CrossCountry's catering offering (2015-2017)

[bnm]

Moderator note: for the 2018 changes, see the Crosscountry First Class Catering Changes (April 2018) thread instead: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/crosscountry-first-class-catering-changes.162497/#post-3395844

Don't know quite what to make of this but CrossCountry are now offering hot meals (that's meals, not just a nuked burger) on their Edinburgh-Plymouth and Manchester-Bournemouth routes.

Yes, you read that right. I kid you not. Full meals, with a selection of quality alcoholic beverages served at your seat.

If you've booked your travel tickets online then you can also order the meals and drinks online to be served during your journey. You can even order a box of Thornton's choccies!

http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/catering

Here's the menu:

http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/media/278100/cateringmenu.pdf

Now, if the logistics are robust and the ordering system actually works this could be the future...

 

[ooo]

Some of those options do look very nice and the food prices don't seem to bad either
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What would be good is if you could order it with their app

 

[yorksrob]

Blimey, that does look nice.

Would certainly be tempted by the breakfast.

 

[infobleep]

Some of those options do look very nice and the food prices don't seem to bad either
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
What would be good is if you could order it with their app

Then they could market it as meals can ordered in advance up to 15 minutes prior to departure using our mobile app.

The Salmon sounds nice. I'd do that. Wonder how they get the food onto the train. I assume it doesn't have a kitchen, given I've never seen hot dinners available before.

If popular, hopefully they will extend it to their other routes, such as Bournemouth to Newcastle.

 

[ainsworth74]

I would love to know how they're preparing this food because as far as I'm aware a Voyager galley only comes with a microwave! Presumably they've upgraded the galley a bit?

 

[Ash Bridge]

Don't know quite what to make of this but CrossCountry are now offering hot meals (that's meals, not just a nuked burger) on their Edinburgh-Plymouth and Manchester-Bournemouth routes.

Yes, you read that right. I kid you not. Full meals, with a selection of quality alcoholic beverages served at your seat.

If you've booked your travel tickets online then you can also order the meals and drinks online to be served during your journey. You can even order a box of Thornton's choccies!

http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/catering

Here's the menu:

http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/media/278100/cateringmenu.pdf

Now, if the logistics are robust and the ordering system actually works this could be the future...

Travelling home from Cornwall on an XC Voyager back in June, got chatting to the steward who mentioned these new hot meals, he told me he had sampled some of these options when first being trialled and said they were of really good quality and far removed from the soggy microwaved fare you would expect, look good value too at £22 for 2 meals inclusive of a bottle of wine, good luck to XC with this, hope it's a success.

 

[chubs]

Isn't there a Kitchen in the first class end of Voyagers left over from Virgin days?

I would be very surprised if it isn't microwaved.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Isn't there a Kitchen in the first class end of Voyagers left over from Virgin days?

I would be very surprised if it isn't microwaved.

Yes, there is a small galley with microwave oven etc. at the 1st class end that is used by the 1st class host, also there is a catering point at the opposite end of the train (where the cycle storage area was) which is also equipped with a microwave oven.

 

[ainsworth74]

Isn't there a Kitchen in the first class end of Voyagers left over from Virgin days?

Yes containing all of a microwave as far as I'm aware! If you want a proper kitchen then you need a 222 rather than a 220 or 221.

 

[HowardGWR]

It's bound to be pre-prepared, frozen and then heated up just like the airlines. Doesn't mean it would not be delicious.

Edit: you could not possibly fresh cook and offer that assortment fresh!

 

[yorksrob]

What sort of catering facilities (if any) do their HST's have ?

 

[najaB]

Yes containing all of a microwave as far as I'm aware! If you want a proper kitchen then you need a 222 rather than a 220 or 221.

Not all microwaves are created equal though. You can get much better results (closer to freshly cooked) with a commercial microwave than a domestic one.

 

[d1672]

Hi,

I wonder if they will allow this facility for people who already have their tickets, i.e. All line railrover, season tickets and even priv tickets ??

Thomas

 

[sprinterguy]

Hi,

I wonder if they will allow this facility for people who already have their tickets, i.e. All line railrover, season tickets and even priv tickets ??

Thomas

Not sure where they might stand with regards PRIV tickets, but other than that, if you have the money to pay then I can't imagine why not.

 

[43074]

It's interesting that rather than offering it on specific services they are offering it over a set time period - between 06:00 and 18:00 - how will this work with train crew etc or will existing customer hosts offer the service? The booking engine says all meals will be served within 30 minutes of the chosen delivery time so it will be interesting to see how this operates.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Voyager microwaves are actually combi microwave and ovens. If the catering staff are following proper instructions and pre-heating their ovens, they cook far better than simply nuking them. Sadly not all staff followed the instructions that were given back in Virgin days and therefore the quality offered varied as a result...

 

[Ash Bridge]

What sort of catering facilities (if any) do their HST's have ?

I was lead to believe it's equipped much the same as a Voyager, IIRC the XC HST's trailer cars are ex loco hauled mk3's with the small galley fitted into the centre of a part standard part first vehicle.

Not all microwaves are created equal though. You can get much better results (closer to freshly cooked) with a commercial microwave than a domestic one.

Yes, that's pretty much what I was told by the XC steward I spoke to.

Hi,

I wonder if they will allow this facility for people who already have their tickets, i.e. All line railrover, season tickets and even priv tickets ??

Thomas

I was under the impression they could be ordered by all passengers regardless of ticket type or class of travel.

Edit: sorry just realised what you meant, not sure how it works with a railrover etc.

 

[sprinterguy]

What sort of catering facilities (if any) do their HST's have ?

It's only a small area, so I would have thought that the available equipment would be similar to that on the Voyagers. The one picture I can find online appears to show a microwave oven, fridge and sink, in a sea of brushed aluminium.

 

[button_boxer]

Not sure where they might stand with regards PRIV tickets, but other than that, if you have the money to pay then I can't imagine why not.

Though the booking form page doesn't offer the option to specify your train times, only your "booking reference" and a choice of "outbound" or "return", so looks like it would only work with tickets booked on XC's own website.

 

[yorksrob]

I was lead to believe it's equipped much the same as a Voyager, IIRC the XC HST's trailer cars are ex loco hauled mk3's with the small galley fitted into the centre of a part standard part first vehicle.

It's only a small area, so I would have thought that the available equipment would be similar to that on the Voyagers. The one picture I can find online appears to show a microwave oven, fridge and sink, in a sea of brushed aluminium.

Many thanks. Not much in the way of a buffet car then !

 

[Jonfun]

Voyager microwaves are actually combi microwave and ovens. If the catering staff are following proper instructions and pre-heating their ovens, they cook far better than simply nuking them. Sadly not all staff followed the instructions that were given back in Virgin days and therefore the quality offered varied as a result...

Instructions, at least now, are preheat mustn't be used as it adversely affects the time the product gets microwaved for, or something, apparently.

And yes, HST galleys are equipped with two combi ovens, two fridges, hot water machine, sink, and a very good amount of cupboards and storage space.

 

[dk1]

I never understand what's so wrong with a microwave anyway. I use it home & even in a decent restaurant would happily pop my meal in for 40secs to make it piping hot again. I so miss them INTERCITY cheeseburgers.

 

[387star]

Excellent news seems crosscountry are finally going up in the world

 

[Phil from Mon]

Voyager microwaves are actually combi microwave and ovens. If the catering staff are following proper instructions and pre-heating their ovens, they cook far better than simply nuking them. Sadly not all staff followed the instructions that were given back in Virgin days and therefore the quality offered varied as a result...

Don't think I've ever eaten anything quite as bad, anywhere, as a Voyager cheeseburger from Euston to Bangor. Good luck to XC with this, if the meals are as good as they are on Gerald they'll be terrific. Both DB companies I think.

 

[Greenback]

I predict that there will be so many issues encountered that this will end up as a failure. I hope I'm wrong!

 

[DarloRich]

Offered to first class customers only?

 

[Ash Bridge]

Offered to first class customers only?

Seems that it's available to both classes, although I don't know how they would manage to serve a plated meal to a passenger in a voyager airline seat, unless it's done in the same manner as FGW did with the Travelling Chef service in Standard, i.e. in cardboard boxes/plastic trays?

 

[dk1]

Offered to first class customers only?

Last year between Sheffield & Edinburgh I ordered from my seat in standard & beef casserole was delivered to me around 15min later. Very tasty it was too.

 

[DarloRich]

@ashbridge/dk1 - thanks!

That is good news - is it available on all trains or just the voyagers? Shame it will not be offered on my usual evening train from Birmingham to Leeds. I might have to go for the earlier HST if i can get something to eat!

 

[Ash Bridge]

@ashbridge/dk1 - thanks!

That is good news - is it available on all trains or just the voyagers? Shame it will not be offered on my usual evening train from Birmingham to Leeds. I might have to go for the earlier HST if i can get something to eat!

IIRC it was initially trialled on the HST's then launched also on Voyagers, although I stand to be corrected, also I notice it's offered on Man Picc - South Coast services but not on trains to the South West from there, it's also not explicit about if it's just weekdays or Sat & Sunday also?