PriceWatch: In early February Enda Bannon from Dublin had a two-course lunch in the Shelbourne Hotel's No 27, The Green and paid €23, in addition to a 15 per cent service charge. A month later, on Mother's Day, he returned and noticed that the price for a two-course lunch had increased to €29, plus the same 15 per cent service charge., writes Conor Pope
"Ordinarily I would have questioned the price increase and moved my business elsewhere but being the day that was in it, I had no choice but to pay up," he says.
"This matter should be highlighted publicly as this is very sharp practice to say the least."
Not so, according to a spokesman for the restaurant. When contacted, he confirmed that the price of a two-course meal had indeed been raised to €29 on the day in question but pointed out that the menu on offer for Mother’s Day was entirely different to the one which is normally provided.Instead of being able to select two plates from three starters, three main courses and three desserts, patrons were able to choose from five of each. As a result of the increased choice, both the everyday Table d’Hôte and the A La Carte menu had been dropped which, the spokesman said, led to the price rising.
Another reader, Gareth Allen, briefly returned to Ireland recently from the south of Spain where he emigrated last year and it didn’t take long before he was, once more, appalled by the high cost of living in Dublin when compared to his new home in Seville. While here he shelled out €84.99 in HMV for a DVD box set of the fourth series of the Sopranos – the same series, dubbed into Spanish, in Seville costs just €48, he says.
And it’s not just DVDs that cost more in this country. Fiona Scally writes to says she regularly buys Pantene Hair Mousse in either Dunnes Stores, Boots or Superquinn. "In Superquinn the price for the 150ml bottle is €4.69 (this is the only size available in Ireland). The price in Dunnes and Boots is very similar, and if there is a difference it is certainly no more than a few cent." Exactly the same product is available in Schleckerdrug stores in Berlin, she says, at a cost of just €1.99.
Tesco Cod Fillets
€3.19 for 450g €7.08 per kg
Highs: This Irish-produced cod fillet is very cheap and looks appealing. When lined up alongside expensive rivals it does not look remotely out of place. The batter is nice and crispy and there is plenty of it too.
Lows: In fact, there may be too much and you might find the batter and not the fish ends up playing the starring role. The shiny-looking cod is particularly unmemorable and the presence of skin on one side of the fillet is unappealing, if natural. The fillets are also rather small.
Verdict: Very cheap, pretty ordinary.
Star Rating: ***
Donegal Catch Chunky Cod Fillets
€5.34 for 500g, €10.68 per kg
Highs: The fish is excellent. Despite the fact that it has been heavily frozen, it actually tastes fresh and comes apart in good, meaty chunks. As the name might suggest, it is Irish made and has the added advantage of being widely available.
Lows: The batter looks great but tastes somewhat bland. And although it is clearly marketed as being on the chunky side, it looks almost indistinguishable from its supposedly more svelte cousin from Birds Eye.
Verdict: Good value, great fish.
Star Rating: ****
Marks & Spencer Chunky Cod Fillets
€8.49 for 600g, €14.15 per kg
Highs: This is excellent. The fish is light and flaky and considerably bigger than its rivals. The batter is also very good, is nicely seasoned and looks, tastes - and even sounds - better than the competition.
Lows: It is almost exactly double the price of the Tesco's own-brand, and while it is considerably better than that brand, the gap between it and the Donegal Catch is a good deal narrower. It is not the most widely available product on the market.
Verdict: Great but costly.
Star Rating: ****
Birds Eye Cod Fillets
€5.29 for 450g, €11.75 per kg
Highs: The quality of the fish is quite good and it falls apart in nice, meaty flakes. The individual fillets are a good size and it has no artificial flavours or colourings. Being Birds Eye, it is also widely available. The batter is very thick and has a pretty good flavour to it.
Lows: At least the bits that are cooked properly do. Because the layer of batter is so thick, it seemed - at least on this occasion - to be hard to crisp up all the way through.
Verdict: Not much to complain about.
Star Rating: ***
