The cost of ordering a three-course meal in the UK's pubs, restaurants and hotels has gone up over the past year despite recessionary pressure on eating out, according to a new study.

Horizons' biannual Menurama research reveals that despite main course prices remaining fairly stable, the price of starters and desserts has risen year on year, with pubs showing the largest price increases.

The research, based on data from over 400 menus from the UK's top 100 leading chain and independent pubs, restaurants and hotels, shows that the average cost of a three-course meal across all eating-out establishments, excluding drink, has risen from £17.40 to £18.45 over the past year - an increase of six per cent.

An average starter now costs £5.24 - up from £4.70 last year. A main course costs an average of £8.86 - up from £8.73, while a dessert now costs £4.36, up from £3.97 in 2008.

The average cost of a restaurant main course has also fallen, from £10.06 to £10.01 year on year, largely due to promotional activities such as 'two-for-the-price-of-one' and money-off vouchers. Restaurant starters, at £5.48 this year, are 2p more than they were a year ago, although desserts are now cheaper at £4.34, compared with £4.42 in 2008.

The pub sector has increased the cost of starters and desserts the most, with a starter costing 10.6 per cent more this year than in 2008, from £3.68 to £4.07. A pub dessert now costs six per cent more, rising from £3.46 to £3.68.

Paul Backman, Horizons' development executive, said: "The discounts and meal deals currently evident in the market have kept the prices charged for main courses fairly stable - in many cases they are lower than they were last year. But some operators, particularly in the pub sector, have made up for discounting on main courses by increasing the price of other dishes.

"Operators can use starters and desserts to improve their margins as they are relatively cheap to produce. However, customers are very observant when it comes to price increases and could opt for just a main course if the price of starters and desserts rises too high compared to the cost of a main course.

"We would expect these pricing changes to level out if promotional activity lessens as the economy picks up. However, it could take at least 18 months for establishments to phase out price promotions altogether."

Aggressive price increases for starters have been seen by some of the major high street restaurant brands over the past five years including PizzaExpress, Bella Italia, Café Rouge, Caffè Uno and Nando's.

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