EMT First Class Food

[Essexman]

I enjoyed an excellent cheeseburger returning from Nottingham yesterday. Much better than I've had before. It was cooked in the oven not microwave and beautifully presented with potato wedges and salad.

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to name the First Class host who told me he cooked 'a mean burger' and persuaded me to try it, but he was a man who clearly has pride in his work.

It's a while since I've had anything other than a hot bagette on EMT. Was my good experience last night normal (no microwave) or was I just lucky?

 

[Yew]

Usually the burgers are good, although last time mind was a tad overdone. I generally go for the burger or the ploughmans

 

[tsr]

I enjoyed an excellent cheeseburger returning from Nottingham yesterday. Much better than I've had before. It was cooked in the oven not microwave and beautifully presented with potato wedges and salad.

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to name the First Class host who told me he cooked 'a mean burger' and persuaded me to try it, but he was a man who clearly has pride in his work.

If you were impressed with the service, and I personally would agree it can be impressive when you have good staff, I suggest you drop a note by email to EMT, perhaps with any suggestions you may want to include with your message.

On the other hand, if we now feel we have to publicly compliment a TOC for being able to supply a decent cheeseburger to a First Class passenger, it shows how standards may have slipped in general!

 

[pjnathanail]

I have had the cheeseburger a couple of times and been very pleased with it too, but considering it is only available in first class, is there not a case for it to be free like EC? The EMT FC complimentary offer leaves much to be desired (especially at weekends!!)

 

[richa2002]

We've seen what happens when food goes free on Virgin & East Coast though. Basically, you get what you're given and anything approaching a 'meal' is only served on selected trains in the evening. I would much rather pay a bit extra for something decent than something mediocre that I might not even like for free. I'd say that EMT offer the best consistent First Class food service of all the TOCs and their First Advance fares are often very reasonable too.

 

[Yew]

Emt's advance fares are usually a little cheaper than comparable EC fares. And remember from the most part, a mml journey will be 2 hours. Less chance of warranting food than a ECML jaunt.

 

[AlexS]

The food in First Class is generally pretty good and I think the prices are reasonable as well - you pay less than £5 for a meal except for breakfast I believe and it's well worth it. The 222s and HSTs both have a decent kitchen set up (not just microwaves) so it usually works quite well.

 

[trentside]

I'd agree that the EMT first class offering is great, especially considering the prices - the Cheeseburger is £4.50 and you'd pay far more in a pub or restaurant. I have to agree it's time the weekend service was expanded, I'm using it as I type and all I have is a poor quality cuppa courtesy of Rail Gourmet.

On the price - i'd much rather pay low prices for better quality and portions than receive a less satisfactory complimentary offer which lacks consistency.

 

[chuckles1066]

It's a while since I've had anything other than a hot bagette on EMT. Was my good experience last night normal (no microwave) or was I just lucky?

That particular menu includes Beef in Ale with Yorkshire Pudding so I would imagine that a conventional oven is readily available as YP probably doesn't work well in a microwave

 

[MCR247]

Emt's advance fares are usually a little cheaper than comparable EC fares. And remember from the most part, a mml journey will be 2 hours. Less chance of warranting food than a ECML jaunt.

Well on Nottingham - London East Coast are pretty much always cheaper than EMT despite there only being 1tph (well connection) on East Coast and 2tph on EMT

 

[ATW Alex 101]

.

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to name the First Class host

Why would you not be allowed?

 

[Essexman]

I've emailed EMT with my thanks, giving name of the host - Ross.

£4.95 for burger with wedges & salad is good value and in my view far better than the free but limited choice on East Coast & Virgin. I'd always rather pay to have what I want to eat. Just a shame that for standard class there's no hot food, although was a factor in my choice to go first - Getting home at 9pm after meetings I needed a meal on the way.

I've also taken the opportunity to mention to EMT that more often than not the trolley doesn't come through first class, which means that if you want for example Coke with a meal you either have to search for it down the train, or bring a drink with you (I've learned to do the latter).

 

[telstarbox]

Probably cheaper to buy Coke etc before you board anyway.

 

[bb21]

I'd agree that the EMT first class offering is great, especially considering the prices - the Cheeseburger is £4.50 and you'd pay far more in a pub or restaurant. I have to agree it's time the weekend service was expanded, I'm using it as I type and all I have is a poor quality cuppa courtesy of Rail Gourmet.

At least you got a cuppa. I have got nothing so far having come all the way from St Pancakes and have just passed Melton Mowbray. The trolley didn't even show up.

That said, in general I have been very impressed with EMT weekday offerings though. I agree that they are great value considering the price and I quite often treat myself to one of their meals, especially considering how cheap Advance First fares are if booked far enough ahead.

Weekends are a completely different story though unfortunately.

 

[scotsman]

I'd agree that the EMT first class offering is great, especially considering the prices - the Cheeseburger is £4.50 and you'd pay far more in a pub or restaurant. I have to agree it's time the weekend service was expanded, I'm using it as I type and all I have is a poor quality cuppa courtesy of Rail Gourmet.

Really? I'd have thought it depends on the quality of the burger - for roughly the same price I could go into quite a few pubs and get a drink and a cheese+bacon burger. Still, I suppose, it is onboard, so pretty good value?

 

[bb21]

Really? I'd have thought it depends on the quality of the burger - for roughly the same price I could go into quite a few pubs and get a drink and a cheese+bacon burger. Still, I suppose, it is onboard, so pretty good value?

I would say it was excellent. The burger was tasty and they use proper cheese, not the processed crap.

 

[wintonian]

I'm yet to find an EMT service that does food, having said that I refuse to use them these days - one of the reasons being that I generally prefer my coffee in a cup rather than my lap or over the table, and I have never got the WIFI to work to any usable standard.

I'm glad you enjoyed it though.

 

[trentside]

At least you got a cuppa. I have got nothing so far having come all the way from St Pancakes and have just passed Melton Mowbray. The trolley didn't even show up.

That's a poor showing - I had a trolley on both the St Pancras to Nottingham and the Nottingham to Lincoln trains, the latter beating a hasty retreat into First as a large crowd of revellers boarded at Nottingham.

I do think the weekday menu is great value - and I find the First Class hosts to be very pleasant as well, always very friendly and professional in my experience.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

We've seen what happens when food goes free on Virgin & East Coast though. Basically, you get what you're given and anything approaching a 'meal' is only served on selected trains in the evening. I would much rather pay a bit extra for something decent than something mediocre that I might not even like for free. I'd say that EMT offer the best consistent First Class food service of all the TOCs and their First Advance fares are often very reasonable too.

Yes I agree with that, good service on board and very good fares, (I saved about GBP 50.00) when I went to Yorkshire at Easter by travelling with MML/EMT & changing onto Cross Country at Sheffield onto York, 2 seperate tickets.)

 

[ainsworth74]

I'm yet to find an EMT service that does food

I think most of the MML services to/from St Pancras (apart from the Corby services) offer the hot food menu but you can check by looking at their timetable. One thing I've noticed though is that it isn't very well advertised on board, if you want something off the menu then you do, in my experience, have to directly ask for it, they won't offer it off their own bat.

one of the reasons being that I generally prefer my coffee in a cup rather than my lap or over the table,

Oh come on, I've had tea spilt all down my leg thanks to East Coast but I don't boycott them for it!

 

[fadge]

Probably cheaper to buy Coke etc before you board anyway.

Me too. I always find it cheaper / safer to use my regular dealer

 

[chuckles1066]

Really? I'd have thought it depends on the quality of the burger - for roughly the same price I could go into quite a few pubs and get a drink and a cheese+bacon burger. Still, I suppose, it is onboard, so pretty good value?

Well I think it's fair to say it's going to be of your frozen supermarket variety so the quality is always going to be so-so (unless it's one of the Asda Extra Special types in which case it's a no-lose situation).

I think it's pushing the bounds of credibility to expect a "made-from-scratch-how-would-you-like-it-cooked" burger on a mobile vehicle.

 

[trentside]

I think most of the MML services to/from St Pancras (apart from the Corby services) offer the hot food menu but you can check by looking at their timetable. One thing I've noticed though is that it isn't very well advertised on board, if you want something off the menu then you do, in my experience, have to directly ask for it, they won't offer it off their own bat.

I've actually only ever seen one crew proactively ask if anyone had food orders so it's definitely something you have to ask for. It does seem strange, especially as they already have the menus open on the correct page for the service.

 

[Essexman]

I estimate I'm asked about half the time if I want anything from the menu.

 

[MCR247]

For me, I've had to ask everytime

 

[calc7]

Sounds like the staff could have East Coast Syndrome - the phenomenon whereby East Coast First Class hosts are forthcoming with tea, coffee and sandwiches but will sometimes only mention the (complimentary) hot food on request - leaving novice London Enders jealous of the well-seasoned travellers tucking into their warm grub.

Possible causes are the extra effort required in preparing, serving and clearing the hot dishes.