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London North Eastern Railway (LNER) First Class service
- Thread starter MidnightFlyer
- Start date
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Next weeks menu is now online.
Breakfast.
The grill - bacon, sausage, BLACK PUDDING, mushroom, tomato and FRIED EGG
Mushroom rarebit
Bacon roll
Greek yoghurt
Porridge
All day
Chicken & bacon Caesar wrap
Ploughmans sandwich
Sausage roll
Vegetable tagine
Moussaka
Orange drizzle cake.
Dinner
As all day but without the sausage roll which is replaced by lemon and herb roasted chicken.
Mango and passion fruit delice
Cheese - Red Leicester/Yorkshire blue.
Definitely an improvement at breakfast.
Interesting choices on the all day.
Breakfast.
The grill - bacon, sausage, BLACK PUDDING, mushroom, tomato and FRIED EGG
Mushroom rarebit
Bacon roll
Greek yoghurt
Porridge
All day
Chicken & bacon Caesar wrap
Ploughmans sandwich
Sausage roll
Vegetable tagine
Moussaka
Orange drizzle cake.
Dinner
As all day but without the sausage roll which is replaced by lemon and herb roasted chicken.
Mango and passion fruit delice
Cheese - Red Leicester/Yorkshire blue.
Definitely an improvement at breakfast.
Interesting choices on the all day.
Does look better in places. Breakfast much improved, particularly the appearance of a real fried egg, although I hasten to add
I'm not sure about the sausage roll, which may well be tasty but comes across as "Greggs" rather than "First Class". The All Day choices are a bit more limited than before, and certainly the moussaka and tagine are quite polarising choices, given that there's not much else on offer. I'm sure I'd enjoy it, but I'll eat just about anything.
FWIW, the other rotation is a bit better, but similarly some choices are quite polarising.
Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche Sandwich
Egg Mayo Sandwich
Sausage Roll (All Day Only)
Chicken Curry
Creamy Lemon and Barley Risotto
Rump of Lamb with Minted Potatoes (Evening Meal Only)
Most importantly - the whole offer is simplified. No Mid-morning or afternoon tea nonsense anymore. Just Morning, All Day and Evening Meal. That's surely how it should be?
I'd say that, on the whole, it's not really any better. There's some good things here (simplified offer, interesting choices, better breakfast), and some bad things (more polarising choices, just two rotations on offer). On the whole, I don't think it's any better, but it's probably not any worse.
I'm not sure about the sausage roll, which may well be tasty but comes across as "Greggs" rather than "First Class". The All Day choices are a bit more limited than before, and certainly the moussaka and tagine are quite polarising choices, given that there's not much else on offer. I'm sure I'd enjoy it, but I'll eat just about anything.
FWIW, the other rotation is a bit better, but similarly some choices are quite polarising.
Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche Sandwich
Egg Mayo Sandwich
Sausage Roll (All Day Only)
Chicken Curry
Creamy Lemon and Barley Risotto
Rump of Lamb with Minted Potatoes (Evening Meal Only)
Most importantly - the whole offer is simplified. No Mid-morning or afternoon tea nonsense anymore. Just Morning, All Day and Evening Meal. That's surely how it should be?
I'd say that, on the whole, it's not really any better. There's some good things here (simplified offer, interesting choices, better breakfast), and some bad things (more polarising choices, just two rotations on offer). On the whole, I don't think it's any better, but it's probably not any worse.
That's very odd. When I looked this morning they had the one with the Curry for next week (which I was quite looking forward to), but when I looked on my phone at lunchtime, and just now, they had swapped them around, so now it's the Moussaka one next week. :?
Thanks, I missed the part about the egg. I'm guessing that's for the services that there is no chef on?
The sausage roll does seem a bit bizarre and even sounds cheap. After having seen the med veg ones on VTWC at the start of the year I shudder to think what size the sausage roll will be as they were postage stamp size!
Tagine and moussaka on the one rotation does seem a bit overkill and it's astonishing that this is the best a celebrity chef can come up with.
It is, of course, an extra option that wasn't there before. So it's there to cater to people who maybe just want a sausage roll. It seems odd, but nothing to get mad over unless it replaces one of the hot meals (no, that's not a suggestion Richard!). It looks a reasonable size for what it is, assuming this picture is anything to go by.
I'd assume so. That was the reason for the change first to scrambled egg only and then to the weird flan thing. Both of those could be prepared by CSA whilst a fried egg could not so they had consistency amongst all services. Always a bit silly as they could have easily have dealt with that by doing what VTEC have now done and adding a disclaimer!
furgus2
Member
I tried one of the sausage rolls earlier today. Perfectly acceptable as sausage rolls go. Normal sized, nice and warm, served with a small pot of some sort of sweet tasting sauce.
So, is it still Evening Meal northbound only? I can't seem to find info on which trains have which menu on their website. The timetables don't say any more.
Edit: Never mind; found it. It says which trains on the menu page.
Edit: Never mind; found it. It says which trains on the menu page.
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It is, of course, an extra option that wasn't there before. So it's there to cater to people who maybe just want a sausage roll. It seems odd, but nothing to get mad over unless it replaces one of the hot meals (no, that's not a suggestion Richard!). It looks a reasonable size for what it is, assuming this picture is anything to go by.
It did sound like I was knocking it a bit. It just seems a bizarre add on compared to everything else. I'd have been less surprised had it been a beetroot and sausage roll. It just sounds a bit too normal in comparison to the rest and as someone said it does just shout Greggs and sounds like a cost saving option that they know most people will go for - the cost price of a sausage roll is around 25p.
Kinda as if they know a lot of people will immediately decline the tagine and moussaka option and they had to add something else that was hot in order to keep people quiet.
From that picture though it looks ok. Certainly more substantial than the WC effort earlier in the year.
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Blindtraveler
Established Member
If its stated no fried eggs on only a small number of trains are we to assume more chefs or retrained senior crew? Asking as I was under the impression that about half the services had flip and tip CSA breakfasts?
VTEC stated when the franchise started they were proposing to recruit more chefs.
Is the highland chieftain still all day both after leaving London and leaving Edinburgh?
Cheers!
Cheers!
Blindtraveler
Established Member
Unless an Inverness based chef has been hired or one lodges from the Edinburgh or Newcastle contingent then its safe to assume no dinner or fried egg on the HC. I would have thought Aberdeen would be similar however given how well first does on the first southbound and the 18xx back north an Aberdeen chef would make sense.
Should be as there is no afternoon tea anymore so it should be the same menu all the way now.
Previously, trains that had the All Day Menu from London to the North (all Aberdeen trains I think, not sure if the Chieftain was the same?) had the "All Day Plus" menu North of Edinburgh. This offered that weeks food, plus the hot options from the week before/after. I think we thought the most likely explanation was to give those traveling all the way a greater choice when they are North of Edinburgh (as they are entitled to two meals, of course).
Not sure if that'll be the same now. The All Day Plus menu (if it still exists) would be the same every week.
Thanks! I was just wondering if we'd get the evening meal after Edinburgh (heading from Kings Cross to Inverness on the 15th of June) or not.
Alright then. Thanks!
I travelled down to Edinburgh on Friday on a fairly well loaded train at lunchtime (All Day Menu). The hot options were Pie & Mash or Lasagne and there were Chicken or Egg sandwiches. By the time it got to me there was no Lasagne left, so I went for the Pie which actually I would say was very tasty, in particular the mash was some of the nicest I've ever had; and I don't actually really like Pie.
After York, they only had Sandwiches on offer.
After York, they only had Sandwiches on offer.
As far as I'm aware the Highland Chieftain has always had and still has a chef on board. Certainly when I was on there a year ago it had a chef and I haven't heard of any changes to catering crew based at Inverness. I am unsure about the Aberdeen services.
Blindtraveler
Established Member
Interesting, had heard Inverness had no chef, glad to hear otherwise. I do know for certain that no chefs are based at Aberdeen as its always the CSA produced offerings on those trains with occasional helping hands when short handed from Edinburgh crews, particularly on the popular early train south where an Edinburgh crew member/members travel pass to Montrose on Scotrails 05:33 and join the HST there, its passengers having had coffee, juice and toast with hot food being delayed a little.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I assume weekends remain the weekday sarnies and cake plus non licensed drinks?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I assume weekends remain the weekday sarnies and cake plus non licensed drinks?
The pdf timetables on the website that started this week aren't colour-coded to reflect the service provided. Has anyone seen any timetables with the colour-coding, or is it safe to assume that similarly timed trains will offer the same service as in the old timetable?
They aren't in the new menu! If we can get those then I'll be nice and happy!
Seemingly so, at least according to the menus on the website.
It seems to have been greatly simplified. So breakfast is served on all services until 11am. From 11am, it's the All Day Menu. I'm not sure what happens for the trains that are running at 11am - do all the trains simply change their menus at 11am? I know the Leeds to Aberdeen train used to serve the All Day menu on the Northernmost stretch, in spite of leaving Edinburgh at 10:28 in the morning (having lunch at 11:20 is quite odd!) and I'm not expecting that to change. So I suspect it's a bit more fluid than a simple cut off time, but sadly they don't confirm exactly what's happening on trains at that time. I would hazard a guess that it changes over when a train gets to a major station (Edinburgh, Newcastle et al) at approximately 11:00.
The evening menu is served on the 1700, 1719, 1730, 1733, 1800, 1803, 1819, 1830, 1833 and 1900 departures from King's Cross (which I think is unchanged from before).
Iskra
Established Member
It's odd, but good if you're travelling from anywhere South of Newcastle to beyond Edinburgh as two breakfasts would be even odder. I usually find it is past 11 by the time you actually get any hot food anyway.
I'd like to echo the sentiments up-thread; the VTEC 1st service on trains North of Edinburgh is by far the best you'll get and they are an absolute credit to the company.
David Goddard
Established Member
Currently on the 1600 ex London and was kind of expecting a different menu after Edinburgh. Just had our second helping of smoked salmon sandwiches!
The old timetable was coloured to suggest evening meal would be served on the latter part of the trip but the impression we got from the crew was that this was never the case.
Anyone know of where to eat a meal in Dundee at 2200??
The old timetable was coloured to suggest evening meal would be served on the latter part of the trip but the impression we got from the crew was that this was never the case.
Anyone know of where to eat a meal in Dundee at 2200??
The printed copy of the Dec 2015 to May 2016 timetable in front of me shows the 1600 has Afternoon tea serivce (blue shading) served from Kings Cross to Darlington and the All day Menu (orange shading) served from Newcastle to Dundee
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The crew were correct the evening meal has only ever been served on services departing Kings Cross and has never been available as far north Edinburgh. I would have expected you to have been given the All Day option however which includes hot food.
StrollerEd
Member
- Joined
- 27 May 2011
- Messages
- 180
Currently on the 13.00 out of KX to Waverley this fine Sunday. Not done this journey for a while and I'm on a FC Advance ticket that gave me admission to the FC Lounge at KX - which was disappointing as both coffee m/c s were out of order and food v.limited, but still a place to sit quietly - if you don't count the piped radio music.
Promptly served sandwiches, muffin and crisps and just had second cup of tea as we passed Grantham. It will be interesting to see whether there is a second serving before we get to Edinburgh.
Promptly served sandwiches, muffin and crisps and just had second cup of tea as we passed Grantham. It will be interesting to see whether there is a second serving before we get to Edinburgh.