The UK Food Spot Cheap Eats Index · 26 October 2026
What does a proper independent meal really cost?
We track the one dish worth ordering at independent places, with the price from a credited source. Across 117 priced dishes, the median is £7.00. A supermarket meal deal costs £3.74 to £4.25 (Boots in London: £4.99).
Headline: In Manchester, half of the independent dishes we've priced cost £6.00 or less, £1.75 more than a Tesco meal deal (£4.25), and 100% cost £10 or less.
| City | Priced | Median | £5 or less | £10 or less | Cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 58 of 62 | £6.25 | 36% | 88% | Focaccia, £1.50 |
| Brighton | 26 of 30 | £9.95 | 12% | 58% | Bagel, £4.00 |
| Manchester | 33 of 38 | £6.00 | 42% | 100% | Char siu bao, £1.50 |
How we measure
- One dish per independent place: the one we'd tell a friend to order. This is our curated guide, not a random sample.
- Prices come from published guides or the venue, credited on every dish page. Where a source gives a range, we use the lowest listed price.
- Meal-deal prices: Student Beans, August 2026 (main, snack and drink).
- Updated whenever our dish data changes. Today's figures are dated above.
For journalists and researchers
You're welcome to quote these figures with a link to this page. For questions or the underlying list, email [email protected].