Average cost of pub meals rises by 15p
Data from Lumina Intelligence Pub & Bar Market Report 2021 that analysed menus across the spring and summer of 2020 and 2021.
However, average dish price inflation has fallen year on year from 4.6% to 1.9%. Increased confidence helped drive down price inflation.
Steeper menu price inflation is expected once Government initiatives around business rates relief and VAT reductions are phased out.
Prices for mains have risen the most across all dishes at 2% growth and the average value has increased by 22p.
Market segments
The report breaks pubs down into three categories – mainstream, premium and value-led – and has outlined the price differences in each segment.
Mainstream pub prices, which are sites where the average diner meal spend is between £12.50 and £24.99 for lunch and £15 and £29.99 for dinner, have risen by 0.9% across all 92 same-line dishes.
The large proportion of dishes with these rises in spring/summer 2021 can be accounted for by a focus to streamline menus and increase profit margins as a result of lost trade.
Currently, for mainstream pubs, the average starter price is £6.35 – up from £6.31 compared to the previous year, a main is £11.87 – up by 1.1% from 2020, sides prices dropped slightly by 0.2% to £2.74 from £2.75 and desserts saw a rise of 1.3% to £5.46.
When it comes to premium pubs, which Lumina defines as pubs where the average spend is £25 and over for lunch and £30 or more for dinner, prices have increased by 2.1% across 81 same-line dishes.
Price difference
This segment of the industry has inflated prices for starters at the highest rate across all dishes from £7.34 to £7.58 (up 3.2%).
Main dishes also saw an increase but of 1.9% to £16.74 and sides prices rose at a similar percentage of 1.8% to £4.61. Desserts were a similar story with prices increasing by 1.7% to £6.80.
For value-led pubs, where average spend is up to £12.50 for lunch and £15 for dinner, prices escalated by 2% across 223 same-line dishes. Starter prices increased marginally (0.2%) to £4.93.
Main courses saw a 2.3% rise to £9.31 and sides saw the same percentage increase (2.3%) to £2.66. Dessert prices had the largest increase in percentage terms (3.4%) to £4.56.
