JDW defends significant airport price hike

By Nikkie Sutton

- Last updated on GMT

Meat treat: sausage and mash is just one dish with a price difference between airport and high street pubs (not pictured)
Meat treat: sausage and mash is just one dish with a price difference between airport and high street pubs (not pictured)

Related tags London

Pub giant JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has defended the increased cost of food and drink at its London airport sites after it was revealed they were considerably higher than at its high-street pubs.

One dish with a ramped up price is JDW’s large breakfast, which includes two sausages, bacon, two eggs, baked beans, two potato rostis, mushroom and tomato.

At the Windmill, in Stansted Airport, which won ‘Airport Bar of the Year’​ at the Food & Beverage awards last year, one large breakfast costs £10.75.

At the Red Lion in Gatwick airport, the large breakfast is £9.20 however, at the Crosse Keys in the City of London, it is just £5.95.

A pint of Heineken at the Red Lion is £4.90, at the Windmill is £5.05 and at the Crosse Keys is £4.50.

Main meal prices

When it comes to main meals, sausage and mash at the Red Lion is £9.75, at the Windmill is £10.15 whereas the Crosse Keys charges £8.19.

Another British classic dish, fish and chips would set customers back £11.25 at the Red Lion, £10.55 at the Windmill and just £9.19 at the Crosse Keys.

One cup of filtered coffee at Gatwick’s Red Lion costs £2.65 and at the Windmill is £2.35 whereas at the Crosse Keys in the City of London, it is £1.35.

JDW spokesman Eddie Gershon defended the pub group’s price differences and put them down to rates and rent levels.

Difference between rent and rates

He said: “There is also a difference in mark-ups between JDW high-street pubs, mainly as a result of the difference between rents and rates.

“For example, one JDW pub in Leicester Square (west London) has a rent of almost £500,000 and business rates of £230,000.

“In contrast, our pub, the Keel Row in central Newcastle, which is about the same size, has rent and rates of about one-fifth of that level, so its prices are lower.

“Airports are at the top end of the scale in respect of these costs.

“All a company like JDW can try and do is to charge reasonable prices in comparison to other pubs and restaurants in the areas where we trade, which we usually achieve.”

Dish

Price

Pub

Location

Sausage and mash

£9.75

The Red Lion

Gatwick

Sausage and mash

£10.15

The Windmill

Stansted

Sausage and mash

£8.19

Crosse Keys

City of London

Fish and chips

£11.25

The Red Lion

Gatwick

Fish and chips

£10.55

The Windmill

Stansted

Fish and chips

£9.19

The Crosse Keys

City of London

Large breakfast

£9.20

The Red Lion

Gatwick

Large breakfast

£10.75

The Windmill

Stansted

Large breakfast

£5.95

The Crosse Keys

City of London

Filtered coffee

£2.65

The Red Lion

Gatwick

Filtered coffee

£2.35

The Windmill

Stansted

Filtered coffee

£1.35

The Crosse Keys

City of London

Pint of Heineken

£4.90

The Red Lion

Gatwick

Pint of Heineken

£5.05

The Windmill

Stansted

Pint of Heineken

£4.50

The Crosse Keys

City of London

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