Catering, station food facilities, and for connected purposes

[PR1Berske]

My closest station, by an eagerly paced stride of twenty minutes tops, is Preston.

The available options for nibbles at Preston is, to be honest, a bit basic.

We've got a stand-alone coffee place (well, it's flavoured hot milk, let's be honest, but you know, beggars/choosers). There's a bar, which is handy, not least for the packets of Scampi Fries. And of course we've got an Upper Crust, for microwave fresh pre-prepared baguettes (anecdote: I stood behind a Chinese man [this is Preston so most likely Hong Kong Chinese] who ordered "one of everything" at noon of a Saturday. This caused much annoyance and bemusement.) There's a Pumpkin cafe, obvz, an inflation bubble where there's such high inflation you might as well be trying to buy a loaf in Zimbabwe.

Preston isn't as bad as, say, Wigan NW, where there's only a Pumpkin. We're not as bad as Warrington BQ. But we're not blessed with options

So my question for general discussion is.,... What stations have more eating options that they really deserve? Where is there woeful available options? Why are so many on station options so expensive, and what can be done to solve this?

Forum ....... it's over to you....

 

[ainsworth74]

Why are so many on station options so expensive, and what can be done to solve this?

Rent is high for retail space on stations so in order to make any money the prices have to be high as well. As for solving it? Someone will have to persuade the TOCs/Network Rail to lower the rents charged.

 

[Pumbaa]

Rent is high for retail space on stations so in order to make any money the prices have to be high as well. As for solving it? Someone will have to persuade the TOCs/Network Rail to lower the rents charged.

Fat chance, NR's been told to get more £££ for the space. One would logically say lower the £ and watch the leases fly out the window, but somehow I think the exact opposite will happen.

 

[rebmcr]

Rent is high for retail space on stations so in order to make any money the prices have to be high as well. As for solving it? Someone will have to persuade the TOCs/Network Rail to lower the rents charged.

I think it's perfectly reasonable to pay a little extra than you would in a 'normal' shop/cafe, simply for the convenience factor.

 

[Westboy]

It's a captive audience, so they can charge what they like and people will pay. Same as motorway services. Most have long ago paid off the capital cost of their construction, but if people will keep paying then why lower prices?

The simple solution is take your own stuff, and avoid the need to use station facilities. It shouldn't be beyond the wit of most people to manage that.

 

[PR1Berske]

It's a captive audience, so they can charge what they like and people will pay. Same as motorway services. Most have long ago paid off the capital cost of their construction, but if people will keep paying then why lower prices?

The simple solution is take your own stuff, and avoid the need to use station facilities. It shouldn't be beyond the wit of most people to manage that.

It's a captive audience to an extent. You can't so easily walk to motorway service stations, to put it like that....

 

[yorksrob]

The Pumpkin used to do a fairly reasonably priced cheese savoury sandwich until a few years ago when they went over to Ginsters which are all extortionate. If you're going to spend, you may as well go for a baguette in Upper Crust in that situation.

 

[PR1Berske]

Upper Crust's "Hog Roast", heated, is a dream, tbf.

 

[Goatboy]

It's a captive audience, so they can charge what they like and people will pay.

Well they won't - I don't, for example. I buy before I get to the station.

Good examples of good v bad are Bristol Temple Meads and Reading. Reading has quite a wide selection including branded sandwich places etc.

Bristol Temple Meads has virtually nothing, nowhere to get a decent takeaway lunch for example.

 

[neilmc]

Most large railway stations have a number of reasonably cheap outlets clustered within a few yards of their door - Kings Cross comes to mind, great for kebabs, and I've discovered a cheap chinese just outside Euston where you can get a meal for the price of a snack in the station itself.

Bristol Temple Meads has a Wetherspoon's virtually at the side exit, Newport has one a hundred yards away.

 

[Goatboy]

Bristol Temple Meads has a Wetherspoon's virtually at the side exit

How handy. Can I take a plated meal onto the train with me? Oh. I wonder how many people actually have enough time between connections to have a sit down meal at a Whetherspoons.

Upper Crust is nice - not particularly expensive and decent takeaway baguettes. They don't seem that common down South, though.

Oh, thats another one. Cheltenham Spa. Awful for food. Nothing of interest in the station, and the station itself is so far from town that even with an XC-caused 2 hour wait for the connection to Worcester it's STILL too far away to get anything to eat.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Oh, thats another one. Cheltenham Spa. Awful for food. Nothing of interest in the station, and the station itself is so far from town that even with an XC-caused 2 hour wait for the connection to Worcester it's STILL too far away to get anything to eat.

I seem to recall there's a pub (the Midland Hotel), chippy and Co-op Food all within a hundred yards of Cheltenham Station.

 

[yorksrob]

I sometimes time my connections around breakfast at Weatherspoons. Seems a reasonable proposition to me.

 

[Goatboy]

I seem to recall there's a pub (the Midland Hotel), chippy and Co-op Food all within a hundred yards of Cheltenham Station.

So, nowhere to get a decent fresh baguette then

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Bristol Temple Meads has a Wetherspoon's virtually at the side exit, Newport has one a hundred yards away.

.. the Newport one should come with a health warning (actually so should Newport as a whole) as part of a 'good night out in Newport' seems to include having a brawl at some point.

Are there socket points on the station platform at Preston ?

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

At Preston, there's a shopping centre across the road with a Poundland, MOKA, and McDonalds in it. Just outside that is a Starbucks and Subway. About the same distance as from one end of Edinburgh Waverley to the other, perhaps a tad more.

 

[PR1Berske]

.. the Newport one should come with a health warning (actually so should Newport as a whole) as part of a 'good night out in Newport' seems to include having a brawl at some point.

Are there socket points on the station platform at Preston ?

There are no socket points, but they've (very) recently added "The Cloud" wi-fi, so that's a bonus of sorts.

 

[jamesbwxm]

I seem to recall there's a pub (the Midland Hotel), chippy and Co-op Food all within a hundred yards of Cheltenham Station.

Pub was good for a bit but is now terrible.

Chippy isn't bad though.


15 minute walk to the Lansdown if you want a decent meal. Easy enough to do with a 2 hour XC wait.

 

[Butts]

Rent is high for retail space on stations so in order to make any money the prices have to be high as well. As for solving it? Someone will have to persuade the TOCs/Network Rail to lower the rents charged.

Strange how Boots and M&S seem to buck the trend here (unlike WHS) with normal High Street Prices - at least at Edinburgh Waverley - do they pay lower rents ???

With regard to "dining" suprised no one has mentioned the "Bite Card" and it's discounted options for a nosh

 

[BestWestern]

So my question for general discussion is.,... What stations have more eating options that they really deserve? Where is there woeful available options? Why are so many on station options so expensive, and what can be done to solve this?

Forum ....... it's over to you....

To address your final question, what can be done is to investigate the blatant monopoly held by the dreaded SSP (Select Service Partner). This outfit owns/operates practically everything everywhere, including Pumpkin, Upper Crust, Pasty Shop, Ritazza and a whole range of other outlets including some with big name franchises which pretend (as with all franchises) to be run by somebody whom they're not. Many locations will have nothing but SSP on the platforms for 'proper' food and drink; for example Swindon has Upper Crust and Pumpkin, Southampton Central has both of those plus two Ritazza outlets, Salisbury has Pumpkin and Ritazza, and so on. I'm fairly sure that in any other marketplace somebody would have gotten involved by now, but seemingly not here.

 

[Clip]

To be fair to Upper Crust here - the rolls are cooked in an oven from frozen - not microwaved - just like Subway and the staff fill them themselves and they do heat them up again if you want it to be done.

And NR dont take rent from station facilities if they are not at a major station - the TOCs do that.

Its not often Ill buy food at a station but for some reason always buy overpriced beer cos im in a rush.

 

[BestWestern]

Good examples of good v bad are Bristol Temple Meads and Reading. Reading has quite a wide selection including branded sandwich places etc.

Bristol Temple Meads has virtually nothing, nowhere to get a decent takeaway lunch for example.

I have to say I think that's a little unfair, BTM has Upper Crust, Pumpkin x2, AMT Coffee, Pasty Shop, Starbucks and the wholly independent Yogafruit, who do some very decent wraps! There's also Bonaparte's pub on platform 3, then outside you'll find Philpots, another Starbucks and a 'Spoons. I'd say that pretty much covers it?!

I don't think Reading is any better to be honest, and I'm not really sure if there's that great a call for a 'take away lunch' any bigger than a baguette at railway stations - sitting on the train scoffing your curry or fish and chips is not likely to go down awfully well! Railway stations are not dinner venues after all (with the apparent exception of certain large termini!)

 

[Stonesourscotty]

if your ever at Wigan go the little cafe Opposite Wallgate it comes highly recommended from me or the Chippy next to Wallgate

 

[Roverman]

What I don't understand is why at Stafford there is a Cafe and a Coffee kiosk on Platform 1 and nowt bar overpriced machines for the rest of the station. Disgusting.

If I was the landlord I'd look at a 25% reduction in rent in return for a longer contract say 5 years instead of 3. But hey what would I know!

 

[Clip]

What I don't understand is why at Stafford there is a Cafe and a Coffee kiosk on Platform 1 and nowt bar overpriced machines for the rest of the station. Disgusting.

If I was the landlord I'd look at a 25% reduction in rent in return for a longer contract say 5 years instead of 3. But hey what would I know!

Indeed,because the landlord is the TOC and they wouldnt want to reduce the rent being paid by the tenant

 

[AlexS]

To address your final question, what can be done is to investigate the blatant monopoly held by the dreaded SSP (Select Service Partner). This outfit owns/operates practically everything everywhere, including Pumpkin, Upper Crust, Pasty Shop, Ritazza and a whole range of other outlets including some with big name franchises which pretend (as with all franchises) to be run by somebody whom they're not. Many locations will have nothing but SSP on the platforms for 'proper' food and drink; for example Swindon has Upper Crust and Pumpkin, Southampton Central has both of those plus two Ritazza outlets, Salisbury has Pumpkin and Ritazza, and so on. I'm fairly sure that in any other marketplace somebody would have gotten involved by now, but seemingly not here.

It's a bit difficult though as they're the privatised BR Traveller's Fare, so the foothold is a bit hard to remove! I know they try and pretend they aren't, and mention it as little as possible (as they do their own name for some reason), but offspring of BR they are and so they are well and truly all over stations.

 

[Yew]

It is a shame that Quality low cost food is unavailable at stations without the use of a bite card. Was it any better when BR had Buffets at many stations?

 

[BestWestern]

It's a bit difficult though as they're the privatised BR Traveller's Fare, so the foothold is a bit hard to remove! I know they try and pretend they aren't, and mention it as little as possible (as they do their own name for some reason), but offspring of BR they are and so they are well and truly all over stations.

Yeah, but that shouldn't circumvent the competition laws! My issue is that one firm has a stranglehold on the market, and usually that just isn't allowed, particularly in such a lucrative area where competition could be introduced with ease.

How easy would it be to open a competing outlet at a station which has every outlet already operated by SSP? Probably impossible, as the TOC would simply say they are full. Is it fully in accordance with all required law and legislation to be 'full' with outlets all run by one parent company to the exclusion of any competitors?

 

[Roverman]

Indeed,because the landlord is the TOC and they wouldnt want to reduce the rent being paid by the tenant

They are terrible landlords. Units lie empty for years on end. A cut in the high rents would encourage new businesses and I am sure I speak for many when I say it would be nice to see local business try the location rather than the same old boring corporate names.

 

[sheff1]

It is a shame that Quality low cost food is unavailable at stations without the use of a bite card. Was it any better when BR had Buffets at many stations?

The waitress service restaurant at Birmingham New St had decent quality food at sensible prices into the 1980s. Used to attract trade from people who were not travelling by rail.

Nowadays the various proper (i.e. table service) restaurants at St Pancras also attract non rail customers as does the Parcel Yard at the 'new' Kings Cross.

Going back to the OP, Preston seems one of the better medium sized stations. Have seen a number of people eating the cooked breakfast in the bar, although haven't tried it myself.