Jools Holland was brilliant, but unfortunately I was mugged in the bar.
It wasn’t by any of the people in the bar, indeed they too were being mugged.
By the BAR!
We all expect to pay premium prices as a captive audience. But this was different.
The prices were complete extortion, but it was more complex than that, (more of that in a moment).
It was 6.45pm and the show was to start at 7:30pm; the doors had only been open a short while. I should have got a warning bell when the chap in front of me was looking forlornly at a half full pint plastic [glass]. The barmaid was looking desperately for somebody to take responsibility for charging £3.20 for the orange squash.
She was clearly embarrassed and was apologising profusely. In the end, and because nobody else was taking responsibility, she charged him £1.
It was my turn. When I asked for a pint of lager, I was told that the barrel was off. I said I’d wait. I ordered a glass of Lime and Soda for Karan, (she was driving). I then ordered a pint of cider for Richard. The Cider was off because it was, “too frothy”. (What? Frothy Cider!). The barmaid asked if a Magners would do. Ok, I know it’s a bit pricey but what the hell, we’re having a treat night out.
“Is the lager back on yet?” “No sorry”, she said, “Do you want a bottle of Beck?”.
It was about this point that Karan asked the barmaid if she could top the glass up. “Sorry, it comes in cans”. I looked at the empty can on the back of the bar and realised that it was one of those tiny 150 ml cans you get on aircraft.
I turned my eyes to the Magners in Richards plastic glass and realised it was less than half full. He hadn’t had a drink. I looked at the bottle of Becks being offered and it was a tiny 250 ml bottle, the sort you get on offer at Tesco’s in packs of 36.
Bloody Nora! I saw the prices. Yes I had seen them before but had just accepted them as being a bit steep, but hadn’t reckoned on the tiny sizes being offered.
The 250 ml bottle of Magners was £3.80, the normal price you expect to pay for the normal 568 ml bottle in an up market wine bar, (£2.80 in our local). That’s over £8.00 a pint!!!!!
Comparison of 330ml and 150ml cans
The Soda and Lime was £1.80, £1.40 for the tiny can of soda and 40p for the dash of lime. Even in top wine bars it’s usually 20-40p for the Lime and the Soda is free out of the Coke pump. That works out at about £5.40 a pint for soda water!!! That’s Tap Water with added gas.
I didn’t bother with the £3.40 bottle of Becks, the lager still wasn’t on and remained off as far as I was concerned.
And this is what I meant about more complex. Let’s be clear that this is not a small venue, it is a racecourse and probably turns over in one day what most pubs turn over in a year. So how come the Lager was off right at the start of a major concert. How come the Cider was off at the start of a major concert. Might I offer the opinion that at £3.40 a pint, it didn’t present the same level of extortion as the alternatives.
There was an article in the local paper about how punters at the recent races had been victims of pickpockets. Maybe they just forgot that last round they paid for. I won’t!
For your information:
Mini Mixer can 150 ml/5 fl oz
Small Euro Bottle 250 ml/8.8 fl oz
Standard Can (Coke type) 330 ml/11.6 fl oz
European Bottle 330 ml/11.6 fl oz
Pint 563 ml/20 fl oz
