ALL WELLINGTON AND GOOD

British entrepeneur Charlie Bigham promises to deliver 'restaurant quality' meals for hard-up diners with his new 'Brasserie' range, but the hefty price tag has left a bitter taste in many people's mouths. Here he answers his critics...

- By Toby Codd

TIMES are tough for the hospitality industry, and for diners. Businesses across the sector are being forced to grapple with increased costs for food, energy and wages while battling with higher taxes introduced in April courtesy of the Labour Government.

And with the cost of living remaining high across the UK, the price of eating out at a restaurant or pub remains expensive. In fact, food inflation rose 4.9% in the year to July of this year, meaning that food and nonalcoholic drinks are now 37% more expensive than in 2020.

The situation has left the door ajar for ready-meal companies keen to capitalise on Britons' love for good food and convenience... along with their tightening finances.

Leading the way is upmarket meal maker Charlie Bigham. The British brand is already the go-to name for luxury ready meals from cottage pies to curries, paellas to beef bourginons.

Now, the former management consultant behind the eponymous brand has launched a “Brasserie” range at 70 Waitrose stores across the UK, which he claims rivals any “dining out” experience.

Launched last week, it has raised plenty of eyebrows for its eye-watering prices and stay-at-home ethos — on its website, the brand “calls for candles, the good plates and a nice bottle of wine”.

So what can you expect to pay? The beef wellington comes in at £29.95 for two servings; the salmon wellington is £19.95 while the venison bourguignon, coq au vin and confit duck all cost £16.95. And no, that doesn’t include sides.

Plenty of critics have already accused Bigham of cashing in on the cost-of-living crisis. They include the former editor of Waitrose Food, William Sitwell, who labelled the range a “distasteful cash-grab”.

But speaking to the Daily Express, Bigham maintains he’s meeting a market need. “The job of any business is to listen to the customers and we know the world is ever-changing,” he says.