Best/worst cup of tea on rail network

[LE Greys]

I would agree with most about the Yorkshire Tea, but for Friday. I had one cup, and it tasted of coffee! We used to call such things "teffee" and "coa" at school, where both tasted the same. Possibly, someone had accidentally filled the hot water dispenser with coffee (which was the school problem, nobody knew which was which) and it hadn't been flushed out yet.

Strangely, the best cup of tea I remember was at the old kiosk at Westbury in a polystyrene cup. That's gone now!

Oh, so true .............

Tornado taking on "water" at Westbury!!

Oh, you should see the old method. Take one tea flask, fill with water, smear in grease, place on shovel and allow to rest in firebox for a few seconds (all that's needed), lift lid with rag and insert teabag. Replace lid and allow to brew for five minutes, pour into mugs (presumably you have some), add milk (if you have any) and it's ready to drink.

 

[bailey65]

I avoid food and drink on trains and stations too expensive rather go to mcdonalds when i get where i'm going.

 

[spacehopper]

Do like Mad Hatter tea on Grand Central good value at a £1 as well.

Don't know why so many staff drink vending machine tea and coffee as that is rancid. Some of the prices they charge for a small plastic instant hot drink are a rip off. It varies so widely from messroom to messroom same cup can be 20p at one end of the line and near 50p at the other!

Is the "giant" teabags used on East Coast, Yorkshire Tea Gold as well?

Echoing OP I no longer buy or drink Twinnings of Warsaw tea anymore.

 

[142094]

One of the problems with vending machines is the water - I gather most of the time it is constantly kept at a high temperature, ready for someone to come along and use it. So when no-one uses it for a while, it goes funny. Most tea companies tell you to use only freshly drawn water. Plus I'm not sure what milk they use but UHT stuff is terrible.

 

[Greenback]

I don't think the liquid that emerges from vending machine scan justify being called tea or coffee. It bears little resemblance to either.

 

[SS4]

I don't think the liquid that emerges from vending machine scan justify being called tea or coffee. It bears little resemblance to either.

Definitely!

 

[spacehopper]

One of the problems with vending machines is the water - I gather most of the time it is constantly kept at a high temperature, ready for someone to come along and use it. So when no-one uses it for a while, it goes funny. Most tea companies tell you to use only freshly drawn water. Plus I'm not sure what milk they use but UHT stuff is terrible.

.

You can't make a proper cup of tea with jiggers!

 

[Michael.Y]

I find the usual ATW tea offering to be very poor. I'm very intereste din trying the Earl Grey, and I hope it is available tomorrow, for my next longer distance journey!

Where are you travelling? Newport and Shrewsbury depot-covered trains should have Earl Grey Tea on board.

As we top up with fresh pots of hot water, sometimes I can offer Welsh, Shropshire or Cheshire tea all in one go.

My dad joked when I first got the job: "British Rail tea - one slice or two?"

Incidentally, all commodities bought off an ATW trolley are, where they can be, fair-trade.

 

[317666]

Worst cup of tea I've had on the railways was from the Pumpkin at Havant - but that's because someone I was travelling with dropped a Fisherman's Friend into it so it tasted odd to say the least

One of the best I've had is, as has been said earlier, from the volunteer-run trolley on the Settle & Carlisle. Very good value and quite nice too.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

The cafe on Bolton is very good, I'll second Paul Sidorczuk on that; he's correct too that it is an independent business. Their bacon sarnies are good too, but I can't comment on the tea, as I'd rather drink bleach than milky tea (black I can stand; but give me coffee all day long).

I avoid food and drink on trains and stations too expensive rather go to mcdonalds when i get where i'm going.

Buy a BITE card then, 20% off food and drink at places like Upper Crust, Burger King (railway station outlets only) and Pumpkins Cafe, certainly a lot nicer than MaccyD's (who in my eyes are only good for breakfast, but their coffee is putrid).

http://www.bitecard.co.uk/default.asp

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Yes, the diner/cafe at Inverness Bus Station is a wonderful place!

Agreed!

But it was twice as good when they were round on Church Street, with a bigger range, and lots of quality produce to take home which you'd never find in Tesco or Morrisons [other supermarket brands are available] [but not in Inverness].

 

[The Informer]

I've had tea at many stations/on trains and I had my very worst the other day. I specified white tea from the vending machine on platform 2 at Sheffield. All I will say is I can still taste it. Can anybody recommend tea I should avoid while on rail network - and where to find the best?

Best brew on the network is from a signalman! God bless the bobby!!!

 

[Sir_Clagalot]

I have a container of Yorkshire Tea in my kit bag!!
Though Coffee Link at the London end of P2 at Ipswich does a good brew

 

[Liam]

Anywhere with green tea!!

Also, milk spoils tea. Tea for me is a teabag in a mug of hot water, i very, very rarely even have sugar in it.

 

[pemma]

I don't often buy tea or coffee at stations so don't have much to compare.

Best - London Victoria
Worst - Wakefield Westgate

To be fair one was served fresh and the other came out of a machine.

 

[Flamingo]

Buy a BITE card then, 20% off food and drink at places like Upper Crust, Burger King (railway station outlets only) and Pumpkins Cafe, certainly a lot nicer than MaccyD's (who in my eyes are only good for breakfast, but their coffee is putrid).

http://www.bitecard.co.uk/default.asp

My wife is quite keen on McD's coffee, and she is quite a coffee snob - she has a bean-to-cup machine, and at the moment only drinks imported beans (yes, I know it all is, but she buys her over the net and gets it couriered in!) - personally I have to be cold, wet and in a ditch before I'll drink coffee.

McD's tea is horrible PG Tips though.

FGW's Fairtrade tea is good (now that the teabags are made from something more substantial than recycled toilet rolls). I don't like too strong a cup, and I like the flavour of it.

 

[IanD]

Best: Lady Foley's Tea Room on Great Malvern station (nice slice of cake too!) and the tea you have with a bacon buttie from the proper station buffet at Huddersfield.

Worst: Any tea with UHT milk, any hot drink from the big brands (except Pumpkin hot chocolate and latte which are drinkable at a pinch plus 20% off with the bite card and 1 free in every 5 with the loyalty card makes them almost affordable).

 

[142094]

Anyone know if GC's on board tea is the cheapest at £1?

 

[tsr]

The best cappuccino (taste, temperature, quantity served per £, and loyalty scheme) can, oddly enough, be obtained from Millie's Cookies under the SET Departure Boards at London Victoria.

I'm afraid I'm one of those heretics who doesn't like tea, so I can't comment on that! Sorry!

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Stopped drinking Twinings when they closed their factory in the UK and shipped the jobs off to Poland.

They'll be importing tea from India next.

 

[simonm]

Tiverton Parkway pantry sell a nice cup - from a teapot and they have a coffee machine too. It's also one of the few places where it's cheaper to have your drink in a cup and saucer than to take a paper cup away with you. They also do cuppa soups or lemsips in the winter! Marvellous!

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

My school (on the WCML) serves popular teas during the winter when we're not glaring at freight trains/idiot footballers.
As for stations, Preston has a few good spots on the station to buy tea, but it's fairly expensive and not as good as the stuff you can get at Oxenholme (this being the time TPE showed how bad their connection system is)

 

[matchmaker]

Crianlarich Station Tearoom. Mecca for the weary traveller!

 

[142094]

Should mention the Refreshment Rooms at Carnforth as they were very good the last time I was in. Nice to sit and not be in some generic coffee shop for a change.

 

[LE Greys]

I seem to remember a half-decent one at Teignmouth, but that was ten years ago, so it might not be there any more. Anyone know better?

 

[Yew]

Worksop stations cafe makes a mean cuppa and a bacon sandwich for 2.50

 

[Drsatan]

Worksop stations cafe makes a mean cuppa and a bacon sandwich for 2.50

Sounds better than a medium cup of tea and a reheated bacon roll from any Pumpkin buffet! (£2.40 with bite card discount)

The buffet at Romsey station also sells decent cups of tea for £1

 

[extendedpaul]

I was impressed with a proper mug of decent tea for 80p on the platform at Porthmdog yesterday. Half the typical price. Lovely little cafe too with picture plates from all over the world decorating the walls and a pub next door.

 

[mullin]

not as good as the stuff you can get at Oxenholme (this being the time TPE showed how bad their connection system is)

Where in Oxenholme is this? Shall have to give it a try some time

 

[The Informer]

I was impressed with a proper mug of decent tea for 80p on the platform at Porthmdog yesterday. Half the typical price. Lovely little cafe too with picture plates from all over the world decorating the walls and a pub next door.

Nice bar that is on the platform.