Exeter Christmas Market: Bar prices explained as organisers hit back at complaints

The Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market starts today (November 15) and the drinks are already flowing. Each year, the bar proves to be one of the most popular features and it looks like this year will be no different.

Once again, there are two bars; The Cathedral Tavern, which is the main bar at the top of the Global Street Food Village, and the Mulled Tipi, a smaller bar opposite The Ivy, offering a cosier atmosphere with two open fires. While the menus vary slightly, visitors can expect a range of festive drinks at both, including mulled wine, mulled cider and festive cocktails.

Both bars are run by Barnova, a local events company owned by Faye and Ivan Williams, who are well-known for having previously run The Oddfellows pub for 15 years. This is their sixth time at the market and say they are delighted with their set-up for the next month.

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Speaking to DevonLive today, Faye said: "The main bar is wonderful, I'm so happy with it this year. I think the decor is looking fantastic. We're really happy and looking forward to welcoming everyone."

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She said she was also excited about the weeks ahead at the Mulled Tipi, which now has a piano, open for anyone to play. It's hoped this will offer a more laid back atmosphere, where people can enjoy a drink round the fire and singalong to live music.

"We've got a double tipi this year so we've got double the log fires," she said. "It's a chilled version of the main bar, where you can come and relax, have a mulled drink and have a chat with friends or family around the fire.

"We also have a piano this year so we're going to have singalong sessions. Anyone who can play can come and jump on the piano, people can join in and sing and people can bring other instruments if they want to."

The menu and its prices have now also been unveiled. All items below are available at The Cathedral Tavern, while the Mulled Tipi mainly offers mulled drinks and a smaller selection of cocktails:

• Mulled wine - £7

• Mulled cider - £5

• Add amaretto, rum or brandy to mulled wine or cider - £3

• Mulled apple gin - £8

• Mulled apple rum - £8

• Mulled apple juice - £4

• Salcome Gin and tonic - £7/£12

• Salcombe Sloe Gin and tonic - £8/£12

• Two Drifters rum and ginger beer - £7/£12

• Black Cow vodka and pomegranate spritz - £8

• Espresso martini - £10

• Warm Christmas punch - £8

• Christmas nog - brandy and nutmeg - £8

• Retro Christmas snow ball - £8

• Other spirits from £4

• 175ml of wine - £7

• 125ml of prosecco - £7

• Lager (Salcombe Breeze) - £4 for half a pint, £6 for a pint

• Lager (Lucky Saint) 330ml can - £5

• IPA (Salcombe IPA) - £4 for half a pint, £6 for a pint

• Cask (Salcombe Island Street Porter) - £4 for half a pint, £6 for a pint

• Cask (Salcombe 'Reindeer Fuel') - £4 for half a pint, £6 for a pint

• Cider (Sandford Orchard Devon Red) - £4 for half a pint, £6 for a pint

• Cider (Fruit cider - raspberry, rhubarb, blood orange) - £6 pint

After grumbles in previous years about menu prices, Faye has opened up about the cost of running the bar. She says an "eyewatering amount of money" goes into operating the two venues and that Barnova is committed to sourcing their products locally.

"We put an eyewatering amount of money into this," she said. "They can't look like this without spending a lot of money but that has to be paid for. It's not worth us as a business doing all this if we can't feed our children.

"Everything is temporary and everything has to be paid for over and over again each year. We've paid for this tent six times. It's not like having a building, where it's just static. Every year, we try to make upgrades to make it more enjoyable.

"I'd say to people who question £7 for a gin and tonic or £10 for a cocktail, those are standard prices now and considering we have to haul everything here, I think the prices are really good.

"Almost everything is local, even down to the apple juice, which is squeezed specifically for this. I could put Carling and Heineken in here and it would be cheaper but I don't want to do that, I want to support local businesses."