Pumpkin Sheffield closed

[Iskra]

Oh no, far from upset. More of an observation. As in, it'll just be more corporate, souless, microwaved pre done sandwiches/toastie. With lackluster staff, and poor standards of café cleanliness. Just like under the Pumpkin franchise.

Pity the railway don't let it to a smaller business, who actually cares.

Smaller businesses can’t stand the high rents and losses from covid, strike days, constant cancellations etc, loads at stations have closed down recently.

 

[mirodo]

There's at least one Pret in a Railway Station: https://goo.gl/maps/TRT7DgiuwpS9CdDd8 (link to Google Street View image of Pret at King's Cross West Concourse).

And Leeds.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

And (fairly new) Oxford.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

So will any 'Pumpkin' outlets remain across the rail network, or is the sub-brand effectively being "retired", to be replaced by some other SSP offering?

 

[greyman42]

There's at least one Pret in a Railway Station: https://goo.gl/maps/TRT7DgiuwpS9CdDd8 (link to Google Street View image of Pret at King's Cross West Concourse).

One opened at York not that long ago. It always seems to be busy, even on a strike day.

 

[GWVillager]

It would need checking, but I think Pumpkin is still going in Hereford. The lack of any real competition nearby helps of course, the coffee in the Morrisons cafe is better and more reasonably priced, but the queue to get a takeaway coffee is significant. Plus those paper lids are unpleasant to deal with!

The one at Hereford is still there, I went in a few days ago while changing for a 196, and it actually seems to be doing rather well. Of course the prices are incredibly high but there were several employees and it was very busy, in contrast to any other Pumpkin I've seen.

 

[Techniquest]

The one at Hereford is still there, I went in a few days ago while changing for a 196, and it actually seems to be doing rather well. Of course the prices are incredibly high but there were several employees and it was very busy, in contrast to any other Pumpkin I've seen.

I noticed earlier it was open, much to my surprise. I hadn't been on the station for nearly two weeks you see, so hadn't a clue if it was still there until today.

It seemed to be doing a good trade when I was on the station too, which seems incredible considering how expensive it was last time I was there!

 

[Ashley Hill]

The one at Exeter SD is currently closed and stripped out.

It is to became a Cafè Localè. Is that an SSP brand too?

 

[tomuk]

It is to became a Cafè Localè. Is that an SSP brand too?

Yes another of SSPs myriad brands and franchises

 

[davetheguard]

The one at Exeter SD is currently closed and stripped out.

It is to became a Cafè Localè. Is that an SSP brand too?

It would be nice after refurbishment if it actually had a few proper seats in it, rather than the old set up which consisted of two or three stools up against a shelf.

I know the place is fairly small, so I'm not holding my breath.

 

[WesternBiker]

It would be nice after refurbishment if it actually had a few proper seats in it, rather than the old set up which consisted of two or three stools up against a shelf.

A lot of the layouts are pretty odd, to be honest: often they have a wide, open space with a counter at one end, and a few randomly scattered chairs and tables. Pretty uninviting.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

There's Maccies on the Ramp just outside New Street!

Indeed, but very much not in the station. I believe the landlord for those units on "the ramp" is Birmingham City Council.

Smaller businesses can’t stand the high rents and losses from covid, strike days, constant cancellations etc, loads at stations have closed down recently.

An independent has recently opened in a unit off platform 1 at Wolverhampton - Gourmet Coffee Bar & Kitchen. They had a van outside on the drive during the station's redevelopment and have now bagged themselves an actual shop. I wish them the very best!

 

[Techniquest]

They must be the same as found at Crewe by the sounds of it. I haven't been to Wolverhampton for a while, and to be honest when I do get coffee there I tend to get an Insomnia Coffee from the shop by the main entrance.

I'll have to have a look next time I visit the city, which will probably be when the tram extension opens.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

I'll have to have a look next time I visit the city, which will probably be when the tram extension opens.

OT now, but, word on the street is July 4th.

 

[Techniquest]

OT now, but, word on the street is July 4th.

Thanks I was going to search for some gen, but that's saved me the effort. I'll respond no further for the sanity of on-topic-ness!

Actually, this reminds me, I'm due to be in Exeter next week on a mission to take my Mum to Land's End. Given Pumpkin's gone, is there anywhere on St Davids station for coffee or are we more sensible to take travel mugs of it with us?

 

[tomuk]

Indeed, but very much not in the station. I believe the landlord for those units on "the ramp" is Birmingham City Council.



An independent has recently opened in a unit off platform 1 at Wolverhampton - Gourmet Coffee Bar & Kitchen. They had a van outside on the drive during the station's redevelopment and have now bagged themselves an actual shop. I wish them the very best!

They aren't an independent Gourmet Coffee Bar & Kitchen are a chain with kiosks dotted around many stations, soon to be Hereford apparently. They started out with Virgin and they seem to operate like an orcats raid syphoning off passengers from the standard buffet and cutting Network Rail out of the lease costs.

 

[AndrewP]

Companies often update their branding and formats to try and stay relevant to their customers - catering is so different to what it was a few years ago.

SSP are a good operator of retail outlets even if some of their brands don't work for me and they have the worst croissants in the world at Newcastle Airport. I just wish it was obvious when a Starbucks was one of theirs as they don't honour the loyalty scheme which is generous with its add ons.

As has been said in the UK they are effectively Travellers Fare and were part of Compass Group which was once part of Grand Met (who used to own Burger King) but are now independent after years of Private Equity ownership - something that really drives behaviours and not always in a good way.

I know it saves them money but due to the tribal nature of the coffee market I am surprised they are not just going for a high street brand such as Costa

 

[F Great Eastern]

Yep. Repeat for Upper Crust which I’ve never ever understood the appeal of especially when they are regular branded shops a minute away. Soulless, expensive, and only average quality (at best) produce.

Upper Crust used to be good when they first came on the scene and guaranteed that the baguette was no more than 3 hours old.

About a decade ago now it got changed to no more than four hours old, and a few years later it became 6 hours old and lost most of it's appeal to me. After that it became 'freshly made today' and in some cases they appeared to be very full overnight at last train so I suspect they might be selling some the next morning.

Now like most SSP branded outlets it's not worth it, when you have far superior places like Pret nearby.

 

[ricoblade]

As if by magic…

 

[GWVillager]

As if by magic…

What’s it like inside?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

What’s it like inside?

Expensive?

 

[ricoblade]

What’s it like inside?

Looked exactly the same as Pumpkin but with stuff just shuffled around.

I’d been in the much cheaper Penny Pot cafe at Edale station (complete with home made “in someone’s garage” dot matrix display) so didn’t need anything at Sheffield.

 

[GWVillager]

Looked exactly the same as Pumpkin but with stuff just shuffled around.

I’d been in the much cheaper Penny Pot cafe at Edale station (complete with home made “in someone’s garage” dot matrix display) so didn’t need anything at Sheffield.

I absolutely love that dot matrix, they should be a thing in most station cafes.

A shame that the new interior hasn't been changed much from Pumpkin, that eliminates the one potential benefit from a rebrand.

 

[TheLunaPark]

The Pumpkin at Manchester Oxford Road was like being in a knackered old allotment shed. Haven’t been there at all for about four years so I’ve no idea if it still exists. Let’s face it, the overall roof structure of the station is quite nice and historically important but boy is it depressing to wait for a train in, especially in the Manchester rain.

 

[TreacleMiller]

SSP's website doesn't show it under the "Brands" section.

Think there's a good chance it'll get retired in favour of something else.

The food offering at Sheffield has been shocking for years, compared to Leeds or even Doncaster.

 

[Jamiescott1]

I suppose Camden Food Co is sort of meant to be a copy of Pret but it isn't particularly good, and I'm not sure it ever got out more widely than Euston.

Theres one at montreal airport. Which has had ssp running their catering for about 5 years.

 

[Djgr]

The Pumpkin at Manchester Oxford Road was like being in a knackered old allotment shed. Haven’t been there at all for about four years so I’ve no idea if it still exists. Let’s face it, the overall roof structure of the station is quite nice and historically important but boy is it depressing to wait for a train in, especially in the Manchester rain.

It looked well closed last Saturday. Java on the ramp to the station has always been my go to though.

 

[LowLevel]

Interestingly while SSP Starbucks stands generally have SSP contact plates present somewhere, there's nothing to say on for example the Greggs at Derby that it's associated. I only found out by asking the staff (in uniform, so as not to appear odd ) that it is indeed SSP.

 

[dosxuk]

Interestingly while SSP Starbucks stands generally have SSP contact plates present somewhere, there's nothing to say on for example the Greggs at Derby that it's associated. I only found out by asking the staff (in uniform, so as not to appear odd ) that it is indeed SSP.

Most likely that's a requirement of Starbucks that there is something to say it's a franchised outlet, rather than something that SSP are doing to advertise that fact. IIRC Greggs don't like to publicise they do franchising - it's only a very small percentage of their outlets that are franchised and they're not planning on expanding that part of their business massively - so they may want customers to believe it's an actual Greggs and restrict such signage.

I know McDonalds and Costa are very hot on making sure franchised outlets are signed as such.

 

[Richardr]

Most likely that's a requirement of Starbucks that there is something to say it's a franchised outlet, rather than something that SSP are doing to advertise that fact. IIRC Greggs don't like to publicise they do franchising - it's only a very small percentage of their outlets that are franchised and they're not planning on expanding that part of their business massively - so they may want customers to believe it's an actual Greggs and restrict such signage.

I know McDonalds and Costa are very hot on making sure franchised outlets are signed as such.

Per their last accounts, Greggs had 441 franchised outlets, up 70 in the year (included in their total of 2,328 outlets)