Am I being unrealistic?

Prices have gone up everywhere. 5 + Euros here.
Better to take a flask on a walk and enjoy it wrapped up warm sitting on a bench admiring the view or people watch.

I wouldn’t think that particularly excessive - certainly not now, when business costs have zoomed up.
I do hardly ever have a coffee out, though - I’m nearly always shopping on my own and town is a short bus ride from home.

If in France.
Three people ordering a glass of wine each were advised by the waiter that it would be cheaper to have a carafe of house.

Mr GrowingOld and I used to go out about once a week for coffee and cake or lunch but that's now a luxury of the past. However did go out with a friend recently I hadn't seen for ages so justified the expense on that basis. The price posted at the selection area was £5.20 for a coffee and cake, but I was then told at the checkout that as one of the cakes was gluten-free it was more expensive. And one of the coffees was black decaf, so I think that's a bit of a rip-off, if half of the ingredients are missing!

No prices up? Odd. I wonder why!

Just for comparison purposes I've just returned from Spain where a café solo (espresso size) was around €1.00 to 1.20, a café cortado (just a little milk) was around €1.60 and café con leche (milkier) around €1.80. This was in bars and cafés but not in a chain like Starbucks.
This was in both a large city and in smaller towns. There weren't many of the chain coffee shops around, unsurprisingly.
I know bars etc in Spain probably have lower overheads but even so...

Thats about the going rate now in coffee shops- might even be on the cheaper side tbh.😐

GrannyGravy- good gawd!

Kirkcubbin- yes me & adult son went to a costa monday-hadnt been for months- a young lady was already in there, on a small laptop- we stayed over 40 mins & she was still there when we left& she only had a cup there as far as could tell..I mentioned to son that thats what folk are doing now to keep warm, save on heating homes etc.(by the way we had a medium drink each with a lower price breakfast roll& drink offer- came to about £13.60!) Am glad wasnt full price.Wont be going again for a while.😐

Maybe waitrose should make folk wait till AFTER theyve done a trolley-shop?

Grantanow I think it's most countries throughout the World, not just the UK. That's why people are crying out for an inflation matching pay rise.
In my Mum's Hometown there is a wonderful independant cafe that does wonderful cups of italian coffee. They do a large breakfast brunch including coffee for £7.50. Bliss.

GrannyRebel, you said a tenner and you go three times a week - that's £30 a week on coffee and cakes! Great if you can afford it I suppose! I had coffee and cake out today (just me) at a local place and it was very nice but over £7 which I thought expensive, and I won't be doing that too often!

11:38Rosina

You can only get your free coffee in Waitrose after you have bought your shopping at the till, pay for a coffee then show your Waitrose card and price refunded.

About normal price now.

Yesterday at 8am I was on way to dentist in Chorley , a bloke asked me if there was a Costa? I said there a fan new Greggs cafe literally behind him! He said "ugh! No thanks" so I directed him to the "we saw you coming" Costa and saw him later asked if he found it? "Yes thanks " me: "shudda gone to Greggs!" And laughed , he did too....I've been ONCE paid over £7.50 for a lukewarm tiny glass of hot milk barely beige and ZERO coffee tasted, and a big sickly lump of cereal bar that I actually couldn't eat.never again!

Yet again....#FAB NEW GREGG'S editing tool Pleeeeeeeeeeeease!?!?!

nipsmum

I knew there was a reason I haven't had coffee in a shop for about 5 years. I resent having to pay any money for something I don't need don't want and can get at home.
Maybe I am just a miser.

👍👍 #meanall! no drinks out nowadays everyone's serving American junk drinks too as well as food!

I paid £10.50 for 5 litres of sunflower oil in tesco. Couldn't believe it.

Beautiful Totnes in Devon stopped Costa opening a shop there and I was so relieved! Dumbarton the same, the overrunning of our towns and even village with these revolting giants who are formulaic and faceless should be stopped where their not wanted. It should be as difficult to open one as to stop one too! I detest the Starbucks too in Chorley they've opened a drive in on a busy access road, why?! As if we need more cars and vans trying to jump out into the rush hour flow from their drinks stop, good god can folks not drive a short way to work without slurping this sugar laden bilge? And I'd just love to know how all the skummy mummy types afford to plonk in these places all day it seems guzzling junk and eating trash? No wonder they're all the size of a tank!?

MOnica I would like to know a baker who earns £50,000 a year because my husband gave it up due poor hours no sick pay and rubbish holiday allowance . Maybe the owner gets that but the grafters don't. Oh yes I believe there called artisan now! Self trained where as my husband had city and guild's in baking, pastries & confectionery.

I guess it’s all relative and depends on where you live and what the establishment is (ie part of a chain or independent) I meet friends for a cuppa about once a month with naughty cake and usually pay around that same price but the rest of the time we go to each others houses and it’s much cheaper ! One supplies the drinks and the other nice biscuits or cakes

Clearly I don’t know the details of the economics involved, but business rates, rent and most of all energy costs have gone through the roof, possibly wages too.
Somebody has to pay for it - so it’s us the customers or the establishment goes out of business.

You are paying for sitting,often for a long time, in a nice environment. I don't know how independent coffee shops survive with their overheads.

As a person who spent my whole adult life being able to knit my own jumpers, hats and scarves. Being able to sew the majority of my own clothes (until my eyesight started getting bad). Being able to make my own bread and cakes, etc and being able to brew myself a cup of coffee. The thought of paying something like 1000% more for something I could make at home just puts me off going anywhere.

It's the cake that's too expensive I paid £3 for a coffee and £3.25 for cake northern perk at northern general hospital the cake was small if I'd thought about it I wouldn't have paid it