Manchester Christmas-market traders raise prices amid higher costs

What changed

Manchester Christmas-market traders are charging much more while absorbing sharply higher costs. A bratwurst at Bratwurst King has risen from £3.50 to £8 over roughly five or six years, yet Nils Borstel says the family business is not making more money. CT Catering says running its four stalls costs at least £4,000 a day and employs 57 people across four Manchester sites.

Why it matters

The higher price is not translating neatly into higher profit. Traders face bigger bills for meat, electricity, wages, accommodation, deliveries, storage, packaging, card fees and parking. CT Catering says parking three vans alone can cost £100 a day, while preparing and dismantling its stalls takes four weeks around the trading period.

That pressure is now visible in customers’ choices. Some are sharing one portion instead of buying one each. Neve spent about £15 on a dish and Poppy paid £11 for a Yorkshire pudding wrap; both questioned whether the portions justified the price.

The awkward economics are clear: traders raise prices to cover costs, but customers respond by buying less. Borstel says people were more willing to spend freely in 2019, while today even busy crowds can be more cautious. If that pattern continues, Christmas-market prices may keep rising without delivering much relief to the businesses charging them.