Pathfinder Premier Dining

[heart-of-wessex]

Hello all,

Looking at doing Premier Dining for the first time on Pathfinder on one of the upcoming December tours. Just looking for a bit more info on the dining experience with what you get.

On the outbound trip it states you get The Great British Breakfast, which I assume you can get a cooked breakfast? I assume at least more that one round of coffee will be provided as well?

On the return is a 4 course Evening Christmas Dinner, I assume it's 2 starters, mains and desserts? Again drinks provided though I assume wine would need to be purchased?

With 2 of us going I assume the table for two supplement is worth it's price?


James.

 

[ajs]

Been quite a few years since l enjoyed a dining experience on a Pathfinder Tour and it was enjoyable.

The cooked breakfast was very nicely presented although it was served about 90 minutes after boarding at about 6am. Tea & Coffee was served immediately after departure.

A light early lunch of pasty, peas and gravy was served

From what l remember the 4 course evening meal, is a starter , mains , desert and then a cheese board. I don’t remember there being an advertised main course alternative so if you have any dislikes /allergies should say so when booking.

I did walk through one of the kitchen coaches and was amazed at how they managed to cook in a confined space.

I have found a sample menu

https://www.pathfindertours.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Sample-Menu-1.pdf

With the tables seating either 2 or 4 people, if you do not pay the supplement you will be sat at a table for 4, presumably side by side and opposite another couple or 2 single travellers sat together. You may get on with your dining companions, you may not.You won’t know until the day and you may feel it worthwhile to pay the supplement for a table for 2. We did and had no regrets.

 

[HOOVER29]

We always pay the supplement for a table for two
Done it for a number of years
Haven’t looked back since

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Thank you very much most appreciated! Just had a look at the sample menu see what you mean about only one mains option, would be tempted to mark no fish or something but being advertised Christmas Dinner I suspect turkey and veg which would be no problem

Looks like a small complimentary wine is offered which is nice, will go for table of two if I can

It's the Chester one so would join at Trowbridge, and breakfast not available if joining at Filton Abbey Wood so I'd imagine the service would start not long after Filton (personally don't think you'd get much value if you were only doing Filton to Shrewsbury)

Thank you very much for the reply

 

[ainsworth74]

Just had a look at the sample menu see what you mean about only one mains option, would be tempted to mark no fish or something but being advertised Christmas Dinner I suspect turkey and veg which would be no problem

I've not done Pathfinder but in my experience of Premier Dining on other operators is that there's only one choice of main so if you've got something that is going to be a showstopper it would be best to let them know at the time of booking! Usually though it's fairly innocuous stuff and roast meat (pork, chicken or beef) is nearly always the main meat in question so at Christmas I'd be stunned if it wasn't Turkey!

will go for table of two if I can

I would recommended it if possible unless you're very sociable! But they do go quick so I wouldn't dawdle if you want a table for two.

 

[daveo]

Could a single traveller pay the table for 2 supplement?

 

[alastair]

Could a single traveller pay the table for 2 supplement?

Yes on Pathfinder, UK Railtours and Railway Touring Co. but not on Vintage or Saphos.

 

[daveo]

Thank you

 

[Kite159]

I believe that tour (Chester) is meant to be Mk1 coaches so the First Class seats should be quite nice (unless West Coast has changed them). Better than the Mk2 seats on the Riveria set, which are far too low to be comfortable.

I would imagine as it's a pre Christmas tour, the meat will be Turkey, after-all Roast Turkey goes hand in hand with Christmas food

 

[38Cto15E]

It amazes me that on most of these railtours Premier Dining tickets are approx £100 more than a 1st class ticket, which probably works out at £70 for dinner and £30 for breakfast, not cheap at all.
Yet these tickets seem to be the first to sell out.

 

[bleeder4]

It amazes me that on most of these railtours Premier Dining tickets are approx £100 more than a 1st class ticket, which probably works out at £70 for dinner and £30 for breakfast, not cheap at all.
Yet these tickets seem to be the first to sell out.

In my experience, the Dining market on railtours is primarily composed of retired older couples, presumably on good pensions and with money to burn. So the cost isn't a factor for them. You do see the occasional younger couple celebrating an anniversary or special occasion, but they will have saved up for months to do the trip. The cost of living crisis has never affected the higher end of the scale in any sector - be it property, travel or holiday etc

 

[jfollows]

Yes, the price doesn't put me off, it's just that 100% of the time I've booked on railtours with dining they've been cancelled before they ran, that's probably only twice in total, but it's enough to put me off trying ever again now. And if I go out to eat in a restaurant, which is infrequent, I'm likely to spend more than £100 - I take the option of doing it infrequently but being a little extravagant when I do. So the dining railtour would come into this category if I were to book one in the future.

 

[DelW]

With 2 of us going I assume the table for two supplement is worth it's price?

I would recommended it if possible unless you're very sociable! But they do go quick so I wouldn't dawdle if you want a table for two.

Other advantages of the table for two are that you both get window seats, and you can both get up to have a stretch, go to the loo or similar without having to move your companion out of the way every time.

On the occasions when we've shared a table for four in dining, the other two have fortunately always been very pleasant. (I have sometimes been in standard class on 'enthusiast' tours and shared with rather, ahem, 'strange' fellow travellers).

 

[DarloRich]

I have not done Pathfinder but have taken my mum on a posh dining service and as she is a veggie we contacted them ahead of time and they sent another menu through. No problems.

 

[CHESHIRECAT]

Breakfast will be done in probably 2 sittings; depending on where customers join; Bucks' Fizz and up to 3 tea/coffee services
Breakfast options Porridge/melon /cereal then Full English or smoked salmon/scrambled eggs; along with 2 servings of toast if you want Vegetarian please specify when booking
Dinner choice of 3 starters; main course Turkey (or preorder Vegetarian) dessert/cheese/ tea/coffee ¼ bottle of wine included

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Thank you again everyone for the replies, was a thoroughly enjoyable experience that I think now has me hooked and already looking at doing the dining again on one of the Cambrian Coast tours!

Breakfast was excellent and god knows how many coffee's I had on the way up, was more than expected, and the dinner was absolutely wonderful. What I also liked about the cheeseboard was that you could choose what you wanted. I've had these at hotels and you get a board with cheeses which some I like, others I don't, so was pleased that I could chose the one I liked.

As for sitting in a table of 4, I could not believe that I was actually sat with someone I know who comes along on my bus enthusiast tours that I run, so that was an unexpected bonus, and the couple sat opposite on the table for 2 was also someone I knew, a customer that I've driven on a couple of coach day trips!

 

[ainsworth74]

Thank you again everyone for the replies, was a thoroughly enjoyable experience that I think now has me hooked and already looking at doing the dining again on one of the Cambrian Coast tours!

Yes it is very enjoyable but also makes an already not cheap hobby even more expensive