FGW First Class

[khib70]

Am off on an Edinburgh-Truro jaunt on Monday 2nd Dec - via London, FC all the way. (That's my Senior Railcard paid for - but a no-brainer for a trip that length, and probably cheaper than torturing myself on XC for nine hours).

I'm familiar (and very happy) with EC FC travel, but what do those in the know advise for the Paddington-Truro leg (1506 ex Padd). Should I stock up on eatables beforehand, or is what's available on board worth having? I'm a bit confused after reading the FGW website as to what comes free and what has to be paid for, but I'm more than willing to cough up the readies if it's worth it.

TIA for any tips and advice!

 

[CardiffKid]

Coffee/water, fruit and biscuts/cake

 

[Tetchytyke]

The First Class lounge at Paddington is free to advance ticket holders, and is very good. I took the 1506 down to Truro last month and the lounge had a full selection of hot and cold drinks as well as a very nice Victoria Sponge and an even nicer fruit cake, both of which were "help yourself". I also saw sandwiches being prepared, but they hadn't been put out when I left.

On board, the First Class free offering is tea, coffee, water and "snacks": tiny packets of crisps and nuts and a miniscule pre-packed slice of fruit cake. Be warned, they seem to use those nasty little cartons of "Tastes Like Real ****" rather than proper milk. The at-seat service also ended at Exeter, after that I had to go to the express café for my stuff. I didn't try the food as my girlfriend and I stocked up on baguettes and, er, prosecco before we got on.

 

[ainsworth74]

Those are the complimentaries but you should be able to avail yourself of the Travelling Chef (similar to what EC's At-Seat Dining was like).

 

[TEW]

The Travelling Chef food is very good, and it should be served at-seat in First Class with proper plates and cutlery. Just beware it can take quite a while for them to make there way all through First Class if they're receiving a lot of orders. If the service is available though menus will be passed out fairly early in the journey.

 

[caliwag]

There's been an excellent thread on firstgreatwestern coffeeshop forum on the travelling chef and dining service.

 

[khib70]

Thanks everyone. Complimentaries sound a bit TPE ish. Travelling Chef sounds very good though, and surprisingly reasonably priced. Although the baguettes and prosecco option is a tad tempting......

 

[broadgage]

The offering in the first class lounge at Paddington is almost allways a good choice, but varies a lot as to exactly what is provided.
You can count on some good qaulity light snacks, but do not count on any particular item, it varies as to what they have.

 

[caliwag]

With reference to my earlier post, here's the FGW coffeeshop thread...

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=5508.0

 

[455driver]

Thanks everyone. Complimentaries sound a bit TPE ish. Travelling Chef sounds very good though, and surprisingly reasonably priced. Although the baguettes and prosecco option is a tad tempting......

Go for the Chef option, everything is freshly made and all the meals I have had (at least 30) have been very tasty, even the ones I wouldnt normally chose (I just start at the top of the menu and work my way down it ).

 

[bb21]

Aye. I can also recommend the Travelling Chef - one of the few remaining gem in railway catering.

 

[Butts]

Aye. I can also recommend the Travelling Chef - one of the few remaining gem in railway catering.

Unless your name is "A-Driver" who seems convinced East Coasts offering is somehow "divine inspiration"

How much would a 3 Course meal be on FGW ?

 

[Muzer]

Can someone explain to me what the difference between the travelling chef and Pullmans dining is? Better/more food, or what?

 

[Be3G]

The travelling chef is a chef who produces basic meals (omelettes, burgers, that sort of thing) for either purchasing from the buffet (standard class) or serving at-seat (first class). The Pullman, on the other hand, is a designated carriage on a train that's turned in to a restaurant, with higher-end three-course meals served and, by all accounts, an excellent waitress service to match.

I've never had an opportunity to use the Pullman restaurant, but my experiences of the travelling chef are certainly positive, aside from the loooong wait at the buffet during busy times.

 

[extendedpaul]

I can recommend the Great Westerner breakfast which I enjoyed recently travelling first class on the 09.45 (travelling chef service) from Paddington to Swansea. It cost £8.50, was top quality and served nice and hot. The juice, coffee, pastries etc were all complimentary so nothing else to pay.

First advances are priced very reasonably on that service.

 

[broadgage]

Can someone explain to me what the difference between the travelling chef and Pullmans dining is? Better/more food, or what?

The travelling chef consist of light meals and/or hot snacks, not bad at all, somwhat akin to what you would expect in a decent cafe or bistro.

The Pullman service is a full meal of 3 courses, silver served at ones seat, top qaulity with prices to match. Served at properly laid tables complete with fake candles.
About £40 for 3 courses, plus wine.
With a couple of gin and tonics beforehand, and some port with the cheese, the bill can approach £100, though most spend much less.
The food and service compare well with retaurants in London that charge a lot more than that.
First class ticket holders get priority in use of the Pullman, but standard may use it if space permits.

Full menus and prices for both may found on the FGW website, near the bottom of the front page under "on board"

 

[TEW]

I can recommend the Great Westerner breakfast which I enjoyed recently travelling first class on the 09.45 (travelling chef service) from Paddington to Swansea. It cost £8.50, was top quality and served nice and hot. The juice, coffee, pastries etc were all complimentary so nothing else to pay.

First advances are priced very reasonably on that service.

The breakfast is very nice. Always goes down a treat when you're up early. Usually get an extra bit of bacon too because I ask for no egg. Eating it in Standard with a plastic knife and fork is always interesting. It is quite pricey, but the quality of food is very good, much better than you'd get in a standard cafe.

 

[Butts]

The breakfast is very nice. Always goes down a treat when you're up early. Usually get an extra bit of bacon too because I ask for no egg. Eating it in Standard with a plastic knife and fork is always interesting. It is quite pricey, but the quality of food is very good, much better than you'd get in a standard cafe.

Has anyone got a picture so I can compare it to East Coast or Virgins "freebies"

More importantly does it come with Black Pudding

Finally is there a "toast famine" a la East Coast !!

 

[TEW]

There we go, that's the breakfast without egg, served in FC. No black pudding offered, but certainly no toast famine, although on this occasion it appears my toast could have done with a little bit more toasting.

 

[Butts]

There we go, that's the breakfast without egg, served in FC. No black pudding offered, but certainly no toast famine, although on this occasion it appears my toast could have done with a little bit more toasting.

If you take the toast off there it is not that impressive and almost on a par with East Coasts which is of course free.

 

[TEW]

But only once you've paid the extra for First Class. You won't get anything like that in Standard on East Coast.

 

[Butts]

But only once you've paid the extra for First Class. You won't get anything like that in Standard on East Coast.

Have you seen my posts , I often pay less for an EC 1st Ticket than the cost of a FGW Breakfast

 

[bnm]

... and, by all accounts, an excellent waitress service to match.

There are male team members as well! :roll:

 

[Aldaniti]

If you take the toast off there it is not that impressive and almost on a par with East Coasts which is of course free.

I like EC but I have to say the FGW breakfast above looks better. I'd be very happy to pay a bit extra for that.

 

[Be3G]

There are male team members as well! :roll:

But if I'd used the word ‘waiter’ someone could have similarly complained that there're females who do the job too! There isn't a gender-neutral version of the word as far as I'm aware, so I just picked one and went with it.

 

[plymothian]

But if I'd used the word ‘waiter’ someone could have similarly complained that there're females who do the job too! There isn't a gender-neutral version of the word as far as I'm aware, so I just picked one and went with it.

Waiting service.
Technically, traditionally, waiter is a gender neutral term; as with actor etc.

 

[Butts]

But if I'd used the word ‘waiter’ someone could have similarly complained that there're females who do the job too! There isn't a gender-neutral version of the word as far as I'm aware, so I just picked one and went with it.

What about the Yank term , Server ?