The Racecourse Prices Index: how much for a pint and a burger at Fairyhouse?

In the Racecourse Prices Index (RPI) we report from Britain and Ireland's racetracks on the cost of going racing.

Racecourse report: entry, food and pint prices from Fairyhouse

Fairyhouse

Date visited: Sunday, July 10, 2022

Fairyhouse: hosted its biggest Flat meeting of the year on SundayCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Was it a big day?

It was Fairyhouse’s biggest Flat meeting of the year, with the Group 3 Brownstown Stakes the main event. It was also family fun day, and bearing in mind the second All-Ireland football semi-final was taking place, among other things, the crowd numbers were decent. There a bit of life about the place throughout the afternoon with the weather playing a big part too as it was glorious.

How much was entry on the gate?

€20 for adults, €15 for students/OAPs, children 13-17 €5, under-12 free.

Other than restaurants/hospitality, what were the food and beverage options?

They are not short of space at Fairyhouse, with plenty of room around the venue as well as several vantage points to capture the action. As this day was not too busy compared to some of their big jumps fixtures, there were not many food and beverage options in operation.

The self-service restaurant and the Bobbyjo Bistro were on the go as usual, with the only other food option being the burger bar.

Normally situated under the stands, this time there was a temporary facility outside, just beside the parade ring. The ‘Classic Burger’ and ‘Crispy Chicken Burger’ looked the specialities, at a steep €9, with portions of chips and curry chips also on sale.

If you were on the lookout for a pint, the main racecourse bar was in full flow, with many benches and chairs set up outside, while Bewleys On The Go served up coffee and soft drinks.

After debating whether to go for the self-service carvery or the gorgeous-looking barbecue, the ‘Classic Burger’ was the option I went for. It is summer after all.

One notable absentee was an ice cream van, which would have done good business, but organisers did secure ice pops throughout the afternoon which were free of charge for racegoers.

What's the damage?

Bottle of water: €2.50
Cheapest pint: Guinness, €5.90. Budweiser/Cider €6.40
Guinness: €5.90
Champagne: €99
Burger: €9

All drink prices taken from the main racecourse bar, or where there are multiple bars, one chosen at random.

What was the burger like?

It was okay and nicely cooked. There was a salad facility to add whatever toppings suited you, as well as whatever sauce you wanted. I opted for lettuce, cheese, crispy onion and burger sauce. A solid 7/10.

And the queues?

As the crowd was not big, queues were few and far between. Plenty of staff were on hand, so if you did get stuck at a bad time you were not waiting long.

The Racecourse Prices Index:

How much for food and drink at Tramore?

How much for food and drink at Leopardstown?

How much for food and drink at Listowel

How much for food and drink at Kilbeggan

How much for food and drink at the Curragh?

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.