Remaining First Class with decent complimentary offerings?

[Crighton]

I did get a Bacon roll on Cross Country in early March ‘23. My experience has been that it seems down to whether the host wants to offer more than the basics and what gets loaded. I’ve had hosts say they hoped to get sandwiches loaded at Birmingham and sometimes they get lucky.
Unlike Virgin, Avanti’s offerings are more consistent. They are better than on the VTWC services which only gave snacks and not as good as the ones that served dinner. Their drinks range is a vast improvement.
TfW’s Mk4 sets are the best food I’ve had on a uk train in the last few years, certainly significantly better than Avanti, but I haven’t had the GWR Pullman offering.
(But neither TfW nor GWR Pullman is complimentary)

 

[Iskra]

TP have propelled themselves into the hot food category on one of their Nova sets today through a hot sausage roll. Wasn’t expecting anything beyond a coffee and biscuits so it has exceeded my expectations

 

[Sm5]

Food onboard in the UK is mostly rubbish.

Even Caledonian sleepers breakfast is below the Pot Noodle threshold.

At somepoint some enterprising spark will invent a “just eat“ for trains synchronising delivery to the carriage door when your train arrives.

Theres no excuse really, a Pizza in an oven can cook in a minute at the right temperature, Soup, Jack potatos, Salads can all be pre made in the same time it takes to open a butty made yesterday and stuffed in a microwave today.

onboard catering is just minimum viable product for maximum revenue without any consideration to care or quality…. Its no wonder its dying… when its below the pot noodle threshold.. people walk away.

 

[Iskra]

A couple of days ago I traveled on XC. I was only doing Leeds-Sheffield so I was offered light refreshments, but the chap in front was evidently doing a longer journey. He was offered a bacon sandwich, vegan mozzarella panini and another item which I can’t remember. He had the vegan mozzarella panini and said it was nice.

 

[Iskra]

Food onboard in the UK is mostly rubbish.

Even Caledonian sleepers breakfast is below the Pot Noodle threshold.

At somepoint some enterprising spark will invent a “just eat“ for trains synchronising delivery to the carriage door when your train arrives.

Theres no excuse really, a Pizza in an oven can cook in a minute at the right temperature, Soup, Jack potatos, Salads can all be pre made in the same time it takes to open a butty made yesterday and stuffed in a microwave today.

onboard catering is just minimum viable product for maximum revenue without any consideration to care or quality…. Its no wonder its dying… when its below the pot noodle threshold.. people walk away.

Have you traveled the Caledonian Sleeper recently? I can understand criticism of the old CS breakfast option as pot noodle standard on the Mk3’s, but since the Mk5’s came along the breakfast is a much better standard and quite nice, as are the evening meals.

 

[Butts]

Currently on the 1652 Avanti service from Edinburgh to London Euston (alighting at SAD)

Quite crestfallen when I entered coach K to find used crockery and rubbish liberally strewn around the carriage. As I suspected that meant there was to be no 1st Class at Seat Offering on our journey.

However we were invited to traipse down to the onboard shop in coach c for self serve. Myself and a couple of others made the journey from our sanctum through the demi-gods in SP and peasants in STD to arrive at the café

Talk about an "all you can eat buffet" it was great.....

Had ....Meal Deal (proper sandwich, crisps, kit kat) plus Twix and proper sized can of Budweiser and a Cappuccino from the machine.

This is far better than I would have had from the "waited service" apart from the lack of whisky. The people queuing up to pay were bamboozled as to what was going on in the 1st Class Raid.

Catering lady not sure if normal service will resume from Preston where she gets off and possibly others join in addition to her replacement. If not a second raid will be the order of the day.

 

[Butts]

Normal service did resume after Preston as 1st Class Host joined there.

Cheese Toastie, Crisps and Lemon Shortcake accompanied by 4 Famous Grouse between Preston and S&D.

Well done Avanti

Feel my £73 was well spent for you to convey me from EDB to SAD.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

You really are the forum’s top First Class Freebie scrounger, and believe me, I rather respect you for it

 

[Butts]

You really are the forum’s top First Class Freebie scrounger, and believe me, I rather respect you for it

Mainly to be found "scrounging" in BA Lounges these days but I did enjoy my foray onto the Railway.

£73 for an Advanced 1st Class with Railcard between Edinburgh and S&D is a lot more than it would have been before the creation of Standard Premier but I must have cleared at least £30 worth of stock to mitigate the soaring cost of 1st Class.

Having only coach K as 1st Class and an obliging host makes for a wonderful journey. Also the 1st Class raid on the onboard shop was a unique and exhilarating experience for a "free loader"

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Mainly to be found "scrounging" in BA Lounges these days but I did enjoy my foray onto the Railway.

£73 for an Advanced 1st Class with Railcard between Edinburgh and S&D is a lot more than it would have been before the creation of Standard Premier but I must have cleared at least £30 worth of stock to mitigate the soaring cost of 1st Class.

Having only coach K as 1st Class and an obliging host makes for a wonderful journey. Also the 1st Class raid on the onboard shop was a unique and exhilarating experience for a "free loader"

I must say it’s refreshing to see you actually like the more personal treatment that comes from having only K as First Class, because I’ve moaned countless times that moving the 1st operation into such little space can only be a bad thing thus far.

 

[Butts]

I must say it’s refreshing to see you actually like the more personal treatment that comes from having only K as First Class, because I’ve moaned countless times that moving the 1st operation into such little space can only be a bad thing thus far.

It might be different if it was full, but I got the only "4" to myself all the way from EDB to SAD and there were only 2 or three others in the Coach.

On my enforced expedition to the shop to collect my free picnic I noticed SP was fairly deserted and cattle was rammed.

 

[Techniquest]

Quite the trek from coach K to coach C! Good to hear that you got better service after Preston though If it wasn't as incredibly expensive, I'd say it was definitely better with just coach K as First Class. Better service generally these days, just a shame I can't afford to do it so much now!

 

[Butts]

Quite the trek from coach K to coach C! Good to hear that you got better service after Preston though If it wasn't as incredibly expensive, I'd say it was definitely better with just coach K as First Class. Better service generally these days, just a shame I can't afford to do it so much now!

It was just like the old days with a 4 to myself, all the more amazing with only one 1st Class Coach. Couple of the 4 reserved from Preston but no one occupied them.

The trek to C was well worth it when you are told help yourself to whatever you want.

Proper Sandwich, Big Bag of Crisps, Kit Kat, Twix, Cappuccino and 440ml Can of Budweiser.

Has this ever happened to anyone else - No Table Service so get what you like from the Shop in C ? The Steward rang it all through but the £10 plus bill voided.

One thing I did notice the way the shop is laid out could leave it susceptible to shop lifting particularly when there is a long queue obscuring the view from the till.

 

[route101]

It was just like the old days with a 4 to myself, all the more amazing with only one 1st Class Coach. Couple of the 4 reserved from Preston but no one occupied them.

The trek to C was well worth it when you are told help yourself to whatever you want.

Proper Sandwich, Big Bag of Crisps, Kit Kat, Twix, Cappuccino and 440ml Can of Budweiser.

Has this ever happened to anyone else - No Table Service so get what you like from the Shop in C ? The Steward rang it all through but the £10 plus bill voided.

One thing I did notice the way the shop is laid out could leave it susceptible to shop lifting particularly when there is a long queue obscuring the view from the till.

I thought they didn't usually allow you to take what you want from the shop, only offered the freebies. I seen someone in first on TPE refused. +

 

[LowLevel]

EMR have had a service change and a bit of a halfway house between the old offering and the new. Sandwiches, wraps and a pasta offering available during the day with hot breakfast rolls, and the usual mountains of biscuits, cakes, pretzels etc, plus tea, coffee, water and juice. Alcohol is still chargeable but there's rumours of a possible trial in that department for complimentaries.

It's not the old MML/EMT full breakfast but it isn't bad, especially now the host establishment is back to where it should be so a host is a fairly reliable feature.

I never have any of it bar coffee and water as the novelty has long since worn off but it does look far better than it used to!

 

[Butts]

I thought they didn't usually allow you to take what you want from the shop, only offered the freebies. I seen someone in first on TPE refused. +

The problem there would be that the Shop does not stock the same range = ie no Whisky which \i found strange.

Indeed most of the offerings are superior to said freebies.

Sandwiches, Beer and Crisps much bigger

 

[Butts]

EMR have had a service change and a bit of a halfway house between the old offering and the new. Sandwiches, wraps and a pasta offering available during the day with hot breakfast rolls, and the usual mountains of biscuits, cakes, pretzels etc, plus tea, coffee, water and juice. Alcohol is still chargeable but there's rumours of a possible trial in that department for complimentaries.

It's not the old MML/EMT full breakfast but it isn't bad, especially now the host establishment is back to where it should be so a host is a fairly reliable feature.

I never have any of it bar coffee and water as the novelty has long since worn off but it does look far better than it used to!

Excellent idea, the sooner the better.

If I've had to pay 70sovs for a ticket that used to be neared 40, it's somewhat ameliorated by necking £20 quid's worth of booze gratis.