East Coast May 2011 catering "improvements"

[silentone]

I think they are planning around that. I'm sure they already trialled an Evening service, evening services which have a Chef from May will actually have a 3 course meal on the menu as the complimentary offer. This includes a starter (prepared by the crew), the chef then prepares the main followed by a dessert.

The service I'm thinking of, is mainly used by First Class passengers and only one or two Standard passengers lost out.

 

[amcluesent]

>I can't really add anymore to this as there are many idea's going around from colour coding etc.<

Why not have customers wear armbands?

As an FC customer on EC, this is transparently a silly idea and the '60 min' rule will get scrapped after causing a great deal of bad feeling and ill-will between EC and their top-paying customers.

Let's be realistic, KGX-PBO evening commuters aren't en mass going to asking for 3-course meals when they will be sitting down with the family at home. Sure, we''ll go for a glass of wine, but that's what 30p at wholesale prices?

Equally, PBO-KGX leg on an Edinburgh service, we know the sarnies will be binned on arrival from having been out the fridge too long, so why not give them out.

I can just see the trolley crawling down the carriage -

"Wine?"
"Yes"
"Are you from Peterborough"
"Yes"
"A water from the tap here!"
"WTF!"

 

[silentone]

I'm sure I've already posted about the drinks and Peterborough passengers. No-one expects these passengers to want a 3 course meal, and from what I've seen it's very rare these passengers take anything other than a biscuit etc. I've known a few have a bacon toastie.

I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens but I can't imagine this 60 minute rule being scrapped. I guess every crew will work differently some might just issue everyone with anything available, but sadly the Peterborough masses are going to have to face the reality that this is how it is going to be. I'm sure people here will exaggerate the matter more than it actually needs to be! I'd say the poster above is from Peterborough!

To re-iterate, EC are to focus on the core nature of their business: Long Distance Travel.

There is due to be a big media hoo-haa kicking off shortly as the marketing for May 22nd begins next week I think.

 

[Daimler]

I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens but I can't imagine this 60 minute rule being scrapped. I guess every crew will work differently some might just issue everyone with anything available, but sadly the Peterborough masses are going to have to face the reality that this is how it is going to be. I'm sure people here will exaggerate the matter more than it actually needs to be! I'd say the poster above is from Peterborough!

Probably - making their dissatisfaction all the more justified, in my view.

As it happens, I travelled in the East Coast restaurant for the first time on Tuesday evening...gosh, it was good - I had guinea fowl quite the equal of that which I enjoyed in an excellent restaurant a few weeks ago.

 

[philjo]

I also enjoyed the Guinea fowl last night on my journey home from York. And good value as I had purchased one of the EC catering vouchers from York ticket office.
Unfortunately no bread & butter pudding left but I was pretty full after the main course so not a big problem.
The restaurant was fairly busy - I think 3 of us joined at York & a couple of groups already eating.

 

[Essexman]

I've always wanted to have dinner going through the Highlands, so with the end of restaurants & proper at-seat dining I've booked on the Chieftan to Inverness in a couple of weeks. I'll be in Glasgow for a work meeting, so will board at Stirling, then get the sleeper back to London from Inverness.

Can I expect food to still be available at Stirling all are they likely to have sold out of most options by then (I don't know if they re-stock at Edinburgh?).

Just to let you know, I enjoyed ham, egg & chips passing Pitlochry and bread & butter pudding at Dalwhinnie. Both excellent. Staff efficient & friendly as usual but still unable to say what the service will be after 22nd May. They thought there will still be a chef on the northbound Chieftan from Edinburgh as one will be needed to make breakfast going south.

 

[silentone]

They are waiting to find out if the Inverness service will be serving an evening meal. It looks extremely likely it will be having the Afternoon Tea offer.

 

[Blindtraveler]

be a little sad if the inverness loses evening meal, its just thatbit to early departing and too late ariving for dinner. Quite apart from anything else its the best train of the day as its NOT an overloaded 170 who's trollie sold the last sandwitch just after ladybank!

 

[ApAp]

Was surprised to see that the wine glasses and long glasses are being replaced with tumblers.

I had a lovely meal in the restaurant but the glasses had been already replaced and the tumbler cheapens the experience.

 

[387star]

Sorry are East Coast retaining buffets or do they use trolleys now? Surely trolleys do not have the same range of stock. Are they copying EMT on this?

 

[ainsworth74]

EC are withdrawing the restaurant from their services (those few that still have it rather than at-seat dining) and instead offering complimentary food to all first class passengers (who are on board for more than an hour). The buffet will remain open and trolleys will still be on board (but on a reduced number of services), the EC catering changes are nothing at all like EMTs.

 

[Blindtraveler]

And thank goodness! I'm saddened by the number of long distance trains which now just offer trolley service to all but first class and unles you get a good deal, it puts the aircraft back in the leed as whilst wating you can get a decent meal and a pint. My own opinion only!

 

[silentone]

Was surprised to see that the wine glasses and long glasses are being replaced with tumblers.

I had a lovely meal in the restaurant but the glasses had been already replaced and the tumbler cheapens the experience.

At first glance it appears that way, but actually once all of the new equipment and crockery is together it actually looks okay, and so far not many have even mentioned the tumblers as a problem - many know it's what you get with the airlines.

They also put and end to the problems we have with wine glasses tipping over & breaking whenever they're tapped. Wine glasses also don't fit in the carts that will be loaded and unloaded from every train to get washed.

 

[ApAp]

At first glance it appears that way, but actually once all of the new equipment and crockery is together it actually looks okay, and so far not many have even mentioned the tumblers as a problem - many know it's what you get with the airlines.

They also put and end to the problems we have with wine glasses tipping over & breaking whenever they're tapped. Wine glasses also don't fit in the carts that will be loaded and unloaded from every train to get washed.

The glass you get on your tray with BA Club Europe seems the ideal size for wine and those little bottles of Champagne that they offer. These aren't proper wine glasses as they don't have the long stem (so avoids the tipping over and storage problems). It might be good for East Coast to look at these for serving wine.

I'm pretty sure BA also had larger glasses if you wanted a beer or soft drink.

 

[amcluesent]

As EC are apparantly not limiting the drink (unless you're stotious), you could bring your own large wine glass into FC...

 

[silentone]

The glass you get on your tray with BA Club Europe seems the ideal size for wine and those little bottles of Champagne that they offer. These aren't proper wine glasses as they don't have the long stem (so avoids the tipping over and storage problems). It might be good for East Coast to look at these for serving wine.

I'm pretty sure BA also had larger glasses if you wanted a beer or soft drink.

Again the new carts have a limited space on each shelf and pretty much the height of these new glasses and the current mugs are the height available on each shelf. There will also be a considerable amount of crockery onboard each train so really space is very limited.

 

[ApAp]

Again the new carts have a limited space on each shelf and pretty much the height of these new glasses and the current mugs are the height available on each shelf. There will also be a considerable amount of crockery onboard each train so really space is very limited.

Got any pictures of the new crockery? They were still using the 'National Express' plates in the restaurant.

Back in GNER times things looked a lot more stylish, the crest on the glasses showed it was a company that cared about detail, the uniform was so much nicer too.

Still I'll reserve judgement until the new product is launched. I can't think of any train operator that tries to be stylish anymore so let's just hope the food and drink selection is good.

http://www.mediacentre.eastcoast.co...st-Coast-restaurant-set-for-breakfast-66.aspx

 

[YorkshireRider]

the uniform was so much nicer too.

Apart from the awful summer dresses the girls had and the hideous male waistcoats

 

[Anon Mouse]

Apart from the awful summer dresses the girls had and the hideous male waistcoats

I dunno, I always thought those dresses were pretty sexy

 

[silentone]

I've seen a few new types of cutlery around, although I didn't think that was changing but these new one's have a more square shaped end and are marginally smaller, it might just be a change of supplier.

The new plates are oval shaped and the same colour as the current crockery, they are also smaller & lighter and of a more normal size compared to the current plates. The new mugs are a larger size of the old GNER cups and are the same colour as they are now, there won't be saucers for the cups but there will be a saucer for the sugar bowl so passengers can put their used teaspoon on it to help keep the tables cleaner.

The new crockery will not be placed onboard until May. Only the glasses are onboard as there is no storage space for the old style on the new refurbished sets.

Onboard staff will now be responsible for actually cleaning the tables during a journey. At present they only have to clear tables and ISS cleaning staff clean the tables at the terminating station/depot.

 

[Skimble19]

Got any pictures of the new crockery? They were still using the 'National Express' plates in the restaurant.

Back in GNER times things looked a lot more stylish, the crest on the glasses showed it was a company that cared about detail, the uniform was so much nicer too.

Still I'll reserve judgement until the new product is launched. I can't think of any train operator that tries to be stylish anymore so let's just hope the food and drink selection is good.

http://www.mediacentre.eastcoast.co...st-Coast-restaurant-set-for-breakfast-66.aspx

Check the picture carefully, you'll see thats not a National Express East Coast set at all.. it's from GNER.. judging by the file title its from the day of the "breakfast launch".. not sure when, but it's definitely GNER.

 

[YorkshireRider]

If the date of oct 2006 is correct then yes it will be GNER. The cups and side plates are defo old GNER but these were used for a while when NX took over before being replaced