becky.tinnion
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Meant 7:30pm! Sorry!
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London North Eastern Railway (LNER) First Class service
- Thread starter MidnightFlyer
- Start date
Meant 7:30pm! Sorry!
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Friday 16th - 08:55 Stevenage to Leeds - breakfast order taken before the train had left Stevenage.
All hot & cooked well (only 1 slice of toast - though it was the last piece of brown in the basket)
Mon 19th 18:15 Leeds to Stevenage - a fault with the water supply meant no hot drinks or hot food were available in 1st class though they were generous with the sandwiches/cakes & cold drinks etc.
Interestingly there were general announcements saying hot drinks were available in standard in the trolley/cafe bar so not sure why they couldn't offer those in 1st as well - I think there were 4 of us in coach K so it wasn't that busy.
All hot & cooked well (only 1 slice of toast - though it was the last piece of brown in the basket)
Mon 19th 18:15 Leeds to Stevenage - a fault with the water supply meant no hot drinks or hot food were available in 1st class though they were generous with the sandwiches/cakes & cold drinks etc.
Interestingly there were general announcements saying hot drinks were available in standard in the trolley/cafe bar so not sure why they couldn't offer those in 1st as well - I think there were 4 of us in coach K so it wasn't that busy.
Silver Cobra
Member
I am currently on the 1530 Edinburgh to King's Cross, heading towards Newcastle. Hot drinks were served just as we left Edinburgh, with cold drinks and alcoholic drinks served a few minutes later. All food orders were taken around 10 minutes after departure, so very prompt. I didn't fancy the sandwiches or tart on the All Day menu, so I just went with the crisps and iced coffee cake, which I certainly do rate highly.
I'll update with more info on the rest of the journey to York later. So far I am happy with my experience in FC, and look forward to doing this again from Newcastle in a few weeks' time.
Slightly off-topic, but the highlight of my day has been seeing IEP being hauled south as I left Peterborough on my outbound journey. Never expected to see it at that time of day, but it's a nice surprise nonetheless.
**EDIT: Back home now, so I can finish retelling my experience today.
The service filled up pretty quickly at Newcastle, so it took longer for the second round of food orders to be taken compared to when leaving Edinburgh. The orders were taken a few minutes after we passed Durham, which I took advantage of for another slice of the iced coffee cake
Additional runs of hot and cold drinks were served after Berwick and Newcastle. So all in all between Edinburgh and York, four runs of drinks and two of food were offered.
At York, I changed services to continue on to Peterborough. The first run of drinks came around 10 minutes after leaving York, and the food orders were taken upon leaving Doncaster. Cue another slice of the iced coffee cake and pack of crisps :grin: The final run of drinks before arriving at Peterborough came just after Newark. For the passengers who boarded at Retford and Newark, the service team took their food orders upon leaving each station and they had their meals within around 3-5 minutes.
Totting it up, I had three slices of the cake, two packs of crisps, four cups of tea and two Diet Cokes across my journey. Sure, I skipped out on several helpings of sandwiches, but I'm happy with what I had. The service team on both trains were very helpful and courteous as well, so no complaints to be had there.
So for my first experience with VTEC's first class offering, I'm very happy with the service
As said earlier, I am greatly looking forward to my next run in FC on my return from Newcastle next month.
I'll update with more info on the rest of the journey to York later. So far I am happy with my experience in FC, and look forward to doing this again from Newcastle in a few weeks' time.
Slightly off-topic, but the highlight of my day has been seeing IEP being hauled south as I left Peterborough on my outbound journey. Never expected to see it at that time of day, but it's a nice surprise nonetheless.
**EDIT: Back home now, so I can finish retelling my experience today.
The service filled up pretty quickly at Newcastle, so it took longer for the second round of food orders to be taken compared to when leaving Edinburgh. The orders were taken a few minutes after we passed Durham, which I took advantage of for another slice of the iced coffee cake
Additional runs of hot and cold drinks were served after Berwick and Newcastle. So all in all between Edinburgh and York, four runs of drinks and two of food were offered.At York, I changed services to continue on to Peterborough. The first run of drinks came around 10 minutes after leaving York, and the food orders were taken upon leaving Doncaster. Cue another slice of the iced coffee cake and pack of crisps :grin: The final run of drinks before arriving at Peterborough came just after Newark. For the passengers who boarded at Retford and Newark, the service team took their food orders upon leaving each station and they had their meals within around 3-5 minutes.
Totting it up, I had three slices of the cake, two packs of crisps, four cups of tea and two Diet Cokes across my journey. Sure, I skipped out on several helpings of sandwiches, but I'm happy with what I had. The service team on both trains were very helpful and courteous as well, so no complaints to be had there.
So for my first experience with VTEC's first class offering, I'm very happy with the service
As said earlier, I am greatly looking forward to my next run in FC on my return from Newcastle next month.
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Iskra
Established Member
A very short but sweet 1st class experience for me today.
2133 Wakefield-Leeds (£5.10), I boarded expecting absolutely nothing on such a short journey, so I was rather pleased to be offered a drink before the train had even left Wakefield Westgate. I had a beer and it made the fare very good value.
This was my first time in K on a Mk4 set and I thought the little staff seating section is quite a good idea.
2133 Wakefield-Leeds (£5.10), I boarded expecting absolutely nothing on such a short journey, so I was rather pleased to be offered a drink before the train had even left Wakefield Westgate. I had a beer and it made the fare very good value.
This was my first time in K on a Mk4 set and I thought the little staff seating section is quite a good idea.
Well it certainly is if you want to catch up on all the latest gossip and whose doing what this weekend. Less so if you want to enjoy a quiet coach
Iskra
Established Member
That is an issue, but it's a lot better than sharing K with the catering staff on a HST!
J on a HST but yes I agree the situation in the Mk4s is a lot better. If for no other reason than there is door between the staff section and the rest of the coach which they'll close often on their own and certainly (plus with smile) if anyone asks them to. Plus in K you don't get all the noise from the fans and equipment in the kitchen!
Blindtraveler
Established Member
Anyone know if the menu will change shortly?
Last winter it changed the first week in January. I posted the new menus on the 30th December (Post 5806) so if they follow the same trend it should be January 9th.
Incidentally the West Coast website says the current WC first class menu runs until January 8th. It will be interesting to see if things are standardised following the recent branding excercises.
Blindtraveler
Established Member
Id hope so myself
DaveNewcastle
Established Member
Yes, in two weeks, it's hoped.
Rhubard crumble and custard is raising quite a bit of interest.
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Blindtraveler
Established Member
Quite ritely so!
Blindtraveler
Established Member
Anyboddy fancy pasting the new menus here for the benifit of us Screanreader users? Theres a complimentary beer in it 
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The menus are all on the VTEC website here. Not sure how screen reader friendly it is though...
Blindtraveler
Established Member
Aha, thanks, couldnt find them earlier, the tweeked VTEK site aint great for screenreaders but they have been told and making efforts to improve it!
Apologies Blindtraveller. The image was my 3 "double egg" sandwiches and lemon cake with the new white table mat bearing red "Virgin Trains" logo (the one that's been in use on West Coast for years, indeed this looks like a smaller version of one of their old placemats). Napkins have changed from grey to red. Same crisps and drinks except that their new special ale or whatever it is will be available in First from December. New menu card is larger and contains all sorts of horrible chatty puns (and things like "If loving a sandwich is wrong, we don't want to be right"). All of this week's menus are in it, so no more need to place out and collect little paper menus.
Methinks "Moreish orange and pineapple cake" might be new? It's available in this week's afternoon tea.
Also the 1715 from Leeds was strangely empty compared to the wedge in Standard.
Methinks "Moreish orange and pineapple cake" might be new? It's available in this week's afternoon tea.
Also the 1715 from Leeds was strangely empty compared to the wedge in Standard.
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What a good range of choices.
Couple of different pies, curry, guinea fowl, lamb and pork all sound really good.
Not too sure about the Barley risotto or the beetroot and ricotta stuffed pasta though but at least they appear to have put a bit of effort into things which is good.
The warm treacle tart, caramel apple granny and the white chocolate & peppermint cake all sound good as well.
One thing that did make me chuckle though was the "Truly great British breakfast of rare breed smoked back bacon, rare breed pork sausage, egg and Swiss cheese flan, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes and sliced potatoes".
Couple of different pies, curry, guinea fowl, lamb and pork all sound really good.
Not too sure about the Barley risotto or the beetroot and ricotta stuffed pasta though but at least they appear to have put a bit of effort into things which is good.
The warm treacle tart, caramel apple granny and the white chocolate & peppermint cake all sound good as well.
One thing that did make me chuckle though was the "Truly great British breakfast of rare breed smoked back bacon, rare breed pork sausage, egg and Swiss cheese flan, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes and sliced potatoes".
Yeah the flan has been in there for a while now and is a very odd inclusion in my view. It's nice enough but the scrambled egg was better...
And presumably still no beans !
Yeah it's not bad better than the frittata thing that they attempted a while back. Scrambled egg was definitely the best though followed by the omelette.
No beans and no BP
Blindtraveler
Established Member
Given how easy scrambled egg is to make in any quantity its continued non inclusion seams a tad strange. It0does indeed sound like an effort is being made, Il maybe have to park my currently disilutioned arse back in First soon and try it. At preseot due to various farses of the consistancy and stock availabilitty kind its been a takeaway something in STD of late although the inclusion of Yorkshire tea on the bar and troley is to my liking.
Butts
Veteran Member
Forget scrambled egg, why can't you have a real egg aka West Coast and as Chism mentioned BP
Blindtraveler
Established Member
Well yes agreed, but 1 thing at a time maybe?
Butts
Veteran Member
Perish the thought they could move to fast and become innovative
Wasn't there some crack with the eggs (
) that you need a Chef onboard to fry them or some milarkey ?Perish the thought they could move to fast and become innovative
Wasn't there some crack with the eggs (
Probably although that one baffles me when they will let them cook raw bacon and sausage.
I'm off work this week and am in a mischievous mood. I'm very tempted to contact them and ask them to explain why they are advertising a British breakfast with Swiss cheese. It's either that or Christmas shopping lol.
Not every service has a chef and some of the breakfasts are prepared by the first class hosts by placing them in a preprepared container to cook which is then plated up. The chef breakfast obviously is cooked slightly differently.
The result of this is that to ensure consistency across all services what is prepared by chefs has to also be able to be prepared by first class hosts. Frying an egg is not an option due to the way that host prepared breakfasts are cooked therefore it is not available.
It is worth remembering that prior to the introduction of this complementary offer not every service offered breakfast in first class. That is no longer the case and every VTEC service on a morning offers breakfast in first class.
The result of this is that to ensure consistency across all services what is prepared by chefs has to also be able to be prepared by first class hosts. Frying an egg is not an option due to the way that host prepared breakfasts are cooked therefore it is not available.
It is worth remembering that prior to the introduction of this complementary offer not every service offered breakfast in first class. That is no longer the case and every VTEC service on a morning offers breakfast in first class.
Blindtraveler
Established Member
Are you applying for a job with VTEC's spin department Ainsworth? That response could have been written by them!
I find that reaction somewhat odd. I'll be sure not to try and explain things in future if it goes against the grain of what people wish to hear on this thread.
West Coast don't have a chef on every train either i.e. how you get served breakfast on a Voyager. However there is a chef on most breakfast services and they are capable of doing some frankly amazing things with eggs. Wish I had a picture to hand, although one time when it was scrambled I think I did show Ainsworth74 one of my West Coast breakfasts 