If one of the major railway station catering outlets folded, what would you replace them with?

[py_megapixel]

Inspired by this thread:

Pumpkin cafes closed for good?

Given how busy Pret is (in normal times), the customers can’t all be on pop star wages. The Euston Road branch is often full of RMT officers... Pret is very average in cost in my opinion with filter coffee available for 89/99p across the UK.

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If Pumpkin, Upper Crust, Delice de France or one of the other ubiquitous catering brands were to disappear from stations, what would you want to put in the place of these outlets?

This might be a controversial one, but I think I would replace with a modern-design small Co-op, with the self-serve hot drinks machines and rather good hot food cabinet that they tend to have these days. I'd skew some of the other stock more towards what the travelling public might want (for example, the average train passenger probably doesn't want to buy dishwasher tablets at the station!) and maybe have a better range of sandwiches and cold drinks - though the Co-op are pretty good already.

I very rarely sit in the station buffet. I either want to be watching the trains - in which case I'm on the platform - or I want piece and quiet - in which case the waiting-room is a better bet as the monstrously loud barista coffee machines that seem to be all the rage are somewhat unpleasant and stressful to listen to for extended periods.

 

[WideRanger]

Something like an eki-ben shop as seen on most main Japanese stations, selling high quality food and drink to take on to the train.

 

[Philip Phlopp]

Casey Jones, the only correct answer.

 

[NoMorePacers]

Somewhere that sells reasonably cheap food and drink. Although I recognise that probably won't happen.

 

[telstarbox]

Yes the Co-op has improved a lot over the last few years. The one at Manchester Piccadilly is great.

 

[swt_passenger]

If Pumpkin, Upper Crust, Delice de France or one of the other ubiquitous catering brands were to disappear from stations, what would you want to put in the place of these outlets?

The three brands you mention (and a few others) are all part of the same company, Select Service Partnership (SSP). If SSP went down they’d surely all go together...

 

[Bletchleyite]

This might be a controversial one, but I think I would replace with a modern-design small Co-op, with the self-serve hot drinks machines and rather good hot food cabinet that they tend to have these days. I'd skew some of the other stock more towards what the travelling public might want (for example, the average train passenger probably doesn't want to buy dishwasher tablets at the station!) and maybe have a better range of sandwiches and cold drinks - though the Co-op are pretty good already.

One that I'd like to see that I'm surprised we don't (though they are often nearby) is Subway. Motorway services have them, and they operate on a similar franchise model to SSP (all Subways are franchised, they don't operate any themselves).

Regarding Co-op, I guess pretty much any small supermarket format could substitute for M&S Food - they're "Little Waitrose" at about half the motorway services, and there's a Sainsbury's Local just outside the door at Euston.

The three brands you mention (and a few others) are all part of the same company, Select Service Partnership (SSP). If SSP went down they’d surely all go together...

You could possibly argue that SSP folding would be no bad thing, as there would be better competition and variety if each outlet was genuinely independent.

That said when I was at Praha hl.n. (rathole of a station that curiously resembled Euston a bit but with a horrid red metal/plastic ceiling) there seemed to be about 10 different independent businesses all selling the exact same thing.

 

[py_megapixel]

Regarding Co-op, I guess pretty much any small supermarket format could substitute for M&S Food - they're "Little Waitrose" at about half the motorway services, and there's a Sainsbury's Local just outside the door at Euston.

Sainsbury's Local is also Manchester Piccadilly though I'd encourage anyone to go to the Co-op half a minute's walk away instead. Sainsbury's and Tesco do a comparatively poor job of the "food to go" stuff, while the Co-op have really been innovating.

Ironically it seems with Sainsbury's, the quality of food to go provision varies inversely with proximity to a railway station!

Their pilot for the food to go type model appears to be the aforementioned Piccadilly store. There's an excellent hot and cold food selection, a coffee machine, a milkshake machine and even a tap where you can fill a water bottle as a fallback for when Network Rail's machines aren't working

Morrisons do a great job of it as well, but they don't really have a small format equivalent.

M&S at Birmingham New St, Sheffield and probably others have an excellent self serve coffee machine though I can't usually use it as it won't fit my reusable cup underneath. Never had this problem anywhere else!

You could possibly argue that SSP folding would be no bad thing, as there would be better competition and variety if each outlet was genuinely independent.

I think I'd agree with that. I dislike the vast majority of the railway station brands anyway.. I don't think Upper Crust (read "stale baguette with small variety of fillings") would be a great loss.

 

[xotGD]

Filmore & Union.

Excellent coffee and gorgeous brownies.

Or failing that, Greggs.

 

[SteveM70]

Haven’t Filmore and Union gone bust?

 

[David Goddard]

As long as its not Subway everywhere we will be happy. Can not stand that stink of grease which emanates from every one of their outlets.
Remember walking past the one at Doncaster early one Saturday morning, the stink wafted through the bus station (was more unpleasant than the diesel fumes) and we felt positively sick!

Would love to see more independents come to railway catering, they work really well where they do operate (take the outlets at Ely for example) and more of these would be a good thing. Makes the catering part of the destination and could have a positive effect on travel options as well (lets go to xxx for the day as I really like the sausage rolls in the buffet there).

 

[Bletchleyite]

As long as its not Subway everywhere we will be happy. Can not stand that stink of grease which emanates from every one of their outlets.
Remember walking past the one at Doncaster early one Saturday morning, the stink wafted through the bus station (was more unpleasant than the diesel fumes) and we felt positively sick!

Don't see why you'd get a smell of grease from a Subway as their products aren't greasy, it's more of a bready smell, though I agree it's quite distinctive. Burger King produces a nasty smell of grease, though.

 

[SeanG]

I love Backwerk in Berlin so would be happy with that

 

[Jan Mayen]

Replace them with independents or small supermarkets. About June or July I travelled Reading - Twyford. Nothing open on Reading, two places open at Twyford.

 

[Elecman]

M&S at New Street closed yesterday

 

[rjames87]

M&S at New Street closed yesterday

Is that a temporary closure again? I know it hasn’t long reopened!

 

[DB]

Haven’t Filmore and Union gone bust?

They did a while back, but part of the chain was bought out by someone else and survived. Some of them weren't included in this and never re-opened -e .g. the Skipton one.

Sainsbury's Local is also Manchester Piccadilly

Also one in Leeds station.

As regards the existing ones, it's worth noting that many of them are operated by one company - SSP - either their own brands (Upper Crust, Pumpkin) or franchises (M&S). No doubt someone has a full list of which 'brands' they run, but it's more than just those three.

 

[SteveM70]

They did a while back, but part of the chain was bought out by someone else and survived. Some of them weren't included in this and never re-opened -e .g. the Skipton one.

Ah right. I’d seen a closed down one in Jesmond as well as the Skipton one and assumed it was all of them that had closed

 

[Andrew S]

Co-op would be a good option. They could potentially compete with the WH Smith station shops too.

 

[dh2389]

I agree that last time I went to Manchester Piccadilly the co-op is pretty decent I would Love to see a 7/11 come to the UK

 

[PeterC]

I'd like to see Ponti's back at Liverpool Street.

More generally I would prefer independents or small local chains such as Taylors in Oxford. Decent tea and coffee and sandwiches on fresh, crusty, bread. A good noodle bar is great if you want to eat in but I hate smelly food on trains.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Casey Jones, the only correct answer.

Their beanburgers were quite something...

I would Love to see a 7/11 come to the UK

We used to have loads of 7/11's on the High Street but they quietly disappeared

 

[Alex27]

I'd like to see Ponti's back at Liverpool Street.

More generally I would prefer independents or small local chains such as Taylors in Oxford. Decent tea and coffee and sandwiches on fresh, crusty, bread. A good noodle bar is great if you want to eat in but I hate smelly food on trains.

Taylor's of Oxford seconded!

 

[Class465pacer]

Co op with costa and soft drinks machines included and a subway inside too

 

[gordonthemoron]

Also from Germany, Ditsch

 

[xotGD]

Haven’t Filmore and Union gone bust?

I hadn't seen that. Bugger.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I agree that last time I went to Manchester Piccadilly the co-op is pretty decent...

Is that just outside the Station on the approach ramp where the little Waitrose used to be?

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

Hopefully not off topic, but I wish they'd allow more independent limited period pop-ups at stations. Pop-up operators business, by its nature, it's heavily skewed toward the festivals and food fairs of the summer months and the Christmas period. Opportunities in stations could help plug the seasonal gaps.

 

[SteveM70]

Loving all the love for the Coop

Incidentally, and I have to take others word for it because I can’t stand milk, the Costa machines in Coops use real milk that the shop people put in the machine. Apparently some others use some sort of powdered milk

 

[mark-h]

As regards the existing ones, it's worth noting that many of them are operated by one company - SSP - either their own brands (Upper Crust, Pumpkin) or franchises (M&S). No doubt someone has a full list of which 'brands' they run, but it's more than just those three.

Their website lists some of the brands they operate. I don't know of an easy way to tell if a specific outlet of a franchise is run by them or not. To add to the confusion it is also possible to franchise some of the brands they own.

I don't know how much they combine their operations/logistics at major stations where they have multiple outlets. It may be tough to have each outlet independently run.

the Costa machines in Coops use real milk that the shop people put in the machine. Apparently some others use some sort of powdered milk

I doubt that is the case, the Costa Express website claims 100% real milk. It may be that different stores use UHT or a different grade of milk (skimmed/semi-skimmed/full fat). Most Costa Express machines are in stores which sell fresh milk so there shouldn't be a supply issue.