the coffee sold in UK coffee shops is uniformly horrible.

I think the main reason is that most people in this country drink coffee with milk in and coffee blends have that extra bitterness that is necessary to make coffee with milk a pleasant and flavoursome beverage.

Unfortunately I drink coffee black and without sugar and, as I said, find almost all coffee sold in Britain unpalatable.

As soon as I cross the channel into countries where black coffee is the norm, the blend and flavour range is based on how coffee tastes without milk and I enjoy drinking coffee when out.

I agree Monica, the moment you hit France every little bar, roadside cafe or restaurant has delicious black coffee..

effalump

As a person who spent my whole adult life being able to knit my own jumpers, hats and scarves. Being able to sew the majority of my own clothes (until my eyesight started getting bad). Being able to make my own bread and cakes, etc and being able to brew myself a cup of coffee. The thought of paying something like 1000% more for something I could make at home just puts me off going anywhere.

Fair enough, but people are paying for the treat of eating/drinking out not just for the coffee itself. I rarely have food/ drink out these days but I really enjoy it when I do! Its the people watching in comfort,in nice surroundings with food and drink someone else prepared for me a chat with a friend or a good book to read! Its a snatched 40 mins of me time. Of course I CAN make my own coffee and do at home with my coffee machine but it is not the same experiance.

A couple of days ago I had a pot of tea and my friend had a small glass of wine - £11.47! I was shocked.

1grandMattie, I agree. It is not the coffee/tea one is paying for, it is the surroundings, the ambiance, the company.

Anyone running a coffee shop has to pay for the premises; rent, rates, insurance; maintenance: cleaning, equipping, etc; staff and all their costs, supplies etc, plus their own wages.

In fact it is the same when you make coffee or clothes at home. You should apportion part of the costs of your accommodation, fuel bills, household running costs and the value of your time onto the cost of the coffee, hotwater and milk. It will make even your home coffee, or home made clothes a lot more expensive.

Whaever you do,it has to be paid for.

jenpax I rarely have food/ drink out these days but I really enjoy it when I do! Its the people watching in comfort,in nice surroundings with food and drink someone else prepared for me a chat with a friend or a good book to read! Its a snatched 40 mins of me time. Of course I CAN make my own coffee and do at home with my coffee machine but it is not the same experiance.

For me (us) it's a better experience at home, quiet, pleasant view out our windows, warm, no noisy people faffing round. And our home is a sunk cost, according to our accountant, thus we don't have to re-pay for the home, insurance, merely a bit of coffee beans to grind.

To each their own. I always do better, cheaper, at home.