Laura and the carvery price change

Something very exciting and significant has happened in the world of going to the carvery. Instead of having 2 price bands, the first being £3.50 before 5pm and the second £4.50 after 5pm, there is now one standard price of £3.75 AT ANY TIME.

As people who do not like change, Alan and myself were rather startled and shocked at this alteration to our carvery pricing experience.Once the shock had finished reverberating through our unprepared systems, we were able to assess the positive and negative repercussions of such a price change.Initially, it seemed like an excellent decision on the part of the Greenhills licensed drinking establishment. Usually the routine of getting to the carvery involved Alan arriving before 5pm, purchasing the cheap tickets and then waiting for my good self to arrive at around 4.45pm. This difference in arrival time was unavoidable due to our different finish times at work.

However, due to the fact we are both victims of the 'credit crunch',we had no choice but to continue with this routine to save ourselves two full English pounds.Now, for an extra 25p each, we have the luxury of arriving at any time, together.

However, many negative factors of the price change quickly made themselves apparent.The very early evening slot was usually sparsely populated, with mainly pensioners and the odd single mum, along with our own poorly paid selves. The persons able to afford the luxury of paying £4.50 for their meal could arrive at a more leisurely evening slot. The new price change has put an end to the segregation and now everyone arrives at once, causing major chaos in the carvery serving area. When we were there last week, there was a giant queue for food that snaked all the way back towards the entrance and did not subside. Extra serving chefs were drafted in and both looked exceedingly hot and sweaty due to their extra carving duties. This is not something that one wishes to see while waiting to dine. Also, the plates of vegetables and potatoes were slow to be replenished and someone actually had to ask for a new bowl of cauliflower cheese.

Another negative factor is that our usual 'spec' was taken and we had to resort to our second favourite spec.

A full business analysis of this situation would probably reveal that the price change has attracted many new customers who had never tried carvery dining before. The nearest competition,the 'Toby' carvery on Aigburth Rd and the 'Halfway House' in Childwall are running no such marvellous offer and so the Greenhills represents the cheapest carvery eating option in the immediate neighbourhood.

It is difficult to say what the long term consequences are of the price change. It certainly will not stop Alan and I eating there, although it will probably take us some time to adapt to the new regime. I would imagine that things will settle over the next few weeks and a core of 'regular' customers will appear in the early evening slot.People who are new to the carvery may get bored with it or choose to spread themselves through the night so they are not all arriving en masse.Perhaps a screening system could be introduced, so that customers could be allowed in not on a financial, but 'means tested' basis. For instance, families could take the earlier slots so that the children could be home and put to bed in good time. Alan and I could also be allowed into this earlier slot as I like to be in my pyjamas and watching the goggle box by 8pm on a Friday. People who like to guffaw loudly over glasses of wine could take the later slots so they do not bother Alan and I.

The carvery invites us all to let us know what we think in an online survey, so I shall be posting my comments to them at the earliest available opportunity.