by Tony Halstead The price of pub food has risen by almost five times the rate of inflation over the past two years, according to the newly-published 2004 edition of The Good Pub Guide.
A survey of 331 pubs in 12 different areas of the UK revealed that during that time, food prices had soared by 13% against a retail price index inflation rate of 2.67%, excluding housing costs.
The price of beer had also shot up, with the average price of a pint now standing at £2.07p, and with drinkers in London paying an average of £2.36p.
Editor Alisdair Aird says pub food prices have rocketed at a time when other high-street prices have been almost at a standstill.
"Price increases on this scale do get noticed and do hurt customers' pockets," said Aird.
Aird reveals that the survey uncovered price increases of more than 25% in one out of every seven pubs selected.
The guide is also critical of pubs which "bulldoze" customers into paying for things they have not ordered, particularly when they ask for a traditional sandwich.
"A sandwich often comes with a few pence of unwanted chips, crisps or salad, bumping the price up by a pound or two.
"Equally, the sandwich can blow up into a vast baguette, trendify into a pannini or evolve into a ciabatta or even a wrap.
"Of course, these are popular today in their own right, but should never be seen as substitutes for the traditional sandwich," he added.
The guide also reveals that the cheapest bitter is to be found in Nottingham where the average price of a pint stands at £1.84p, but only a relative handful of counties see average prices under the £2 mark.
Everyone's a winner The guide has also announced winners of its annual awards, which this year covers 13 different categories.
These are: Own Brew Pub Flower Pots, Cheriton, Hampshire.
Beer Pub Watermill, Ings, Cumbria.
Brewer Of The Year Hook Norton, Oxfordshire.
Whisky Pub Bulls Head, Clipston, Northampton.
Wine Pub Olive Branch, Clipsham, Rutland.
Dining Pub Dartmoor Inn, Lydford, Devon.
Unspoilt Pub The Bell, Aldworth, Berkshire.
Newcomer of the Year Brunant Arms, Caio, Wales.
Pub of the Year The Star, Harome, North Yorkshire.
Inn of the Year The Bear, Crickhowell, Wales.
Landlady of the Year Kathy Jones, the Rose, Thorington Street, Suffolk.
Pub Group Of the Year Brunning & Price, Chester.
Pubby' reference pleases award-winning Brunning & Price
The winners of the Pub Group of the Year award, Brunning & Price, have achieved the rare feat of a Good Pub Guide listing for all 11 houses in its estate.
The company, based in Chester, operates nine pubs in Cheshire, Shropshire and North Wales and two in the south east, at Horsham and Tunbridge Wells.
Founder Jerry Brunning bought his first pub back in 1981 and seven years later teamed up with his current business partner, Graham Price.
The bulk of the 11 houses are food-led, but Brunning insists that the wet side of the trade is critical to their success.
The guide says that all the outlets remain "pubby", while at the same time offering modern food alongside good beers and wines, attentive staff and relaxed, informal décor.
"We particularly like the reference to pubby because this is exactly what we try to be," said Brunning.
"It would be all too easy to drift away from being the good, but ordinary, pubs that we aim for.
"Personally, I much prefer dining in a pub than a restaurant.
I enjoy the informality and being able to enjoy a couple of pints in the bar before sitting down for a meal.
"We try very hard to retain the pub side and retain a good balance between wet trade and catering," he added.
Three of the pubs are operated on brewery tenancies, with the remainder a mix of leasehold and freehold properties.
Much of the early finance for the company came from venture capitalist 3i, although loans have now been repaid and any financing currently comes from normal bank borrowing.
The company will open a 12th pub next year, but does not envisage its estate growing past the 15 mark in the long term.
"Ideally we want to expand by buying freehold pubs but there are simply too few of them around now, but we will continue scouring the market to try and get the units we want," Brunning revealed.