Huddersfield station buffet to close

[wellhouse]

According to Yorkshire Live, The Huddersfield Station Buffet situated on the island between Platforms 4 & 8 is to close with effect from Saturday 18th February. Apparently trade has just not recovered sufficiently since Covid for it to remain viable.

I'll be getting my last breakfast there on Tuesday en route to Sussex. It will have closed by the time I return.

Huddersfield railway station cafe owners forced to give up after nearly 18 years

Chris and Geraldine Smith found their business never properly recovered after the pandemic

www.examinerlive.co.uk

Huddersfield Railway Station Platform 4 cafe owners forced to give up after nearly 18 years​

Chris and Geraldine Smith found their business never properly recovered after the pandemic.

A couple who ran a popular cafe at Huddersfield Railway Station are closing it down shortly after never recovering from the Covid disaster.

Chris and Geraldine Smith posted a note on their window saying: "I never thought I would ever have to write this but after nearly 18 years at The Station Buffet Chris and I are hanging up our aprons. It's not been an easy decision to make but we can't continue as we are.

"We would like to thank each and every one of you for all your support over the years. We have made some lifelong friends and watched a lot of your children grow up. A lot of wonderful memories we have. Our last trading day will be Saturday, February 18. Thank you Chris and Gez xxx."

 

[fishwomp]

Sad news. Happy days with the buffet's chip butties, when spotting on the platform in 1980s - obviously under different owners back then, but I hope this institution returns.

 

[yorksrob]

Very sad news. I used to use it quite regularly going West before the Pandemic. Since the Government have destroyed the Castleford - Huddersfield service, I rarely change trains at Huddersfield now.

I expect the continuing TPE and strike chaos hasn't helped things either.

 

[Brooke]

A real shame, but I’m also unsurprised.

I loved the place, however it was also wrong end of the station for footfall, and presumably hugely impacted by Covid, strikes and changing consumer behaviour.

Good to see the building will be retained and restored as part of the upgrade works though.

 

[gledhill56]

A real shame, but I’m also unsurprised.

I loved the place, however it was also wrong end of the station for footfall, and presumably hugely impacted by Covid, strikes and changing consumer behaviour.

Good to see the building will be retained and restored as part of the upgrade works though.

Interestingly the building is being turned 180 degrees which will mean the buffet will be at the opposite end.

 

[Grumpy]

Since the Government have destroyed the Castleford - Huddersfield service,

The previous Huddersfield to Wakefield Westgate service had some justification by providing connections at both ends. This was destroyed by the decision by West Yorks Metro to cease running to Westgate and requiring passengers from London to Huddersfield to change at Leeds by fighting for a seat on the shoddy TPE service. Must have driven a lot of passengers off rail.
Extending from Wakefield Kirkgate to Castleford was a shambles-some of the trains ran only a few minutes after the existing Leeds to Sheffield via Cas trains. PreCovid I travelled on some of these when I was the only passenger on the 153.
It wasn’t the Government that destroyed the service

 

[Narrowgauge725]

Last time I attempted to buy a sandwich the answer was "oh I can't our delivery of bread hasn't arrived". Well I would have wiped round to Tecos and bought some.

 

[pdq]

I expect the continuing TPE and strike chaos hasn't helped things either.

One might have thought that having people needing to hang around the station for longer than they were expecting may have increased patronage. However, the cafe was only ever open until lunchtime, so was never available for an afternoon coffee and cake, for example, when waiting for a train to Leeds that was actually running.

 

[yorksrob]

The previous Huddersfield to Wakefield Westgate service had some justification by providing connections at both ends. This was destroyed by the decision by West Yorks Metro to cease running to Westgate and requiring passengers from London to Huddersfield to change at Leeds by fighting for a seat on the shoddy TPE service. Must have driven a lot of passengers off rail.
Extending from Wakefield Kirkgate to Castleford was a shambles-some of the trains ran only a few minutes after the existing Leeds to Sheffield via Cas trains. PreCovid I travelled on some of these when I was the only passenger on the 153.
It wasn’t the Government that destroyed the service

It always had a reasonable patronage to and from Wakefield. Not bringing it back after Covid is what's done for it.

One might have thought that having people needing to hang around the station for longer than they were expecting may have increased patronage. However, the cafe was only ever open until lunchtime, so was never available for an afternoon coffee and cake, for example, when waiting for a train to Leeds that was actually running.

They did a nice fry up of a morning though.

 

[AndyHudds]

It is actually quite busy first thing in the morning when I'm there 6.30amish, people getting bacon butties with tea's and coffees. Granted, not sure what it's like rest of the day.

 

[pdq]

They did a nice fry up of a morning though.

I suspect that was part of the problem. It is such a small space that even when not cooking bacon, it smells of it. And that alone will put off quite a few prospective customers, whether because of religion or being vegetarian / vegan.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Interestingly the building is being turned 180 degrees which will mean the buffet will be at the opposite end.

They are jacking it up and rotating it? Wow.

 

[gledhill56]

They are jacking it up and rotating it? Wow.

I was a bit surprised myself but that’s what the plans show.

https://sacuksprodnrdigital0001.blob.core.windows.net/twao-huddersfield-westtown/Huddersfield%20to%20Westtown%20(Dewsbury)/02%20TWAO%20Application%20Documents/NR13%20Planning%20Drawing%20-%20Huddersfield%20Station%20-%20Tea%20Rooms%20-%20Locations.pdf

 

[yorksrob]

I suspect that was part of the problem. It is such a small space that even when not cooking bacon, it smells of it. And that alone will put off quite a few prospective customers, whether because of religion or being vegetarian / vegan.

There always seemed to be plenty of people coming in when I was sat in there.

Unreliable/non existant train services are I suspect a bigger problem than the smell of bacon.

 

[johntea]

Not just a Huddersfield problem, many station facilities seem to have closed / be closing down as their footfall simply doesn't cover the high rent - Harrogate lost the newsagent and now the coffee shop and both units just sit there dormant

Having a unit that can only technically be accessed these days if you're intending to use the train (due to ticket barriers) also probably doesn't help

 

[Brooke]

I was a bit surprised myself but that’s what the plans show.

https://sacuksprodnrdigital0001.blob.core.windows.net/twao-huddersfield-westtown/Huddersfield%20to%20Westtown%20(Dewsbury)/02%20TWAO%20Application%20Documents/NR13%20Planning%20Drawing%20-%20Huddersfield%20Station%20-%20Tea%20Rooms%20-%20Locations.pdf

Because it’s listed, its to be retained. But the new platform does not allow it to be retained in the same location, so (essentially) is is rotated, refurbished, then put back down in a new position. (The structure itself is timber.)

 

[gledhill56]

Because it’s listed, its to be retained. But the new platform does not allow it to be retained in the same location, so (essentially) is is rotated, refurbished, then put back down in a new position. (The structure itself is timber.)

It’s the fact it’s being rotated I’m surprised at. I know it’s listed so they couldn’t do much to it anyway.

 

[gingertom]

what will Felix and Bolt do now?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Because it’s listed, its to be retained. But the new platform does not allow it to be retained in the same location, so (essentially) is is rotated, refurbished, then put back down in a new position. (The structure itself is timber.)

Timber framed? It looks like a substantial stone building to me.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Feb 2023 ==

what will Felix and Bolt do now?

Be a bit confused then carry on eating mice as before?

 

[yorksrob]

Timber framed? It looks like a substantial stone building to me.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Feb 2023 ==



Be a bit confused then carry on eating mice as before?

The island platform building is timber and full of character.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The island platform building is timber and full of character.

Oh, it's the island building? Sorry, I thought it was the main station building. That makes more sense.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Well, it is still sad.

I always preferred Stalybridge Station Buffet when I live in England.

 

[185]

I was thin when I joined the railway.

That buffet is not only responsible for my current pair of clown pants, also my 22482988329 delay minutes accumulated since it opened.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I'm on the fence a bit about this decision...
On the one hand I always appreciated the old-school charm and reasonable prices of the buffet, and was very pleased when it dodged FirstGroup's attempt to turn it into a generic SSP-style outlet a few years back.

On the other hand, it had such limited opening hours in recent years that it was barely worth having, and since the pandemic the air of neglect around the place was a bit of an embarrassment.

 

[Pinza-C55]

I suspect that was part of the problem. It is such a small space that even when not cooking bacon, it smells of it. And that alone will put off quite a few prospective customers, whether because of religion or being vegetarian / vegan.

The religion aspect might be a serious problem in Huddersfield but according to YouGov only 3% of the UK population are vegan.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Not just a Huddersfield problem, many station facilities seem to have closed / be closing down as their footfall simply doesn't cover the high rent - Harrogate lost the newsagent and now the coffee shop and both units just sit there dormant

Having a unit that can only technically be accessed these days if you're intending to use the train (due to ticket barriers) also probably doesn't help

I'm on the fence a bit about this decision...
On the one hand I always appreciated the old-school charm and reasonable prices of the buffet, and was very pleased when it dodged FirstGroup's attempt to turn it into a generic SSP-style outlet a few years back.

On the other hand, it had such limited opening hours in recent years that it was barely worth having, and since the pandemic the air of neglect around the place was a bit of an embarrassment.

Isn't the newsagent at Huddersfield also struggling? I wonder how long it'll be before a branch of Spar (complete with Greggs and Costa machine) is shoehorned in somewhere.

There's a buffet at Bristol Temple Meads that use to be open all day, then around 2018 they were having problems finding staff - now as as far as I'm aware its open in the mornings only, use to get a decent dinner there.

 

[Howardh]

Not just a Huddersfield problem, many station facilities seem to have closed / be closing down as their footfall simply doesn't cover the high rent - Harrogate lost the newsagent and now the coffee shop and both units just sit there dormant

Having a unit that can only technically be accessed these days if you're intending to use the train (due to ticket barriers) also probably doesn't help

There should be a free platform ticket to allow non travellers access to station facilities. However, in general because of high rents, cost of food and drink are higher so less appealing.

Also there are the other facilities such as the two pubs, shop and the small outlet.

As alluded to, if the rents in other stations are too high and the footfall too low, why not reduce the rent and bring something in rather than have an empty unit bringing nothing?

 

[fishwomp]

There should be a free platform ticket to allow non travellers access to station facilities. However, in general because of high rents, cost of food and drink are higher so less appealing.

Also there are the other facilities such as the two pubs, shop and the small outlet.

As alluded to, if the rents in other stations are too high and the footfall too low, why not reduce the rent and bring something in rather than have an empty unit bringing nothing?

Head of Steam gets the best of both worlds in Huddersfield.. at least last time I used it, it was easy accessed from both in station and outside - and barriers for the rest of the station were in operation.

Same is true of the pub on platform 1 at Sheffield Midland, but Sheffield has no ticket barriers.

 

[a1904]

I suspect that was part of the problem. It is such a small space that even when not cooking bacon, it smells of it. And that alone will put off quite a few prospective customers, whether because of religion or being vegetarian / vegan.

I'm vegan and I can't say I was ever put off

 

[skyhigh]

As alluded to, if the rents in other stations are too high and the footfall too low, why not reduce the rent and bring something in rather than have an empty unit bringing nothing?

I think this has been quite a long time coming, and there are fundamental issues with the viability of the business - particularly in the current location (which isn't aimed as a criticism of the owners, just being realistic). Footfall is down, add in that things are going to get worse as TRU progresses. They want to refurbish the building that houses the buffet. I believe the grill packed up pre-Covid and the owners couldn't afford to replace it so was given support by a group of rail staff to fund a replacement. Opening hours are also pretty limited. Then you also need to consider how energy prices have rocketed.

The landlord cutting rent would likely only prolong the inevitable - and even then the owners might decide it's not worth their while carrying on if a rent cut makes the location viable.

The owners would probably be better off shutting up shop and agreeing with TPE to put a food van/trailer at the front of the station during the morning/lunch period. More traffic, lower fixed costs.