The rising cost of a pub meal could put customers off eating out, claims the Good Pub Guide.
Guide co-editor Alisdair Aird has risked the wrath of publicans by suggesting the trade is taking advantage of increased interest in eating out following the smoking ban.
The latest edition of the guide says a two-course pub lunch with a glass of wine now costs on average £20. The figure is based on a survey of more than 1,000 pub menus, averaging out the cost of a starter and main course.
The guide, which is based on research and recommendations by readers, claims pub food prices have "soared" in recent years, with the average cost of steak and kidney pie, a pub menu staple, now £10.50.
Aird said the rising costs were likely to deter customers, accusing pubs of "capitalising on the fact more people are going to pubs for meals since the smoking bans by charging higher and higher prices."
The claim will surprise the many pubs which have seen trade dip across the summer in the wake of the smoking ban and the long spell of bad weather.
Aird added: "If people have to pay restaurant prices they should also get restaurant-quality service. We know people will have less disposable cash in their pockets over the next year or two, so it is important that pubs keep a lid on costs to keep prices down."
Ben Bartlett, catering development manager at Marston's Pub Company, dismissed the Guide findings as "rubbish".
He said: "You may be able to charge £20 a head in some London pubs, but I work closely with our pubs in the Midlands and the North, and they are typically charging between £5 and £9 for a main course
"Increasingly, pubs are serving home cooked food, often using locally sourced produce. It's a very competitive market and pub food is very good value."
Paul Baker, a lessee with Punch Taverns at the Seven Stars in Ledbury, Herefordshire, said: "This really doesn't help the trade after the tough year we've all had.
"The results probably reflect the people who read the Good Pub Guide - nobody who goes for a pint and a sandwich in an ordinary pub has a copy.
"Our most expensive main course is under £8, a hand made steak pie made with rare breed beef from our local butcher."
According to the survey of the pub trade carried out for The Publican Food Report 2006, the average price of a main course is below £9.99 in 77 per cent of pubs. The results of this years survey are currently being analysed and will be published on November 26.