Catering on Trains - A Healthy Approach?

[GuyGibsonVC]

Is there a market for actual decent, fresh food on a trolley service? It seems that barring the odd First Class offering, most options on board a train are ultra processed rubbish that is wrapped in various bits of plastic.

I know there is the logistical problem to solve but would something like fresh soups, dhals, fruit, etc be achievable? Or is is just not worth it for the TOC? With the change in attitude to health and well being, especially from the younger generation, it may be popular.

GBR could run an ad' campaign in partnership with the NHS saying they are doing their bit!

 

[kkong]

LNER offer fruit in first class.

 

[sh24]

It's a lovely idea but the shelf of fresh food is short, which invariable increases the amount of food wasted as demand is difficult to predict. Plus anything like dhal, soup requires more equipment to prepare and handle.

We can be grateful that many principal stations now have an M&S where you can get good quality food (albeit cold).

 

[tumbledown]

Everybody is entitled to their own idea of where health lies.

 

[GuyGibsonVC]

It's a lovely idea but the shelf of fresh food is short, which invariable increases the amount of food wasted as demand is difficult to predict. Plus anything like dhal, soup requires more equipment to prepare and handle.

We can be grateful that many principal stations now have an M&S where you can get good quality food (albeit cold).

Yes, this is the case and, ultimately, bottom lines matter. One can dream!

If you are lucky, you can go to M&S near a station and not pay the 20% uplift in price.

 

[Davester50]

Self cater if you want sort self life food.

 

[dk1]

I can’t say that a lot of the younger generation that I know worry to much about healthy eating.

 

[GuyGibsonVC]

Everybody is entitled to their own idea of where health lies.

Of course. I'm no health puritan and can pouch a couple of Kit Kat Chunkys with a cup of tea with the best of them.

My thinking was based on being tired, on a dark evening, on a train and the options were limited to chocolate, crips etc. when I think my body was calling out for something a tad more appealing.

 

[Davester50]

Of course. I'm no health puritan and can pouch a couple of Kit Kat Chunkys with a cup of tea with the best of them.

My thinking was based on being tired, on a dark evening, on a train and the options were limited to chocolate, crips etc. when I think my body was calling out for something a tad more appealing.

Those Chocolates and crisps that don't sell that night will be back on sale the next day. The fresh offerings won't be.
The bottom line will dictate what goes on board.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

In order to do it, you’d need a kitchen and a dining car so you don’t rely on microwave meals. I say you need a dining car because if you’re having an actual meal, you need seats that aren’t leaning back too much. I wish there were more meal catering on trains but I get that it’s not eaten. How do Swiss railways with their onboard restaurant manage food prep?

 

[dk1]

It has to be remembered how heavy a catering trolley is and often for what could be quite a slight female member of staff. You simply cannot add any additional equipment such as for heating food. Unless there is an onboard shore supply for this it really is not practical or economical. Best to just stick to the best sellers as storage space is limited. You’re never going to please everybody and especially the minority as you’ll end up with so much waste making it even more loss making.

 

[Horizon22]

Best to just stick to the best sellers as storage space is limited. You’re never going to please everybody and especially the minority as you’ll end up with so much waste making it even more loss making.

And those who are more picky or want specific items will buy from the station / local vicinty before they board or bring stuff from home.

 

[dk1]

And those who are more picky or want specific items will buy from the station / local vicinty before they board or bring stuff from home.

Exactly. Like those with food intolerance issues. Unfortunately on a small scale it just cannot be catered for from a trolley.

 

[KHCT]

If you have a tiny amount of space for a limited range of products, you're going to go for popular items with a low risk of waste. Catering on a train (or plane) is about mass market appeal, not niches. I imagine many train catering operations lose money, so minimising the loss will be a priority.

 

[dk1]

If you have a tiny amount of space for a limited range of products, you're going to go for popular items with a low risk of waste. Catering on a train (or plane) is about mass market appeal, not niches. I imagine many train catering operations lose money, so minimising the loss will be a priority.

They almost always lose money.

 

[HSTEd]

You might be able to manage something like soup without major preservation, but anything more complex is going to be virtually impossible to deliver in the context of the British railway loading gauge.

Catering already tends to lose money given its enormous fixed costs and small customer base (on any given train).

 

[speedy1]

This country could do with the adoption of the healthy Dutch attitudes towards food: you don't need to shove a sausage roll or a sandwich or packet of crisps down your throat every 30 minutes

It will do us good to not snack graze and feast constantly. We can survive a 1 or 2 hour train journey without a snack, "healthy" or otherwise (yes yes there's a whole hoard of people just out of a 10 hour meeting who are just about to pass out etc etc which completely justifies the insane over provision of catering at stations... )

The trolleys could just have a good selection of fruit but I doubt it would sell well

 

[Trainbike46]

If you have a buffet or bar, with a fridge and a microwave, things like soups, Dahl, or chilli are good options to offer. While sealed (think pouch or tetrapak) and/or fridged (if in a pot) a shelf life of 1 week (fridged) to many months (tetrapak/pouch) is easily achievable, and they're really nice when microwaved hot. And it should be possible to keep wastage very low. Eurostar does in fact offer Dahl from their buffet.

I don't think it can be done from a trolley though!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Nov 2025 ==

Exactly. Like those with food intolerance issues. Unfortunately on a small scale it just cannot be catered for from a trolley.

Ideally you would offer some options for people with allergies or other dietary requirements, and it really isn't that hard, but does require a little thought.

Something as simple as deciding to stock the crisp brand that is gluten-free, rather than the one that isn't.

Or to bring an Irish example, stock northern Tayto (some of their most popular flavours are lactose-free and vegan) rather than southern Tayto (all flavours include milk).

 

[mrcheek]

Exactly. Like those with food intolerance issues. Unfortunately on a small scale it just cannot be catered for from a trolley.

I wonder how long it will be before some sort of law is passed mandating that all catering outlets must offer a full service, to accommodate those with allergies/intolerances.
Which would likely result in all catering being removed from all trains.

 

[dk1]

I wonder how long it will be before some sort of law is passed mandating that all catering outlets must offer a full service, to accommodate those with allergies/intolerances.
Which would likely result in all catering being removed from all trains.

The smaller operations anyway but yes, I imagine they’d get withdrawn.

 

[Brush 4]

Then the new law should state withdrawal of catering because of the new requirements is illegal....

 

[styles]

Is there a market for actual decent, fresh food on a trolley service? It seems that barring the odd First Class offering, most options on board a train are ultra processed rubbish that is wrapped in various bits of plastic.

I know there is the logistical problem to solve but would something like fresh soups, dhals, fruit, etc be achievable? Or is is just not worth it for the TOC? With the change in attitude to health and well being, especially from the younger generation, it may be popular.

GBR could run an ad' campaign in partnership with the NHS saying they are doing their bit!

I don't know how popular this would be in the UK but on the Indian and Pakistani railways you get people coming down serving bulk-made portions of food, like biryani. You sometimes don't get much choice beyond veg or non-veg, and you do have to wait for someone to come down rather than going to a buffet counter to get it on demand when you want it, but it is very popular. The food I had on their railways was absolutely delicious. And it would save a lot of catering staff time to just have a big pot of it made, portioned out, and sold as is instead of an extensive cooked to order menu. Hot, healthy, brought to your seat, and could be done cheaper as well.

It doesn't cater well to food intolerances and allergies but if you designed a menu to avoid the main allergens and intolerances that would resolve most of that issue.

I think the UK values choice too much. If you go into a supermarket and go to the veg aisle you'll find like 80 different types of bread. On a train especially you could really get away with just one type and a gluten free type. If you're a picky eater, bring your own food.

 

[dosxuk]

Then the new law should state withdrawal of catering because of the new requirements is illegal....

In which case the offering would be reduced to the lowest common denominator. Think non-flavoured crisps and bottled water.

Such a law is entirely hypothetical though. It's impractical to offer mass catering to all allergy sufferers from a common limited prep space.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Exactly. Like those with food intolerance issues. Unfortunately on a small scale it just cannot be catered for from a trolley.

It can very easily because all products are prepacked so cross contamination is impossible.

 

[dk1]

It can very easily because all products are prepacked so cross contamination is impossible.

Sorry I meant more in the way of limited space for stocking products.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Sorry I meant more in the way of limited space for stocking products.

It's fairly easy to find products that tick more than one box i.e. gluten, dairy, egg and nut free, so it's not hard to do at all. Add oat milk sachets as well as dairy and you're basically there. Having an allergy version of every product is probably not viable, but providing an option for all the major allergens in packaged food on a trolley is really, really easy in 2025 and not doing it is just lazy.

 

[greyman42]

This country could do with the adoption of the healthy Dutch attitudes towards food: you don't need to shove a sausage roll or a sandwich or packet of crisps down your throat every 30 minutes

It will do us good to not snack graze and feast constantly. We can survive a 1 or 2 hour train journey without a snack, "healthy" or otherwise (yes yes there's a whole hoard of people just out of a 10 hour meeting who are just about to pass out etc etc which completely justifies the insane over provision of catering at stations... )

The trolleys could just have a good selection of fruit but I doubt it would sell well

Completely agree. I think that some people eat on trains due to boredom and to pass the time. We just seem to live in an all day snacking society nowadays.

 

[Bletchleyite]

This country could do with the adoption of the healthy Dutch attitudes towards food:

The same Dutch who at most major stations have vending machines selling various deep fried snacks, you mean?

 

[Davester50]

In which case the offering would be reduced to the lowest common denominator. Think non-flavoured crisps and bottled water.

Just make sure the bottles are BPA free for the allergen sufferers!

 

[speedy1]

The same Dutch who at most major stations have vending machines selling various deep fried snacks, you mean?

The very same.

If you are attempting to imply the Dutch have the same attitude to and consumption habits of food in general as the Brits, you are ignorant of the Dutch. That's no "gotcha"

(No, I'm not Dutch)