The Racecourse Prices Index: how much is a burger and pint at Huntingdon?

The Racecourse Prices Index (RPI) is a new and occasional series, in which we report from each of Britain and Ireland's racetracks on the cost of going racing.

Racecourse report: entry, food and pint prices from Huntingdon

Huntingdon

Date visited: Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Was it a big day?

Well, it was the hottest day of the year so far so, in that sense, it was a big day and a larger than expected crowd was the result.

In terms of racing? Not really, the highlight was a Class 3 worth £8,386.84 and five of the seven races were won by favourites. Pretty pedestrian.

How much was entry on the gate?

£15 for an adult. Not at all bad considering purchasing online the day before was £12.50. It was all general admission, no enclosures were on offer, meaning you could go pretty much anywhere apart from the hospitality areas.

Other than restaurants/hospitality, what were the food and beverage options?

Limited but there was enough variation to keep even the most picky of eaters happy. If you were looking for a salad though, you'd be struggling big time.

You could get your burgers and hot dogs but also on offer was a mobile pizza van (£11 for a pepperoni one which I gobbled up), a hog roast sandwich stand – with one costing £7 – plus a Cornish pasty stand.

Oh, and there was an ice-cream van which was accepting cash only, despite Huntingdon being a cashless venue...

A good midweek crowd enjoyed the hottest day of the year at Huntingdon on Tuesday eveningCredit: Sam Inkersole

What's the damage?

Bottle of water: £2
Cheapest pint: Atlantic Pale Ale, £5.80. Carling was the only draught lager available, much to mine and many others' annoyance. There were bottles available of Staropramen and others but not a pint's worth.
Guinness: £5.70 and only available in a can. Some bars had the “Surge” feature which shoots compressed air into the cup to make it look like a draught pint, but a seasoned Guinness drinker will know its nowhere near the same product.
Champagne: N/A
Burger: £7 for a cheeseburger, £6 for a hot dog from the Barbecue Shack, £3 chips. £7 hog roast roll, £11-£13 for a pizza. The course charged £2.30 for a can of Coca-Cola which is astonishingly expensive.

All drink prices taken from the main racecourse bar, or where there are multiple bars, one chosen at random.

What was the pizza like? 

Very, very good. Cooked in what looked like a wood-fired oven in the van, fresh toppings, very enjoyable if a little on the small side. Four slices didn't last very long. 4/5

And the queues?

Very efficient, plenty of staff on hand at each of the bars, of which there were plenty to choose from (I got a beer from three different bars because why not?). Didn’t have to wait more than a couple of minutes to get a pint in. Excellent job. 

What did the punters say?

I went as a punter to Huntingdon for the first time and found it to be quite a charming track. Very accessible, no massive queues at any time for refreshments and a decent crowd (the glorious weather certainly helped) created a fun atmosphere. But, please, Huntingdon, offer better or different draught beers.
Sam Inkersole

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