CrossCountry's catering offering (2015-2017)

[Aldaniti]

Microwaved ready meals.... all that frozen gloop, salt, sugar and hydrogenated oil. Mmmm, lovely.

 

[infobleep]

It's interesting that it stops at 6pm. Thinking of the journeys I've taken where I might have used this, many of them were going places after work - so journeys of say 3 hours starting around 5:30pm/6pm. Maybe it's too operationally tricky at that time or their market research says most people wouldn't want it, but I would have thought availability till 8pm would seem sensible.

8pm definitely would be good. Most people have dinner post 6pm and many restaurants are open til 11pm. Of course market research may show that less people are on a XC service beyond 6pm so not enough wish to eat.

Of course if successful they may extend it to later and earlier hours.

Do many people travel on XC services early in the morning and after 6pm?

 

[D1009]

I wonder if FGW will do something similar on the IEPs?

 

[ainsworth74]

I wonder if FGW will do something similar on the IEPs?

Well IEPs will have a full kitchen so they are unlikely to prepare the food in the same way but beyond that who knows how they'll do the catering.

I suspect, from what has been said, that VTEC may well use a similar system to this

 

[najaB]

Microwaved ready meals.... all that frozen gloop, salt, sugar and hydrogenated oil. Mmmm, lovely.

I used to think the same thing - that they were all full of chemicals and preservatives. Then I took a look at the ingredients list on some ready meals and was very surprised. The better quality ones have surprisingly little in the way of unpronounceable chemicals.

 

[WelshBluebird]

I used to think the same thing - that they were all full of chemicals and preservatives. Then I took a look at the ingredients list on some ready meals and was very surprised. The better quality ones have surprisingly little in the way of unpronounceable chemicals.

Personally I find this fear of "unpronounceable chemicals" incredibly naive and stupid. Everything is made up of chemicals. Even natural, fresh, non processed food. Saying something isn't good food or isn't healthy because it contains such chemicals is just utter stupidity. The blog io9 did a great post about this a while back that I have just fished out: http://io9.com/what-if-natural-products-came-with-a-list-of-ingredient-1503320184

 

[najaB]

Personally I find this fear of "unpronounceable chemicals" incredibly naive and stupid. Everything is made up of chemicals. Even natural, fresh, non processed food. Saying something isn't good food or isn't healthy because it contains such chemicals is just utter stupidity.

I agree - to a point. There are some compounds in processed foods that are definitely bad for you (trans-fats anyone?), but generally speaking the nutritional quality of ready meals is a lot better these days, many of them rival freshly cooked meals.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Do many people travel on XC services early in the morning and after 6pm?

XC catering starts to wind down after 6pm and there are (as a general rule) no trolleys on services leaving the major stations after 8pm.

 

[infobleep]

XC catering starts to wind down after 6pm and there are (as a general rule) no trolleys on services leaving the major stations after 8pm.

But do many people, i.e. passengers, travel after 6pm?

For example. Please the 18.30 Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour service has a trolley on board and that's a busy service. However XC may not necessarily have the same level of passengers after 6pm as South West Trains.

 

[bnm]

CrossCountry do actually seem to have got a grasp of just when where and how catering should be provided. On the Voyagers at least. I can't speak for the Class 170s.

The perennial problem though is the trolley not being able to get through with the not irregular overcrowding. Not for the wanted trying by the on board staff.

 

[Aldaniti]

I used to think the same thing - that they were all full of chemicals and preservatives. Then I took a look at the ingredients list on some ready meals and was very surprised. The better quality ones have surprisingly little in the way of unpronounceable chemicals.

Processed food is inferior in so many ways to fresh produce, particularly organic, and might well be the cause of illness in later life. Common sense should tell us that. The processing of ready meals means that excessive amounts of salt and/or sugar are often added to 'improve' the taste. What ready meals do well however is to take relatively cheap ingredients and turn them into huge profits for the food industry, all in the name of convenience. Personally, I would have to be at the point of starvation before I would consume one. There's a reason why recovering cancer patients are advised to avoid processed food, particularly processed meat. http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/abo...and-cancer/how-healthy-eating-prevents-cancer As I always say though, each to their own...

 

[najaB]

Processed food is inferior in so many ways to fresh produce, particularly organic, and might well be the cause of illness in later life. Common sense should tell us that.

Again, take a look at the actual ingredients list and nutritional analysis. I also assumed that all pre-prepared food is created equal, but found out that it is not. Some of the better quality frozen foods are surprisingly nutritionally complete, and I'm saying this as someone who used to constantly deride the processed food industry.

Yes, there is rubbish out there - I'm not saying that turkey twizzlers are healthy - but not all pre-prepared food is the same. Yes, it would be great if everyone could always eat fresh organically grown food, but for a large proportion of the population that just isn't an option. This doesn't condemn them to an early grave by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[Aldaniti]

Again, take a look at the actual ingredients list and nutritional analysis. I also assumed that all pre-prepared food is created equal, but found out that it is not. Some of the better quality frozen foods are surprisingly nutritionally complete, and I'm saying this as someone who used to constantly deride the processed food industry.

Yes, there is rubbish out there - I'm not saying that turkey twizzlers are healthy - but not all pre-prepared food is the same. Yes, it would be great if everyone could always eat fresh organically grown food, but for a large proportion of the population that just isn't an option. This doesn't condemn them to an early grave by any stretch of the imagination.

As I said, each to their own. If people prefer to eat processed and microwaved ready meals rather than fresh food that is up to them. The argument about cost is one that I have never subscribed to. It is perfectly possible to eat a healthy diet on a limited budget, but for a large proportion of the population there is a preference for convenience and salt and sugar laden junk food. I don't entirely blame them, its the disreputable food manufacturing industry that has weaned them onto it from an early age.

 

[HowardGWR]

Looking at the menus that BNM kindly provided, I could not see anything much other than fresh unprocessed ingredients. Unless you consider freezing stuff and then heating it up again to be 'processed'.

 

[Jonfun]

...convenience and salt and sugar laden junk food.

Just as a point of order, if I'm cooking something fresh it's still going to have salt go in there at some point during the process and chances are the ingredients will contain some form of sugar.

 

[Robertj21a]

Just as a point of order, if I'm cooking something fresh it's still going to have salt go in there at some point during the process and chances are the ingredients will contain some form of sugar.

Just intrigued - why is it going to have salt go in at some point ?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Just intrigued - why is it going to have salt go in at some point ?

Because salt is a good flavour enhancer.

 

[Robertj21a]

Because salt is a good flavour enhancer.

Thanks - never found a need for it myself.

 

[Jonfun]

Just intrigued - why is it going to have salt go in at some point ?

Granted not everything is going to have salt go in, but a lot of things will. Anything involving potatoes (which is a lot of things), stews and soups, baking bread, even for scrambled egg, a dash of milk and a sprinkle of salt improves the taste.

Tea tonight was a tasty snack of cheese on toast, jazzed up with a splash of nice mustard I got from Waitrose. Just under 4% of said mustard (and I've made a special trip to the kitchen to check) is - salt.

 

[najaB]

Thanks - never found a need for it myself.

Since this is RailUK and we all appreciate a bit of pedantry: you need salt in your diet or you'll die (okay, I suppose it's the sodium that you need but try eating elemental sodium... wait, no. Don't do that.) Depending on what you eat it is possible to get enough without adding any, but it isn't easy (assuming you aren't eating any processed foods).

 

[Robertj21a]

Since this is RailUK and we all appreciate a bit of pedantry: you need salt in your diet or you'll die (okay, I suppose it's the sodium that you need but try eating elemental sodium... wait, no. Don't do that.) Depending on what you eat it is possible to get enough without adding any, but it isn't easy (assuming you aren't eating any processed foods).

Thanks. As a pedant, I need to add that I don't add any salt to anything - indeed I don't even have any salt in the house, and have never seen any need for it. It's inevitable that various daily foods already have salt added and that should be adequate for most people.

 

[ainsworth74]

Does anyone now if it's available on Saturdays and Sundays? The website suggests so (by not mentioning it being Monday to Friday only) but wonder if anyone knows for sure.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Does anyone now if it's available on Saturdays and Sundays? The website suggests so (by not mentioning it being Monday to Friday only) but wonder if anyone knows for sure.

In the next 2/3 days Iam going to see if I can make a food order on the 11:07 Liskeard -Manchester Picc XC service on Sat 3rd October, infact I attempted to make a mock booking today just to see if it was available, I selected Plymouth as the departure station and Stockport as the destination and I was given all the options without any warnings stating that it wasn't available at weekends, anyway will report back if Iam successful in a few days.

 

[ainsworth74]

I await with interest!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Thanks - never found a need for it myself.

Then don't add it, but many others feel it is worth adding it to enhance flavour, and (provided you don't overdo it) it's less controversial than MSG!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

But do many people, i.e. passengers, travel after 6pm?

Perhaps not, but equally stopping at 6pm may well be too early to get sufficient custom for evening meals.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

As I said, each to their own. If people prefer to eat processed and microwaved ready meals rather than fresh food that is up to them.

It is more than slightly impractical these days to have freshly cooked meals from fresh ingredients for sale on trains in the manner XC intend.

The argument about cost is one that I have never subscribed to.

Nor I (and I make my own ready meals by cooking fresh ingredients in larger portions than I'll eat in one go), but as this thread is about food on trains...

 

[Ash Bridge]

In the next 2/3 days Iam going to see if I can make a food order on the 11:07 Liskeard -Manchester Picc XC service on Sat 3rd October, infact I attempted to make a mock booking today just to see if it was available, I selected Plymouth as the departure station and Stockport as the destination and I was given all the options without any warnings stating that it wasn't available at weekends, anyway will report back if Iam successful in a few days.

I await with interest!

Today ordered four meals plus beverages (£55) for above journey, reviewed then sent order, received a confirmation and thank-you advising payment to be made on board the train when meals are served, so far so good...

 

[basfordlad]

I remember the days (in the 1990's) when you could get a meal in the mini restaurant car (on the hst cross country train),

Breakfast served on a plate,with a paper cloth on the table!, (obvs microwaved), but pretty decent,

Those were the days....

 

[bnm]

you need salt in your diet or you'll die (okay, I suppose it's the sodium that you need but try eating elemental sodium... wait, no. Don't do that.)

That gave a good hearty laugh.

Here's why eating elemental sodium is not a good idea.

[youtube]ODf_sPexS2Q[/youtube]

That's in water. In the acidic environment of the stomach the reaction will be considerably worse. Don't try this at home.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Onboard the 09:43 Penzance - Manchester Piccadilly XC Voyager today, this is XC's new pre-ordered hot meal options, on iPad and not certain how to attach more than one picture so will post separately, first up is the roast chicken dinner...

 

[Darandio]

Looks rather nice to me. I'm unexpectedly impressed!