National trust - what a shock lol

[navydragoness]

Hi there

With the weather being nice at the moment we thought we would make the most of our NT membership. 

Had a nice day out planned and thought we would have lunch at one of their properties.

I know I am out of date with prices but I nearly keeled over at the cost of food there.

£1 for a KitK*t

£2.20 for a slice of Mr K battenburg cake ( Would have got about 6 slices out of a standard cake)

£6.95 for a cheese and ham sandwich with a dollop of pickle

Will be taking my own lunch next time

[stan3502]

Wow that's expensive especially on top of the admission charges.

Hello navy , lovely to see you posting, how are you ?

[ed_blackadder_1]

We are members of the trust, most of the time we go with dogs and walk the grounds and we take a packed lunch and a flask, but if we go on our own we consider it a treat to be able to go in the cafe and I usually pay for lunch or afternoon tea as my hubby has an awful job getting his wallet open in time, he always has to question the prices and gets the hump and settles for coffee, I however consider it a pleasure and as I said a treat so I pay up with a smile.

I do agree though the mark up is quite high, but then you are a captive audience, and within reason they can charge what they like.

In our local Nat. Trust house they serve a very large piece of chocolate cake for £2.50 so we share as one of us couldn't eat a whole slice.

We have been to a lot of houses in Devon, Cornwall and Warwickshire and find the prices are near enough the same.

The more times you go the more value for money the membership is.

[ilove2patch]

Most of the NT places I have eaten at have lovely home made cakes which I don't mind paying a decent price for a slice. As you say a slice often does two. Mr K's cakes are horrid & I wouldn't pay for a slice of that!

[ed_blackadder_1]

Agree totaly, Arlington Court have an amazing cook who makes all their cakes and the chocolate cake is to die for, the slice must be about 5 inches high with 3 layers of buttercream and about 3 inches wide. Not bad for £2.50 and handmade.

Mmmm must get the other half to come with me over the weekend, I can feel a choclate fix coming on.

[cookiecookuk]

the last time we went to a national trust place .we went into the cafe and both had coffee a sandwich and a slice of cake and cost abot £24 i nearly fell over i was so shocked.

[captainbovine]

I've noticed all food is rising at an alarming rate in cafe's. NT must be one of the highest. I object to paying so much for a jacket potatoe, gawd, it's one of the most cheapest items to make. Cake is another thing they make a huge profit on.

I always fancied having a tea room when I was younger. We always said we wouldn't charge for a hot drink if we had one, we could still make a good profit on the food alone.

No wonder it's known as rip off Britain.

[navydragoness]

Hi there

I am fine thanks - had a scare but everythings OK now.

I think if the cake on offer had been as large as you say I might not have objected but I think they were getting at least 10-12 slices to the cake and they were only two layers with filling between so they did not make up for in height what they lacked in width !!lol

Keep safe everyone

XX

[stan3502]

So glad everythings OK , keep popping in won't you

[fishpieface]

Yes, we are members of NT too, I know what you mean about prices.  I must say the

food is usually very nice but I do think it's a little bit OTT.  Most of the places we've been

to have home-made cakes but I would strongly object to paying that much for a slice of

industrially-made battenburg.

All those type places are the same though, the RHS, English Heritage etc, all charge a

lot for what is usually good quality food but nevertheless a bit overpriced.  I suppose

they think the type of people who go there can afford it but that's a bit social stereotyping

I think.

We've often put on their comments card if we've thought food prices are unreasonably high.

Having said that though, if you go to other type places, for instance theme parks and the

like, their food prices are also inflated, the only difference being their food is usually

horrible stuff, packed with additives to give the millions of kids there an even bigger high

than they have already!