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Eurostar Food

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Aldaniti

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Yawn.... Imagine anyone enjoying themselves...

Me and my friend recently joined an early morning Eurostar half first class (whatever its called) thing.... I only got the half first class because I get half price tickets.

I knew it would be totally crap so we went to Simpley food at St Pan for breakfast supplies, couple bottles of that pre-mixed 75cl Bucks Fizz, and 4 of the cans of pre mixed vodka orange things....

I would have been amazed had they tried to confiscate it! Who doesn't like a few bevvies on the train when they are going on their hols... and in the days when we used to get a decent amount of rub-a-dub and plenty of Tom Cruise as thanks for paying the premium, we wudnt have needed to stock up like this !!! Nanny state or what....

Sorry pal, don't want to tar you with any particular brush, but this country has an alcohol problem that needs sorting out. Eurostar get full marks from me for their approach. I'm as frustrated as you with the nanny state but I'm even more frustrated with the sort of people who make a prima facie case for it.
 
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Three things like i said i took cider as the french stuff just ain't as nice its like comparing english wine to french you just wouldn't touch english stuff would you?

Secondly my problem was the fact eurostar and customs didn't know there own rules or guidelines and then bent over to help and tried to charge me for something they said they'd carry for free.

Thirdly i came back via paris and i brought a approx 8 bottles home for presents and the people at gare du nord accepted it and said nothing.
 

rmt4ever

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Three things like i said i took cider as the french stuff just ain't as nice its like comparing english wine to french you just wouldn't touch english stuff would you?

Secondly my problem was the fact eurostar and customs didn't know there own rules or guidelines and then bent over to help and tried to charge me for something they said they'd carry for free.

Thirdly i came back via paris and i brought a approx 8 bottles home for presents and the people at gare du nord accepted it and said nothing.

No wouldn't touch English wine. Thankfully, you hardly see it and can buy French wine in pretty much every supermarket/off-license/corner shop/bar/restaurant etc....
 

Yew

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Sorry pal, don't want to tar you with any particular brush, but this country has an alcohol problem that needs sorting out. Eurostar get full marks from me for their approach. I'm as frustrated as you with the nanny state but I'm even more frustrated with the sort of people who make a prima facie case for it.

And what information do you base your opinion on?
 

Aldaniti

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And what information do you base your opinion on?

Oh that's easy. Go to most town centres on a Friday or Saturday night and keep your eyes peeled. Better still, do some research into how much alcohol related problems cost the NHS every year and look at comparisons with other EU countries. Sadly, figures are not available that show how much the brewing industry line the pockets of legislators.
 

30907

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No wouldn't touch English wine.

What's wrong with English wine? Can't afford it very often because of price, mind you? (British wine is something different, dirt cheap in Aldi etc.). Or Norman or Breton cidre for that matter?

Not serious questions :)
 
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off topic...

i drink lots of varieties of cider and my last three pints were of cider from East Lancashire and Scotland i then had a awful welsh cider of which i got a refund

French cidre is good but aint got anything on the english stuff and its also hard to source from anywhere other than casino in france g20 also stock a very good range.
 

philjo

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A different query on a similar topic:
What food is available to purchase at St Pancras after checking into the Eurostar?

I will be catching the 8:04 to Lille in a few weeks so checkin for this closes at 07:34.
My FCC train arrives into Kings Cross at 06:35 - I'll visit M&S to get food to have on the TGV later but not sure about if there is time to get something hot for breakfast (i.e. bacon roll etc) before checking in - I would rather check in first then get something before boarding the train - if there is a reasonable choice instide the Eurostar departure area.
 

Squaddie

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A different query on a similar topic:
What food is available to purchase at St Pancras after checking into the Eurostar?

I will be catching the 8:04 to Lille in a few weeks so checkin for this closes at 07:34.
My FCC train arrives into Kings Cross at 06:35 - I'll visit M&S to get food to have on the TGV later but not sure about if there is time to get something hot for breakfast (i.e. bacon roll etc) before checking in - I would rather check in first then get something before boarding the train - if there is a reasonable choice instide the Eurostar departure area.
There are a couple of small places in the departure area that sell decent take-away food and drink - from memory, I think it's Caffe Nero and Eat - but the queues at that time in the morning can be absolutely horrendous and the service slow. I seem to remember that the branch of WH Smith often doesn't start putting out the newspapers until about 7 o'clock, either, resulting in further long queues, so make sure you get one before you arrive.
 

philjo

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Thanks for that. I'll get a paper in Kings Cross before checking in. Whether I get breakfast before or after checking in will depend on the time & if there any queues in KX.
 

rmt4ever

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The after security in St P is absolutely dire. Don't check in until as late as possible
 

Clip

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This was just the thread I was hoping for as booking Standard premier to go to Brussells in November and will be getting the 0650 out so wanted to know what the breakfast was like and seems like a bit hit and miss then? The video on the website doesnt really show much if im honest.

Is business class any better? Though Im not sure if I can you that with TfL discount can I? Probably best to ring them to enquire.




Three things like i said i took cider as the french stuff just ain't as nice its like comparing english wine to french you just wouldn't touch english stuff would you?

The award winning English wine then http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23008300 (though to be fair that is on about sparkling) and isnt Breton cider just as good or do you prefer the scrumpy West country stuff?
 

Squaddie

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This was just the thread I was hoping for as booking Standard premier to go to Brussells in November and will be getting the 0650 out so wanted to know what the breakfast was like and seems like a bit hit and miss then?
I consider the Standard Premier product to be such poor value for money that I would be inclined just to book Standard and select a seat you're happy with. After all, the journey is less than two hours.
 

Clip

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I consider the Standard Premier product to be such poor value for money that I would be inclined just to book Standard and select a seat you're happy with. After all, the journey is less than two hours.

Its only £30 more with the TfL set fare though and as we're getting the first one out and a late one back we thought 'why not?' free booze on the way back sounds appealing :lol:
 

Squaddie

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Its only £30 more with the TfL set fare though and as we're getting the first one out and a late one back we thought 'why not?' free booze on the way back sounds appealing :lol:
It's not unlimited free booze any more, though - those days are long gone. You'll probably get a beer or a quarter-bottle of wine, and possibly a second one if you ask nicely.

Although one nice advantage of Standard Premier is that you can get single seats facing each other.
 

Clip

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It's not unlimited free booze any more, though - those days are long gone. You'll probably get a beer or a quarter-bottle of wine, and possibly a second one if you ask nicely.

Although one nice advantage of Standard Premier is that you can get single seats facing each other.

That is another reason I must admit. Thats if she lets me sit facing forward of course :lol:
 

Bungle73

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The Eurostar food wasn't very good tbh. Going I got given the "breakfast" which was actually ok for a light lunch. They came round offering chocolate croissants too.

Coming back today all I got was about four minuscule pieces of cheese, several tiny (and I mean tiny) chopped pieces of tomato, a tiny bit of salad and a tiny bit of cake. It was a bit disappointing tbh, especially as I'm used to EC's offering.

If I go Eurostar with this travel company again I'm not sure I'll bother to upgrade.
 

Bungle73

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And how come I only had a "choice" of one meal, when according to the website there is supposed to be a choice of 2?
 

158801

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Our latest Eurostar meal - served about 11:30am.

For the first time we had a choice of meals. We chose this rather than a biscuit, cheese and rice
 

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Greenback

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Our latest Eurostar meal - served about 11:30am.

For the first time we had a choice of meals. We chose this rather than a biscuit, cheese and rice

Er what is it? It looks a bit like salmon but I can't work out what else is on the plate!
 

158801

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It was Salmon on a sort of onion with some sort of Apple Strudel and I don't know what the green mush was but it all tasted very nice.

Only once have I had a card with the meal saying "this is......"
 

Clip

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It was Salmon on a sort of onion with some sort of Apple Strudel and I don't know what the green mush was but it all tasted very nice.

Only once have I had a card with the meal saying "this is......"

That does look awful like.

Going out for us it was a selection of rolls and jam and 3 different croissants and some yoghurt which wasnt too bad given the very early start and wasnt up for that much to eat. Copious amounts of tea though.

Coming back we didnt get a choice but had some duck which was very nice and filling plus they were quite happy to supply me and her (me) with plenty of beer.
 

158801

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More food on Eurostar. Some sort of cold spicy salmon with cold carrots, lentils and a chocolate mousse with a sponge base. Not that good. Served around 5pm.
 

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Wolfie

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Coming back from Brussels last week in Standard Premier there was no choice and the only option was what seemed to be slices of raw beef.....NOT nice at all!

I needed the four cans of Kronenbourg I managed to get to down it!;)
 

Greenback

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I don't much like the look of that offering either...my dog might refuse to eat it, actually.
 

Daimler

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My most recent journey in Standard Premier (early in January) hit a new low for me - it was a breakfast service, and the 'breakfast' provided amounted to a small yoghurt, a mini croissant, and a mini bread roll. Extremely unimpressive.
 

Bungle73

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Coming back from Brussels last week in Standard Premier there was no choice and the only option was what seemed to be slices of raw beef.....NOT nice at all!

I needed the four cans of Kronenbourg I managed to get to down it!;)

By "raw" do you actually mean cooked rare/medium-rare? My preferred style actually.
 
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