Staggering food prices in the Hamptons have been revealed, with shoppers paying $20 for two tomatoes and nearly $30 for a container of guacamole.
With the holiday season already underway, the millionaire enclave known for its sandy beaches and luxury shopping is filling up with tourists from nearby New York City.
While high food prices are already affecting the nation, even wealthy customers who flock to the area are being shocked by the exorbitant prices.
Tita Loyek, a content creator currently chronicling her 100 days in the Hamptons, told the Wall Street Journal that she paid $20 for just two tomatoes.
The 27-year-old said she was shocked by the purchase, even more so when she discovered they weren’t even grown locally.
The 27-year-old said she was shocked by the purchase, even more so when she discovered that they were not even locally produced. One of the tomatoes is pictured here
She told the outlet: “I was really shocked when I spent $20 on two tomatoes. I was even more shocked when I found out they weren’t even locally grown.”
Food prices in the area have become a topic of conversation on social media, partly due to the number of influencers who have descended on the area in recent years.
This has led to some outrageously priced foods going on sale, including $29 for guacamole and $35 for chicken strips and chipotle mayo.
TikTok page Jack’s Dining Room, a food review site, visited the Round Swamp Farm store last year.
As part of the review, the host tried grilled shrimp for $42, chips and guacamole for $32, the aforementioned strips and mayo for $35, and a bag of granola for $25.
As he samples the chicken strips, he adds humorously, “It’s not worth it. The chipotle mayo is good, but for $16, it can’t even hold a candle to Jersey Mike’s jockstrap.”
That same market told the WSJ that in-store prices have risen between 30 and 50 percent since 2020.
According to a price board last month, they had started selling tuna salad for $34.99 a pound.
As part of the review, the host sampled grilled shrimp for $42, chips and guacamole for $32, and other items including a salad for $32 and granola for $25.
While a two-quart container of strawberries was on sale for $29.98 and a bag of cookies was $11.99.
Employee Brian Niggles told the WSJ that they pay extra for high-quality ingredients and labor, adding that they don’t charge credit card fees or tip.
Niggles said: ‘We are extremely fortunate that our customers find value in the products we offer and continue to support our business and the families who make a living from it.
While TV personality, author and business owner Barbara Kavovit said in a TikTok in May that she spent $600 on grocery shopping after visiting two stores.
In the footage she can be heard saying: “If you didn’t think things could get more expensive in the Hamptons, well guess what, they did.”
Harry Ludlow, owner of Fairview Farm on Mecox in Bridgehampton, told the WSJ that prices had risen because of the state-mandated minimum wage and other costs.
Ludlow said: ‘The cost of the food is low compared to the cost of a private chef. If we lowered the price of our cakes by 50% and the quality by 10%, our customers would be furious. They are food lovers.
Food prices in the area have become a topic of conversation on social media, partly due to the number of influencers flocking to the area in recent years.
That same market told the WSJ that in-store prices have risen between 30 and 50 percent since 2020.
While some visit the place for the food, for others it is more about the ambiance and aesthetics of what they are purchasing.
The shop used as an example Carissa’s Bakery’s $8.50 kimchi and cheddar croissant, which is packaged so nicely it could pass as a handbag.
Jenna Mick, 23, a consultant in New York, just spent $56 on six croissants and two bags of Swedish pastries for herself and her friends.
She told the outlet that the group had been looking for the “Hamptons experience,” which had influenced their purchases.
In 2021, locals began complaining about rising prices in the area after an influx of new residents drove up costs.
Locals claim the recent wave of wealthy residents is “ruining the Hamptons,” citing rising costs of housing, food and transportation.
“There’s so much money now it’s sickening. I’m part of the one percent, but I’m nothing like these people,” said one woman who bought her Amagansett home in 1991. Vanity Fair.
“Everyone here has money. If I wasn’t already here, I wouldn’t come here now. The excessive consumption is simply disgusting.”
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