The cost of eating out in the UK is now at an all-time high, with the average three-course adult meal costing nearly £19, reports the Mystery Dining Company.
Research from market analyst Horizons shows that meal prices in restaurants, pubs and hotels increased by 7.5 per cent in 2010, pushing up the average price of a dish across all courses to an all-time high of £6.78.
A three-course meal in a pub now costs an average £15.45, up 4.1 per cent, while the price in restaurants has gone up to £20.92, a rise of 2.8 per cent.
Horizons' research also showed that the average price of a three-course adult meal rose to £18.94 in 2010, up from £18.03 in 2009.
Paul Backman, Horizons' services director, said the price hike was driven by rising costs.
"There will also be an element of raising menu prices to pay for the widening use of discounts and money-off vouchers," he explained.
"Operators are trying to maintain their margins by using their buying power to keep cost pressures under control and re-engineering menus to bring average costs down."
A fifth of pub-goers said they would visit the pub last weekends Royal Wedding. A survey of more than 400 consumers by the Mystery Dining Company found that 20 per cent planned to visit to the pub over the weekend.
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