Why is railway catering such a rip off?

[trebor79]

I mean it was always bad, but seems to be worse post-COVID. At Liverpool Street last month Upper Crust wanted 6 quid for a pretty uninspiring baguette.
And I've just been at Peterborough. Went into the Pumpkin for a bottle of water. £2.45 for a 500ml bottle! I ummed and ah'd and though about the "meal deal" of water, soggy sandwich and crisps which was at least better value at £4.50. Buyt then I'd just end up consuming calories I didn't want.
So I went to the Waitrose just outside the station entrance and bought a bottle of water for the princely sum of 45p.
The Pumpkin needless to say was deserted, and a quick perusal of the offerings showed that everything was even more outrageously priced than before.

Why is station catering so rubbish and expensive (with a few very notable exceptions)?

 

[Merseysider]

Captive market is part of it. Potentially higher rents is another.

 

[fgwrich]

Captive market is part of it. Potentially higher rents is another.

That and the majority of the catering outlet market is sewn up by SSP?

 

[Flying Snail]

Three letters: SSP

Edit: previous poster got there first but worth repeating, they really are an awful company.

 

[Bald Rick]

It’s a free market. Take your business elsewhere - but plenty of people can’t be bothered and cough up. The catering outlets at Liverpool St were (pre Covid) extremely profitable. I can’t tell you how much rent they pay for even the smallest outlets, but it is astronomical, and they still make money.

 

[75A]

It's just like Motorway Service Stations, there are plenty of Supermarkets near Motorway exits where the food & fuel is considerably cheaper. After years of regular visits to the same locations (in my case Motor Racing circuits), you know where to go.

 

[py_megapixel]

Because of one little company called SSP. Select Service Partners. Virtually every brand of station catering is operated by them - Pumpkin, Coffee House, Delice de France, Uppercrust... - at stations, even WHSmith, M&S and Costa are often nothing more than franchises owned by SSP. The variety of different brands gives the illusion of competition when in reality your money is going to the same place whatever you do.

This effectively allows the "industry" to carry out price-fixing, without it being called that.

It’s a free market.

Not when you're inside the railway system, and everything not operated by the same monopolistic entity is outside it, sometimes literally on the other side of a locked gate.

 

[eastdyke]

Food and drink for 'the journey' is generally available at a suitable price and quality from that universal outlet 'Chez Vous'.

Runs .....

 

[43096]

I assume this is in the UK. Because I wouldn't describe a meal in a ČD or ZSSK restaurant car as a rip off.

 

[DarloRich]

If you are not happy with the price pack your own butties and a flask

 

[HamworthyGoods]

I mean it was always bad, but seems to be worse post-COVID. At Liverpool Street last month Upper Crust wanted 6 quid for a pretty uninspiring baguette.
And I've just been at Peterborough. Went into the Pumpkin for a bottle of water. £2.45 for a 500ml bottle! I ummed and ah'd and though about the "meal deal" of water, soggy sandwich and crisps which was at least better value at £4.50. Buyt then I'd just end up consuming calories I didn't want.
So I went to the Waitrose just outside the station entrance and bought a bottle of water for the princely sum of 45p.
The Pumpkin needless to say was deserted, and a quick perusal of the offerings showed that everything was even more outrageously priced than before.

Why is station catering so rubbish and expensive (with a few very notable exceptions)?

Station rents generally command a premium

 

[Bletchleyite]

Station rents generally command a premium

Often including a cut of profit too.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Food and drink for 'the journey' is generally available at a suitable price and quality from that universal outlet 'Chez Vous'.

Runs .....

I always take food with me from home: sandwiches, yoghurt, water, fruit, tinned peas, fork and spoon. Much cheaper and quicker, no need to plan queuing time. If you prepare the food the evening before too, it is a no-brainer for me, 'uses' no time.

It is easy enough to take enough food for a whole day, as you do when fellwalking. Water especially is freely available at Chez Moi, costs 0.00x* per litre.

 

[JonathanH]

Water especially is freely available at Chez Moi, costs 0.00x* per litre.

Water is freely available at many major stations as well.

 

[TravelDream]

It's been mentioned a couple of times, but three letters - SSP.

Whilst you may think you are shopping at Starbucks/ Upper Crust/ Millie's/ M&S/ Burger King/ Delice de France etc. etc. etc. You are actually spending money at SSP who just have a franchise/ marketing deal with the brand.
It's the same at airports where SSP tend to dominate.
It truly is illusion of competition where there is actually none.

Add to that the high rents/ revenue sharing rental deals (always revenue and never 'profit' - landlords aren't stupid), a captive market, often long hours they are contractually obliged to open and you can see that everything adds up.

 

[185143]

It's definitely got worse post-Covid.

I went to the Pumpkin Cafe at Wigan a couple of months back for a drink. They wanted £2.45 for a bottle of diet coke. I'm sure it used to be upwards of £2, although not by that much. To be fair there's a couple of shops outside the station. That said, there was a meal deal for £4.49 (I think) which included a sandwich and crisps as well as said drink so I just got that as it did me for lunch.

The Mill Bar at Manchester Piccadilly is also SSP. They wanted £6.99 off me for a pint of Birra Moretti in May, or even £6.79 for a Dark Fruits. Needless to say, I walked out. No chance! (For context, I remember paying £5.50 for a pint of Stella in the final days of Virgin Trains. Which, to be fair, isn't a huge premium over a city centre pub.) That said, the Sainsburys at Piccadilly is *not* SSP owned, but does charge around 5-10% higher than regular stores although they do have the same offers on.

It's largely a case of it being a captive market and taking advantage of people being time limited. I suspect unlike most pubs, most people will only stop for one before their train. Even the 8 hour Stena ferry to Belfast I got last year gave change from a fiver for a pint. And that's still obviously a captive market.

 

[TravelDream]

It's definitely got worse post-Covid.

I went to the Pumpkin Cafe at Wigan a couple of months back for a drink. They wanted £2.45 for a bottle of diet coke. I

£2.45!!?!? My eyes would water at anything above £1 for a bottled drink.
I tend to pack something to take with me rather than buy (not sure I'd be pulling out a tin of peas like another poster above though). It is sometimes nice to have a hot fresh coffee though.

I tend to find the Boots Meal Deal to be pretty good value though. I'd usually get a triple sandwich (always triple chicken), a bag of fruit and a 750ml spring water for £3.99 which I really think isn't bad. Maybe that's gone up recently too though.

 

[al78]

Because it is the UK.

 

[Gathursty]

Unless you have a short connection time at Wigan, then there's plenty of places on Wallgate you could go for cheap snacks/meal deals. You could even walk past about 3 if you were going between Wallgate and North Western.

 

[Bald Rick]

Not when you're inside the railway system, and everything not operated by the same monopolistic entity is outside it, sometimes literally on the other side of a locked gate.

There’s plenty of shops outside the gates.... “Be Prepared”

Because it is the UK.

If you think the U.K. is bad, I suggest you don’t try to buy anything at Geneva airport. McDonalds Meal deal £11, bottle of coke a fiver, etc.

 

[24Grange]

Yes I once paid £6 for a small piece of cake and a cup of tea at Geneva ( this was in the 90's!)

 

[Merseysider]

Try one of the New York airports - upwards of £10 a pint, £7 for a sh***y floppy sandwich, £3 for a bottle of water. Etc

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Aug 2021 ==

Yes I once paid £6 for a small piece of cake and a cup of tea at Geneva ( this was in the 90's!)

Was at one of the Swiss airports (can’t remember which) and they wanted a fiver for a tub of pringles. Nooope.

(But back on topic) I’ve always found food & drink at German railway stations to be much more reasonable than that at English stations.

 

[DorkingMain]

I've had some great sandwiches and hot dogs from counters at German railway stations, usually for a very reasonable price.

I notice some of the outlets at the major London stations have ceased to return after COVID. I wonder if a lot of them relied on the heavy commuter footfall, and the leisure travel market simply isn't up to paying £5 for a dry sausage roll or uninspiring salad sandwich.

 

[ExRes]

We were invited to pay £9.40 for a milkshake and a coke at Sunningdale Golf Course a couple of weeks ago, makes the railway look like a bargain

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

SSP traces its origins back to the Big 4 railway catering operations and through various nationalised guises under BR up to the acquisition by Compass and then today's SSP.
This gives a potted history: Our History - RG - Catered To You (railgourmet.com)

1993: Travellers-Fare was sold and merged with its travel and retail businesses to form SSP. Intercity Onboard Services remained under British Rail ownership.

If you are bored with the UK offering you will find Upper Crust and other SSP brands in Munich Hbf, Stockholm Central, and many other stations and airports.
I always rather liked the Lemon Tree outlets, as well as Upper Crust (when they started, their baguettes used to come over every day from France by Eurotunnel).
The Pasty Shop is quite good too.
There are (or at least were) loyalty schemes to bring the price down.
These days I prefer the coffee and service at Costa if there is one, the SSP outlets have got very offhand.

 

[farleigh]

I always take food with me from home: sandwiches, yoghurt, water, fruit, tinned peas, fork and spoon. Much cheaper and quicker, no need to plan queuing time. If you prepare the food the evening before too, it is a no-brainer for me, 'uses' no time.

It is easy enough to take enough food for a whole day, as you do when fellwalking. Water especially is freely available at Chez Moi, costs 0.00x* per litre.

I was right with you until the tin of peas.....

 

[nanstallon]

I usually make my own sandwiches and fill up an old plastic bottle with water (both of which I can put in an anorak (!) pocket), before leaving the house. But I like a coffee if I have a wait for my connection, and accept it will cost around £3 or a bit less. Regular size coffee and 4 finger Kitkat for £3 on GWR trains isn't too bad. I suppose i should take a Thermos of coffee, but can't be bothered to carry it around all day.

 

[Merseysider]

I suppose i should take a Thermos of coffee, but can't be bothered to carry it around all day.

And that’s part of it - the convenience.

I love Brewdog - can get a pack of 4 stubby cans for about £5 at most city centre supermarkets. But the train station won’t be next door to said supermarket. I’m happy to pay £6.50 at (eg) Man Picc Sainsburys if it means I’m not lugging it with me for half a mile or more.

 

[py_megapixel]

These days I prefer the coffee and service at Costa if there is one, the SSP outlets have got very offhand.

Except in a station, Costa probably is an SSP outlet

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Aug 2021 ==

I love Brewdog - can get a pack of 4 stubby cans for about £5 at most city centre supermarkets. But the train station won’t be next door to said supermarket. I’m happy to pay £6.50 at (eg) Man Picc Sainsburys if it means I’m not lugging it with me for half a mile or more.

I understand your sentiment but Picc is probably a bad example - there's a Co-op with normal prices almost directly outside the door! (From the lower numbered platforms it's actually quicker to walk to than Sainsbury's)

 

[Merseysider]

I understand your sentiment but Picc is probably a bad example - there's a Co-op with normal prices almost directly outside the door!

True - they are slightly better in all fairness!