Where to get an affordable decent meal near Milton Keynes Central?

Ianno87 said:

Waitrose (the one in the Food Centre) is a good 25 minute walk from the station, at least.

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There hasn't been a Waitrose there for at least 5 years now, it's moved to a new development at Oakgrove.

Bletchleyite said:

I'd certainly say the Morrisons cafe food is better quality than 'Spoons and is a similar price, so I think this is a good choice, yes.

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I'd take Old 'Spoons over Morrisons any day. Except at 1:15pm on a Friday when I find that Old Spoons can be very busy but I'd still find somewhere other than Morrisons. Greggs or BK would be my second choice depending on the time available.

I have to agree about the Sizzling Grill, most unfriendly food outlet in the area since the Jaipur moved and then shut down.

Ianno87 said:

Waitrose (the one in the Food Centre) is a good 25 minute walk from the station, at least.

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Waitrose moved out of MK town centre a good few years ago.

Thanks for link to Morrisons menu and guys for your advise about Waitrose moving etc. I shall look forward to a walk to Mossision.

All this is, of course, subject to the gateline staff allowing me to exit on my advance ticket (and also get back in) to get some lunch. I do not for see a problem however at Milton Keynes Central in this regard.

Thanks again for your help!

Bletchleyite said:

https://my.morrisons.com/blog/food/new-cafe-menu/

I particularly like the "create your own breakfast", just have what you want and pay per item, no arguing about what can be swapped for what.

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Ironic to call this "new" given that Safeway (Morrisons predecessor in most locations) used to offer the option of an X item breakfast (can't remember the exact number, it was something like 6 or 9) where you could choose what you liked, from the counter, and eat it instantly. It was Morrisons that changed this to involve a long queue, a pre-prescribed list of what you could have, and then a long wait for the food to arrive.

Bletchleyite said:

There hasn't been a Waitrose there for at least 5 years now, it's moved to a new development at Oakgrove.

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Oh yes, that sounds familiar now! I must keep up....

Mojo said:

Ironic to call this "new" given that Safeway (Morrisons predecessor in most locations) used to offer the option of an X item breakfast (can't remember the exact number, it was something like 6 or 9) where you could choose what you liked, from the counter, and eat it instantly. It was Morrisons that changed this to involve a long queue, a pre-prescribed list of what you could have, and then a long wait for the food to arrive.

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Morrisons predecessor in some locations, mostly darn sarf.

Mojo said:

Ironic to call this "new" given that Safeway (Morrisons predecessor in most locations) used to offer the option of an X item breakfast (can't remember the exact number, it was something like 6 or 9) where you could choose what you liked, from the counter, and eat it instantly. It was Morrisons that changed this to involve a long queue, a pre-prescribed list of what you could have, and then a long wait for the food to arrive.

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The overall menu is new, the Create Your Own Breakfast has existed for as long as Morrisons cafes have, I suspect. I'm not sure how it's more restricted, though, the list is of all the breakfast things they do and you can have as many as you want, pay per item, which is less restrictive than "choose 6".

gray1404 said:

All this is, of course, subject to the gateline staff allowing me to exit on my advance ticket (and also get back in) to get some lunch. I do not for see a problem however at Milton Keynes Central in this regard.

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LNR barrier staff are not overzealous, and so "I've got an hour to wait, can I pop out to the shop to get some food" is very unlikely to meet with any resistance.

Bletchleyite said:

The overall menu is new, the Create Your Own Breakfast has existed for as long as Morrisons cafes have, I suspect. I'm not sure how it's more restricted, though, the list is of all the breakfast things they do and you can have as many as you want, pay per item, which is less restrictive than "choose 6".

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It hasn't existed as long as Morrisons cafes, it is a new addition. That was the problem; because Safeway let you pick what you wanted. Morrisons told you you had to have what they wanted you to have.

Mojo said:

It hasn't existed as long as Morrisons cafes, it is a new addition. That was the problem; because Safeway let you pick what you wanted. Morrisons told you you had to have what they wanted you to have.

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Ah, so then they added it as a result of the Safeway takeover? To be fair I've not really used Morrisons before that.

By "new" you mean "at least 3-4 years ago" though. It's not new in this "new menu", I've been having them for years.

Bletchleyite said:

Ah, so then they added it as a result of the Safeway takeover? To be fair I've not really used Morrisons before that.

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No. It was at least ten years, probably more, since the takeover before they added it. Of course in that time they had hacked off all their old regular customers who sought a better place to go and eat away from their bizarre ordering system.

Bletchleyite said:

LNR barrier staff are not overzealous, and so "I've got an hour to wait, can I pop out to the shop to get some food" is very unlikely to meet with any resistance.

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I don't expect any problems here either. Their staff seem very nice there.

After the time I wasn't allowed out at Clapham Junction when I should have been, and the discussions that followed on here. If I am ever wrongly detained by a TOC again by not being allowed out when changing trains on an advance ticket I am going to take action against the company concerned. As the NRCoT no longer defines what a BoJ is then it can only be that a customer has only broken their journey once they have either left the station with no intention to return (going out to the shops with every reasonable intent to ge back in time for their next train is not breaking their journey) or, though their failure to get back to the station on time, they have missed their train.

I am not going to be held inside a barrier again and if that happened (moreover if I had time like this one) I would be calling the police. Likewise if I wasn't allowed back through I will take action against the train company for failing to honor their contract in allowing me to take a train I hold a ticket and itinerary for.

Of course, I think too it will be fine at MKC as they seem like decent people there on that station.

Mojo said:

No. It was at least ten years, probably more, since the takeover before they added it. Of course in that time they had hacked off all their old regular customers who sought a better place to go and eat away from their bizarre ordering system.

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Other than the likes of 'Spoons where each meal is prepackaged with correct quantities, I genuinely don't understand why every purveyor of greasy food doesn't offer this kind of option. Not doing so, or saying "no swaps", is just like the railway's favourite "ner ner ne ner ner, you can't take that route even though it's quicker" lark - customer unfriendly and just turning away business. If a customer wants something, why not find a way you can offer it to them profitably?

I have no issue with the fact that this breakfast option is slightly more expensive, I am quite happy to see it as a premium service and pay accordingly so I can have everything I want as I want it and waste nothing and with no awkwardness about asking what can be swapped for what.

Bletchleyite said:

Other than the likes of 'Spoons where each meal is prepackaged with correct quantities, I genuinely don't understand why every purveyor of greasy food doesn't offer this kind of option. Not doing so, or saying "no swaps", is just like the railway's favourite "ner ner ne ner ner, you can't take that route even though it's quicker" lark - customer unfriendly and just turning away business. If a customer wants something, why not find a way you can offer it to them profitably?

I have no issue with the fact that this breakfast option is slightly more expensive, I am quite happy to see it as a premium service and pay accordingly so I can have everything I want as I want it and waste nothing and with no awkwardness about asking what can be swapped for what.

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Don't know which 'Spoons you've eaten in but I've never had an issue swapping items in their 'prepackaged' - whatever that means - meals. Especially not at Old Spoons in Milton Keynes.

IanD said:

Don't know which 'Spoons you've eaten in but I've never had an issue swapping items in their 'prepackaged' - whatever that means - meals. Especially not at Old Spoons in Milton Keynes.

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Can't say I've tried recently but I have had issues in the past, and the reason given was that they have a precise number of each ingredient and so it leaves them with an unsellable meal.

What I mean by prepackaged is that their meals are basically ready meals with each portion in a box/pack, though with some parts requiring use of a fryer or griddle rather than purely being for the microwave. Chips are probably an exception to this.