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London North Eastern Railway (LNER) First Class service

Bungle73

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When does the reduced Christmas menu start? 1/12?
I just asked them on Twitter when the next menu change is, and they told me it's on the 11th, so it seems it will be then. So looks like I'm all set for my Full LNER on the 3rd! <:D
 
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Discuss223

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I've done Doncaster - Bradford Forster Square and Leeds - Harrogate a few times recently and been offered no refreshments or meal service (the Bradford trip was over an hour so I'd have thought I'd have been eligible), rather disappointing to be offered nothing as the staff sat and discussed their pet cats and made themselves food!
 

Egg Centric

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Found the rogan josh perfectly satisfactory for complimentary food and the naan was actually a bit bigger than I expected (although I didn't actually eat any of it - rice + curry was enough).

I very much doubt I'll be eating tomorrow, being much more likely to do my usual thing and sort myself out before the journey - but since it's in my head, is the butter on the crumpets 100% butter or spreadable guff like you get so much these days if you're not careful?
 

Discuss223

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Found the rogan josh perfectly satisfactory for complimentary food and the naan was actually a bit bigger than I expected (although I didn't actually eat any of it - rice + curry was enough).

I very much doubt I'll be eating tomorrow, being much more likely to do my usual thing and sort myself out before the journey - but since it's in my head, is the butter on the crumpets 100% butter or spreadable guff like you get so much these days if you're not careful?
It's Lurpak Spreadable Butter. :smile:
 

Egg Centric

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It's Lurpak Spreadable Butter. :smile:

Well that's my mind made up then. XL Bacon with No Cheese from BK across the road!

(There is some new form of Lurpak spreadable I've seen in supermarkets that's made with water that I'm not so violently opposed to as the usual rapeseed oil one, but I've yet to try it and it'll never be that)
 

TheBigD

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Peterborough to Kings Cross and return yesterday (Saturday)...

Sets in reverse formation on the outward trip. (engineering work meant the Leeds service runs via Hambleton)

Prompt service straight after departure from Peterborough. Chicken brioche roll, crisps and a bland red wine.
Return saw service starting as soon as we had cleared the platform at Kings Cross.
Had crumpets (served with lurpack spreadable instead of real butter).
Had a whisky, Dewars blended, which was nasty.

Food and drink offering both ways seemed cheap and low quality to be honest.
 

Discuss223

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Peterborough to Kings Cross and return yesterday (Saturday)...

Set in reverse formation (engineering work meant the Leeds service runs via Hambleton).

Prompt service straight after departure from Peterborough. Chicken brioche roll, crisps and a bland red wine.
Return saw service starting as soon as we had cleared the platform at Kings Cross.
Had crumpets (served with lurpack spreadable instead of real butter).
Had a whisky, Dewars blended, which was nasty.

Food and drink offering both ways seemed cheap and low quality to be honest.
It's very difficult to spread conventional butter. The crumpets could be buttered in the galley by the Hosts I suppose, whilst still hot enough to melt.
 

Andy Pacer

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Peterborough to Kings Cross and return yesterday (Saturday)...

Sets in reverse formation on the outward trip. (engineering work meant the Leeds service runs via Hambleton)

Prompt service straight after departure from Peterborough. Chicken brioche roll, crisps and a bland red wine.
Return saw service starting as soon as we had cleared the platform at Kings Cross.
Had crumpets (served with lurpack spreadable instead of real butter).
Had a whisky, Dewars blended, which was nasty.

Food and drink offering both ways seemed cheap and low quality to be honest.
Quite good for less than a 1 hour journey.
 

Egg Centric

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It's very difficult to spread conventional butter. The crumpets could be buttered in the galley by the Hosts I suppose, whilst still hot enough to melt.

Only if the conventional butter has been in the fridge! It should be warmed to room temperature a few hours before.

Alternatively, at home I have the marvellous alfille butter dish that keeps butter at temperature in any plausible ambient condition - surely catering equivalents exist?

I only need to use it a couple of months of the year up here (I just keep the butter outside of the fridge otherwise) but when I lived down south I was using it most of the time.

Incidentally my hosts were so good yesterday (on the 15:30 ex KGX) I nominated them for the LNER recognition thingy.

(There was also a slightly eccentric chap sitting close to me telling everyone - whether they cared or not - about his friend who was an Edinburgh based driver who was I think climbing Ben Nevis, or Schillaion, or somewhere like that yesterday for charity. So if anyone at LNER knows who I mean you've been namechecked lol)
 
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Butts

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Stirlingshire
Peterborough to Kings Cross and return yesterday (Saturday)...

Sets in reverse formation on the outward trip. (engineering work meant the Leeds service runs via Hambleton)

Prompt service straight after departure from Peterborough. Chicken brioche roll, crisps and a bland red wine.
Return saw service starting as soon as we had cleared the platform at Kings Cross.
Had crumpets (served with lurpack spreadable instead of real butter).
Had a whisky, Dewars blended, which was nasty.

Food and drink offering both ways seemed cheap and low quality to be honest.

They really should be offering Malt Whisky in 1st Class - Avanti are equally guilty though !!
 

LowLevel

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Catering actually on offer from PBO-KGX? What did you sacrifice to have this hold true!?
I once boarded an LNER train at Stevenage bound for London for a short hop and the host was apologetic for the lack of crockery as they'd already put them away but came straight to us and offered us a drink as long as we didn't mind plastic/paper cups. On return for 2 people he presented us with 2 G and Ts *and* 2 beers and wished us a good weekend!
 

Bungle73

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Paupers'.........sorry "Christmas" Menu coming on the 11th, confirmed.

Festive feast coming soon! From 11 December 2024 to 6 January 2025, you will have the choice of delicious dishes from our brand new Christmas menu.

 

800Travel

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Paupers'.........sorry "Christmas" Menu coming on the 11th, confirmed.



From the picture behind the text on the link you provided, looks like the Chicken and Stuffing Sandwich + Bombay Potato Salad will remain, plus a wholemeal sandwich (cheese and Christmas slaw perhaps?). Wonder when the new menu will be available to view. It would be odd if they only realised it on the day it became effective.
 

800Travel

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From the picture behind the text on the link you provided, looks like the Chicken and Stuffing Sandwich + Bombay Potato Salad will remain, plus a wholemeal sandwich (cheese and Christmas slaw perhaps?). Wonder when the new menu will be available to view. It would be odd if they only realised it on the day it became effective.
seems the days of a Turkey Christmas roast on the way up to the north are long gone... fond memories...
probably something like this again... https://www.lner.co.uk/globalassets/lner-first-class-menu-christmas-2022.pdf
Probably correct. Just to clarify my post, that's what is visible in the image but there may be more too. Fingers crossed!
 

ainsworth74

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So basically just Deli on all services from early December to early January? Lovely. Along with the usual ridiculous PR guff pretending it some how an improvement as well I see!
 

Blindtraveler

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Lner had the opportunity to get some serious business out of me next month, Scotland twice in a fortnight but the first class affairs are ridiculous and in some instances I'd have ended up taking my own food with me anyway. So once again it's back to the plane, or possibly lumo or a combination of cross-country and grand Central are to push
 

Bungle73

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Are we sure this isn't a very, very early April Fools? What the hell is "Christmas ketchup"? It sounds like they're taking the p.

Glad I'm travelling before this farce kicks in even more now.
 

Willie Bee

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When does the Christmas menu finish please ?

My wife and I are travelling LNER First, EDB - NCL on Wednesday 8th

Which reminds me .. is the Edinburgh first-class lounge ope yet ?
 

Segedunum

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The menu seems to have all the passion of the service I had on Sunday evening from Edinburgh to Newcastle. Looked to be a London crew.

Two very bored staff did a quick run after departure with cold food and drinks then disappeared never to be seen again. At least my expectations were already low :lol:
 

TheBigD

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Meh, looks like they popped to Greggs for the Christmas menu, no turkey sausage rolls, no Baileys truffles, and not even the Christmas Cosmo cocktail they had last year.. https://www.lner.co.uk/globalassets/christmas-2023-first-class-menu.pdf
it appears the snowflakes are hiding the omission's from last year..

From the menu...
" High Commissioner Whisky - made on our route in Glasgow"

Don't LNER cease serving Glasgow from the December timetable change and before this menu comes in?
 

Segedunum

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From the menu...
" High Commissioner Whisky - made on our route in Glasgow"

Don't LNER cease serving Glasgow from the December timetable change and before this menu comes in?
You're quoting the 2023 menu - the 2024 one has Dewars (Aberfeldy) it seems.
 

D6130

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You're quoting the 2023 menu - the 2024 one has Dewars (Aberfeldy) it seems.
Aberfeldy - lovely place though it is - isn't on 'our route' either.... although nearby Pitlochry is. Perhaps they should be offering Edradour.... although I think that would be rather expensive to source.
 

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