Hobgoblin pub in Bicester getting too expensive

20 comments  Add a comment

We're all feeling the pinch at the moment what with soaring unemployment, the price of petrol, rising food costs and a generally bad case of recession blues.  What a sheer delight to find that my local pub, The Hobgoblin pub, 84 Sheep Street Bicester has decided to ease our suffering (not) but massively increasing their prices.  Here's a letter of protest I have just sent to Pubs n Bars Ltd.

As a customer of the Hobgoblin in Bicester as my local pub of which I have frequented at least 2 times a week over the last 14 years, it is with despair that I now find myself writing to you as the owning corporation.  Over the last few years the prices within the pub have rocketed to what I can only say is now an absolutely astonishing level.

From a marketing aspect, does Pubs'n'Bars Plc not review locally the prices of other establishments within the area in which their public houses operate?  This maybe of great advantage if you reviewed the Bicester area.

at least 50p cheaper than the Hobgoblin...

I was astounded when a friend purchasing a pint of Fosters lager stated that it is now £3.05p.  I know as a real ale drinker that the price of Hobgoblin had gone up a lot too.

Now lets put this in consideration, the Angel public house within 200 yards of the Hobgoblin sells Fosters and John Smiths at £2 per pint.  In truth every drinking establishment in Bicester sells Fosters lager for at least 50p cheaper than the Hobgoblin and their Ales too.  I am not just taking the Weatherspoon pub into consideration either, this even relates to commercially common drinking haunts like Yates across the road from your pub.

I noted that on Saturday night when entering the pub that it was a lot quieter and after buying one round and feeling robbed at the prices, like others I moved to another premises where I found other former patrons of your pub who were also disgusted at the costs.  I can only see a certain death for your business considering the present climate if the prices are to stay at an average of 20-30% dearer than anywhere else in the town

I really look forward in anticipation to hearing what reasoning there maybe behind such increases, as due to price rises in the past the darts teams have disbanded and the local motorcycle club no longer want to use your pub.

I just hope that good business sense will restore what has been for a number of years a good community public house within the centre of Bicester.

Yours Faithfully

An ex Hobgoblin patron

Leave a comment

First Prev 1/2 Next Last

-- sort order --Recent firstOldest firstAuthor

www.easyhandyman.com

I would close all pubs in Bicester, in fact I would close bicester, better still, eradicate Bicester

10/07/14 www.easyhandyman.com

-1

Tinkerman

If you dont want to pay the price go elsewhere, its that simple. You can ask the landlord about why its got so expensive and after his explanation, you can decide too either inform him that its getting too expensive to go out and in future you will either drink elsewhere or buy it from the supermarker or off licence and drink at home

15/08/10 Tinkerman

6

grumpyoldwoman

As you may guess, Pete, the comment below was not posted by me.

If it doesn't say "grumpyoldwoman" (all lower case you'll notice) it ain't me!

17/07/10 grumpyoldwoman

-12

Pete

GOW you had a dump in the pocket of a pool table!? What kind of sicko are you? Seriously that is way out of order. And I thought you were a figure of authority here.

17/07/10 Pete

3

Rob the Builder

I only frequent the Hobgoblin occasionally as for as long as I can remember (been in Bicester area for 10 years), the pub has been most expensive in town. I like the pub as it has a good atmosphere (best in town?), but I find it hard to understand how so many youngsters can afford it. Last night my friends daughter was playing as support act to a band, so I went along to listen. Basically I do not go there unless I have another reason other than "I want a pint". I took another friend along who has been in Bicester longer than I and never been in to the pub - at £2.75 a pint he won't be going again - it's bad enough paying £2.60 at the Bure Farm, but that is his local. Needless to say, we drank slowly!

13/11/09 Rob the Builder

2

Annie

Totally agree. I have been a customer for nearly 15 years in the Hob Goblin, Gloucester Road, Bristol. I have noticed they are One of the most expensive Pubs on the road and also have lost many customers because of this. I have a feeling our local will soon no longer exist, which will be tragic as it has always been at the heart of our community. Also the choice of management over the last year leaves a lot to be desired. Outsiders who have no regard for the locals or the pub.

10/11/09 Annie

0

grumpyoldwoman

If you were a regular on here, Alan, you would realise that that was not me! It was someone else using the name GRUMPYOLDWOMAN. He or she also uses other slightly different versions of my name as they can no longer use my name exactly as I do. They started doing this to take the pi$$ so the site administrators blocked them from using my exact name.

If it isn't EXACTLY my name it is not me!!

I have never even been to Bicester so have no opinion on this gripe.

26/08/09 grumpyoldwoman

-16

Alan

WTH.. this gripe is about a pub and about the price of a pint of beer. Are you on the same planet as the rest of us there grumpyoldwoman?

25/08/09 Alan

-4

GRUMPYOLDWOMAN

I read in yesterdays mirror people are complaining about Heinz Low sugar and salt Ketchup being too hard to squeeze out. They should try JS Basics ketchup. It is only 27p, tastes fine and comes out of the bottle easily!

16/08/09 GRUMPYOLDWOMAN

13

Angel Cake

Dennis you're an idiot so just stay at home with your bottle of squash and you're cat. The rest of society doesn't give a crap anyway. As far as the Hob in Bicester is concerned. Been there many a time and it's gone down hill like you wouldn't believe. Best thing they could do is close it down, bulldoze the site and turn it into a crèche. Lets face it, Bicester is full of pregnant or young mothers that get knocked up in G's and that other meat market so they're going to need another place to dump their illegitimate offspring. The place is an icon for run down towns in the UK and the Hobgoblin is a dying ember in the fire of middle England. Damn you all!

16/08/09 Angel Cake

-16

Regular Drinker At Whatever

I felt the same about a local pub The Pickwick Tavern in our village which got expensive and eventually stopped trading.

This was due to the owners of the property (Enterprise Inns) charging excessive rent which had been increasing rather fast and couldn't all be passed onto the customer.

I sympathise with both customers and those who run pubs having to pay for the greed of others as well as being ripped off by this inept government.

11/06/09 Regular Drinker At Whatever

-15

Jon

Beer is getting to expensive to bother going to the pub anyway and it's not just your pub. I go out about once a month now, the wife and I just can't afford it any more.

27/05/09 Jon

-2

Ex Hobgoblin patron

Interesting enough, shame that Pubs'n'Bars Plc still have not had the nerve to answer the original letter. So I guess they want the death of the Hobgoblin in Bicester. As per comment by 'Pub Fan' better for a pub to have 100 customers drinking at £2 per pin than 10 drinking at £3 per pint.
I look forward to hearing any other comments from other patrons/ex-patrons of the Hobgoblin, Bicester.

14/05/09 Ex Hobgoblin patron

-14

Passe Passe

ban alcohol: try not drinking alcohol in a pub and you're still ripped off......I was charged £2 for a pint of lime and soda water! Anyway, in my experience if you go to the big coffee chains you end up paying almost as much for a cappuccino as you would a pint of bitter.......

14/05/09 Passe Passe

-17

andrewthornton

I blame the Government, it's continually increasing tax on beer. It's OK for the big names or the freehold pubs, they can negotiate deals. But for the tied pubs, they're screwed by their pub companies who charge what they want and the pubs have to buy from them.

What we need to do is to get rid of the beer tie. And the Prime Minister.

14/05/09 andrewthornton

-8

First Prev 1/2 Next Last

-- sort order --Recent firstOldest firstAuthor