One big gripe about FoS this year
Discussion
We were there all weekend, booked the picnic box hampers for both Friday and Sunday and they were perfect. Pricy, but they were beautifully fresh and cooled, including a bottle of chilled white wine. Sat and ate them under a tree near the start line, lovely.
It's an expensive weekend however you do it, so seams a shame to spoil it by quibbling over a few quid spent on food and drink. I did balk at the I'ginious gin & tonic which cost £28 for 2 doubles, although to be fair I'd have paid that for just 2 cups of ice after siting in the direct sun on the front row of the grandstand for an hour!
It's an expensive weekend however you do it, so seams a shame to spoil it by quibbling over a few quid spent on food and drink. I did balk at the I'ginious gin & tonic which cost £28 for 2 doubles, although to be fair I'd have paid that for just 2 cups of ice after siting in the direct sun on the front row of the grandstand for an hour!
On the plus side none of the Goodwood events impose the food and drink restrictions that are now usual at Music festivals so self-catering (my preferred option) is easy and available. We usually left ours in the coolbox in the boot and collected at lunchtime rather than lug around.
On the negative side it is clear that commercially the Joe Public punter who was essential to the event's success in the first 15 years has been increasingly squeezed for the last 10. Gone are the various newspaper offers and the cost of Friday for both FoS and Revival are more than the weekend daily cost in 2010. Free viewing banks / stands have been increasingly reduced to 'force' custom into grandstands. I voted with my feet re. FoS and haven't been since 2016 (and then just 1-day as opposed to previously at least 2). I couldn't give up my 3-day Revival fix and while I'm still fit to carry my chair and picnic round to Lavant hope to do so for many years to come.
On the negative side it is clear that commercially the Joe Public punter who was essential to the event's success in the first 15 years has been increasingly squeezed for the last 10. Gone are the various newspaper offers and the cost of Friday for both FoS and Revival are more than the weekend daily cost in 2010. Free viewing banks / stands have been increasingly reduced to 'force' custom into grandstands. I voted with my feet re. FoS and haven't been since 2016 (and then just 1-day as opposed to previously at least 2). I couldn't give up my 3-day Revival fix and while I'm still fit to carry my chair and picnic round to Lavant hope to do so for many years to come.
I can't imagine anything worse than humping a bloody load of food around with me when it's 30 degrees in the shade. Not even the idea of
Plus, it's not that expensive in the overall scheme of things. Anyone eaten out in Borough Market lately? Even a rancid dogburger that needs its oil changing at Satan Pod will cost there or thereabouts and at least Goodwood ones are nice, tasty and don't have profound aftereffects that can last for days
F1JHerbert said:
cheery tomatoes,
would be enough to persuade me. I'm happy to fork over a fiver for a bun containing seared pig products for the bonus of only having to tote camera stuff and water around with me. I guess it makes sense if you're the sort of bucolic individual who finds a spot and parks themselves complete with cool box, umbrellas, folding seats, blankie et al and then never move again, but I prefer to scoot about the entire place and paying for food makes it that much easier.Plus, it's not that expensive in the overall scheme of things. Anyone eaten out in Borough Market lately? Even a rancid dogburger that needs its oil changing at Satan Pod will cost there or thereabouts and at least Goodwood ones are nice, tasty and don't have profound aftereffects that can last for days
Nik da Greek said:
Anyone eaten out in Borough Market lately? Even a rancid dogburger that needs its oil changing at Satan Pod will cost there or thereabouts and at least Goodwood ones are nice, tasty and don't have profound aftereffects that can last for days
Funny you should ask.... I did the other week. It was buttock-clenchingly expensive and rubbish.Nik da Greek said:
I can't imagine anything worse than humping a bloody load of food around with me when it's 30 degrees in the shade. Not even the idea of
Plus, it's not that expensive in the overall scheme of things. Anyone eaten out in Borough Market lately? Even a rancid dogburger that needs its oil changing at Satan Pod will cost there or thereabouts and at least Goodwood ones are nice, tasty and don't have profound aftereffects that can last for days
I took my own rucksack with me on Friday to carry a load of water and my camera etc about. I regret doing this, as I was not having to feed a whole family, for me spending an extra £10 over the course of the day to get the drink I needed would have been better than carrying the bag all day. F1JHerbert said:
cheery tomatoes,
would be enough to persuade me. I'm happy to fork over a fiver for a bun containing seared pig products for the bonus of only having to tote camera stuff and water around with me. I guess it makes sense if you're the sort of bucolic individual who finds a spot and parks themselves complete with cool box, umbrellas, folding seats, blankie et al and then never move again, but I prefer to scoot about the entire place and paying for food makes it that much easier.Plus, it's not that expensive in the overall scheme of things. Anyone eaten out in Borough Market lately? Even a rancid dogburger that needs its oil changing at Satan Pod will cost there or thereabouts and at least Goodwood ones are nice, tasty and don't have profound aftereffects that can last for days
Out of curiosity I set Strava going as I always wonder how far we walk. We did most of the area from the entrance & around the trade stands, up to the rally stage including pits and going over to the jump. Crossing over the bridge we did the main paddock & the Super car paddock but we timed out on the lower paddock. All that came to 9.3 miles & 773 feat climbed. If you did the lower paddock and all the rows in the other paddocks you would probably pass 10 miles.
We also did 6 miles the previous day at RIAT so my feet are a bit sore now!
We also did 6 miles the previous day at RIAT so my feet are a bit sore now!
ukaskew said:
No different to any other event really, the quality of the food at Goodwood is better than most too.
I now bring my own in a thermos lunchbox, £12 in M&S bought me enough decent food to feed me between 7am and 7pm comfortably.
A man from my own heart. I go to Sainsburys and spend about twenty pounds on food, which is enough for all four days. Taking my own water and flask.... Fill up the empty bottles with water I now bring my own in a thermos lunchbox, £12 in M&S bought me enough decent food to feed me between 7am and 7pm comfortably.
This probably marks me as the tight side that I am but all of the prices people are listing on this thread are completely horrifying to me. 27 quid for 2 pints and 2 hotdogs is bloody ludicrous. The only way I would pay that price is if they got a naked Rachel Riley to feed it to me. Much prefer to spend 20 quid in the supermarket and that way I get to eat what I want.
Berkshire bred said:
This probably marks me as the tight side that I am but all of the prices people are listing on this thread are completely horrifying to me. 27 quid for 2 pints and 2 hotdogs is bloody ludicrous. The only way I would pay that price is if they got a naked Rachel Riley to feed it to me. Much prefer to spend 20 quid in the supermarket and that way I get to eat what I want.
I don't think Rachel would do that for £27.Berkshire bred said:
This probably marks me as the tight side that I am but all of the prices people are listing on this thread are completely horrifying to me.
The beauty of events like this is that they thankfully are more than happy for you to bring a picnic or whatever, so there is absolutely no need to spend if you don't have to. As mentioned I didn't spend a single penny in 12 hours at FoS.RIAT and FoS both had ample fresh water on tap too, so you can reduce your costs quite significantly if needs be.
I get the food being pricey if it's free entry, like Breakfast Club days, but not when it's a fairly expensive day out to begin with. The food (burgers) have been OK from the 'Organic' stalls for the few years we have been. Didn't go this year.
Blue One said:
I went yesterday on the Thursday for the first time (usually go on a Friday or Saturday) and being a veteran of previous years actually found it a really good day out, despite some things (like the rally stage) not running on that day. BUT one thing that really pi**ed me off isn't the price of the food, it's the sh*t quality of most if it:
- If you are going to charge Five Guys prices of £6.50 for a cheeseburger, at least provide something that seems vaguely worth that money rather than a cheap white bread roll with a processed meat burger (of dubious quality) and a wafer thin piece of processed cheese, no onion, salad etc.
The other thing is that many of the traders seem to be straight off a market stall with a lot of hawking going on as you walk past - not something I've noticed in previous years, I know the poor sods have to make the dubious commercial decision of paying whatever extortionate fee they have to somehow turn a profit, but that isn't my problem.
Shame really, the food thing though really annoys me, because just improving the quality would go a long way to making the rip-off prices there seem more justifiable.
Apart from that... it was a great day
- If you are going to charge Five Guys prices of £6.50 for a cheeseburger, at least provide something that seems vaguely worth that money rather than a cheap white bread roll with a processed meat burger (of dubious quality) and a wafer thin piece of processed cheese, no onion, salad etc.
The other thing is that many of the traders seem to be straight off a market stall with a lot of hawking going on as you walk past - not something I've noticed in previous years, I know the poor sods have to make the dubious commercial decision of paying whatever extortionate fee they have to somehow turn a profit, but that isn't my problem.
Shame really, the food thing though really annoys me, because just improving the quality would go a long way to making the rip-off prices there seem more justifiable.
Apart from that... it was a great day
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