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| Prices at UK’s top restaurants ‘have doubled since Brexit’ | Prices at UK’s top restaurants ‘have doubled since Brexit’ |
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| Editor of Harden restaurant guides says prices of more than £200 a head at top eateries are ‘becoming the norm’ | Editor of Harden restaurant guides says prices of more than £200 a head at top eateries are ‘becoming the norm’ |
| The price of a meal at the UK’s best restaurants has more than doubled since Brexit from £100 a head to more than £200, according to two new guide books. | The price of a meal at the UK’s best restaurants has more than doubled since Brexit from £100 a head to more than £200, according to two new guide books. |
| Peter Harden, the editor of his eponymous restaurant guides, said: “We’ve gone very quickly from a time five years ago when charging over £100 a head was the outlier, to now, when for the very top restaurants £200 pounds a head is becoming the norm.” | Peter Harden, the editor of his eponymous restaurant guides, said: “We’ve gone very quickly from a time five years ago when charging over £100 a head was the outlier, to now, when for the very top restaurants £200 pounds a head is becoming the norm.” |
| For the first time Harden’s London Restaurant Guide has raised its top price threshold to £130 a head to reflect record menu price rises. The 2023 edition includes 15 restaurants in the capital with a guide price of more than £200 a head, compared with six in that bracket this year. | |
| And Harden’s Best UK Restaurants for 2023, published next month, will list 12 venues outside London charging more than £200 a head, compared with eight this year. They include Britain’s most expensive restaurant Ynyshir Hall in Ceredigion, Wales where the 32 course taster menu costs £410 a head. | And Harden’s Best UK Restaurants for 2023, published next month, will list 12 venues outside London charging more than £200 a head, compared with eight this year. They include Britain’s most expensive restaurant Ynyshir Hall in Ceredigion, Wales where the 32 course taster menu costs £410 a head. |
| It describes the restaurant, which has two Michelin stars, as a “major darling of the UK fooderati”, but it notes that many of its reviewers now regard it as “ridiculously overpriced”. | It describes the restaurant, which has two Michelin stars, as a “major darling of the UK fooderati”, but it notes that many of its reviewers now regard it as “ridiculously overpriced”. |
| Harden said: “If you go back to our first post-Brexit London edition in 2017, then there was just a single restaurant costing more than £150, now there are 37, and there are 154 in the guide above the £100 level.” | Harden said: “If you go back to our first post-Brexit London edition in 2017, then there was just a single restaurant costing more than £150, now there are 37, and there are 154 in the guide above the £100 level.” |
| He added: “This phenomenon is not restricted to London. The most expensive formula price in our UK guide this year is £430, for Ynyshir in Wales.” He added, with reference to Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant in Berkshire: “These days, it’s pretty hard to come out of the Fat Duck for less than £1,000 for two.” | He added: “This phenomenon is not restricted to London. The most expensive formula price in our UK guide this year is £430, for Ynyshir in Wales.” He added, with reference to Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant in Berkshire: “These days, it’s pretty hard to come out of the Fat Duck for less than £1,000 for two.” |
| One of Harden’s reporters described the Fat Duck as “unbelievably overpriced … we ate at a number of Michelin one stars at the same time, which we enjoyed far more, and you could have had almost four meals at those restaurants for the price of just one at the Fat Duck”. | One of Harden’s reporters described the Fat Duck as “unbelievably overpriced … we ate at a number of Michelin one stars at the same time, which we enjoyed far more, and you could have had almost four meals at those restaurants for the price of just one at the Fat Duck”. |
| Harden said some UK restaurants were now charging “staggering amounts that would have been inconceivable in the UK only a few years ago”. | Harden said some UK restaurants were now charging “staggering amounts that would have been inconceivable in the UK only a few years ago”. |
| Harden said Brexit was posing an existential threat to the restaurant business, partly because of rising food prices, but mainly because of the extra cost of hiring staff. | Harden said Brexit was posing an existential threat to the restaurant business, partly because of rising food prices, but mainly because of the extra cost of hiring staff. |
| He said: “Brexit has been absolutely disastrous for the trade. We launched our guide 32 years ago before the Maastricht treaty. The ability to recruit Europeans, was one of the key drivers of the restaurant revolution that took place in the UK over the last 25 years or so. [At] many of the top restaurants … 80% plus of their staff would have been European. | He said: “Brexit has been absolutely disastrous for the trade. We launched our guide 32 years ago before the Maastricht treaty. The ability to recruit Europeans, was one of the key drivers of the restaurant revolution that took place in the UK over the last 25 years or so. [At] many of the top restaurants … 80% plus of their staff would have been European. |
| “Britain has woken up to good quality food. Now the question is, how many of us can afford it, and is there anyone to serve it?” | “Britain has woken up to good quality food. Now the question is, how many of us can afford it, and is there anyone to serve it?” |
| Harden said the impact of Brexit has been “most dramatic at top restaurants” with many opting to charge diners for pre-paid fixed prices. | Harden said the impact of Brexit has been “most dramatic at top restaurants” with many opting to charge diners for pre-paid fixed prices. |
| He explained: “The tasting menu has become much more prevalent, to help restaurants work out their margins. The answer for many is just to feed fewer people and to open less.” | He explained: “The tasting menu has become much more prevalent, to help restaurants work out their margins. The answer for many is just to feed fewer people and to open less.” |
| “The a la carte menu has really died a bit of a death at top restaurants. It’s becoming impossible to go in and have a taste of highlife by getting a main course and a glass of wine. Now you have to spend four hours eating 32 courses and come out absolutely stuffed to the gills. The restaurants get much more certainty that way.” | “The a la carte menu has really died a bit of a death at top restaurants. It’s becoming impossible to go in and have a taste of highlife by getting a main course and a glass of wine. Now you have to spend four hours eating 32 courses and come out absolutely stuffed to the gills. The restaurants get much more certainty that way.” |
| The Fat Duck has been approached for comment. | The Fat Duck has been approached for comment. |
| Prices per head at Harden’s top London restaurants for 2023 | Prices per head at Harden’s top London restaurants for 2023 |
| Araki £380 | Araki £380 |
| Kitchen Table £330 | Kitchen Table £330 |
| Endo at Rotunda £285 | Endo at Rotunda £285 |
| Roketsu £285 | Roketsu £285 |
| Story £272 | Story £272 |
| Maru £242 | Maru £242 |
| Ledbury £236 | Ledbury £236 |
| Ikoyi £231 | Ikoyi £231 |
| Core £226 | Core £226 |
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| Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you through the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning | Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you through the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning |
| Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester £224 | Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester £224 |
| Sketch (Lecture Room) £223 | Sketch (Lecture Room) £223 |
| Da Terra £223 | Da Terra £223 |
| Restaurant Gordon Ramsay £210 | Restaurant Gordon Ramsay £210 |
| The Frog £208 | The Frog £208 |
| Clove Club £206 | Clove Club £206 |
| Prices per head at Harden’s best UK restaurants 2023 | Prices per head at Harden’s best UK restaurants 2023 |
| Ynyshir Hall, Eglwys Fach £410 | Ynyshir Hall, Eglwys Fach £410 |
| Fat Duck, Bray £353 | Fat Duck, Bray £353 |
| Midsummer House, Cambridge £321 | Midsummer House, Cambridge £321 |
| Enclume, Cartmel £296 | Enclume, Cartmel £296 |
| Raby Hunt, Summerhouse £277 | Raby Hunt, Summerhouse £277 |
| Moor Hall, Aughton £273 | Moor Hall, Aughton £273 |
| Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, Great Milton £269 | Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, Great Milton £269 |
| Waterside Inn, Bray £226 | Waterside Inn, Bray £226 |
| Whatley Manor, Easton Grey £217 | Whatley Manor, Easton Grey £217 |
| Outlaw’s New Road, Port Isaac £215 | Outlaw’s New Road, Port Isaac £215 |
| Mana, Manchester £203 | Mana, Manchester £203 |
| Lympstone Manor, Lympstone £201 | Lympstone Manor, Lympstone £201 |