Harveys = £4.20?

[JJ McClure]

One small point. They haven't put up the advertising boards above the concourse selling points so the deals and pricing could still be provisional.
They've made errors before , for example , where one season the pie/pint deal was charged 50p too much.
Also it would be unlikely given that we're a week away from match 1, but they might have used last night as a good test to see likely sales, feedback, reaction to the price increase . The actual pricing / deals for 14/15 might be tweaked to reflect that next week.

So what you're saying is we should all email Paul Barber (again) so that the club know that such a large price rise isn't on.

 

[reigate]

Pint of cider before the game - £4.40 (The Cyclist)
Pint of cider at the game - £4.20 (and some cash back on that, maybe - I can't remember how that works now)

Seems reasonable to me.

Out of interest was that for a decent cider in the Cyclist (which people would happily pay more for) or Strongbow?

 

[Ludensian Gull]

£2.50 at mine!

£2.70 in my local, and finer beers you would struggle to find anywhere.

 

[Bozza]

Out of interest was that for a decent cider in the Cyclist (which people would happily pay more for) or Strongbow?

It was Symonds Founder's Reserve, sold in a Symonds glass. Seemed decent enough to me.

[tweet]494899944059596800[/tweet]

https://twitter.com/DarrenMcKay/status/494899944059596800

 

[Brovion]

Whereas I think you'll find they won't. People go to the football, they buy a pint. After that first pint, the second & third & fourth don't look so expensive, oddly enough.

We all spend a fortune on football these days. I'm not saying that's right, but I doubt many people are going to refuse to buy their regular pint because it's £4.20 compared to the (bargain!) £3.90 it was last season.

Hiking up ticket prices might put off the match-by-match goer, because the ultimate investment is a significant one (£30- £40).

The price of a pint isn't, because if all your mates are standing around knocking back a beer, the vast majority of regular drinkers aren't going to decline because of a 30p increase. If there is genuinely somebody on here who cannot afford a pint of beer at a Championship football game that they've bought a £36 ticket for because it's going to cost them 30p more than last season: PM me. I'll give you that 30p myself.

I think sadly you're right. I'd like to think that the club looked at the queues in the bars and the queues for transport, decided that the former were too long and the latter too short and so decided to try and re-balance it.. However I think it's far more likely they've gone through the same thought process you did and have realised that most peope will pay the increase. They'll moan, but they'll pay.

However it will make a difference to me (not that I go that often). I live in Brighton and I'll either leave early or get there late and the rest of the time I'll drink in better and cheaper surroundings. At the ground I'll only have one pie/pint rather than two and save myself £9. (If you want to give me THAT each game I'll gladly accept!). Sadly though it means my all-time Amex record of five pints and three pies will never be broken.

 

[Quaid]

Get Stella on tap, would go to £4.50 for a proper drink

 

[rippleman]

Barber will squeeze us all until the pips squeak.

If profits from increased food & drink, season tickets and sale of players were being invested to improve the quality and depth of the playing squad maybe the increased price of the bitter wouldnt leave such a bitter taste in the mouth. But it isn't...................

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Is there a park and ride from a pub anywhere in the area?

 

[Brovion]

I'm with Commander - £4.20 for a pint of Harveys isn't that bad. To put it in perspective, London prices are pretty much around the £5 a pint mark as Commander says. If it's below that you're on a winner. If it's below £4, then you're in a shit pub.

It's worth pointing out - again that the Amex ISN'T London, it's East Brighton. I pay £3.60 a pint for Harveys in my local.

 

[Stuart Munday]

Pint of cider before the game - £4.40 (The Cyclist)
Pint of cider at the game - £4.20 (and some cash back on that, maybe - I can't remember how that works now)

Seems reasonable to me.

I would pay a similar price in a decent pub in Lewes or Brighton where you could sit down or it had a beer garden and have a decent pint or some nice food, the concourse doesn't have the appeal it used to but I will still have a pint after the game to save queuing for the train.

I can't see The Cyclist lasting for more than a few weeks before it shuts on matchdays.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

That's not the case - the club do earn out of each pie and pint sold on the concourses.

The club made the original choice on pies and obviously negotiated the price and will have been involved in other decisions e.g packaging changes.
As said before I guess that the gross profit per pie must be in the region of £3.30-£3.40. Its then just a question of how this is split between club and caterer.

 

[Mannie]

Financial Fair Play for fans?

Absolute disgrace, the travel shambles means they should encourage people to eat and dink at the Amex, not charge rip off prices for a lukewarm pie and a flat ale.

I love the Amex but the catering is NOT a premium product.

Last night the catering was totally shambolic in the east stand lower - in queue at 41 mins - got beer 3mins into second half!
Will be glad to get back to the north stand next week.

 

[Puppet Master]

****ing hell you can pretty much buy a small bottle of Vodka in a supermarket for that. I'd need to spend about 30 quid to get pissed at the Amex.

 

[chaileyjem]

Last night the catering was totally shambolic in the east stand lower - in queue at 41 mins - got beer 3mins into second half!
Will be glad to get back to the north stand next week.

Arrived at 720 in ESL. Queued for 10 mins. Guest ale + steak and ale pie. - £7.50

Compared to Crawley, QPR, palace, mill wall, Charlton , Norwich concourses that I've been to recently it was like the lap of luxury.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Beer tax cut by 1p in the budget, the second cut in 2 years , what's the increase about then ?

The caterers putting the beer prices up for an off season concert and leaving them up hoping no one will notice?

 

[GDC]

****ing hell you can pretty much buy a small bottle of Vodka in a supermarket for that. I'd need to spend about 30 quid to get pissed at the Amex.

You don't go to the Amex to get pissed; you go to watch football.

I think it is fantastic that the club have reduced a low alcohol beer to prevent people getting too drunk at football. It is well worth paying a premium for.

 

[Bozza]

Arrived at 720 in ESL. Queued for 10 mins. Guest ale + steak and ale pie. - £7.50

You were lucky.

Arrived at 7:20 in WSL. Queued for 30 minutes. Alcohol sales had stopped but managed to get the very last pie. I feel sorry for the 50 or so still queueing as there was no hot food left.

 

[Guinness Boy]

It's not 'the club' setting the prices. It's an independent company leasing the concourse areas.

Where did I say the club set it? That is the price that it is available for on the concourse - people see that as being sold by the club. The Swan will have nicer, cheaper beer and smaller queues so that's where I'll be going.

 

[Hillian1]

Where did I say the club set it? That is the price that it is available for on the concourse - people see that as being sold by the club. The Swan will have nicer, cheaper beer and smaller queues so that's where I'll be going.

I very much doubt that now.

 

[Prince Monolulu]

Wasn't going to join in, but what the heck.

Tried to buy a drink in kiosk, eCard reader not working. Went underneath main stand, queues rather long. Waited 15 mins, went back. Queues even longer. Overheard comments 'sold out of this, sold out of that.'
With no anger or complaint, retired to seat, enjoyed the game (to a point) with no purchases. Saved myself a fortune on drinks etc, progs and them silly raffle thingies.

Came home contented yet all the richer.

The way ahead for me.