The Racecourse Prices Index: what's the cheapest pint on offer at Plumpton?

The Racecourse Prices Index (RPI) is an 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 Plumpton

Plumpton

Date visited: Monday November 14, 2022 

Was it a big day?

Not particularly. There were seven races on the afternoon card, with the opening novice limited handicap the most valuable offering at £18,000. Just three runners were declared for the race, however, making up the smallest of Monday's fields.

How much was entry on the gate?

Tickets for the combined Grandstand and Paddock enclosure were available for £18 on the day (£16 in advance), with group tickets for ten or more people available in advance at £14.

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

There are three racecourse bars, with the Paddock Bar and Chasers Bar both offering snacks as well as drinks.

Hot drinks are best sourced from the Coffee Hut, which offers locally roasted coffee at £2.80 as well as tea for £2, while behind the grandstands are a selection of food options.

Those include a popular Mostra Pizza stand, which delivers margherita pizza for £11 and additional toppings at £12.

The Burger Co stand was also well attended and took both cash and card payments, with burgers from £6 and bacon rolls at £5.

Finally, the Dirty Mac stand offered macaroni and cheese for £8 and hot dogs for £7, another hot food option for a rather crisp November afternoon.

What's the damage?
Bottle of water: £1.50
Cheapest pint: £5.50 (Pravha)
Guinness: £6.50
Champagne: Only Prosecco was available from the three main bars, priced at £11.50 for a 200ml bottle
Burger: £6
All drink prices taken from the main racecourse bar, or where there are multiple bars, one chosen at random.

What was the vegetarian burger like?

The burgers were freshly prepared, offered with onions, lettuce and tomatoes, and the spicy vegetarian burger was well worth the £6 price tag.

Vegetarian burger available for £6 at Plumpton

And the queues?

There was plenty of interest in the food and drink offerings at the track but only 40 minutes before the opening race just a few minutes' wait were needed at any of the available outlets.

What did the punters say?
We've been to quite a lot courses and this is the only one we've become members of. We live about an hour away but we love it here. We've both just had burgers, and the food here is always excellent. The beer is good too.
Chris and Carey Clifton, Bexhill 

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