London North Eastern Railway (LNER) First Class service

[Butts]

What a difference a week makes.....see post 6226 !!!

Same trip today out on the 0800 EDB to NCL and back on the 1455 NCL to FKG -Highland Chieftain.

On the outward leg the Toast Famine was back - in fact the service was "Toast Free" as due to staff shortages the "Bakery/Orange Juice " Trolley did not make an appearance. Still got the fry up and Coffee.

Coming back I posed the question last week was it normal to get two sausage rolls - I only got one today !!! Incidentally I saw the Stew and Mash being handed out as I was waiting to alight at FKG on what appeared to be a saucer:cry: It made a "happy meal" look super sized

The one redeeming feature I necked three scotches on the return leg

 

[misterredmist]

Incidentally I saw the Stew and Mash being handed out as I was waiting to alight at FKG on what appeared to be a saucer:cry: It made a "happy meal" look super sized

The one redeeming feature I necked three scotches on the return leg

may be VTEC have been watching 'Trust me I'm a Doctor' regarding smaller plate and portion psychology ? well done on the God's water though !

 

[ainsworth74]

Darlington to London this morning on a breakfast service. Order for the full breakfast was taken on departure from Darlington (I don't think we were quite clear of the platform) and was served just after York. Excellent as usual and I really do love that they give you a massive wedge of black pudding. The only tweak I'd make is serve it with something like a breakfast muffin or a hash brown. Tea/coffee and juices flowing freely until after Peterborough and two pieces of toast given without prompting. In fact a further run of the bakery basket for all passengers was carried out shortly after Newark!

Excellent service overall.

 

[Butts]

Darlington to London this morning on a breakfast service. Order for the full breakfast was taken on departure from Darlington (I don't think we were quite clear of the platform) and was served just after York. Excellent as usual and I really do love that they give you a massive wedge of black pudding. The only tweak I'd make is serve it with something like a breakfast muffin or a hash brown. Tea/coffee and juices flowing freely until after Peterborough and two pieces of toast given without prompting. In fact a further run of the bakery basket for all passengers was carried out shortly after Newark!

Excellent service overall.

Have they been serving Alcohol on the breakfast service ?

I think "massive" is a bit over egging it on the BP....unless you had a bigger slice than normal. I agree with you about the hash brown though, that would round it off nicely.

 

[flatly]

I'm buying a ticket for someone for 1st class on a weekday trip from edinburgh to peterborough on Virgin East Coast. Assuming a desire to leave edinburgh between between 09:00 and say 11:30.

I see the menu changes at 11am from breakfast.

Assuming he gets on at 10am, would be able to get the breakfast then, and then the "rest of day" at say 13:00?

 

[Segedunum]

I'm buying a ticket for someone for 1st class on a weekday trip from edinburgh to peterborough on Virgin East Coast. Assuming a desire to leave edinburgh between between 09:00 and say 11:30.

I see the menu changes at 11am from breakfast.

Assuming he gets on at 10am, would be able to get the breakfast then, and then the "rest of day" at say 13:00?

The 0900 appears to be a mid morning breakfast offer, with the 1000 being a full cooked breakfast. There is 1100 departure direct to Peterborough.

The 0900 and 1000 show a change at the offering at Newcastle to the all day menu (being the 1026 and 1130 departures from Newcastle) so with some luck, both meals will be offered at some point in the journey.

 

[Chrism20]

The 0900 appears to be a mid morning breakfast offer, with the 1000 being a full cooked breakfast. There is 1100 departure direct to Peterborough.

The 0900 and 1000 show a change at the offering at Newcastle to the all day menu (being the 1026 and 1130 departures from Newcastle) so with some luck, both meals will be offered at some point in the journey.

The 0900 is a crew cooked breakfast and the 1000 has a chef. The only difference is the 0900 has an egg flan thing and the 1000 has a fried egg.

Other than that everything is the same IIRC.

If an Edinburgh crew work the journey right through there is less chance of a second helping. Quite a few of the crew from the 0830 work through but I'm not sure about the 0900 or 1000.

 

[leightonbd]

Smashing breakfast yesterday on the Stirling Chieftain (if I was quibbling, I might have said the sausage was a fraction underdone) but a rather odd journey back on the 1630. There was a late set switch which meant the train was a 125 rather than a 91 resulting in FC reservations being a mess and the whole,of FC being very crowded to York. Lamb stew 'off' but replaced by chicken tikka masala, which those who took enjoyed. I ended up with sausage roll for about the fifth time in a month.

The trolley then ran out of white wine after Newark! Could have been a disaster but fortunately I had emergency supplies.

Think in future I may make a conscious effort to go for the non-stop to York services.

 

[philjo]

17:15 Leeds to kings cross today is not serving any hot food (not sure why) - just the houmous wrap or Blt sandwiches on the trolley plus the chocolate cake.

 

[Blindtraveler]

First VTEC FC trip in almost a year tomorrow, thanks to the discovery of a nearly expired RTV so effectively a freebi. Out of this weeks daytime offerings which would the experts say is best? Quite like the sound of both the hot meals and the saussage roll and the BLT but reccomendations would be nice plese peeps?

 

[Chrism20]

It is mornings like this when you are on a West Coast voyager that you really appreciate how nice the VTEC breakfast actually is.

#missingVTEC

 

[me123]

It is mornings like this when you are on a West Coast voyager that you really appreciate how nice the VTEC breakfast actually is.

#missingVTEC

Yeah. Just hd my first VTWC breakfast this morning (on a Voyager too, funnily enough!) and opted for the smoked salmon omelette - it was nice enough, but nowhere near as good as the EC breakfast.

 

[Chrism20]

Yeah. Just hd my first VTWC breakfast this morning (on a Voyager too, funnily enough!) and opted for the smoked salmon omelette - it was nice enough, but nowhere near as good as the EC breakfast.

To be fair there was nothing wrong with it quality wise, it tasted fine but when you're used to VTEC or even the pendo breakfast it's a let down. Presentation could have been better but there is only so much you can do in a voyager galley/kitchen.

Im back to Newcastle with work at the end of May and looking forward to it.

 

[misterredmist]

Presentation could have been better but there is only so much you can do in a voyager galley/kitchen.

Aye, I can imagine, I dread the day when a Voyager turns up instead of a Pendo on a VTWC service I'm due to board....

 

[Blindtraveler]

I personally find the 390 breakfast a far nicer offering than VTEC, still to experience the Voyager option.

 

[Chrism20]

I personally find the 390 breakfast a far nicer offering than VTEC, still to experience the Voyager option.

You're not missing out on much with the voyager tbh.

I'm the opposite to you, I think VTEC have the edge over the pendolino. Their sausages are tastier and the bacon a bit thicker which to be fair is personal preference. Other than that there isn't much in it.

Can't be long now till we get the spring menus for VTEC as well.

 

[Mag_seven]

You're not missing out on much with the voyager tbh.

I'm the opposite to you, I think VTEC have the edge over the pendolino. Their sausages are tastier and the bacon a bit thicker which to be fair is personal preference. Other than that there isn't much in it.

Can't be long now till we get the spring menus for VTEC as well.

The best sausage I ever tasted on a train was the Welsh sourced sausage in the sausage baguette prepared by the "Travelling Chef" on one of the early morning Swansea-Paddington services. Sadly GWR withdrew the travelling chef which was real shame.

 

[westv]

Another Friday with no hot food available on the 17:19 to Hull.

 

[SGS]

Nor on the 2000 to Sunderland! The free hot food is one of life's few pleasures!

 

[ainsworth74]

I personally find the 390 breakfast a far nicer offering than VTEC, still to experience the Voyager option.

There's very little between the full breakfasts in my opinion. I slightly prefer VTEC overall but do thing that they should start serving that little hashbrown thing that VTWC do. Otherwise VTEC by a whisker.

The one thing that VTWC do better when it comes to breakfast compared to VTEC is the range of choices!

This is the VTEC weekday breakfast menu for next week:

Bakery basket
A selection fresh from the bakery, including white or granary toasted bloomer and a croissant served with a choice of accompaniments, including bespoke preserves made by Yorkshire-based The Fruity Kitchen

or

Fresh fruit (a choice of apple or banana)


FOLLOWED BY YOUR CHOICE OF:

Great British breakfast
Yorkshire rare breed sausage & smoked back bacon, Laverstoke Farm black pudding, flat field mushroom, grilled tomato and a free range fried egg

Bubble & squeak
Potato and savoy cabbage base with spinach and mushroom topped with a layer of béchamel sauce, served with grilled tomato on the side and a free range fried egg* on top

Bacon roll
Yorkshire rare breed back bacon, on a buttered roll (gluten free roll available on request) Greek yogurt, toasted muesli and apple & blackberry compote V NGCI

Porridge with banana and maple syrup

Nice enough I'm sure we can agree! But then there's this on Pendolino VTWC services:

A selection of cereal & juices followed by a choice of the following:

Great British breakfast

Bacon roll

Gluten-free bacon roll

Sausage roll

Vegetarian sausage roll

Smoked salmon & scrambled egg

Eggs Benedict

Eggs Florentine

Porridge with optional honey

Fresh fruit salad with optional yoghurt and honey

You will also be offered toast, croissants as well as coffee and Fairtrade Tea.

I mean the choice blows VTEC out of the water as far as I'm concerned.

Not that it really matters to me as I'm all about the full breakfast but thinking of my fellow passengers who not all want a proper breakfast

 

[LowLevel]

Is the VTEC breakfast still 'normal cafe size' and the VTWC one 'toy size'? I've not seen either for years.

 

[Chrism20]

The choice is superior and I thoroughly recommend the eggs benedict or the smoked salmon and eggs.

 

[Darandio]

Not that it really matters to me as I'm all about the full breakfast but thinking of my fellow passengers who not all want a proper breakfast

Anyone who doesn't want a proper breakfast clearly doesn't deserve a breakfast!

If they don't choose a proper breakfast (or some vegetarian alternative of a proper breakfast) then they deserve to be consigned to porridge, and plain porridge at that!

 

[NottsPhil]

Since the revamp and James Martin thing the VTEC breakfast is a lot better and the black pudding is gorgeous. I feel I should try the Bubble and Squeak as it sounds and looks quite good, but the fry up always wins out...

On West Coast though the Eggs Benedict is absolutely excellent.

 

[Starmill]

Anyone who doesn't want a proper breakfast clearly doesn't deserve a breakfast!

If they don't choose a proper breakfast (or some vegetarian alternative of a proper breakfast) then they deserve to be consigned to porridge, and plain porridge at that!

I think the point is that there is no vegetarian alternative. Something for £3 in Wetherspoons is significantly better in that department than any the coming out of East Coast First Class.

 

[Blindtraveler]

The possible acception to that being the all day hot tomato pasta thing which I sampled last week. The xAberdeen HST was not offering the chicken an mushroom thing but instead the curry and as I wasnt fancying that I opted for the pasta which other than needing to be bigger was rather good.

As an aside the current white wine is the best iv had on a train for a long while and is most gluggable.

 

[Butts]

Is the VTEC breakfast still 'normal cafe size' and the VTWC one 'toy size'? I've not seen either for years.

The contents are about the same - the VEC Plate is normally bigger than the VWC Plate.

As someone else mentioned the VEC Breakfast would be even better with a VWC Hash Brown added. It took a while to get the BP - so who knows one day ?

 

[Blindtraveler]

And Id like the option of a scoop of beens on trains with a sheff!

 

[basfordlad]

Had very good brekky from Glasgow crewe although bit grumpy. Plenty of toast ! Crewe change at Newcastle . I could easily have had another fully brekky

 

[misterredmist]

Lovely brekkie yesterday on the 0946 from Peterborough to Berwick-upon-Tweed....quite full in first too, regular supplies of tea & coffee and a nice G&T before I alighted.

Tickets were checked after all the stops so all the crew were busy, and, as usual, very courteous.

what's not to like ?