BITE card

[HarleyDavidson]

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

Sounds like a bad fairytale.

 

[jon0844]

Sounds like a bad fairytale.

Did they change at midnight?

Sadly with the change and the reduction in discount, it seems this time there will be no happy ending.

 

[Class377]

I still feel like a lot of the responses on here are "sour grapes" rather than a real business problem for SSP.

In a lot of cases, a coffee or a sandwich won't be more than £3 so an extra 30p every now and again isn't the end of the world - bear in mind the vast majority of passengers don't have a discount anyway!

 

[yorksrob]

I still feel like a lot of the responses on here are "sour grapes" rather than a real business problem for SSP.

In a lot of cases, a coffee or a sandwich won't be more than £3 so an extra 30p every now and again isn't the end of the world - bear in mind the vast majority of passengers don't have a discount anyway!

Sour grapes it may be, but fortunately SSP's monopoly is being increasingly broken at major stations. Passengers will soon learn when they are being overcharged and act accordingly.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

I still feel like a lot of the responses on here are "sour grapes" rather than a real business problem for SSP.

In a lot of cases, a coffee or a sandwich won't be more than £3 so an extra 30p every now and again isn't the end of the world - bear in mind the vast majority of passengers don't have a discount anyway!

So what stations have you been travelling through then? A coffee at Waterloo is just under the £3 now, I can go to Costa & get it for £2.38!

A sandwich under £3? I don't think so unless you want something with cheap & nasty fillings, in which case I'll go to Boots & buy 2 for £2 or 1 decent for £2.25 and get advantage points & money off through the coupons I have. You can get a meal deal for £3 there.

It's now a £5'er for a large pasty! Err, that's one hell of a markup, when you consider the ingredients cost around about £1.25 & cooking it costs about 50p.

Thank gawd there's a JS Metro & M&S Food2Go outside Waterloo, plus Chicken Cottage shops & Chippy's outside too.

Sorry, but I am not being made a mug of & as I have stated before I now take a flask of scalding hot water + tea, coffee & hot chocolate with me to save money. Their loss, my gain.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Indeed, if I ever feel a bit peckish travelling about nowadays I normally have a wander outside of the station for a couple of minutes to find a supermarket or similar. I'll happily pay a bit over the odds sometimes to support an independent retailer but I flat-out refuse to pay what most SSP / national outlets charge for food.

 

[Butts]

Indeed, if I ever feel a bit peckish travelling about nowadays I normally have a wander outside of the station for a couple of minutes to find a supermarket or similar. I'll happily pay a bit over the odds sometimes to support an independent retailer but I flat-out refuse to pay what most SSP / national outlets charge for food.

I think SSP are shooting themselves in the foot as unlike Airports they do not have a captive market.

 

[A1]

It seems BITECard had big problems today. Tried using at Paddington early today, and the system was not working. Was given the discount as cash separately.

Tonight at charing cross, same issue... No discount.

 

[jon0844]

Ah, that explains it.

I tried to use my card at Tottenham Hale on 2 chocolate bars (total £2.18 I think) and got 0% discount.

Okay, so 10% of £2.18 wasn't exactly much - but he thought there might now be a minimum spend.

I paid up anyway, even though paying more than £2 for two chocolate bars is crazy even with a 20% discount. When did they suddenly get so expensive?!

 

[Be3G]

Blimey, that's pricey. You'd have probably been better off using the little newsagent-type-shop in the Victoria Line concourse. (Unless that's disappeared during all the station works? I don't use the station as much I used to these days.)

 

[Chrism20]

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

Back in the day when Compass owned SSP they set up UC as a separate entity and the units were then charged a franchise fee (2001 IIRC) so UC is probably still owned by compass even though SSP isn't.

Could it be there was an agreement in place at the time of the sale and that they had to keep the brand and pay the franchise for a set period of time? How long has it been since Comoass sold SSP?

This could explain the closures and rebrands

 

[causton]

Rarely use my BITE card anymore apart from the nam-po noodles at Paddington and Euston as they are very nice, and if I'm walking my dog around the Pasty Shop/Upper Crust is about the only place I can use in Kings Cross without leaving her outside!

 

[jon0844]

Blimey, that's pricey. You'd have probably been better off using the little newsagent-type-shop in the Victoria Line concourse. (Unless that's disappeared during all the station works? I don't use the station as much I used to these days.)

Yes it's still there. I will use it next time!

 

[DelayRepay]

I paid up anyway, even though paying more than £2 for two chocolate bars is crazy even with a 20% discount. When did they suddenly get so expensive?!

That's nearly as expensive as WH Smith!

 

[F Great Eastern]

Back in the day when Compass owned SSP they set up UC as a separate entity and the units were then charged a franchise fee (2001 IIRC) so UC is probably still owned by compass even though SSP isn't.

Could it be there was an agreement in place at the time of the sale and that they had to keep the brand and pay the franchise for a set period of time? How long has it been since Comoass sold SSP?

This could explain the closures and rebrands

For the last five years or so a few of the Upper Crust stores in Towns that have seating areas have been dual branded with Pumpkin, so that could be related, but they've always still offered the full upper crust range.

To be honest I'm not a fan of Pumpkin, at least Upper Crust provided generally fresh ingredients and some nice combinations. Pumpkin is more based on factory pre-packed products.

I'm not going to pay the same price for a pre-packed Ginsters sandwich as I paid for a fresh well filled warm baguette when I can get a pre-packed sandwich from many shops so SSP lose my business.

 

[jon0844]

That's nearly as expensive as WH Smith!

On the plus side, I didn't get weighed down with vouchers or delayed as I had to say no to other discounted chocolate being offered to me!

 

[Butts]

How long before a Poundland opens at a Station, that would really be an interesting development

 

[mirodo]

My local SSP-run Starbucks is
a) Still accepting the Bite card in what appears to be contrary to company policy, and
b) is still giving a 20% discount (as of this morning).

 

[sarahj]

Funny thing is, back in the day, some stations had a staff canteen. (london bridge for one). But these were closed down to save money. When I started on the railway we were given a bite card instead. Now what we have are vending machines full of chocolate and crisps. and 10% off at Burger King with a bite card. Some other outlets give 10% of to on duty staff, with the exception of M&S simply food which gives nothing to know one. Nothing worse for your health than sitting in a messroom at 23.00 in a small station with a vending machine full of choc and crisps and the only thing outside is the local kebab shop.

 

[Class 170101]

Must also cost the train operators more in the long run through sick days and long term absence through poorly drivers - after all we are all being told by the Department of Health that as a country we are getting 'bigger' with all the health issues that causes.

 

[F Great Eastern]

Upper Crust now appear to have also abandoned their three hour promise in all UK stations. It's now four hours and I'm sure they've got rid of some of the more expensive to make varieties as well.

I spoke to someone who worked in one branch and they seemed to think that there had been some increase in costs not under their control.

So in the last few months we've seen in SSP outlets
- Prices have gone up
- Discount reduced
- Freshness reduced
- Varieties cut back
- Stores closed
- Stores converted to cheaper outlets.
- Loyalty Cards cut back

Has there been any big rent increase across stations to retailers, since that is the impression I am starting to get, since to see all those things happen at once would suggest that it's not something that has been done just for the sake of it, more so that they've had some kind of cost pressures.

 

[JaJaWa]

Upper Crust now appear to have also abandoned their three hour promise in all UK stations. It's now four hours and I'm sure they've got rid of some of the more expensive to make varieties as well.

I spoke to someone who worked in one branch and they seemed to think that there had been some increase in costs not under their control.

So in the last few months we've seen in SSP outlets
- Prices have gone up
- Discount reduced
- Freshness reduced
- Varieties cut back
- Stores closed
- Stores converted to cheaper outlets.
- Loyalty Cards cut back

Has there been any big rent increase across stations to retailers, since that is the impression I am starting to get, since to see all those things happen at once would suggest that it's not something that has been done just for the sake of it, more so that they've had some kind of cost pressures.

I've also experienced minimum card payments where I haven't before. Maybe Network Rail are trying to force them out - if you look at the recent NR station refurbishments, SSP have become far less prominent choices.

 

[ainsworth74]

I've also experienced minimum card payments where I haven't before. Maybe Network Rail are trying to force them out - if you look at the recent NR station refurbishments, SSP have become far less prominent choices.

I've been wondering about that. Take Kings Cross for example are there any SSP outlets there?

 

[Mojo]

I've been wondering about that. Take Kings Cross for example are there any SSP outlets there?

There is an Upper Crust and a The Pasty Shop.

SSP website says they franchise some Starbucks shops but no idea if the one at Kings + is or not. M&S Simply Food also tend to be SSP when on stations, but I've never shopped there.

 

[Chrism20]

I've been wondering about that. Take Kings Cross for example are there any SSP outlets there?

Uppercrust and Pasty Shop which is effectively one unit tbh.

Are the M&S and Starbucks company owned or franchised by SSP?

Other than that I don't think there are any others, can't say I miss them tbh.

 

[ainsworth74]

There is an Upper Crust and a The Pasty Shop.

Where? I've not noticed them before...

 

[Mojo]

Where? I've not noticed them before...

Next to the information booth at concourse level.

 

[ainsworth74]

Next to the information booth at concourse level.

Ahh yeah now I remember them! I think I'm normally so focused on dodging traffic and getting to the upper level I've not consciously seen them in ages.

 

[DarloRich]

Where? I've not noticed them before...

down yon end near them suburban platforms - you know the bit the decent trains avoid

 

[jon0844]

It's easy to miss when there's a hologram shouting at you to use the elevators (as marked with floor stickers that say lifts for the benefit of those looking for said elevators)...