It's common knowledge that big sporting events hike up food and drink prices but the 'astonishing' cost of a pint at this year's Cheltenham Festival has left people fuming.
The legendary festival sees 28 horse races take place across four days with an annual turnout of around 250,000.
But, as this year's edition kicked off yesterday (12 March), fans' attention quickly turned to the bar tariff and they all had the same thing to say about the price of Guinness.
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A pint of stout and Cheltenham Festival go together like bangers and mash, with an estimated 220,000 pints expected to be downed over the next few days, but with such a hefty price tag, some punters claim to be boycotting the bars.
One said: "Anybody that goes to Cheltenham and pays £7.50 a pint needs to give their head a shake."
Another posted a picture of their drink on X (Twitter) and declared: "Cheltenham 2024 - They’ve disposed of the paper cups. £7.50 a pint."
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Meanwhile, others have criticised the soggy track conditions down in Gloucestershire.
One person wrote: "Poor from Cheltenham. For the price of a pint of Guinness and a burger they could have put a roof over the track."
The only good news is the fact that the price of the Irish favourite hasn't gone up from last year's event.
Visitors can also expect to fork out £7.50 for a pint of Draught Atlantic Pale Ale, Aspall Suffolk Cyder or Madri Lager.
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Standard spirits like vodka and rum cost £7 for a 25ml measure, while more premium offerings such as Jameson Irish Whiskey will set you back £7.50. Adding a mixer to your spirit will cost an extra £3.
A non-alcoholic Guinness costs racegoers £6.75 while a glass of house wine is an eye-watering £9.50.
As for the most expensive beverage on the menu, punters can enjoy a bottle of Moët & Chandon champagne for a cool £110.
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House champagne and rosé champagne also come in at £75 and £48 respectively.
The Sun revealed that the majority of drinks are more expensive at Cheltenham than Wimbledon.
Guinness and all ales are 30p cheaper at £7.20, while the tennis tournament also offers a host of bottled beers for under £7.
Single spirits come to £6.90 at Wimbledon, including a mixer, and while a glass of vino is the exact same price at both events, soft drinks are also less expensive with Coca Cola Zero and Sprite Zero sold at £2.25 each.
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A spokesperson for Cheltenham Racecourse told LADbible: "Despite being impacted by the rising price of goods and services in the current climate in exactly the same way that other industries and businesses are, the price of a pint at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival is the same as it was last year.
"When considering how to price food and drink we benchmark against comparable venues locally, while also factoring in any associated costs like temporary facilities and increased staffing to cater for significantly larger crowds."
Topics: UK News, Food And Drink, Sport
Bec Oakes