The Racecourse Prices Index: how much will a pint at Brighton set you back?

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 Brighton

Brighton

Date visited: Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Was it a big day?

Not exactly. The feature was a Class 4 0-80 handicap.

How much was entry on the gate?

£22 for general admission, £25 for premier, racecard £3.

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

Few options. The vegetarian balti and rice wasn't available and there was a rather sorry looking broccoli and cheese pie. A regular to the track told me he went to one bar and there were no crisps or chocolate bars. A hot sausage roll was £5.50. Cash isn't king here as they don't accept it.

What's the damage?

Bottle of water:£2.20
Cheapest pint: Carlsberg or Kingston Press, £5.30 (£5.80 including a 50p surcharge for a reusable plastic pint glass on your first order)
Guinness: £5.90
Lunch: Vegan sweet potato falafel salad for the vegetarian, £4.50

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

Vegan sweet potato falafel salad costing £4.50

What was the salad like?

It wouldn't win a beauty contest but it did the job.

And the queues?

Very quiet, brisk service. The bar staff were warm and apologetic for the lack of options on what was a balmy day by the seaside.

What did the punters say?

"We live in Kent. The prices were funny because we bought our tickets a while ago as a birthday present and we had an email to say the prices had gone down, so we got a free racecard and a bit of money back. The drinks aren't cheap but it's like anywhere. We'll probably have a snack later on but we ate before we came."
Kay and Charlie Lane

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