The price of a ploughmans lunch varies from £2.50 at the Co-op to £9.50 at Seventhwave. £9.50 is also the highest price for a ploughmans lunch in Yorkshire. What do you think is a reasonable price to pay for a ploughmans lunch and where can you get one for that price?
Posted by Robin from Swanage to swanageview at 7/7/12 5:03 PM
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I can never get a table at the Co-Op
A ploughman's at the Co-op? More likely a ploughman's sandwich eaten on a Swanage railway bench.
I prefer a lobster roll: 1/2 pound of fresh lobster meat on a finger roll with a dollop of fresh real mayo. Had one today for $7- that's less than five quid. It was sunny and warm by the harbor, too. But then again, I am in God's country.
Enjoy the rain!
Pint and a pasty at the square and compass for me . Job done :):)
You left out the bike ride to Worth, Dave!
A pint of real ale and a cheap snack like a pasty served quickly is what people want. Look at the reviews of the Square and in Beer in the Evening, Trip Adviser and each Good Beer Guide and look at the number of people who visit the pub. It is a pity that there is nothing nearer Swanage that can offer this.
To anonymous at 7/7/12 10:44PM Co-op are selling a ploughmans lunch for £2.50: not a sandwich. They do a meal deal and you can get a bottle of orange juice, a ploughmans and a strawberry sundae for £3. The ploughmans has lots of health warnings but if something tastes nice it is bad for you.If you live here you can have it at home but visitors will have to find a sheltered bench somewhere.
We might get a break from the rain today but so far we have had the wettest June ever and more rain has fallen in July than the average for the whole month.Swanage is not the best place to eat out or go out this summer.
You still let Robin post on here. My god all the problems in the area with flooding and what the price of a ploughmans .... sheesh!
To anonymous 8/7/12 9:30. Why not start a post about flooding? I see there have been problems at Corfe Castle. Anonymous has been allowed to post far more often than I have.
Well Robin you seem suprised that a co-op ploughmans is cheaper than one in a cafe/restaurant.
It's not a difficult concept.
Mind you £9.50 for a ploughmans is a rip off.
Oh we can post anon again? Is that because no-one was posting when that got banned? haha.
"the moderator may exercise editorial control, to limit posts to subjects likely to be of interest to the majority of people,"
I never realised the price of a cheese sandwich was a matter of interest to the majority of people in Swanage. Tells us a good eal about them.
Freauian slip. For "eal" read "deal"
I will stick with my lobster roll rather than cheese and pickle on bread. It is another beautiful morning here - they seem endless - and I am off for a sail before lunch - probably lobster salad and a pint of Old Thumper brewed right here (yes, our local microbrewery is owned by one of the founders of Ringwood) at Federal Jack's pub - about 6 quid for that.
I have learned one thing about Swanage and the weather - spring and autumn are always nice, but the summer can be a big disappointment!
Having just spent a week in and around Swanage I can confirm the prices for meals are very high. (Average £24 for a couple of sand whiches with drinks in pubs) They are quite likely to deter visitors.In contrast we found a number of reasonably priced establishments in Weymouth. As a town it does seem far more welcoming to visitors. Even the Swanage hotels don't seem to make much effort eg: the bar at the Pines closed at 8.30pm and we were moved out of our seats in the conservatory in the Grand because staff claimed it was a reserved area. (no notice on our table)
One of the reasons that meal prices are lower in Weymouth is that there are two JD Wetherspoon pubs there and the other establishments have had to keep their prices down to compete. Wetherspoon has been kept out of Swanage but they are still looking for a pub here. There probably are some pubs serving cheap food in Swanage but generally the prices are far too high. They deter customers. For instance I can only afford to eat out once or twice a week here but if I was in Weymouth I could eat out three or four times a week. I wonder who will pull the first £4 pint in Swanage. I think the pubs in Swanage are more welcoming than some of the pubs in Corfe Castle where there is a take it or leave it attitude.
One can of Coop own lager and a pasty from Greggs - a real Swanage meal for under 2 quid.
Luvverly.
Your meal undercuts the Square and Compass. It looks like people have been buying ploughmans lunches at the Co-op because were none left this morning. I bought a bottle of Old Speckled Hen there for £1.39.
I bought a bottle of Old Thumper here. Cost $1.25 - that's 75p. Made right here, in a brew pub owned by one of the founders of Ringwood Brewery (Alan Pugsley). Had it with a fresh lobster roll on a deck at the pub overlooking the harbour. That cost $7.00 (four and a half quid). Another gorgeous day of sunshine and not too hot - 28 or so. Might take the yacht out for a sail, or play a round of golf.
Caught a performance here last week of one of Dorset's celebrity - Billy Bragg. Nice guy to chat with.
How's the weather in sunny Swanage been? Beautiful as always?
You must be across the bay in Bournemouth. Totally different weather there.
'You must be across the bay in Bournemouth. Totally different weather there.'
You are off...by about 3500 miles...
Greggs pasties really ? , you sir if you are a bloke have no taste :) best pasties in Dorset are at the square and yep the bike ride is really worth it and coming back down along priets way is a laugh
Greggs is the most popular place for a pasty in Swanage.
Whether that says something about Greggs, or Swanage, you decide.
The manager of Seventhwave wants to have a word with me for posting negative and uneducated comments in the visitors' diary at Durlston and posting negative comments in Trip Adviser. I think I am justified in pointing out that £3.80 is too much for a pint of beer and £9.49 is too much for a ploughmans lunch.
Robin-
Free speech is free, and he is free to take your free speech to task.
From the other Trip Advisor comments it seems that prices are a tad high, but that fits in with any place that charges a fair whack for parking. By that I mean it does not compete with the same clientele as eateries in town. The unique view and a few other factors make it an option for a night out, not just a meal.
In other words, horses for courses. You can eat elsewher for less. It seems that they are trying to adapt to find their niche, but Wetherspoons et al they will never be - not in that location.
So, my advice is..you made your point; now leave them be, and eat elsewhere. Why pick a fight you will never win?
Since Seventh Wave opened the prices have come down and they are now welcoming walkers as a result of constructive criticism. For instance they were originally charging £8.50 for sandwiches and this has gone down to £6.95 for paninis. Seventh Wave has changed the menu 16 times in response to criticism. Their remit from Durlston Country Park was to be a cafe by day and a restaurant at night and the Park has taken up this and other issues with Seventh Wave.
The ploughman's is actually being sold for £7.60. The chancellor adds the rest. He takes £1.89 in tax on your cheese and pickle. I should start by blaming him, and take a packed lunch Robin as your act of menacing defiance.
I'm assuming that as such a seasoned drinker Robin will know that pubs don't want to charge as much as they do but due to rising costs of fuel plus increased tax/VAT in every budget they aren't left with much choice.
I agree that the tax on beer is much too high. For a £3 pint of beer £2.80 goes out on costs so the profit is only 10p. When I started drinking the most expensive beer in Bournemouth was 2shillings (10p) a pint so the cost of a pint of beer has risen above the rate of inflation and that is one of the reasons why 4 pubs a week are closing. I don't know how the British Legion was selling beer at £2 per pint.
How much is a pint of Old Thumper in a pub in Swanage? Getting on for 320p?
I can buy it here for under 2 quid a pint. And petrol for under 50p a litre. And a three bedroom home with three acres of land less than the price of a one bed flat up Cranborne Road.
And I don't have to listen to whiners moaning on about the price of everything.
Yet you subject all of us to your moans and whinges.
So where is this Utopia in which you reside?
I have given enough clues that a simple Google search will find.
I also have a place in Swanage, so I have a reason for being on this blog.
Must go for a sail.....it is another sunny, 28 degree day here......... I just checked the Virtual Swanage webcam. Looks a tad damp there.
Yes, we are having the temperature in Swanage standardised throughout the year. Unfortunately due to teething problems this involves having several months worth of precipitation delivered all in one go. Last winter's is arriving at the moment. Being a generous lot we are sharing this advance in weather control with the rest of the country.
At end of day if a pint was £4 people will still pay it , they will have their moan but that passes. Things are not cheap these days but it don't stop people buying what their want.
Lets level the playing filed. A UK Imperial pint is 20 fluid ounces. A US pint is a puny 16. Multiply up the US price to the price per Imperial pint and it costs £2.50 and is rather less cheaper. However, for someone on minimum wage the situation is different. US min. works out at about £4.80 an hour, UK min is £6.08. Adjust for this and the US price is the equivalent of £3.16. Can't compete with the lobster rolls though.
By the way the Legion chill their beer so however cheap it is there is no taste unless you are prepared to wrap your mits round the glass until it reaches a sensible temperature. Shame really as its a decent place and they try hard.
"I prefer a lobster roll: 1/2 pound of fresh lobster meat on a finger roll with a dollop of fresh real mayo. Had one today for $7"
I imagine readers of http://www.mainelakevacation.com are deeply envious as that says "The going price of a lobster roll is from $12.95 to $16.95" Pretty much what you pay over here for a fancy snack.
The last 'lobster' I saw on offer at that tiki bar on Swanage was 16 quid.
The pub I refer to serves a pint of Old Thumper in a British 'dimple' beer mug, so it is a British pint. So, there goes your theory.
I am not sure about your minimum wage point; no adult works for anything like that. We stopped working for that at 16.
Is it still raining??? Sunny and warm here.
obviously robin hasnt got anything constructive to do in his life so he just winges about everything. sad really
We seem to have got off the subject. The question was "What do you think is a reasonable price for a ploughman's lunch and where can you get one for that price?" I think between £2.50 and £8 is a reasonable price. I know you can get one at the Co-op and the Wessex Belle but there are 32 other places to eat in Swanage and no one has come up with any suggestions.
It is not true that I have not done anything constructive in my life. I drew a picture of a Martian walking along the Dorset Coast at Night which was displayed in Swanage Library.
As a recent visitor to Swanage I must say the town needs a Wetherspoons to help bring down prices. Pubs in other towns are successfully competing with them so it can be done. Those that can't compete close =- thats the market economy. Everyone benefits through reduced prices. Prices of food and drink in Swanage seem very high for very average pub surroundings. You aint sitting in the Ritz ! Well done to Robin who has clearly experienced life elsewhere and knows Swanage sometimes rips you off!
The price of both food and drink depends on where you are. Prices in the allegedly affluent south are higher than in the north. The chairman of Wetherspoons says they sell for £3 in the former but only £1.90 oop north. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9240948/Rising-beer-prices-causing-north-south-divide-pub-boss-warns.html)
Supermarket prices tend to have regional variation as well.
"One can of Coop own lager and a pasty from Greggs - a real Swanage meal for under 2 quid" doh! Keep it local, buy the £1 pasty from Butterfingers - fantastic. One of those is a fine lunch even after a hard morning's graft on the railway...
Is it still raining??? Sunny and warm here.
Lovely here thanks. Bit breezy.
But we aren't currently having to suffer you, you smug...person.
Me...smug?
Pot...meet kettle!
As a recent visitor to Swanage I must say the town needs a Wetherspoons to help bring down prices. Pubs in other towns are successfully competing with them so it can be done. Those that can't compete close
Poor delusional person , knows nothing. Never mind you and robin can go to the funny farm and he can bore you with his railway tails.
Ask him if it was his "scale" model of corfe station that was so out it was embarrasing?
Mr Postmen,
That last one was personal and insulting. I am sure Robin is too much the gent to complain nevertheless it stretches your guidlines unacceptably.
To put the discussion of beer and food prices on a meaningful lever, can anyone refer us to any prooper research on the impact of Wetherspoons on other pubs? All we are getting is opinion and anecdote. Should anyone reading this be looking for a dissertation topic we would love to see some figures.
I agree with 12.15. There is a fine distinction between a bit of give and take (I do not mind being called 'smug' because I probably am, from time to time, but 8.44 goes too far. Certainly by not giving his/her identity, it is at best a cowardly anonymous ad hominem attack that does not deserve the bytes it takes up.
8.44 mainly directed his/her attack at me as I was the poster of comments about prices and Wetherspoons. My observations are based on visits to towns where Wetherspoons have managed to encourage other pubs to charge realistic prices. I agree however that sight of firm statistics (if they exist) would be interesting. I am puzzled as to why it is necessary to engage in abusive comments, when I am engaging in healthy debate. Presumably the poster does not appreciate any comments containing a viewpoint which is at varianvce with his? By the way - the model of Corfe Castle station has absolutely nothing to do with all this !
2,51 now I am confused (nothing new there!). Are you Robin of Swanage? If not, it helps to link your post with the timing of the one to which you refer!
I personally think weatherspoons would give some pubs a run for their money. Also Robin , there's nowt wrong with bringing up a topic which clearly states what is wrong with Swanage ...... It's too expensive in all departments :)
Certainly by not giving his/her identity, it is at best a cowardly anonymous ad hominem attack that does not deserve the bytes it takes up.
To be honest people who write uniformed garbage on here then complain when they are either proved wrong or belittled. Weatherspoons are not a "pub" they just sell cheap alcohol. I was away last week and saw people drinking outside a weatherspoons at 9 am good honest hard working people??? weatherspoons offer cheap(er) drinks due to their buying power and it is a insult to all the hard working publicans that have to compete. If you read the bussiness section you will see weatherspoons are realing from a tax bill, did they forget to add the last price rise on to their prices? As for Robin and his comments about ploughmans again it is a utterly ridiculous subject. £2.50 in the coop its a morsel why even bother. And I was told of a certain Robin and his models by genuine railway enthusists.
PS postman did your blog suffer when you had your censorship on? you either run a blog for open discussion or you run it like the libdems!
I believe it is 'J D Wetherspoon', not 'Weatherspoons'. Just as we call them the 'Purbeck Hills', not 'The Purbecks'.
If one is going to attack that firm, perhaps one should get the name right.
I cannot see the advantage in taking a swipe at The Postman's blog. He manages it as a free service, and deserves thanks from us for his efforts. Our participation is entirely voluntary, and most of us do not want to see it become an unpleasant forum (read the rules. They are very clear.) By all means, be frank, but do not be mean. It never wins an argument. Anyone is free to start their own Swanage blog...others have tried, and many have gone by the wayside.
By all means, be frank, but do not be mean.
I am being frank. I was having a coffe with some people in town and when i mentioned a certain Robin and his comments, the reaction I got stunned me. If these blogs excist perhaps we could limit them to subjects that are at least important not utter drivell.
Or come to think of it I could make comments like mr Furmage does/did. just ask what happened to him.
Thing is I will still post my posts with my name and if that post is the downfall of me , then so be it , least I have cogones to post with my name. Not like some of you:)
And like someone stated Mike does this on his free time , maybe a bit of respect would not go to far , unless You liking taking the **** .
Thing is I will still post my posts with my name and if that post is the downfall of me , then so be it , least I have cogones to post with my name. Not like some of you:)
Two things did you watch the torch relay, and even if you were anon they still would have found you.
David. answer me this do you think the food served up at wetherspoons is as of good quality as say the ship in langton? honest answer as these on here think its gourmet.
And its ok having a blog but have the guts to allow open comments.
I would be surprised if JD Wetherspoon decided to come to Swanage. Their pubs normally sell hundreds of meals and drinks every day all day which enables them to discount their prices. Why would they come here when the town has many quiet days and is reliant on the weather. Look at it this year !
If by chance the group did decide to come to Swanage then I fear for some of the other establishments. Already at least four of Swanage pubs are for sale as well as several restaurants and
I don't think reducing their prices will help.
Robin points out for a pint costing £3.00 the profit is very small. So to make a living a pubs have got to sell hundreds of pints a day. Same applies to Ploughmans lunches.
Its Saturday in the middle of July. The town and beaches should be packed. But its pouring !
Oh dear winter is coming... or is it here !
I think we all need a pint or two......and a ploughmans.
But phil you dont get it do you! the people on here want a wetherspoons, they wont use it after the 1st week and they dont care if places go bust. They will have their spoons..... and all the feckless chavs that go with it.
Perhaps Phil can offer an answer to this. It seems that JDW have a very simple and efficient business model. The own their pubs and employ managers. They buy their beer on a massive scale and so get a good price. This cuts out the companies that own the freeholds of most other pubs and make their money by selling the beer that they buy from the brewers to their tenants who add a markup and sell it on to the public. JDW are doing well out of being able to sell beer for less but why haven't they spawned imitators?
Wher do these feckless chavs drink at the moment?
I suspect Phil is right. Small seasonal pubs are not an attractive invesment to a business that is marketing driven with lots of promotions to keep the drinkers coming in and managers salaries to pay.
Most of the JDW sites rely on footfall. They would normally open a site that is surrounded by offices, shops and housing. They discount their beer because of their enormous buying power, often buying close to date stock and not offering any entertainment.
Their model is and has been copied (just look at any big town high street ) but even they are finding it hard at the moment. They own approx. 50% of their pub freeholds and have cut their expansion down to about half.
Margins at Wetherspoon are at around 10% so, as I pointed out above, you would need to sell an awful amount of beer and ploughmans to get a decent living.
No I think we should stick with what we have. Bruno at the Trat and Mick at G Whites are doing a pretty good job as well the pubs in these difficult times.
If you really want to buy a ploughmans in JDW then go to Poole or Bournemouth and spend £10-£15 getting there and back (although I suppose you might have a bus pass !).
Of course I should have mentioned the other places you can eat in Swanage. We all have a pretty good choice and of course you can vote with your feet if you don't like the prices.
Thanks for that Phil. I looked at some of the discussion on the web of the effect of having Wetherspoons open up locally and it appears it does not automatically make other pubs reduce their prices, particularly when they are paying more for their beer than Wetherspoons sells it for. What does happen is pubs and restaurants have to ask themselves what they are offering that makes it worth spending a bit more with them or look for niche markets. The latter would be difficult in a small town with not enough customers in any particular niche. That seems to leave providing higher standards of food and service. Possible not what the "price is all that matters" fraternity have in mind.
When you go into spoons in poole it is full of people having a coffee and cake £1.99 or whatever. & cheap food. origins? microwaved. pushchairs and kids. Is that what you all really want?
What makes me cross is we have on this very site many people moaning that there are no decent places to eat, then lots asking for a spoons. Many on here want to make Swanage more up market, then people ask for spoons. It either means there are hundreds who visit this site or a lot of hypocrits on here.
I have just read the swanage advertiser and seen a nice interview with a landlady, perhaps she has the right idea.
PS where is Robin?
I been in a few weatherspoons around the country including some in Scotland and I can say I have never had a bad meal in any of them. The same standard and consistency is the same through out the chain , which is something that lacks in many other places. It's cheap and to be honest I would eat in them anytime. So that my opinion.
As the torch Thingy, , no I did not watch it I was at work and from what I heard from some people it was not much cop, with only 2 locals running with it. Shame.
And having guts is to put your name to your posts.
The red lion will always do well , cos one it serves great beers and has a awesome range of ciders. Plus there's no tv's , families are welcome and you can talk your mind and say how things are , without getting glassed in the face by a bunch of NEDS. Yes the red have the right idea:)
The best pubs in this area are 1st the square and compass 2nd the red lion. 3rd the White swan. No other pub I am afraid comes close.
NED. Non-Educated Delinquent.
Dave, we have grown up with, or worked with most of the local people using the pubs in Swanage. Obviously our tastes and the pub we use change but the majority of these people are good, and don't behave, wherever they drink, as you infer.
I see you have tried JDW in Scotland, maybe when you worked there. Perhaps this is where your NED tag came from, but not in Swanage.
So much for ploughmans !
Phil , pubs have not really changed over the years , peoples attitudes have I think , they demand more in their busy lives , they have a faster pace in life. Yeah prices have gone up and we can't seem to help that. I personally don't like the tag "Chav " I prefer " NEDS " oh and you forgot the "s" on the end :)
We can't all live in the past , though it would be nice to relax upstairs in the club , munch on a club sandwich and shoot a couple games of pool. Though that's gone:(
I visit Scotland every year as my boys go up there for a holiday to visit family. I go the JDW quite often and enjoy a pint and a curry , and I like a good brekkie too. Never had a bad experience , but saying that like the rustic pub ie the square where it seems times have not changed.
I suppose sometimes we all can't have it our way , though we must be thankful the company we have when we visit these pubs and the times we have too.
Dave. Who's living in the past ? We're living in the future thats why we are 'blogging' and not down the pub chatting!
I merely pointed out that your vision of NEDS (in the plural !) and the way they behave in pubs is not, I think, a true picture of Swanage.
I am also not disputing the value of JDW's food although I would have thought a chef of your ability, would have been more discerning.
By the way the 'Torch thingy" was a huge success in Swanage with hundreds cheering it on its way,regardless of who was carrying it. Victoria Avenue was lined both sides with flag waving cheering families and the beach front was packed.
Great for the community but nothing to do with the cost of a ploughmans !
Reverting to Robin's original topic, a fair price for a Ploughman's lunch, surely there cannot be a simple single "fair" price. Bread baked that day on the premises, a premium farmhouse cheddar and home made pickle could be fairly priced at a good deal more than a slice of cotton wool and a sliver of tasteless economy cheese. The cheapest on offer may be very poor value and the dearest a bargain but as we know too many people think price is all that matters.
AH I see why 'blogging' is popular. I don't visit often but I see certain posts get deleted, perhaps when the post is personal or derogatory. Maybe its ok to criticise JDS but not about certain local establishments.
If you go to your local for a pie and pint and end up disagreeing about the cost, quality or company, it could end up in fisticuffs but here, 'blogging', you just get deleted.
Uhmm.
Freedom of speech is to say what people don't want to hear :)
Anyway , Phil not a truer word spoken about the future:) and don't get me wrong a chef of my experience sometimes likes the simple things in life and cheap aswell. A curry with a pint lovely or marmite on toast with beans can give me satisfaction. Though I have spent almost £20 on a ploughmans and I go back to this place
ever week to eat at this place. Take today I found a
lovely deli over at Southbourne where I had just a bowl
of rocket salad with a honey dressing and a piece of
grilled goats cheese. £7.50 and it was devine. Though
serve that in Swanage and folk would complain cos they would want tomatoes , cucumber onions and any other stuff they could get for their money. Shame I know but this is reality .
I think the goats cheese and leaves would go down well in Swanage. Better than some of the 3663 stuff that goes around. Still not sure why beer is 3.80 a pint though when its not even well kept. Much cheaper in Weymouth, which may be the Spoons influence, keeping prices a little more realistic.
Ois thinks the hamburgers at Wimpys is wot oi loik.
Oi will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.
http://gmanfortruth.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/wimpy2.jpg
Just back from Eastbourne. I tried out two pubs in the nearby village of Willingdon by the South Downs. At the Wheatsheaf a pint of Harveys was £3 and the Red Lion charged £3 for a pint of Badger. Badger has taken over the Sussex Brewery of King and Barnes. Both pubs served substantial meals for £9.50. The Red Lion did a ploughmans for £7.50. Opposite the hospital at the Rodmill I had a Flaming Grill with a pint of John Smiths for £7.99. Bearing these prices in mind I think the prices are too high in Swanage.
Bearing these prices in mind I think the prices are too high in Swanage.
Were they freehouses/managed/tied? were they on offer?
Both seem not to be premium beers.
Again Robin you come on here and just add a little poison to everything without taking all the facts into account.
But never mind freedom of speech etc etc.
There are places in swange that serve real ale cheaper!
The Red Lion at Willingdon and the Half Way Inn at Wareham are both tied houses owned by Hall and Woodhouse.Food is much more expensive at the Half Way Inn.
The Susex Bitter at the Wheatsheaf was £3.30. Sorry about the error.
I thought Harveys Sussex Bitter and Badger Best were premium ales.
I would be interested to find out where you can get cheap food and ale in Swanage. The Red Lion does a cheap curry and pint on Wednesdays and the beer is well kept in a separate room.
Probably from an Ale House that doesn't have to pay rates, rent, insurance, electricity,gas,holidays,
wages,tax,vat etc etc
Shut up , if anything your spouting the poison on here. Robin like many is comparing prices just like I have aswell. Swanage prices are too high and I don't know anywhere else that serves good cheap ale , unles you go into an offy. Though going into an offy you don't get the feel of a pub which is what some of us like.
Thanks Dave,All the best to you to.
jof.
Alright Joffy:)
Ahh mr furmage again... tuttut dave keep your cool. :)
anon poision quote!
Once again, proof that Swanage is overly expensive. Robin is right - Harveys ale is the cream of Sussex , Badger isn't bad either. The Red Lion at Willingdon would knock the socks off some Swanage pubs. Robin must be missing Eastbourne!
Probably from an Ale House that doesn't have to pay rates, rent, insurance, electricity,gas,holidays,
wages,tax,vat etc etc
Where do we find these then?
Once again, proof that Swanage is overly expensive. Robin is right
No he is not he came on here and claimed £3.00 a pint when someone said there are places that are the same or cheaper he then said ohh sorry I meant 3.30 thats a hell of a difference. And what is a substaintial meal? I went out with friends and their views on what to eat varied from a kids portion to a 16oz steak. what ever subject is discussed he makes some wild claims then ignores questions and comments. Go live in Eastbourne who gives a damn.
It seems to me that anyone who bothers to go outside of Swanage and then make comparisons gets shouted down.Eg: Eastbourne pubs, Birmingham Bull Ring. A great pity as our summer visitors come from far and wide and will make comparisons whether some people like it or not. Swanage pubs are being encouraged through this site to up their game and charge fairer prices. What is wrong with that? It would encourage more local and visitor trade. An insular approach to the Swanage experience is not really helpful.Inrsprescidently, found some good food at reasonable prices at the Crows Nest. Well done.
Well done Robin for speaking out. Where in Swanage could you get a flaming grill and a pint for £7.99? That's magnificent.
Swanage pubs are being encouraged through this site to up their game and charge fairer prices.
No they aren't. I doubt many of them read it. And if they did, how many people actually comment on this board?
I bet no pub changes prices because of this board.
Where in Swanage could you get a flaming grill and a pint for £7.99? That's magnificent.
Only if it's a decent quality pint and bit of food. I'd rather pay double that for quality than 8 quid for crap.
Only if it's a decent quality pint and bit of food. I'd rather pay double that for quality than 8 quid for crap.
My point exactly. Robin like that sort of thing.
I find this forum full of hypocrites on one thread people want spoons and cheap food, and if you disagree you get flamed on another thread you get all and sundry clamouring for art galleries book shops and a jamie oliver resturant. most on here do not appreciate how hard some people in Swanage work to try and make a bob or two. a lot dont work for the public sector or ignore planning to make their fortune!
Did it cross your hardworking mind that the people wanting cheap above all else and those wanting quality are not the same posters?
The Swanage weighting on beer is nothing compared with the local price of types of biscuits. I just noticed one brand at £2.50 in a local shop compared with the same thing for £1.19 at Waitrose, Tesco etc. (and that is not a sppecial offer price) Thats over 115% more. I will go hungry until our next online order from Waitrose.
The post is about ploughmans lunches which was invented by the Milk Marketing Board in the 1960s to conjure up an image of what agricultural workers used to eat. People who eat ploughmans lunches are looking for something cheap. At the Lord Wimborne, a Wetherspoons in Poole, a ploughmans sandwich with a salad and chips and a soft drink is £3.99. I think £7.50 is reasonable but prices ranging from £9.50 to £21 are too much. Some beer in the Red Lion at Swanage costs £3 a pint and this is kept at the right temperature in a separate room and drawn from a barrel. If you pay £3.80 somewhere else you do not get a better pint. Because income is low in Swanage local people cannot pay high prices for meals.
By the way Robin, was your flaming grill and a pint at the Rodmill rubbish? Some folk here are suggesting it must have been just because it was sensibly priced.
What makes anyone think that firms operating in a market will all either
1) decide to price at the bottom of the market
or
2) reference their prices to some concept of a hypothetical "fair" price, although goodness knows who would set that. A sort of pub landlords LIBOR committee perhaps?
or
3) maximise sales regardless of all other considerations.
It is perfectly possible for a business to decide the best tactic is to make their Ploughman's the dearest in the hope that what they loose on volume they will make up on margin.
That is how a market operates. What is the alternative? Prices, qualities and quantities fixed by the government or council and an army of price commissars checking that nobody adds a crafty 10p or shrink's the cheddar ration? A British standard ploughman's? Bread to be between x and y mm thick, cheese to be matured for n months.
Robin your assumption that people wanting a ploghmans are looking for something cheap is just wrong.
Some people do choose a ploughmans because it is one of the cheaper deals. I have done that. Not really good value though if it is over £5. Others choose one because that is just what they fancy. Don't think you can say Robin is wrong on this one. I haven't met him but he seems to come in for a bit of stick on here ! Is it because he brings an outsiders view to bear about Swanage or what ?
Robin is like a kid with a stick, who keeps poking the wasp nest then runs away, and everyone else gets stung.
He is often factualy incorrect and makes a lot of assumptions.
And you give what to this disscussion? A pop at someone that's very big of you. Well done bet you feel really proud ?
David Furmage said...
Shut up , if anything your spouting the poison on here
The irony Dave, because that sounds like having a pop too.
lol x
A "x" ? And I don't even know you , bit strange.
David, you are a fine one to lecture about having a "pop" you are well known for getting in peoples faces. Those in glass houses??
What I wrote about Robin does sum him up.
Can people please stop the personal abuse: everyone's entitled to their opinion.
Did not know anoynomouses had faces :)
So tried Poppy Mae in westbourne the other day a fantastic lunch with a chocolate brownie to die for. And their latte was out of this world. Proper feathering of the milk on top , something I have not seen in 20yrs:) the owner is keen for me to supply cakes in a few weeks. Actually nice to be out sampling different foods.
Can people please stop the personal abuse: everyone's entitled to their opinion.
And that includes people who dont agree with you, also people who dont like robin.
A "x" ? And I don't even know you , bit strange
How do you know you do not know me?
xx
Never heard or met anonymous , though I reckon your all the same. Same old same old.
Must say though the bankes in Studland is dear:(
But David dont you remember the hell you gave alan leeson on the beach?
I think there are many locals that gave that man a hard time. Though I must say the new town clerk has the right attitude and is very keen to listen to peoples views and I hope for swanage he carries on:)
Anyway not veering of the subject , the bankes in Studland I think is very expensive :(
Prices from a randon selection of web sites. Whether they are up to date is another matter, but a little bit in the way of facts is called for in this interminable discussion.
Greyhound, Corfe Castle Home baked baguette and mature cheddar £6
Manor House Hotel Studland grated cheddar cheese sandwich with pickle £5.90
Red Lion Swanage cheddar and chutney £3.95
Ship Inn Langton Cheddar Ploughmans 7.50
Can others please add to the list so we know what we are posturing about.
Bankes arms ... Brie and cranberry baguette £ 6.95
What we need now is for some public spirited citizens to research the prices in other small resorts and towns, with some examples away from the coast as well. Bridport has a Wetherspoons and it would be instructive to establish whether the price effect that has been claimed for their presence has occurred there. Lyme Regis and Sidmouth can be compared with Bridport as they are nearer.
Interesting that Bridport is as seasonal as we are but has a Wetherspoons showing they are not limited to large towns with year round trade and a huge turnover. One would think that some economics student could get a dissertation out of the effect of low price pubs on local beer prices and how non price competition may be more important. There is a lot of scope for field research in this although the idiot end of the press would like nothing more than the headline "students paid to drink beer."
Or locals paid to eat food lol.
Great idea though. Putting this out here could we do the same with cakes and sweets. Wanting to do some research on these items aswell. And please not anything from greggs or your average bakers. More like delis and cafes or even brought from people who bake for fetes.
Houn Pine's coffee puffs are still a blessed memory. A proper patisserie would do wonders for Swanage but most people here have no idea of their delights. The Drucker's franchise in Poole's Dolphin centre is a pale imitation. I think Swanage would also jib at the prices though.
Just to boil robins blood gregs in Poole have different prices than swanage............ wow what are we going to do.
The Village Inn does a cheddar or stilton ploughmans for 8.25.
It's a very large portion coming with pickle, pickled onions, salad and a large piece of warm bread and tastes excellent.
By and large their menu is well cooked and good value, portion sizes are pretty good/big.
Thing is with swanage we have too many cake shops , haymans , Williams , greggs , butterfingers , coffee and cake ( German shop ) chocco . If you want to sample good cakes purbeck deli do a fine afghan cookie and have a nice selection of good cakes. Though I hear there's going to be new cake seller in town:)
As for The person sticking it too Robin , please behave if anything he's brought up a very good subject
My heart sinks. David Furmage proves my point. Like most of Swanage he would not know a decent patisserie product if it hit him between the eyes, which most certainly will not happen around here. You can buy basic sweet stodge made down to a price but not up to a quality in most places in Swanage. Have a look at http://www.realpatisserie.co.uk/ and tell me where I can get cakes and patisserie like theirs here.
I sense a cake off is needed then , name your time and place:) oh just to warn you I have worked with some good sweet chefs in my time :)
By the way nice stuff on that website , the kind of stuff I used to do when working in France back in 88. The classics , though I like to add a twist to them:)
David,
Do you think there is a market for it in Swanage? Their prices are surprisingly reasonable so it can't be that. I suppose Brighton has, how shall I put it politely, a higher level of food literacy than we do.
This is a tough one which I had looked into a few years back. 1st is rates , yep that money subject comes up again. Rates are very high in town and people on the mainland say this too about swanage. 2nd is location , I find this is a key ingredient when it comes to opening anything to do with food , especially in swanage aswell. 3rd is style , it's got to be right otherwise it fails. Catering is a hard one as 95% of food outlets do fold in their first year. Except for your local high street brands.
Yes I do think there is a need for a top notch patisserie shop in swanage as to be honest it would make those ones in town wake up and relize that there stuff is not really that great. Though there are fetes , markets and delis that do projuce a fine cake and it's lovely to see
this kind of produce coming out of people houses and I hope this carries on.
Although Jack Cohen was right when the said the three most important things in retail are position, position and position, Chococo shows what can be done, despite a tertiary location, although of course they are an exporter from Purbeck to a considerable extent.
There is also the market for catering for functions and parties and anyone who can think beyond sausage rolls and cup-cakes would be a breath of fresh air.
The 95% failure rate is an urban myth. There is some discussion at http://www.gyford.com/phil/writing/2006/11/13/what_percentage_.php and an interesting discussion of the reasons for failure at http://www.hvs.com/article/3153/why-new-restaurants-fail/
This is worth reading. It picks on failure to do the homework and find out whether there is sufficient demand for whichever type of restaurant as an important cause of failure. The "open it and the public will flock to it as if by magic" school of thought I seem to recall reading in someone's post in a catering related thread elsewhere on here not too long ago. The moral is you need to shell out on a market study. I have to say, I know if too many instances of people coming unstuck after putting their money into different sorts of businesses on blind faith to doubt the truth of this.
Sorry, missed a phrase. Meant to say "The "open it and the public will flock to it as if by magic" school of thought I seem to recall reading in someone's post in a catering related thread elsewhere on here not too long ago." is proved wrong by this.
The other problem highlighted is raising sufficient capital to keep the business afloat until it turns a profit, which sounds a familiar one.
I see censorship in operation again typical libdems
As I have said I will, I deleted a comment that simply abused two people in one sentence...
I deleted a comment that simply abused two people in one sentence
Did you check the facts in those 2 statements? I beleive one was correct and the other a simple question.
But as this is now turning into the Dave I can say what I like Furmage blog I see no point.
Dave is a aggresive person, some might say he wears his heart on his sleeve, others he just opens his mouth before thought.
Yep I have a decency to speak before thinking , though Brain Turner ( British chef ) who I worked with for 4 years said " this shows great passion for what you do " I have been involved in cheffing since the aged of 10 , so that 32 years in total. I love everything to do with food , no one can ever say they are the best chef in the world , cos we are always learning. Something that other professions just don't offer.
As far as this is my blog , please don't be so childish and put your toys back in your pram. Everyones opinion is good for any subject on here it brings out a good debate and shows great passion for things that people like. I see nothing wrong with this at all. Though the constant poking abuse of anyone does make you think are people of swanage really that childish and have nowt good to contribute to a debate.
Anyway looked and some of those links in a post above and they make some good reading. Thank you:)
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