THE PRICE OF FISH, JOHN PORTER ON WHAT PUNTERS WANT TO PAY

THE PRICE OF FISH, JOHN PORTER ON WHAT PUNTERS WANT TO PAY

I have a mid-January birthday, which, as timing goes, is about as careless as it gets. Not only are most people three weeks past the pre-Christmas paycheque that they frittered away on the festivities with little thought for the consequences, but they’re still a couple of weeks away from the next one.

When you also factor in those people who are cutting back on eating, drinking and pleasure in general, and it can be a very lonely time for those of us looking to celebrate. Which is why I have every sympathy with pubs in their efforts to persuade customers gin and the gym aren’t mutually exclusive, or that pork pies and toned thighs doesn’t have to be an either/or choice.

In theory, things are looking up. Inflation is lower than it was a year ago and analyst Peter Backman, who has been tracking the pub and wider hospitality sector for decades, reported recently that the rate at which operators are having to increase menu prices is falling. That means, for some people at least, wages are starting to catch up with the price increases of the past few years.

However, Peter’s analysis of ONS figures also shows that menu prices are now 26 per cent higher that they were at the start of 2020. That’s clear to customers every time they read a pub menu, and consider the price of fish & chips, a burger or any pub food classic. Most of us carry an idea of how much a meal out should cost in our head, and it can take quite a while for the perception to catch up with the reality.

All of which means that, alongside the usual January cashflow and lifestyle angst, an additional obstacle likely to keep a significant number of potential pub customers at home is the feeling that pubs are just a bit too expensive.

There are some ideas in this issue for good-value dishes that should help to keep customers engaged as that wages vs prices balance resettles. In the meantime, I'll be celebrating my birthday this January, and I'll be doing so in a pub. Possibly several pubs, and hopefully not alone.