London North Eastern Railway (LNER) First Class service

[800001]

No full cooked breakfast currently available. I was told it was because a chef has retired and they are having trouble recruiting a replacement.
Hardly the end of the world, just another little disappointment in today’s rail travel.

Job advertised here at LNER website, link below

LNER Careers

LNER Careers, Jobs, Search and Apply

lnerjobs.co.uk

So, what exactly does an LNER chef do?

We're glad you asked!

As an LNER Chef you'll be responsible for:

• Managing our onboard kitchen and enhancing our customers' experience by preparing, cooking and serving high quality dishes which have been specially selected by our Hero Chefs.
• Working as an essential part of our onboard crew you'll be involved in ordering, monitoring and controlling stock to ensure that we not only offer a full menu whenever possible, but also that we're cooking with the freshest food and ingredients available.
• Keeping up to date with the latest product offeringsand menu development, even contributing new ideas.
• Acting as the food safety professional on each service, our Chefs are responsible for ensuring that food hygiene and health and safety regulations regarding food storage and preparation are fully adhered to at all times.
• Spending time outside of the kitchen supporting ourCustomer Hosts with their duties and ensuring that our customers receive a truly memorable customer experience.

Think you can manage all of this whilst travelling at 125mph? This could be the job for you!

 

[Bishopstone]

I’m reminded of the Fawlty Towers episode where a frustrated doctor guest goes into the kitchen and cooks his own sausages.

 

[westv]

No full cooked breakfast currently available on the Highland Chieftain. I was told it was because a chef has retired and they are having trouble recruiting a replacement.
Hardly the end of the world, just another little disappointment in today’s rail travel.

Very disappointing for one of their "flagship" services.

 

[richa2002]

Travelled yesterday and it really feels like the food has reached bargain basement levels. It's been a slow decline ever since GNER went.

Had the bacon roll in the morning. The bacon was decent enough but deary me, the roll was small and lacked any freshness. Crispy and dry and obviously warmed up a little to try and disguise this.

On the way back, went for the ham/apple slaw sandwich and it was genuinely like something you'd find at the local corner shop. The ingredients list was insanely long and packed full of E numbers, always a bad sign. Could only eat half.

For a while now too, I've found the hot dishes underwhelming and loaded with the lowest grade garlic that lingers rather unplesantly for many hours afterwards. I assume this again is to disguise the tasteless low quality ingredients.

From looking forward to and enjoying what was served 15 years ago, I've now got to the stage where first class is pretty much just for a quieter/more pleasant environment with some drinks/biscuits/crisps as a bonus. The actual food on offer these days has bean-counting written all over it and is an insult to be honest. If you want anything approaching decent, you have to hope the station you're setting off from has a Pret.

Looking at what the buffet offers doesn't inspire much confidence either. The menu looks like something you'd find at a greasy spoon in Great Yarmouth.

It's just all such a come down from the GNER days where genuinely high quality food was provided.

Does anyone else agree?

 

[Iskra]

Travelled yesterday and it really feels like the food has reached bargain basement levels. It's been a slow decline ever since GNER went.

Had the bacon roll in the morning. The bacon was decent enough but deary me, the roll was small and lacked any freshness. Crispy and dry and obviously warmed up a little to try and disguise this.

On the way back, went for the ham/apple slaw sandwich and it was genuinely like something you'd find at the local corner shop. The ingredients list was insanely long and packed full of E numbers, always a bad sign. Could only eat half.

For a while now too, I've found the hot dishes underwhelming and loaded with the lowest grade garlic that lingers rather unplesantly for many hours afterwards. I assume this again is to disguise the tasteless low quality ingredients.

From looking forward to and enjoying what was served 15 years ago, I've now got to the stage where first class is pretty much just for a quieter/more pleasant environment with some drinks/biscuits/crisps as a bonus. The actual food on offer these days has bean-counting written all over it and is an insult to be honest. If you want anything approaching decent, you have to hope the station you're setting off from has a Pret.

Does anyone else agree?

Completely agree, it has gradually got watered down for years and it’s now at a point that first class is not giving any reason to travel with LNER. The whole ambience is reminiscent of school dinners to me, which is not how you should feel from a premium product. It’s even worse when on an Azuma where it isn’t even providing additional space and comfort either.

Avanti’s offering is way better. Yes, it’s more expensive but the food is decent and they’re liberal with things. It actually feels like first class service.

 

[800001]

Travelled yesterday and it really feels like the food has reached bargain basement levels. It's been a slow decline ever since GNER went.

Had the bacon roll in the morning. The bacon was decent enough but deary me, the roll was small and lacked any freshness. Crispy and dry and obviously warmed up a little to try and disguise this.

On the way back, went for the ham/apple slaw sandwich and it was genuinely like something you'd find at the local corner shop. The ingredients list was insanely long and packed full of E numbers, always a bad sign. Could only eat half.

For a while now too, I've found the hot dishes underwhelming and loaded with the lowest grade garlic that lingers rather unplesantly for many hours afterwards. I assume this again is to disguise the tasteless low quality ingredients.

From looking forward to and enjoying what was served 15 years ago, I've now got to the stage where first class is pretty much just for a quieter/more pleasant environment with some drinks/biscuits/crisps as a bonus. The actual food on offer these days has bean-counting written all over it and is an insult to be honest. If you want anything approaching decent, you have to hope the station you're setting off from has a Pret.

Looking at what the buffet offers doesn't inspire much confidence either. The menu looks like something you'd find at a greasy spoon in Great Yarmouth.

It's just all such a come down from the GNER days where genuinely high quality food was provided.

Does anyone else agree?

Disagree.

Had the Ham and slaw sandwich the other day and really enjoyed it.

Also had the BBQ and rice. Portion smaller but very tasty.

 

[andythebrave]

Completely agree, it has gradually got watered down for years and it’s now at a point that first class is not giving any reason to travel with LNER. The whole ambience is reminiscent of school dinners to me, which is not how you should feel from a premium product. It’s even worse when on an Azuma where it isn’t even providing additional space and comfort either.

Avanti’s offering is way better. Yes, it’s more expensive but the food is decent and they’re liberal with things. It actually feels like first class service.

This I agree with.
Unfortunately, I have a reasonably significant sum on perks so may have to put up with the sub par offering at least one more time.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I am also in the strongly agree camp about the standards and level of service on offer, particularly aggrieved. As for me personally, a journey of anything more than 90 minutes on an azuma has to be first class to avoid levels of physical discomfort due to the standard class seats, particularly frustrating as the first class seats aren't a patch on what first class seats once were on this route and further aggravated by the fact that in lockstep with the lowering quality of the food offering. The costs of the lowest and second lowest tier of advances has been hiked noticeably in the last couple of years and the availability of these bottom tier tickets reduced. My East coast business now is with either lumo, unnecessary evil for a comfortable seat but really does feel like travelling Ryanair on rails or alternatively my favourite little split ticketing option involving cross country and grand Central. The grand Central Fe urious particular southbound when a overcrowded and tatty thread bear voyager forms the first part of your trip, although it's worth noting that both cross countries trolley service t and it's white. Wine are nicer than that offered free of charge on the lner service 5 minutes behind you

 

[Royston Vasey]

I'm travelling from Newcastle to Kings Cross on a Friday morning in September and after strenuous research, ensured that for a few extra pounds I will be on a Dine train, which is 1E07 ex-Edinburgh (dep EDB 0830, boarding at NCL 10:00) which is listed as DINE rather than BRUNCH or DISH in the current Know Your Train pdf here.

Simple question that has probably been answered before, so my apologies, but boarding at Newcastle at 10:00, will the "Full LNER" breakfast still be being served on this Dine service, do they switch en route and if so where? Calls are Darlington (10:28) and York (10:59) only, arriving London 12:48.


For future reference, if I had booked 1E08 half an hour later at 10:30 ex-NCL, labelled BRUNCH, would there have been any difference in menu choices available? The menu reads as if "Breakfast/Brunch" are the same menu so I don't know why they've sought to differentiate the folllowing services:

In the May 2023 guidance:

1E07 08:30 ex-EDB was a DINE train
1E08 09:00 ex-EDB was a DINE train
1E09 09:30 ex-EDB was a DISH train
1E10 10:00 ex-EDB was a DISH train
1E11 07:52 ex-ABD was a DISH train

Now in the May 2024 guidance, three of these trains are BRUNCH.

1E07 08:30 ex-EDB remains a DINE train
1E08 09:00 ex-EDB is now a BRUNCH train
1E09 09:30 ex-EDB is now a BRUNCH train
1E10 10:00 ex-EDB is now a BRUNCH train
1E11 07:52 ex-ABD remains a DISH train

What is the difference between a morning Dine offering and a Brunch offering? Has one of these trains been effectively downgraded from Dine and the other two upgraded from Dish? Is Brunch a more limited version of Dine?



EDIT Although the Dine menu refers to Breakfast/Brunch as the same options, when you click on Brunch in the journey matrix in the booking engine, it refers to two different offerings including "freshly cooked dishes" for Brunch:

A light, refreshing menu, with a Veganuary [sic] twist. Offering a selection of delicious hot and cold sandwiches made from fresh produce from the LNER route.

• All day brunch: Whether you're just starting your day or looking for something to keep you full on your journey, we have a selection of hot and cold items served throughout the day

Compared to DISH

A menu to leave you feeling satisfied on your journey. Offering a selection of delicious hot and cold sandwiches, as well as freshly cooked dishes made from fresh produce from the LNER route, with a Veganuary [sic] twist

• Breakfast: A choice of hot and cold options to start your day
• Rest of day: A selection of hot and cold more substantial meals to keep you full on your journey

 

[Sealink]

No full cooked breakfast currently available on the Highland Chieftain. I was told it was because a chef has retired and they are having trouble recruiting a replacement.
Hardly the end of the world, just another little disappointment in today’s rail travel.

That explains why the catering has changed to Deli on both north (from Dish) and southbound (from Dine) services in August. That I am booked on. Was looking forward to breakfast

 

[800Travel]

Anyone know if it is common for LNER to downgrade menus to deli on services booked as better menus? Wondering if it is due to disruption.

 

[800001]

Anyone know if it is common for LNER to downgrade menus to deli on services booked as better menus? Wondering if it is due to disruption.

Can happen for a multitude of reason.

Service disruption delaying crew
No or short of crew
Faulty equipment preventing planned menu being served

 

[Strat-tastic]

That pesky fruity equipment

 

[GW43125]

Booked a ticket for mid-august, noting pretty much every single train off Edinburgh has been downgraded to deli-any idea what's going on? LNER say they have their festival menu again but that's reportedly only applicable Fri-Mon, and this is a Tuesday.

 

[Sealink]

My train in mid August (KGX-INV) is now a Deli service. Was "Dish".
INV-KGX was "Dine" and is now also "Deli"

 

[gomango]

Hi, a quick question!

Would my anytime day return Falkirk High or Grahamston be valid in the first class lounge at Edinburgh, since both trains I'm getting are LNER and have seats booked on them?

 

[800001]

Hi, a quick question!

Would my anytime day return Falkirk High or Grahamston be valid in the first class lounge at Edinburgh, since both trains I'm getting are LNER and have seats booked on them?

If it’s a first class ticket yes.

 

[sigma421]

Booked a ticket for mid-august, noting pretty much every single train off Edinburgh has been downgraded to deli-any idea what's going on? LNER say they have their festival menu again but that's reportedly only applicable Fri-Mon, and this is a Tuesday.

The Festival menu is also effectively Deli as the only hot item is a sausage roll. It's also only available on departure from Edinburgh. After that, the menu downgrades to Deli (even though the service I was on is marked as Dish here https://www.lner.co.uk/globalassets/july-2024-first-class-menus-south.pdf)

 

[Blindtraveler]

Poor effort on their part I would say.

 

[sigma421]

Poor effort on their part I would say.

Yeah. They're clearly struggling to some extent as a few services are currently coming up on JourneyCheck as offering a reduced first class menu despite the cutbacks they've made in the timetable. The concern of course is that they decide that customers don't seem to mind and never reinstate the previous levels.

 

[williamn]

Tale of three crews on the 14.00 Kings Cross to Aberdeen yesterday.

London crew did the job, sort of, but without any warmth or friendliness. I say sort of because the service was in such an odd order. Water. Hot Drinks. Food, Cold Drinks then desserts and Crisps (!). Everyone had their meals and was asking for cold drinks but no, we had to wait till we'd finished for them. Surely the order should be Water, Cold Drinks and Crisps, Food, Desserts and hot drinks? Also totally haphazard as to whether you got offered biscuits or not.

Newcastle crew were fab, incredibly friendly, even handing out dog biscuits (to dogs, I hasten to add). Chap asked where I was travelling to and then gave me two beers when I said Aberdeen.

The train became very full after Edinburgh due to a cancelled Scotrail train prior. The Edinburgh crew came on and said the weren't able to do a service due to health and safety reasons (I guess because there were some people standing in vestibules). They came through with crisps and water and said that the service would resume when it was safe to do so. The train cleared out after Leuchars but the service didn't resume. Just seemed like pure laziness on the part of the crew given we still had over an hour to go. As I was rather hungry after only eating the small pork and rice and one packet of crisps in 6 hours I went down to coach M and knocked on the crew door and was given sandwiches and brownies. Poor show from the usually good Scottish crew which I'm half minded to complain about.

 

[Blindtraveler]

The London crew and the Scottish one sound particularly bad here, I guess they didn't think they could manage a full service between the top end of Fife and effectively Montrose as that's usually when catering shuts down for cleaning and stock tank etc. But nonetheless, they should have at least made an announcement to that effect and given those that wanted the opportunity to do exactly as you did and go and effectively obtain service from the galley, okay, so you were effectively offered the deli menu when you might, in theory have been offered something hot. Had a full service happened but better than nothing I guess

 

[sigma421]

Slightly odd experience on the 0708 from Leeds to Aberdeen on Saturday (I travelled Leeds to Dundee). Dish menus were distributed but the pancakes were unavailable which effectively made it Deli. As usual at Edinburgh, it changed to the all day menu but this time we were on the Festival menu rather than a standard one. No menus were given out but the crew explained the options to every passenger. Alcohol is also available after Edinburgh on this service.

 

[railfan99]

Nothing particularly adventurous there. A decent range of veggie/vegan choices, but what jumps off the page for me is that all the meat options seem to involve pork.
That seems an odd choice when so many don’t eat it for health/religious reasons.

“BBQ pork with spiced rice” on the dinner menu could easily have been some kind of chicken curry, which is pretty universally popular.

The vast majority will eat pork. As a white meat it's supposedly 'healthier' than red meat.

Is chicken curry 'pretty universally popular'? I don't like curries in the slightest, and doubt I'm alone.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I would agree on popularity or otherwise of curry, anyone remember the outcry back in 2011 or so when complimentary catering first started and the hot option was a vegetable curry, one rotation and a beetroot risotto on the other? Neither were liked and options were fairly rapidly changed

 

[Darandio]

I don't like curries in the slightest, and doubt I'm alone.

You aren't from here. We seem to be curry mad in this country.

 

[railfan99]

You aren't from here. We seem to be curry mad in this country.

Yes, I agree: Many Brits love their curries, and I am a minority. My father who spent time in England post-WWII loved curries: I detest them.

The latest LNER dinner menu features a chicken dish so it's not 'all pork' any longer.

But what on earth is a 'lemon and elderflower pot'? Are these two ingredients in cream or yoghurt, as one of the two dessert options? Apologies for my lack of culinary knowledge.

It would be great if some travellers posted photos of the latest breakfast and lunch/dinner options available on LNER.

 

[43066]

The vast majority will eat pork. As a white meat it's supposedly 'healthier' than red meat.

It’s excluding quite a few groups if you take into account Jews, Muslims etc. Chicken is a safer bet from that point of view.

A lot of catering outlets and restaurants in the UK now provide halal meat by default for similar reasons, although I admit I don’t have actual stats to draw from here!

But what on earth is a 'lemon and elderflower pot'? Are these two ingredients in cream or yoghurt, as one of the two dessert options? Apologies for my lack of culinary knowledge.

Exactly as you say, it’ll be yoghurt based.

 

[800001]

Yes, I agree: Many Brits love their curries, and I am a minority. My father who spent time in England post-WWII loved curries: I detest them.

The latest LNER dinner menu features a chicken dish so it's not 'all pork' any longer.

But what on earth is a 'lemon and elderflower pot'? Are these two ingredients in cream or yoghurt, as one of the two dessert options? Apologies for my lack of culinary knowledge.

It would be great if some travellers posted photos of the latest breakfast and lunch/dinner options available on LNER.

Lemon and elderflower pot is very very nice

 

[ainsworth74]

Lemon and elderflower pot is very very nice

It is but the chocolate pot is better!