Grand National 2023: £7.50 a pint as drink prices rise again at Aintree Racecourse

Many racegoers baulked at the ‘extortionate’ price of a pint at the Grand National Festival last year and the cost of drinks has increased again for the 2023 meeting at Aintree Racecourse.

In 2022, a pint of Madre would have set you back £7.20 and a bottle of Champagne Pannier Brut would have cost £65. This year, a pint of Madri is £7.50, while Champagne has been slapped with a £13 price hike per bottle, at £78.

Carling and Worthingtons are the cheapest available pints, at £7.20, while a glass of house red or white wine is £8.75.

The event is held each year by The Jockey Club, a racing organisation which owns Aintree. A spokesperson for Aintree Racecourse defended the pricing last year saying it was on a par with other marquee events.

• “We work hard to absorb inflationary costs wherever we can and our prices are comparable to other major events, which also have large set-up costs,” the Jockey Club said.

Reaction: Amid the usual outrage on social media, there was also a surprising amount of support for the price point of drinks at the Grand National, and agreement with the Jockey Club that it is on a par with other big events.

• “Only 20p more for a pint than the M&S Arena,” Lee Daniel commented on Twitter.
• “If I’m paying £6.25 for a pint of Neck Oil in my local in a tiny village on the Wirral, then these prices ain’t too bad. And if you have to count the pennies going to Grand National then you shouldn’t be going,” Maxwell Silverhammer posted.
• “Total rip off. Plain and simple. Every year they go up . Aintree is just a social event now the racing is second now. Rip off merchants,” Brian Gallagher tweeted.
• “Over £7 for a pint of Carling, how horrific,” Dan Evans commented.

Drinks prices at this year’s Grand National compared to 2022 (in brackets)

• SPIRITS
• Courvoisier VS - 25ml - £6.00 (£5.50)
• Bells Whisky- 25ml - £6.00 (£5.50)
• Gordons Gin- 25ml - £6.00 (£5.50)
• Gordons Pink Gin- 25ml - £6.00 (£5.50)
• Vestal Vodka- 25ml - £6.00 (£5.50)
• Morgan’s White Rum- 25ml - £6.00 (£5.50)
• Morgan’s Spiced Rum- 25ml - £6.00 (£5.50)
• Jack Daniels- 25ml - £6.00 (£5.50)
• Southern Comfort - 25ml - £6.00 (£5.50)
• WINES
• House Red - 187.5ml - £8.75 (£8)
• House White - 187.5ml - £8.75 (£8)
• House Rose - 187.5ml - £8.75 (£8)
• CHAMPAGNE
• Champagne Pannier Brut NV - 750ml - £78 (£65)
• SPARKLING
• Prosecco Brut - 750ml - £46 (£42.50)
• DRAUGHT BEERS
• Guinness - pint £7.50 (£7)
• Aspall Suffolk Cyder - pint £7.50 (£7)
• Madri - pint £7.50 (£7.20)
• Atlantic Pale Ale - pint £7.50 (£7.20)
• Rekorderlig Strawberry and Lime - pint £7.50 (£7.20)
• MIXERS / SOFT DRINKS
• Mixers - 150ml - £2.50 (£2.30)
• Fruit Juice- 150ml - £2.50 (£2.30)
• Coke Zero/Diet Coke - 330ml - £2.90 (£2.60)
• Lemonade - 330ml - £2.90 (£2.60)