Pumpkin cafes closed for good?

[387star]

Have Pumpkin folded? The one at my local station has been closed since March quite annoying when wanting a cuppa

If they were to be replaced I wouldn't mind a mini Pret at the station if staff could be transferred over as obviously Pret is way better!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The one on East Croydon platforms 5 and 6 had a "space to let" sign in the windows this week. The interior has been cleared out.

 

[DB]

They are part of the SSP empire, aren't they?

 

[theironroad]

The one at Truro was open last week and stamped my loyalty card so guess they must be in business.

Are they franchises with franchise owners allowed to decide when to open?

 

[LowLevel]

No. They and many of the other brands on railway stations (Rail Gourmet/RG on board catering/Upper Crust/Burger King/Delice de France/Jam Jar/Starbucks/Marks and Spencer) are all brands/franchises owned by the same business, SSP. They are utterly ruthless and will only open units where they are assured of making a profit. Many haven't reopened, but some have. They laid a lot of the staff off in March before furlough was even announced.

SSP is the privatised descendant of BR Travellers Fare.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

If they were to be replaced I wouldn't mind a mini Pret at the station if staff could be transferred over as obviously Pret is way better!

If dozens of Pret A Monger outlets replace all of the Pumpkin Cafes at railway stations nationwide I will certainly stop the dashes to Boots for Monster and start buying hot drinks from the station when travelling. Their Chai Lattes are something else.

Pumpkin Cafe, well... it’s overpriced and unimpressive. I wouldn’t miss it

 

[dk1]

Tottenham Hale Pumpkin was open on Tuesday.

 

[Whistler40145]

Is it depending on whether it's a TOC operated station versus a Network Rail operated station?

 

[trainmania100]

Not the cheapest of cafes but very convenient, I often enjoyed sitting in the one at Portsmouth Harbour whilst waiting for my train

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not the cheapest of cafes but very convenient, I often enjoyed sitting in the one at Portsmouth Harbour whilst waiting for my train

They're expensive because Network Rail/the TOC wants their cut of the filthy lucre.

 

[Bald Rick]

They're expensive because Network Rail/the TOC wants their cut of the filthy lucre.

Partly that, but also because people are prepared to pay it. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t be in business!

 

[New York Giant]

I sat in the Pumpkin Cafe at Wolverhampton once, waiting for a friend to pick me up. He sent me a message to let me know he was running late, so I went to the counter to ask for an americano. The barista machine was out of order so I asked for a can of Coors instead. It wasn't chilled, the mountains on the side of the can weren't even blue. They couldn't give me a glass. I looked like a right scutter drinking luke warm beer straight from the can.
Cheers Pumpkin Cafe (rant over).

 

[Bald Rick]

SSP is the privatised descendant of BR Travellers Fare.

Sort of. SSP was part of Scandinavian airlines’ in house catering branch. Compass Group bought it. Compass then merged SSP with Travellers Fare (and various other sub divisions of Compass) into one large sub division which retained the name SSP. Compass then sold SSP to private equity in 2006, and it was subsequently listed.

I sat in the Pumpkin Cafe at Wolverhampton once, waiting for a friend to pick me up. He sent me a message to let me know he was running late, so I went to the counter to ask for an americano. The barista machine was out of order so I asked for a can of Coors instead. It wasn't chilled, the mountains on the side of the can weren't even blue. They couldn't give me a glass. I looked like a right scutter drinking luke warm beer straight from the can.
Cheers Pumpkin Cafe (rant over).

Well I’m sorry, but that’s your own fault. No one in their right mind would buy any beer at Wolverhampton Station (let alone Coors!) when the best beer in the world (Bathams) is available at the best pub in the world (the Great Western) next door.

 

[Horizon22]

They're expensive because Network Rail/the TOC wants their cut of the filthy lucre.

Partly, but their products are therefore not value for money with the quality in my view being poor anyway. Same with Upper Crust which is a total rip-off. At most NWR stations better facilities are available literally a moments walk outside the station.

 

[jfowkes]

If I had my way all catering in all stations would be greggs.

Also on all trains.

Also all other restaurants, anywhere.

 

[Bald Rick]

If I had my way all catering in all stations would be greggs Pret.
Also on all trains.

Also all other restaurants, anywhere.

Corrected for you!

 

[dk1]

If I had my way all catering in all stations would be greggs.

Also on all trains.

Also all other restaurants, anywhere.

Jesus, that would be my worst nightmare.

 

[Ianno87]

Partly, but their products are therefore not value for money with the quality in my view being poor anyway. Same with Upper Crust which is a total rip-off. At most NWR stations better facilities are available literally a moments walk outside the station.

Pumpkin / Upper Crust are definitely "coffee shop of last resort" for me.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Partly, but their products are therefore not value for money with the quality in my view being poor anyway. Same with Upper Crust which is a total rip-off. At most NWR stations better facilities are available literally a moments walk outside the station.

Unfortunately Upper Crust is little use to me because I'm gluten intolerant (though I did quite like it before I discovered this) but I don't share the dislike of the concept of it - it is (was) nice to be able to buy a crispy French bread sandwich that was made that day rather than a day-old packet sandwich. The concept is also there in e.g. German stations, albeit with belegte Broetchen (filled crispy, fresh bread rolls) instead. OK, in Subway they make it for you (and they do GF) but it's a very different product.

Maybe in some ways it's a little out of date but before it came along it was a choice between a greasy Burger King (or before that Casey Jones, which I just about remember enough from being a kid to remember that it was vile) or cheese and tomato on stale white bread.

 

[New York Giant]

Well I’m sorry, but that’s your own fault. No one in their right mind would buy any beer at Wolverhampton Station (let alone Coors!) when the best beer in the world (Bathams) is available at the best pub in the world (the Great Western) next door.

Haha, cheers Bald Rick for showing me the error of my ways. When restrictions ease I'll have to give that a try.

 

[Mordac]

If I had my way all catering in all stations would be greggs.

I'd be okay with that if they sold you bacon rolls after 1200. I don't understand why they won't.

Unfortunately Upper Crust is little use to me because I'm gluten intolerant (though I did quite like it before I discovered this) but I don't share the dislike of the concept of it - it is (was) nice to be able to buy a crispy French bread sandwich that was made that day rather than a day-old packet sandwich. The concept is also there in e.g. German stations, albeit with belegte Broetchen (filled crispy, fresh bread rolls) instead. OK, in Subway they make it for you (and they do GF) but it's a very different product.

Maybe in some ways it's a little out of date but before it came along it was a choice between a greasy Burger King (or before that Casey Jones, which I just about remember enough from being a kid to remember that it was vile) or cheese and tomato on stale white bread.

Never heard of that outfit, but very appropriate name for railway station catering!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Never heard of that outfit, but very appropriate name for railway station catering!

It was owned by BR's catering division, so the name was deliberate!

 

[yorksrob]

Pumpkin's good for something wet and warm when you're mid journey.

The best station buffets are the independant ones though IMO.

 

[DB]

Pumpkin / Upper Crust are definitely "coffee shop of last resort" for me.

I actually prefer the coffee from Pumpkin to the insipid crap which Starbucks serve up.

 

[pdeaves]

(Casey Jones)

Never heard of that outfit, but very appropriate name for railway station catering!

It was owned by BR's catering division, so the name was deliberate!

On privatisation they became Burger King franchises. I remember Casey Jones. For a young teenager they were the 'must have' food to accompany a rail roving day!

 

[route101]

I sat in the Pumpkin Cafe at Wolverhampton once, waiting for a friend to pick me up. He sent me a message to let me know he was running late, so I went to the counter to ask for an americano. The barista machine was out of order so I asked for a can of Coors instead. It wasn't chilled, the mountains on the side of the can weren't even blue. They couldn't give me a glass. I looked like a right scutter drinking luke warm beer straight from the can.
Cheers Pumpkin Cafe (rant over).

I usually drink the beer out of a can on a train. As for it being cold, id ask for a cold one if possible. Thats my bug bear of trolleys, risk of warm beer/soft drinks. Even with LNER buffet car i had a warm bottle of sprite. I know some people dont care if its warm but much much better cold.

(Casey Jones)


On privatisation they became Burger King franchises. I remember Casey Jones. For a young teenager they were the 'must have' food to accompany a rail roving day!

Did the name change happen overnight with privatisation?

 

[paul1609]

Corrected for you!

Prehaps we could have both ?Greggs for people on normal salaries, Pret for rail staff on pop star wages

Pumpkin's good for something wet and warm when you're mid journey.

The best station buffets are the independant ones though IMO.

Not quite a buffet but the newstand/ coffee shop at Headcorn station has been run by the local newspaper delivery company for some years but theyve recently given up the lease.
The low numbers of passengers passing through the station meant it was no longer viable and the owners felt (reluctantly) that there was no indication if/ when it would return to the pre-covid levels.

 

[father_jack]

Well I’m sorry, but that’s your own fault. No one in their right mind would buy any beer at Wolverhampton Station (let alone Coors!) when the best beer in the world (Bathams) is available at the best pub in the world (the Great Western) next door.

That's just below the belt mentioning Bathams when the pubs are now shut for a month and when I was lates this and last week....

 

[yorksrob]

Not quite a buffet but the newstand/ coffee shop at Headcorn station has been run by the local newspaper delivery company for some years but theyve recently given up the lease.
The low numbers of passengers passing through the station meant it was no longer viable and the owners felt (reluctantly) that there was no indication if/ when it would return to the pre-covid levels.

Yes, you can't really blame them, given the current circumstances.

I hope the SE mainline stations have held up a bit with leisure traffic over the summer.

 

[Bald Rick]

That's just below the belt mentioning Bathams when the pubs are now shut for a month and when I was lates this and last week....

There’s an off licence in Compton that has a couple of pallets of it in bottles, if that helps.

Prehaps we could have both ?Greggs for people on normal salaries, Pret for rail staff on pop star wages

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...