- Mail Sport reported on Tuesday how fans were furious with the alcoholic prices
- Now we reveal the ire directed towards the ‘profiteering’ non-alcoholic options
- A Cheltenham Festival chief insists it is the first price increase since 2022
You’ll find yourself out of pocket even if you want to stay sober at horse racing’s marquee event.
Never mind the alcoholic drinks, Cheltenham Festival punters have been tearing into the extortionate costs of the non-alcoholic options this year.
The pricemasters at Prestbury Park are so comfortable with draining wallets that even a ‘zero’ alcohol pint of Guinness sets back thirsty consumers to the tune of £7.40 – just 40p short of the regular cost.
Meanwhile, a 330ml bottle of alcohol-free lager demands £4 of any wannabe slurpers.
The pricing has split opinion online, with some fun-seekers in uproar over ‘blatant profiteering’ while others insist it isn’t that bad.
‘There’s no duty to pay on Guinness Zero yet it’s the same price as alcoholic Guinness – kerching,’ one user wrote on X.
Cheltenham Festival punters were aghast to see the pricing for non-alcoholic drinks
Particular ire has been directed towards the non-alcoholic Guinness price just 40p below its toxic cousin
‘Blatant profiteering as there’s no duty on 0.0,’ another said.
‘£7.40 for a pint of black water,’ one commented, adding three laughing emojis.
‘Give it 4-5 years and the alcohol industry will be finished and they’ll only have themselves to blame,’ added another.
‘The 0% is taking the mick,’ one said.
But other thinkers insisted that such pricing was par for the course for a major event.
‘Jeez these people complaining about £7.40 for a pint want to try a music festival or football match,’ one hit back.
‘That’s not bad for an event,’ another added.
The attack on non-alcoholic prices comes just a day after festivalgoers lambasted the regular alcoholic fares.
Despite predicted record sales of Guinness this year, Cheltenham bosses have decided to increase the price of the popular bevarage by 30p, charging punters £7.80.
One fan shared a receipt for a round of four Guinness with Mail Sport, coming to the cost of £31.20.
Wine lovers will be disappointed to find out that a 187ml costs £9.70, while the prices of spirits are kept between £7.20 and £7.30.
Soft drinks are priced at £3.10, while sparkling or still water would cost £2.50 – a 10 pence increased compared to last year.
Guy Lavender, Chief Executive of Cheltenham Racecourse, said: ‘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 Cheltenham Festival had not increased since 2022 until this season.
‘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. As part of the review of this year’s Festival and with next season in mind we will be looking again at pricing on course.’
