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Chips from snack vans are too expensive

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I went to the Sunderland Airshow, a great event I must have but what does let it down in the price of food from the snack vans.  My sister got four small trays of chips and she was shocked when it came to £8.  Not hard to work out that it's £2 for each tray in which you could literally count the chips quite easily.

Not only that but many of the rides were charging £2 - £4 per ride and £1.50 - £2 per sideshow, which usually involves some tacky cheap prize.  If your family consists of two adults and two or more children this equates to a small fortune.

I think it just shows how greedy some of these businesses get during events.  I know they have to make a living and that the cost of the pitch can be high, but surely they could still achieve this by having a tray of chips at the normal price, especially since the airshow attracts thousands of visitors each day of the two day event.

Some freinch fries I would hate to think of what a large fish and chips cost... not much change from a tenner

I would hate to think of what a large fish and chips cost.  Probably not much change out of a tenner no doubt.  Personally, I believe that a lot of chip vans and snack vans overcharge for food because they know people will pay it.  For example, they have come a long way to some event or other and they're hungry; they fancy fish and chips by the seaside or whatever.

Museums are no different.  I once went to a place that charged my partner almost £4 for what was a bottle of fruit juice, not your large bottle I might add but the ones you get in cafes.  We also found Alnwick Gardens quite expensive as you are paying twice the price for food and drink.

As I said before I think a lot of these places will charge higher because they know people will pay it.  Have others had any experiences of being overcharged?

By: Dommy


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Nick

Nick

Snack vans are rip offs. A portion of chips doesn't cost even 10 pence to make, but they charge £2, £3. Stick a kilo of frozen chips in your oven and laugh at them.
17/01/14 Nick
0
sonny

sonny

Here's a tip: Go to the supermarket and make your own food in advance. It's so much cheaper.
09/02/11 sonny
-6
nochiponmyshoulder

nochiponmyshoulder

Some people would pay millions if it kept the kids quiet just that little bit longer
15/08/10 nochiponmyshoulder
4
mr d

mr d

Its simple, dont pay it. However its probably not the chippie mans fault. Traders at these festivals pay a fortune to be there, if they didnt we would all have a burger van at them wouldnt we.
04/08/10 mr d
-14
AOD

AOD

Just been to a festival this weekend and the snack prices were all pretty much in line with what you'd expect. £2 for chips, £2.50 for a weak, luke warm coffee, £4 for 5 doughnuts, £4.50 for a cheese burger and so it goes on. It's daylight robbery.

Grumpy, sadly most people earn too much and will still pay up.
02/08/10 AOD
-8
alice

alice

Jamie "Oliver" - do you realise how fattening boiled eggs are?!
01/08/10 alice
-9
Grumpy xx

Grumpy xx

When you go out for the day you are paying for an experience, not a product. That's why restaurants charge a fortune for wine and more for the food than it's worth. It's also about covering their overheads.

Again, there is an 'experience' attached to buying from vans and stalls at an airshow. But buying a tray of chips doesn't sound like much of an experience to me. Not like buying an ice cream on a beach or cockles etc. Take your own food. When these vans get the message that their prices are too high, they will have to lower them. So why buy them and help prop up the very problem you are complaining about.
31/07/10 Grumpy xx
-14
Jamie Oily Verre

Jamie Oily Verre

Don't eat chips. They make you fat. Being fat means you can't work hard enough. If you can't work hard enough you can't make much money. If you don't have much money, chip van chips will seem expensive to you. If chip van chips seem expensive to you, you will gripe. Griping encourages people to explain the situation from another perspective. The other perspectives might be intolerable to you. If the other perspectives are intolerable, you may feel sad. If you feel sad you may start to seek comfort food. Your comfort food is probably chips. It's a vicious cycle.

Stay off the chips. Take a stick of celery and and a boiled egg next time and stand well back. Those airshows can be dangerous. But not as dangerous as chips.
31/07/10 Jamie Oily Verre
-7
Timelord

Timelord

You ought to see the London prices, £2 for a tray of chips is average, certainly at an "event". You correctly point out that these folk have to pay for their pitch, and pay a lot too.
30/07/10 Timelord
-7

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