Railway food

[yorksrob]

those were the days, toothpaste,blue and grey and jaffa cake liveried slam door stock!

Hell yes !

 

[Jones]

and now we get a trolley
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But the sandwiches are better
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[transmanche]

But the sandwiches are better

Although I seem to recall INTERCITY hiring Clement Freud to smarten up their sandwich range with some 'gourmet' fillings.

 

[bnm]

Partook of lunch on the Up FGW Pullman today (12/03/2014 1301 off Exeter St Davids).

Despite the ongoing disruption, they've quietly introduced the new menu. I had:

Starter: Wild Mushrooms on Sourdough Toast
Main: Somerset Fillet Steak with Cafe de Paris Butter, served with Dauphinoise potatoes, broccoli and cabbage.
Dessert: Espresso Pannacotta

Stirling effort from the crew to get in a full three courses, starting at Exeter. They normally start service around Totnes, having laid up from Plymouth. So, to get everything done; laying up, welcome, aperitif, bread, cooking and silver serving three courses, coffee, clear down; in the two hours between Exeter and Paddington was most impressive. It was speedy, but not rushed.

Everything has to be cleared away, washed and packed up before Paddington, as it all unloaded on arrival, including food stock, before being reloaded onto a different HST set later in the day for the Down Pullman.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I urge you all to try the FGW Pullman service while you still can. It's not cheap by any means, but value is subjective. You are getting food and drink that is on a par with the best restaurants in the UK. Served at 100mph+ with an ever changing scenery. Take a lunchtime service* and you are almost certainly guaranteed a seat in the restaurant with a Standard Class ticket, so not only do you get great food, but effectively a free 1st Class upgrade.


*Down: 1206 off Paddington, 1233 off Reading.

Up: 1201/1256 from Plymouth, with service available to those boarding at Totnes (1229/1324), Newton Abbot (1242/1337), Exeter St Davids (1304/1359), Tiverton Parkway (1319) and Taunton (1334/1424).

Timings are of course post the reopening of the line through Dawlish.

 

[Hellfire]

I'd love to see station operators show a bit of imagination and lease catering space to small entrepreneurs rather than the soulless chain caterers that appear on most stations.

Preston offers an Upper Crust which charges £2 for a cup of tea and has the same boring range of food they flog everywhere else in the UK. I'm sure there are plenty of small family businesses who could give a much better offering with fresher food and a more local range of products.

I think the reason this doesn't happen is that the corporate minds in TOCs are happier talking to corporate minds in other companies. But local caterers would offer, in my view, a much more attractive service. Perhaps that doesn't happen because the TOCs and NR, like the pubcos, charge eye watering rents.

 

[Greenback]

I think the reason this doesn't happen is that the corporate minds in TOCs are happier talking to corporate minds in other companies. But local caterers would offer, in my view, a much more attractive service. Perhaps that doesn't happen because the TOCs and NR, like the pubcos, charge eye watering rents.

Yes, I think it's more likely to do with the high premiums and rents, not to mention the sheer complexity of leasing.

 

[transmanche]

I'd love to see station operators show a bit of imagination and lease catering space to small entrepreneurs rather than the soulless chain caterers that appear on most stations.

In the case of stations, the 'soulless chain caterers' are generally all operated by SSP.

Upper Crust, Pumpkin, Delice de France, M&S Simply Food, Burger King, Caffe Ritazza, Starbucks, Whistlestop, Camden Food Co, Millie's Cookies and many more - if it's at a railway station (or airport) it's probably run by SSP.

Renting space to SSP saves having to deal with lots of smaller companies, plus gives security of rental income. (If one brand doesn't work, SSP can simply try another one in the same space.)

 

[scotsman]

In the case of stations, the 'soulless chain caterers' are generally all operated by SSP.

Upper Crust, Pumpkin, Delice de France, M&S Simply Food, Burger King, Caffe Ritazza, Starbucks, Whistlestop, Camden Food Co, Millie's Cookies and many more - if it's at a railway station (or airport) it's probably run by SSP.

Renting space to SSP saves having to deal with lots of smaller companies, plus gives security of rental income. (If one brand doesn't work, SSP can simply try another one in the same space.)

It also means they only need to sign a handful of leases, rather than thousands.

 

[Greenback]

Yes, that's what I meant by the complexities of leasing!

 

[BigVince76]

A mate of mine and I looked very seriously into running a station cafe a few years ago. There was already a good cafe there but the man running it wanted to move on to other things. The main problem was that as new tenants we could not get more than a 12 month guaranteed lease. This meant that we could put loads of time and money building up a thriving business but if they wanted the space back they could always have it. This meant it was not a good investment so we pulled out. The cafe did become a pumpkin, for about 8 months and then was closed to allow a gateline to be installed. Glad we walked away but I bet Pumpkin lost a bundle fitting out the place only for it to be gone in a few months, but I'm sure SSP can afford the hit.

 

[Minilad]

This is why Moor Street is like an oasis is a dessert. Two nice food outlets and not a chain to be seen. Wonderful

 

[aylesbury]

Wendover and Haddenham stations have excellent cafes independently run and very popular .Chiltern have good catering outlets on their stations and encourage private enterprise,also the price on that replacement BR sandwich £1,99 wish it was that now!

 

[Jones]

I'd love to see station operators show a bit of imagination and lease catering space to small entrepreneurs rather than the soulless chain caterers that appear on most stations.

Preston offers an Upper Crust which charges £2 for a cup of tea and has the same boring range of food they flog everywhere else in the UK. I'm sure there are plenty of small family businesses who could give a much better offering with fresher food and a more local range of products.

I think the reason this doesn't happen is that the corporate minds in TOCs are happier talking to corporate minds in other companies. But local caterers would offer, in my view, a much more attractive service. Perhaps that doesn't happen because the TOCs and NR, like the pubcos, charge eye watering rents.

The buffet at Bangor sells good real tea at £1.50 and £2 for a bacon bap. Brilliant, and it hasn't changed it 50 years

And the building is listed so cant be buggered about with to make it big enough for a chain.

 

[infobleep]

Guildford has an independent outlet which was on platform 1 and 2 but got moved to platform 5. There's now a chain of platform 1. I forget the names.

Barnham has an independent coffee shop I think. Hove has an independent newsagents, which looks more old fashioned.

These are far and few between of course and it's unlikely that the situation is going to change.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[tsr]

The buffet at Bangor sells good real tea at £1.50 and £2 for a bacon bap. Brilliant, and it hasn't changed it 50 years

And the building is listed so cant be buggered about with to make it big enough for a chain.

Having seen the size of one of the tiniest Pumpkins - at Reading - and the Upper Crust at London Bridge, I can well imagine that the building could be kitted out with at least the shop fittings, if it were permitted, without any notable extensions. And I'm pretty sure that the kitchen/prep area could be accommodated. Not that I'd really want it to be!

 

[Jones]

Having seen the size of one of the tiniest Pumpkins - at Reading - and the Upper Crust at London Bridge, I can well imagine that the building could be kitted out with at least the shop fittings, if it were permitted, without any notable extensions. And I'm pretty sure that the kitchen/prep area could be accommodated. Not that I'd really want it to be!

Found this photo of Bangor's Buffet online, although it's red now...I think.

There are 3 or 4 tables to the right of the picture against the wall, and one in the bay window behind the camera. Not much room as the old bar takes up half the room. I believe this bar is listed.

 

[dave55uk]

There used to be a privately run cafe at Huntingdon. Not been that way for a few years so don't know if it's still there.

 

[tsr]

[Image]

Found this photo of Bangor's Buffet online, although it's red now...I think.

There are 3 or 4 tables to the right of the picture against the wall, and one in the bay window behind the camera. Not much room as the old bar takes up half the room. I believe this bar is listed.

Yes, I believe the colour has changed. I have been there, hence why I had thought it would be possible (if most certainly not desirable) to insert a small SSP outlet there. The bar is certainly very characterful!

The mini-Pumpkin at Reading: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/SME/html/NRE_RDG/images/photos/800/o2853-0001434.jpg

Disclaimer: Coffee may well not be perfect.

(The ones at Haywards Heath are also fairly compact. The station plan at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/SME/html/NRE_HHE/plan.html?rtnloc=HHE seems to make them look bigger than they actually are.)

 

[bnm]

The mini-Pumpkin at Reading: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/SME/html/NRE_RDG/images/photos/800/o2853-0001434.jpg

Long since closed.

 

[arty762]

I'd love to see station operators show a bit of imagination and lease catering space to small entrepreneurs rather than the soulless chain caterers that appear on most stations.

Preston offers an Upper Crust which charges £2 for a cup of tea and has the same boring range of food they flog everywhere else in the UK. I'm sure there are plenty of small family businesses who could give a much better offering with fresher food and a more local range of products.

I think the reason this doesn't happen is that the corporate minds in TOCs are happier talking to corporate minds in other companies. But local caterers would offer, in my view, a much more attractive service. Perhaps that doesn't happen because the TOCs and NR, like the pubcos, charge eye watering rents.

Dorking had a lovely little hut on platform one selling tea, coffee and snacks at very reasonable prices , when they refurbed the station they booted him out and put a chain coffee shop in even though a petition was running to keep the hut , it's not the same anymore and it is expensive as well.

 

[Butts]

I had a reasonable 1st Class service from Lancaster to Wolverhampton Thursday Evening. (2056) on Virgin.

Given two "Double Scotches" minutes after boarding to tide me over till the crew change at Preston.

Between Preston and Wolverhampton a further three plus a cup of Coffee , Russian Egg Sandwich and a packet of Crisps.

Incidentally the sandwiches on Virgin are proper pre-packed jobbies unlike the "limp efforts" to be found on East Coast.

There is something to be said for a "Voyager" with a steward never more than a few yards from you - or the drinks trolley

 

[tsr]

Long since closed.

Fair enough. I was definitely in there or waiting beside it a couple of times last summer (or at least a very similar effort in roughly the same location) and remember how compact it was. My point is that you do not need much space in a building to fit one of these outlets in, unless you cannot deal adequately with heritage fittings, building services such as electrical supplies, etc.