Would you pay £4.10 for the ‘world-famous’ Pittodrie steak pie?

How much would you pay for a hot pie on match day?

That’s the question many Dons fans have been asking themselves this week as Aberdeen FC released its matchday menu for the 2022/23 season.

The new menu includes veggie and vegan options, as well as burgers and hotdogs.

But some of the prices have been raising eyebrows…

Everything on the menu has increased in price, except the Pittodrie Pie and Steak Pie Meal Deal – remaining at £6.60 and £7.10.

The last time the prices were increased was in the 2018/19 season.

Aberdeen FC said it had to increase the prices due to the “spiralling costs of raw ingredients, particularly meat and dairy” and “labour costs which have also risen in line with inflation”.

How do Pittodrie’s pies stack up?

We have contacted clubs in the Scottish Professional Football League asking them to spill the beans on how much a pie costs on matchday.

Most of them weren’t actually too sure.

But we did hear back from some clubs and they were far below Aberdeen’s £4.10 for a steak and gravy.

Fan backlash

Not all fans have agreed with the need for the price hikes.

Many of them replied to the club’s announcement on social media, causing a bigger uproar than a win against Caley Thistle.

Damon Jamieson wrote on Facebook: “£4.10 for a steak pie is a shambles. Enjoyed being back at the games but should be embarrassed charging those sort of prices!”

Danielle Stark wrote: “Feel sorry for families who just can’t justify it on top of ticket prices etc you don’t want them to stop coming because don’t want to say no to kids.”

Scott Brand wrote on Twitter “The majority of these prices simply cannot be acceptable surely!”

This is not the first time pies at Pittodrie have been a news story.

The humble pie is serious business

Back in 2016, Aberdeen FC made headlines as they became the first Scottish football club to trademark the half-time pie.

They applied to London’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to trademark the name Pittodrie Pie – to make sure they kept the rights to it even if they changed supplier.

Pies could be a potential big earner for the club. On days when Pittodrie is full, the club will sell about 11,000 or 12,000 to fans.

With the new price of £4.10 for a steak and gravy, that comes in at around £45,000 per matchday.

Aberdeen FC response

In a statement, Aberdeen FC responded to fan complaints about the price rises.

A spokesman said: “It’s the first time in four years that prices have been increased at the kiosks and it is never easy making the decision to put prices up and even more so in the current climate.

“We carefully reviewed our prices in line with the average 20% increase in the cost of food across the board.

“The club and our catering partner, BaxterStorey, strive to deliver quality and value for money.

“So far we have received good positive feedback on quality with only a handful of complaints, mainly on pricing.”

What is a fair price to pay for a pie?

When was the last time you got a pie at a Scottish football ground and how much did it cost?

Let us know in the comments!