Station Catering

[Jan Mayen]

Just wondering what is the largest station without any catering facilities, and the smallest station with catering?

My offer as to the largest station without is Gatwick Airport, as the coffee place at the North end of platforms 1/2 has closed. The coffee place near the entrance from the South terminal doesn't count, as its in the airport terminal.

As to the smallest with, how about Etchingham with its bistro?

I'm happy for contributors to allow own definitions as to largest or smallest. This is just a bit of fun - perhaps it should be in trivia? NB: The catering has to be on station premises, or at least paying rent to Network Rail.

 

[Daniel_P]

Honiton has a station cafe and I'd argue the station is smaller (certainly in terms of passenger numbers) than Etchningham. Though I'm sure there are plenty of other smaller stations. I presume your question relates to the national network and not heritage railways?

 

[duffield]

Ridgmont station tea rooms must be a contender (Marston Vale line). 11,570 passengers in 2022/23 (but that relates partly to the replacement bus service; maybe the pre covid totals of around 30,000 are a better guide).

 

[Jan Mayen]

Honiton has a station cafe and I'd argue the station is smaller (certainly in terms of passenger numbers) than Etchningham. Though I'm sure there are plenty of other smaller stations. I presume your question relates to the national network and not heritage railways?

I was thinking National Rail, but perhaps include heritage?

 

[Brush 4]

Gillingham, Sherborne, Yeovil Junction, Crewkerne, Axminster, Crediton, Okehampton and Barnstaple all have station buffets, so one could do a train cafe crawl, half on the down journey and half on the return. Might take a while though!

Online maps had Gillingham as Temporarily Closed and, oddly, Honiton wasn't listed. Yeovil Junction has recently re-opened after a long gap but, Yeo Pen Mill seems to have gone. Crewkerne is on the Station Approach, which is near enough.

 

[dk1]

Just wondering what is the largest station without any catering facilities, and the smallest station with catering?

My offer as to the largest station without is Gatwick Airport, as the coffee place at the North end of platforms 1/2 has closed. The coffee place near the entrance from the South terminal doesn't count, as its in the airport terminal.

Seems crazy now the station is back over 17m passengers per annum. Surely there must be some retail demand for extra rental revenue?

 

[paul1609]

If your including the approach road Courour 14k passengers, on platfrom Crianlarich 75k passenegers on the West Highland Line?

 

[alistairlees]

I was a bit surprised to discover at the weekend that Haverfordwest has a cafe (though it was closed when I was there, but it did not look permanently closed). I think there was also one at Carmarthen.

Delamere has an excellent cafe. I think there are also ones at Grindleford and Edale.

 

[Craig1122]

Fishguard & Goodwick (13k per annum) has a cafe in the reconstructed station building.

 

[LickeyIncliner]

I don't know if it's still the case but at one point Ely had three on-platform catering outlets - which might well make it a runner in the coffee-places-per-passenger stakes

 

[dk1]

I don't know if it's still the case but at one point Ely had three on-platform catering outlets - which might well make it a runner in the coffee-places-per-passenger stakes

It’s got four although two are owned by the same operator. Remember it had almost 2million entries/exits in its own right and around 350k transfers last year.

 

[JD2168]

Bridlington I am sure does not have catering facilities, the one near the entrance/exit closed around COVID & hasn’t reopened. The nearest I can think of is the Tesco supermarket or in the Town Centre.

Cleethorpes I think also does not have catering facilities on site although cafes are nearby.

 

[D6975]

Mallaig used to have a chippy (takeaway and sit-in) - is it still there?

 

[Amos]

Mallaig used to have a chippy (takeaway and sit-in) - is it still there?

Was still there and open at the beginning of May,though the food wasn’t particularly good,and there was no rushing the cook even though the last train of the evening was soon to depart.

 

[dk1]

Bridlington I am sure does not have catering facilities, the one near the entrance/exit closed around COVID & hasn’t reopened. The nearest

The owner retired. A mate of mine bought some of the interior artefacts at auction.

 

[Bedwyn32]

Shawford in Hampshire has a small cafe in the old ticket office or station house.

 

[DarloRich]

Ridgmont station tea rooms must be a contender (Marston Vale line). 11,570 passengers in 2022/23 (but that relates partly to the replacement bus service; maybe the pre covid totals of around 30,000 are a better guide).

they do a good cake & have a nice little heritage centre attached ( Amazon over the road drives most of the passengers I suspect!)

 

[The exile]

Seems crazy now the station is back over 17m passengers per annum. Surely there must be some retail demand for extra rental revenue?

IIRC, it’s a bit of an academic distinction - they are just in a bit of the same building, called an airport.

Widening the topic slightly, for a station of its size (and location) Bristol Temple Meads has an incredibly poor offering IMHO.

 

[Rescars]

This may be stretching the terms of the OP a bit, but I think the Signal Box Inn at Lakeside station on the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway claims to be the smallest pub in the world.

 

[dk1]

IIRC, it’s a bit of an academic distinction - they are just in a bit of the same building, called an airport.

Widening the topic slightly, for a station of its size (and location) Bristol Temple Meads has an incredibly poor offering IMHO.

It did have quite a bit in the subway which may improve further with the multi £million new entrance.

 

[sprunt]

Seems crazy now the station is back over 17m passengers per annum. Surely there must be some retail demand for extra rental revenue?

Is the attraction of running a catering outlet there not diminished by all the similar places a very short distance away in the airport? I feel like I'd use the outlets in the airport whether I was arriving or departing.

 

[WolvertonWorks]

There was a very nice little cafe at Ribblehead station when we visited autumn of 2022

 

[Carlisle]

There was a very nice little cafe at Ribblehead station when we visited autumn of 2022

Isn’t there one at Langwathby too ?

 

[dk1]

Is the attraction of running a catering outlet there not diminished by all the similar places a very short distance away in the airport? I feel like I'd use the outlets in the airport whether I was arriving or departing.

More than likely.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

There was a very nice little cafe at Ribblehead station when we visited autumn of 2022

Similarly there's the ever reliable and reasonably priced "Shed24H" cafe/tearoom, not that far away at Hellifield, which station has broadly similar annual passenger statistics to Ribblehead. Normally open 9.30 a.m. -> 3.30 p.m. daily (SuX, MX) and one place where I don't mind arriving 45 minutes before my train's departure time.

 

[Travelmonkey]

I'd say Plaice Station the chippy at Padgate probably sees few passengers by it

 

[Benjwri]

Seems crazy now the station is back over 17m passengers per annum. Surely there must be some retail demand for extra rental revenue?

Poor place for retail, anyone catching a flight is in a rush and wants to get through check in and security. Anyone arriving will walk past plenty of larger stores on the way to the station, and would have got their items there. Especially with high frequency of trains, no one is waiting around.

 

[dk1]

Poor place for retail, anyone catching a flight is in a rush and wants to get through check in and security. Anyone arriving will walk past plenty of larger stores on the way to the station, and would have got their items there. Especially with high frequency of trains, no one is waiting around.

Yes that’s the thing services are so frequent so no hanging around but you’ll normally have somewhere to grab a quick coffee.