BITE card

[ComUtoR]

I was told today that whilst the discount is decreasing to 10%, there'll be other promotions and offers instead. For example I was told at Upper Crust, buy a baguette and get a drink at discounted price, then the 10% overall discount.

Every Monday if you have an O2 phone Uppercrust Baguette, Walkers Crisps, Bottle of Coke... £1

Lets hope that Bite offers can match those that other providers can ... Offer.

 

[BlueFox]

Every Monday if you have an O2 phone Uppercrust Baguette, Walkers Crisps, Bottle of Coke... £1

Is that offer still on?

It was supposed to end in July.

 

[yorksrob]

If there's a Z in the month and you own a Ford Cortina and you hop up to the counter on one leg and place your order in Dutch, you may get a free tea.

 

[ComUtoR]

Is that offer still on?

It was supposed to end in July.

Still on. Same with Dominos and Pumpkin. Mondays only.

If there's a Z in the month and you own a Ford Cortina and you hop up to the counter on one leg and place your order in Dutch, you may get a free tea.

Considering this thread is about discounted food and Drink as well as the every increasing prices of getting snack in London I hardly see that as being relevant.

Discounts exist because people balk at paying such high prices. Sadly because retailers are always offering a discount, prices artificially inflate. Personally I would prefer if it was more reasonable in the first place. Look at the popularity of a certain Burger chain..

There are plenty of sources for "Discounts" on food and numerous discount codes and "offers" on a plethora of websites. With the Bite Card reducing their discount and moving to special offers they may find people go elsewhere.

When people go elsewhere they have to use offers more to entice trade. Causing the additional problem of people only shopping there when its discounted.

 

[Greenback]

The comment is very relevant as it illustrates how some offers, perhaps very much like the ones that SSP are planning to introduce, will be difficult to obtain, highly focused at one consumer sector, and quite limited in terms of what it will be applied to.

I make no comment as to whether that will be more effective than an across the board discount for the retailer, but it certainly isn't for me. Or, I suspect, many other customers.

In that respect, I suspect that you are correct to say that many will go elsewhere. and I wouldn't rule out the discount rate being increased if this move backfires on SSP.

 

[yorksrob]

Indeed. My post was aimed squarely at SSP, not any of the posters on here

 

[Greenback]

Yes, I thought it was very apposite!

 

[Techniquest]

I haven't bought a baguette from Upper Crust in years, but such an offer of a free drink when buying a baguette isn't enough for me I'm afraid.

Given that I use my Bite Card for almost exclusively coffee purchases (I highly doubt I've got anything else with it since the new cards came out but there's always an outside chance), it would take some doing to come up with an offer worth using.

Never mind, I'll simply change my shopping habits and make more use of the discount I get at work. Cans of Rockstar will be stocked up on ready for trips in future, 90p for one of those is far cheaper than a coffee at £2.07 (medium Americano in my local Pumpkin), plus it'll help boost sales at my workplace which'll help keep the bosses happy!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Aye, noticed a while back Upper Crust baguettes are now well in excess of £4 in some instances. There would have to be literally no other catering facilities for a mile before I shelled out for that!

 

[Techniquest]

Many moons ago it was a tradition for me to get a baguette on any trip upon arrival in Newport's Upper Crust. Sadly they started messing with my favourites in Upper Crust so I stopped bothering.

The failure to tell me there was a massive amount of egg in one once was the final straw!

 

[HarleyDavidson]

Well you can get a meal deal at Boots (£3 for sarnie, crisps or sweet & drink), occasionally you can get a similar offer at M&S Simply Food every so often.

I tend to use Costa or Nero for coffee most of the time, although if time is pushed I will use Upper Crust.

 

[Greenback]

I haven't bought a baguette from Upper Crust in years, but such an offer of a free drink when buying a baguette isn't enough for me I'm afraid.

Baguettes were my favourite purchases at Upper Crust. I liked the crusty bread which usually tasted very fresh, and preferred them to pre made sandwiches at other outlets.

With the 20% discount I could justify buying them. Now I can't. Simple.

Given that I use my Bite Card for almost exclusively coffee purchases (I highly doubt I've got anything else with it since the new cards came out but there's always an outside chance), it would take some doing to come up with an offer worth using.

My sentiments exactly.

Never mind, I'll simply change my shopping habits and make more use of the discount I get at work. Cans of Rockstar will be stocked up on ready for trips in future, 90p for one of those is far cheaper than a coffee at £2.07 (medium Americano in my local Pumpkin), plus it'll help boost sales at my workplace which'll help keep the bosses happy!

I think that is a more likely outcome for SSP's initiative than a sudden rush to their outlets in response to an occasional offer. I'll be changing my habits to avoid on station retailing.

Aye, noticed a while back Upper Crust baguettes are now well in excess of £4 in some instances. There would have to be literally no other catering facilities for a mile before I shelled out for that!

Indeed. Taking 20% makes it more palatable, but taking 10% still leaves it above what I consider value for money.

Many moons ago it was a tradition for me to get a baguette on any trip upon arrival in Newport's Upper Crust. Sadly they started messing with my favourites in Upper Crust so I stopped bothering.

The failure to tell me there was a massive amount of egg in one once was the final straw!

The last time I went to Upper Crust I struggled to find a filling I wanted. I think I ended up not buying anything, which is a first for me as prior to that a baguette and a rail journey had become something of a tradition since I sampled my first cheese and pickle in London in 1993.

Well you can get a meal deal at Boots (£3 for sarnie, crisps or sweet & drink), occasionally you can get a similar offer at M&S Simply Food every so often.

I tend to use Costa or Nero for coffee most of the time, although if time is pushed I will use Upper Crust.

I'll probably check out more independent local retailers - if I have the time, anyway. Local bakeries and deli's will probably provide the nearest approximation to what I used to enjoy at Upper Crust, and there's plenty of ways of researching these in advance nowadays.

 

[davetheguard]

For some time now my choice of baguette at Upper Crust has been driven not by the filling, but by the cost. So I get the cheaper cheese & tomato or egg & tomato; and that's with the 20% discount.

Now that they're about to reduce the discount, and make them even more expensive, I think I'll be like Greenback, and look elsewhere.

I don't mind paying a premium for quality, but I don't like feeling I'm being ripped off; some of those Upper Crust baguettes are just at silly prices, and they often seem to have got smaller too.

 

[ess]

Discounts are a very clever physological ploy. Put prices high enough that some people will pay them, but many will feel they are so high that they're not paying that much. Then offer a discount which reduces the price, but is still higher than some customers might have been prepared to pay. Now the customer will pay the reduced rate thinking they got a bargain.

But really the final price after discount was more than the customer would have paid if that was the listed price, but they're prepared to pay it because they think it's a worthwhile discount.

 

[Greenback]

I don't mind paying a premium for quality, but I don't like feeling I'm being ripped off; some of those Upper Crust baguettes are just at silly prices, and they often seem to have got smaller too.

You could be right. They seem to be narrower!

The tuna baguettes I used to enjoy in the late 1990's seemed massive, and I was very full after eating one. These days their baguettes seem to be easily eaten even accompanied by crisps!

 

[Techniquest]

You could be right. They seem to be narrower!

The tuna baguettes I used to enjoy in the late 1990's seemed massive, and I was very full after eating one. These days their baguettes seem to be easily eaten even accompanied by crisps!

I did have a more detailed reply, but due to dealing with an incident of my own fault at home I've now lost it

I concur the baguettes used to be massive, would take ages to eat and you didn't need anything else for a good few hours afterwards, especially if you had a drink to help fill you up as well.

If I'm on my bash tomorrow I'll be visiting Pumpkin for the last time with my decent discount, which'll then mark the end of at least one tradition

Oh well, Morrisons, Asda and Costa (not the Costa in Hereford city centre though, they've gone awful!), possibly even Caffe Nero will gain extra business from me, as will on-board catering until it too is removed (as it is on SET sadly). Unless of course SSP reverse their decision in a few months time...

 

[Greenback]

I'm sure I had a tuna and lettuce baguette in 1999 that it took me until halfway to Hastings to finish!

 

[Tom B]

Upper Crust have gone a little tackier in recent years - I've noticed a few times I've been told baguettes which have a sticker proclaiming they were made about 8 hours ago, contrary to their adverts about being fresh etc. As others have said the loss of this discount will drive regular rail users (who use it) away to other outlets which at major stations there is a selection of. Tourists and occasional users who wouldn't have a bitecard aren't affected.

 

[JaJaWa]

Seems like the O2 offer isn't going anywhere - hours were extended at Pumpkin from 11-3pm to 10-4pm from last week. (Not that the staff at Leeds believed their own publicity, came in at 3:30pm and the offer wasn't put through until 2 managers and 45 minutes later, by which time it wouldn't actually go through the till.)

 

[davetheguard]

You could be right. They seem to be narrower!

The tuna baguettes I used to enjoy in the late 1990's seemed massive, and I was very full after eating one. These days their baguettes seem to be easily eaten even accompanied by crisps!

and sometimes they're shorter too; like they've been cut in half, but the price stays the same!

 

[Greenback]

I think they are shorter, too, but I am sure they are narrower than they used to be!

 

[bnm]

BiTE discount still at 20% in Bonapartes Bar, Bristol Temple Meads.

 

[dave87016]

BiTE discount still at 20% in Bonapartes Bar, Bristol Temple Meads.

All station bars where BITE cards are valid will remain at 20% discount its the food outlets e.g Upper Crust, Pumpkin Burger King etc that are reducing the discount to 10% from 1st October

 

[Techniquest]

And the prices have gone up! My Americano pre-discount was £2.50 the other day, it's now £2.60 so my final large Americano from my local Pumpkin was £2.08 today. £1.92 for my final medium Americano from Pumpkin Cardiff.

Cheeky SSP...

 

[306024]

Upper Crust at Liverpool St had reduced the discount to 0% last Friday due to till malfunction, but they were doing everything possible to rectify the problem. Two days later everything possible hadn't worked, still 0% discount

I offered to work out the 20% discount in my head, but just got a blank look and was told computer says no.

 

[F Great Eastern]

I must admit I like the Liverpool Street branch, crew there totally know how to deal with a larage number of customers happily and efficiently

On the subject of Upper Crust, it is a shame to see stores in Towns as opposed to cities converting to Pumpkin, which for me is a far less attractive and less fresh offer.

Has there been some kind of large increase in rents for retail spaces, since the number of SSP outlets that have closed, rebranded to a cheaper to run brand as well as the discount reduction and price increases suggests something has happened.

If you think that Upper Crust has gone downhill in the UK, you should see what has happened to the Dublin branch. Previously it used to offer the same range as UK, but now they're using generic, much smaller baguettes and only putting two fillings in them. And they've removed the three hour promise. It used to offer something unique in Dublin Airport, now it's just your average sandwich shop with a hefty price tag.

 

[Be3G]

And they've removed the three hour promise.

Which used to be two hours, 'til some cutbacks several years ago. Although on more than one occasion I was served an out-of-time (or nearly so) baguette so it seems they struggled with the two hour threshold.

 

[davetheguard]

Due to a combination of factors, including being on holiday abroad, I've not had cause to use my Bite card at all so far in October; which is unusual, I normally use it five or six times a month.

I assume they've gone ahead and reduced the discount?

Having got this far, it's slightly tempting to stop using it completely........

 

[HarleyDavidson]

Yep. I got an email saying the discount has gone from 20% to 10%, so now I tend to avoid buying coffee and carry a flask with extremely hot water (use the depot kettle!) and use that instead. It's cheaper and easier.

I might use it if I use the train for leisure purposes, which isn't very often as I have a dislike of travelling by train, especially when I have to drive the wretched things for a living. The only time I do is to see a couple of friends in the West or in the North West, other than that I keep away from them.

 

[F Great Eastern]

Ipswich Upper Crust now Pumpkin too, been Upper Crust for about 15 years