favourite onboard catering offer

[Daimler]

I'm a great enthusiast for the 'proper' and traditional catering on the East Coast's Restaurant Cars. Its not just the great menus, fresh ingredients, fresh prepping and the presentation, but the dedicated and cheerful staff and proper cultlery and (oh, dear) the reasonable choice of wines.

I'm going to miss them and will try to get a few more if I can before they withdraw them at the end of May.

I would very much like to try the EC restaurant service, and I'll do my best to do so before it ends. However, until I do the best on train catering I've experienced is without a doubt that on WSMR, which was excellent.

 

[scotsman]

Cairngorm Hotel's onboard services on the Strathspey are second to none...I daresay the staff discount helps

 

[Blindtraveler]

Cairngorm Hotel's onboard services on the Strathspey are second to none...I daresay the staff discount helps

is the Sunday lunch worth it? Thinkin seriusly about treating my partner later in the year

 

[scotsman]

is the Sunday lunch worth it? Thinkin seriusly about treating my partner later in the year

Never had one, but the punters seem to love it and the Cairngorm Hotel is held in a very regard in Aveimore. I'd recommend it on the basis that it's a fantastic bargain for a return trip and a good meal at the same time.

There's three options for dining onboard

The Strathspey Clansman Only on the 1230 ex-Aviemore. Sundays from 27th March to 30th October and every Friday from 3rd June to 30th September.

Tickets £25 Sunday/£23 Friday


The Strathspey Highlander 1930 ex-Aviemore every Wednesday from 1st June to 31st August and every Friday from 3rd June to 26th August.

Tickets £33.50

Afternoon Tea 1445 ex-Aviemore Monday-Saturday.

Tickets: First Class £19.95, Country Class £17.95 <<< Note the difference in fares between classes!

While all the meals are served in reserved seats in the Dining Car, the Afternoon Teas are served in the refurbished 1st Class compartments when on 1st Class tickets (subject to maintanence) - I'd highly recommend that if you can't do the Sunday lunch

 

[Masbroughlad]

Great Central Dining Trains from Loughborough - 40th Birthday present - perfect!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Afternoon Tea 1445 ex-Aviemore Monday-Saturday.

Tickets: First Class £19.95

First class afternoon tea on the Strathspey is very special indeed - and a reasonable price too I'd say. Two of us had a comfortable, tartan upholstered compartment (1st class), linen cloths, china, silver coffee pots, sandwiches and cakes - superb!

 

[scotsman]

Great Central Dining Trains from Loughborough - 40th Birthday present - perfect!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


First class afternoon tea on the Strathspey is very special indeed - and a reasonable price too I'd say. Two of us had a comfortable, tartan upholstered compartment (1st class), linen cloths, china, silver coffee pots, sandwiches and cakes - superb!

It is, especially when there's 32 pax and nothing to do! Dive in there and leave Alan in peace in the Office! (For the record, I've not had any afternoon teas)

When did you go up on the SR?

 

[Masbroughlad]

It is, especially when there's 32 pax and nothing to do! Dive in there and leave Alan in peace in the Office! (For the record, I've not had any afternoon teas)

When did you go up on the SR?

We did it late September 2010 - on a beautiful, sunny early Autumn day.

 

[scotsman]

We did it late September 2010 - on a beautiful, sunny early Autumn day.

Go up in February (bit late now) and have a ride on the DMU - fantastic panoramic views

 

[silentone]

The fresh ingredients and freshly prepped meals onboard East Coast will remain after May. Just get yourself travelling First Class on a weekday. You will still get real crockery and real cutlery!

There are some good catering offers with East Coast, I'm not so sure about the recent price increases but overall the offers are still better value than buying individually onboard. There's also a lack of advertising for some offers - it seems whenever something changes the POP material seems to be forgotten. Not sure what they plan for May but really they should be gearing up for generating bigger sales from Standard Class.

I do wish they would get rid of the Walkers crisps, it's a unique retail environment and so it should present itself as such and revert to the likes of Pipers. You can get Walkers practically everywhere in the world!

 

[GodAtum]

Would dinner on the Orient Express count? :P

 

[185]

Working at GNER in 1996 was fun. During the empty run to Bradford Frosties Squares in the morning we would often turn coach G into an all-you-can-eat lardfest. By Doncaster, the service train would often run out of food or the hideously obese staff, myself included, would need a nap.

 

[Blindtraveler]

would love to do the orient, thats 2 of you now.

 

[island]

I rather liked Iarnród Éireann's Citygold Mixed Grill which was nixed when they outsourced catering in 2007 (?), even if it was just a rehash of breakfast plus a lamb chop and chips

 

[alloneword100]

My favourite train catering experience was the evening meal on the Orient Express...

Not an experience I'll get to repeat in the near future though. :cry:

Bet that was good! What did you have?

It was five years ago, so I'm afraid I can't remember the details. We've got the menu somewhere, but I can't find it. Apart from the fact that it was just fabulous, I do remember that it was a pretty full-on old-style French cuisine, never mind the calories sort of meal... The other thing I found gobsmacking was that, although there was very little choice on the menu, the waiter was clear that you could ask for more or less anything, and that if they had the ingredients they would make it! Quite a few people did order off-menu.

The other thing that sticks in my memory was the sight at Paris, when we pulled in at 8am the following morning, of the chef going through the crates of lobsters waiting for him on the platform, picking the ones he would accept, and which became part of our brunch a few hours later...

 

[RPI]

WSMR was the best, fillet steak on FGW pullman 2nd, FGW travelling chef stuff is pretty good aswell and also quite cheap. Worst is XC!

 

[DaveNewcastle]

The fresh ingredients and freshly prepped meals onboard East Coast will remain after May. Just get yourself travelling First Class on a weekday. You will still get real crockery and real cutlery!

Hmmm. At those prices?
I usually manage to find what tickets my fellow travellers are holding at 'my table' - all STD - and a few from surrounding tables often join in with a 'me too'.
Its just not going to happen. I and many others are very regular long distance travellers thanks to AP STD prices. I can NOT do that at £120 a trip (which seems to be the cheapest 1st AP for 'a working day'. I can do up to 3 NCL-KGX trips a week AND pay for a meal, at present AP prices. But it seems that there are lower quotas after 20/May. If I can't buy, I don't travel. And I don't eat with EC.)

But look, there's little point in this speculation about what the traveller and what the staff think is best. Time will tell. The new arrangement will either show a profit or a loss. And I predict a loss, simply because I believe the take-up will be lower. The onboard crew really will be able to promote and encourage more sales in 1st, but (and knowing some of the demographic currently dining on STD tix) they'll fail to entice upgrades from £110 STD OffPeak Return to £255 1st OffPeak Return with a meal.
Did we get that clearly? An extra £145 for a 'free meal'.

The arithmetic is so blindingly obvious that there seems to be only one conclusion. Set up the restaurant to fail so that when the franchise comes round for bidding, the incumbent can simply drop the nicely isolated loss-making cost-centre.
Designed to fail.

I really wish I was wrong - you don't know how passionately enthusiastic I am about evening dining between KGX and NCL, but sadly, very sadly, its so clear that its about to end.

There are some good catering offers with East Coast, I'm not so sure about the recent price increases but overall the offers are still better value than buying individually onboard.

. . . .
I do wish they would get rid of the Walkers crisps, it's a unique retail environment and so it should present itself as such and revert to the likes of Pipers.

Really?
I can't recall eating crisps for years and doubt I'm likely to. Nor anything else that stinks of long-life preservatives and 'flavourings'. Whatever name is on its bag's label.
Yes, I know that I'm in a fussy-eater minority, but then so are most people who're going to be enticed to eat a meal in an EC Restaurant - esp. at 1st Class prices!
- Fussy-eaters are the captive market of exclusive and expensive catering outlets. At those prices, EC First Class is an exclusive and expensive catering outlet.
- Crisp eaters are everywhere, all the time, in large numbers. Selling crisps doesn't require a great deal of catering training, qualification, experience nor customer-facing expertise.
The comparison is astonishing!

As for the alternatives offered to STD class pax:
I'm not particularly enthusiastic about EC's 'hot snacks'. They come out the grill as a homogenous goo of simultaneously heated preservatives, packaging and mush which might, in their recent past, have passed for kitchen ingredients. (though my palate doubts it).
I've also tried an at-seat pasta dish. I can't remember what it was called but the pasta had aquired a nice ageing property which made its texture similar to the, ahem, 'sauce'; the 'sauce' was a thick slime which was so red that it might perhaps have experienced proximity to a tomato during its past life with strong red colouring additives. Any herbage was invisible and must also have been processed into the goo; if it had ever been there.
Even worse, it was served on a panel of plastic which had also been heated and resembled a child's model kit of self-assembly parts which would have to be broken off before they could be re-assembled as plate, knife, fork and spoon.
Catering failure.
I've also tried a few panino (aka on EC as 'paninis'). The hot and cripsy cellophane was intimately bound with the ageing dough, and again, all ingredients had been nicely merged into a consistent chewy goo. At least the CSM had the decency to apologise before even offering it to me! He glanced shamefull downwards when he saw me coming on the next journey when that was all he was going to be able to offer!
Catering failure.
Doesn't it tell us something when the on-board professionals are embarassed by the offering?

I really can't for one moment see the current restaurant car pax are going to tolerate either the doubling of prices to qualify for a 'free meal' or accept the at-seat mono-texture mono-temerature and mono-flavour cellophane-wrapped preservative drenched anti-oxidant treated foul and sterile mulsh called 'on board snacks'. (The menu calls them paninis - don't know whose lack of catering knowledge allowed that double blunder of terminology!).

Come on. lets not pretend. EC Restaurant service is changing.
Downhill.
Terminally.

 

[Masbroughlad]

It's all a far cry from the days of two slices of white bread, margarine and some processed ham or a cheese square! If you were lucky - a few slices of sweaty tomato too! All washed down with a cup of MaxPax tea or 'coffee'!

Funny - that tasted good at the time! (Late 1970s?)

 

[Greenback]

I used to love the 1970's and early 1980's Travellers Fare egg sandwiches!

Mrs G is a big fan of Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, the cheeseboard and a bottle of Scottish Ale on the Highland Sleeper!

 

[Masbroughlad]

Mrs G is a big fan of Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, the cheeseboard and a bottle of Scottish Ale on the Highland Sleeper!

That sounds good! Only ever done the Riviera sleeper - must try the Highland Sleeper one day.

 

[Railjet]

I've also tried a few panino (aka on EC as 'paninis').... (The menu calls them paninis - don't know whose lack of catering knowledge allowed that double blunder of terminology!).

OT, but plural is panini (correct) or paninos (anglicised, but acceptable) but not panino nor paninis. Bravo

Funnily enough, while I have heard "panini" used, for other Italian foods everyone seems to use only the anglicised plural: pizzas (not pizze), pastas (not paste), probably because it's un-English to end a word with an "eh" sound.

 

[silentone]

Hmmm. At those prices?
I usually manage to find what tickets my fellow travellers are holding at 'my table' - all STD - and a few from surrounding tables often join in with a 'me too'.
Its just not going to happen. I and many others are very regular long distance travellers thanks to AP STD prices. I can NOT do that at £120 a trip (which seems to be the cheapest 1st AP for 'a working day'. I can do up to 3 NCL-KGX trips a week AND pay for a meal, at present AP prices. But it seems that there are lower quotas after 20/May. If I can't buy, I don't travel. And I don't eat with EC.)

But look, there's little point in this speculation about what the traveller and what the staff think is best. Time will tell. The new arrangement will either show a profit or a loss. And I predict a loss, simply because I believe the take-up will be lower. The onboard crew really will be able to promote and encourage more sales in 1st, but (and knowing some of the demographic currently dining on STD tix) they'll fail to entice upgrades from £110 STD OffPeak Return to £255 1st OffPeak Return with a meal.
Did we get that clearly? An extra £145 for a 'free meal'.

The arithmetic is so blindingly obvious that there seems to be only one conclusion. Set up the restaurant to fail so that when the franchise comes round for bidding, the incumbent can simply drop the nicely isolated loss-making cost-centre.
Designed to fail.

I really wish I was wrong - you don't know how passionately enthusiastic I am about evening dining between KGX and NCL, but sadly, very sadly, its so clear that its about to end.

Really?
I can't recall eating crisps for years and doubt I'm likely to. Nor anything else that stinks of long-life preservatives and 'flavourings'. Whatever name is on its bag's label.
Yes, I know that I'm in a fussy-eater minority, but then so are most people who're going to be enticed to eat a meal in an EC Restaurant - esp. at 1st Class prices!
- Fussy-eaters are the captive market of exclusive and expensive catering outlets. At those prices, EC First Class is an exclusive and expensive catering outlet.
- Crisp eaters are everywhere, all the time, in large numbers. Selling crisps doesn't require a great deal of catering training, qualification, experience nor customer-facing expertise.
The comparison is astonishing!

As for the alternatives offered to STD class pax:
I'm not particularly enthusiastic about EC's 'hot snacks'. They come out the grill as a homogenous goo of simultaneously heated preservatives, packaging and mush which might, in their recent past, have passed for kitchen ingredients. (though my palate doubts it).
I've also tried an at-seat pasta dish. I can't remember what it was called but the pasta had aquired a nice ageing property which made its texture similar to the, ahem, 'sauce'; the 'sauce' was a thick slime which was so red that it might perhaps have experienced proximity to a tomato during its past life with strong red colouring additives. Any herbage was invisible and must also have been processed into the goo; if it had ever been there.
Even worse, it was served on a panel of plastic which had also been heated and resembled a child's model kit of self-assembly parts which would have to be broken off before they could be re-assembled as plate, knife, fork and spoon.
Catering failure.
I've also tried a few panino (aka on EC as 'paninis'). The hot and cripsy cellophane was intimately bound with the ageing dough, and again, all ingredients had been nicely merged into a consistent chewy goo. At least the CSM had the decency to apologise before even offering it to me! He glanced shamefull downwards when he saw me coming on the next journey when that was all he was going to be able to offer!
Catering failure.
Doesn't it tell us something when the on-board professionals are embarassed by the offering?

I really can't for one moment see the current restaurant car pax are going to tolerate either the doubling of prices to qualify for a 'free meal' or accept the at-seat mono-texture mono-temerature and mono-flavour cellophane-wrapped preservative drenched anti-oxidant treated foul and sterile mulsh called 'on board snacks'. (The menu calls them paninis - don't know whose lack of catering knowledge allowed that double blunder of terminology!).

Come on. lets not pretend. EC Restaurant service is changing.
Downhill.
Terminally.

Clearly you've been misled on a number of things. The pasta you talk of I don't think is even on the menu and when it was this was actually a meal you could purchase in the EC restaurant. Most of the Restaurant menu & At Seat Menu (which is served in a plastic or cardboard container over the bar) actually share the same ingredients Oh but I forgot you're an amateur chef so you're the expert eh...

As for the comments on Crisps, the products stocked in any retail outlet have an impact on the overall impression that a person forms of the outlet. If the outlet is filled with cheap, common or generic brands/items then it's clear what the impression will be. If they outlet is stocked with a more unique brand i.e Pipers then the impression on quality and value will be improved.

Everyone harps on and on and on about Restaurant this and Restaurant that, but lets be honest it's been a dying horse for sometime. If it was as well used as much as people harp on about it then they wouldn't have been cut. Now I know you or someone else will come back with something about such and such a service is always busy and full leaving London or such and such a service was always busy back in the day. Things have changed.

There many things I could go into about your post but that would drag this way off topic as it has already. Your comments regarding ticket prices is also slightly misguided but ofcourse your the expert and my basic search of ticket prices for May 22nd doesn't blow holes in your ticket price line at all.

 

[FLHH East Anglia]

when the HST's first started you could get a basic,but........very tasty cheeseburger & chips
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
when the HST's first started you could get a basic,but........very tasty cheeseburger & chips

yes and i do mean in the late 70's

 

[Johnny Lewis]

Everyone harps on and on and on about Restaurant this and Restaurant that, but lets be honest it's been a dying horse for sometime. If it was as well used as much as people harp on about it then they wouldn't have been cut. .

Yes, this may well be true, but when I last used the restaurant car on one of only two trains between Plymouth and Paddington that still offers this facility, there was not an empty seat remaining in there! Although this may be an isloated incident, does it help to prove that there is still demand for a high-quality (albeit pricey) full dining facility served in a relaxed and unhurried manner?
The "evening meal" served on Virgin Trains is just incomparable to a full restaurant, and I fear that this is what we will end up with on East Coast - crap food served as quickly as possible.

 

[ian959]

Best in the UK was WSMR - had a superb lunch with them (the pate was to die for). Virgin is pretty good when the passenger count is low - had a very nice breakfast with them once.

In Australia The Indian Pacific can be a bit hit and miss but when it is a hit its very, very good (some exquisitely cooked Kangaroo fillet the highlight for me).

Off train Upper Crust is a godsend - some great baguettes at nice prices keep me going when in the UK. The cafe at Fort William station did a pretty good Scottish breakfast from memory. M&S Simply Food is damn good too.

 

[Blindtraveler]

as the thread starter please by all means go off topic and rant! You've just had me controlling my laughter on the bus ! although I döt use it much I too morn the downgrading of restaurants for all subject to availabilitty on ECML services and have to admit that the loss of this option and the lack of money for a first class tiket is, for me and many others the best advert for Easyjet and the ever faithful airport wetherspoons ever! FCC watch out, your Luton airport and Gatwick ridership is about to increas! We might be geetting faster trains come may, but that and the onboard service is aime at the business market until stelios goes bankrupt due to the cost of fuel then notmany leisure travelers, or at least not those who wish to eat something thats not a bag of crisps are going to pay dubble the money for a journey which at most times wil not be a great deal faster when they could pay half the cost for a flight and whilst at it chose anything from a burger and chips to an italian fresh pasta in the process. There are many arguments for taking your own food but its not always possibe. I must however compliment many tocs on there choice of qualitty booz these days, fabby!

On a different note, whats the first class offering on xc? do you get any hot food offered? Even if you have to pay?

 

[ainsworth74]

This and this are the current menus in first class on XC (they rotate them every week). From what I'm told it's microwaved gruel and not particularly nice gruel at that.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Clearly you've been misled on a number of things. The pasta you talk of I don't think is even on the menu and when it was this was actually a meal you could purchase in the EC restaurant.

Hmmm. I asked for one this evening, (over the counter and not in the restaurant, only because I wasn't in London today) and was served it. Here is what it looked like:

Left pictures taken as I began to eat, right picture after eating, with plastic dish slightly tilted to show how runny the stuff is.
Plastic 'bowl', plastic fork, plastic glass, and pale cream-coloured goo.

Your comments regarding ticket prices is also slightly misguided but ofcourse your the expert and my basic search of ticket prices for May 22nd doesn't blow holes in your ticket price line at all.

Prices taken from EC website for travel on 25th May (and have just checked again now) for travel NCL-KGX:
Super Off Peak Return (Standard) £110:70 (the cheapest STD return offered. Avantix ticket code SSR).
First class Off Peak Return £255:00 (the cheapest 1st return offered. Avantix ticket code BFR).
And my quote was

they'll fail to entice upgrades from £110 STD OffPeak Return to £255 1st OffPeak Return with a meal.
An extra £145 for a 'free meal'.

Where are holes being blown? (And please let me repeat, I strongly support EC onboard catering and crews, its the changes I'm concerned about).

Oh, and another thing, how come the new 'crew area' at the kitchen end with the new fridges becomes the guard's second office?

 

[premier01]

I recall a near empty VT service into Euston where they kept supplying us with food/wine and finally left us a bottle

Yes I think VT 1st are really good-friendly service and complimentary booze much appreciated after long day or week away with work! Although portion sizes less now-is there no on-board chefs on VT on the Evening Services.

What was the Intercity West Coast 1st Class service like in the late 80's and early 90's-was it silver service-better meals or same as VT-remember travelling in Standard as a child in those days and enjoying the burgers served from the buffet and even some of the sandwiches but the coffee was really good!

As for stations St. Pancras Champagne Bar has to be the best watching the Eurostars come in and out and also the Sir John Betjeman is good place to have relaxing drink.

In contrast KGX is not good-was there last week and there was nowhere to sit down and have lunch while waiting for train!


Has there ever been catering on Northern Trains-trolley service obviously-as there are some really long journeys there!

The XC catering should be brought up to standard of VT as it isn't good at all!

Does anyone recall a Burger King at Preston Station.

Also the bars and eating optionsat Manchester Piccadilly are good.

 

[Kneedown]

New EMT first class menu starting soon.

Freshly cooked, local produce at what seems a reasonable price, eg £4.95 for premium burger with wedges. Other options are a terrine with toasted bread, nacho's and cheese, home made soup and various other options.

Mrs K'down was selected to do the taste test and she gives it a big thumbs up (We are both blatant food snobs!)

 

[northofthesand]

Yes I think VT 1st are really good-friendly service and complimentary booze much appreciated after long day or week away with work! Although portion sizes less now-is there no on-board chefs on VT on the Evening Services.

What was the Intercity West Coast 1st Class service like in the late 80's and early 90's-was it silver service-better meals or same as VT-remember travelling in Standard as a child in those days and enjoying the burgers served from the buffet and even some of the sandwiches but the coffee was really good!

As for stations St. Pancras Champagne Bar has to be the best watching the Eurostars come in and out and also the Sir John Betjeman is good place to have relaxing drink.

In contrast KGX is not good-was there last week and there was nowhere to sit down and have lunch while waiting for train!


Has there ever been catering on Northern Trains-trolley service obviously-as there are some really long journeys there!

The XC catering should be brought up to standard of VT as it isn't good at all!

Does anyone recall a Burger King at Preston Station.

Also the bars and eating optionsat Manchester Piccadilly are good.

Yeah i remember a burger king at Preston it was next to the old bar always a good atmosphere in the bar with the jukie in the corner on a Saturday evening with a mixture of local soaks,spotters,and a few home bound footie fans and maybe a Scottish family on the way back from Blackpool