No more Travelling Chef on FGW?

[Jona26]

Here is that conversation:

Me: "So, you are going to phase out the Travelling Chefs are you? Another erosion of the quality of catering across UK rail services. One can only eat so many Merrychef'd baguettes and toasties. They are no substitute for a proper chef prepared meal."

FGW: "Hi xxxxxx,

I've now been given the following response:

"We are talking to colleagues and crew about ways we would like to improve food and drink provision for both Standard and First Class customers on our long distance trains.

This follows the successful re-launch of our Pullman services last year.

The proposals include four additional Pullman services, with the return of a Pullman to our South Wales services. If agreed, the changes would also mean an updated buffet car menu and a change from Travelling Chef services to a service more suited to the choices being made by our customers."

So as it stands, it is just proposals and needs to go via consultation until any proposal is put in place.

-xxxxx"

Re: my bold above...And how about talking to the passengers to see what they think? Not just those who do purchase but just as importantly to those that don't

 

[Parallel]

I've never used the travelling chef service as I rarely travel on HSTs, but I was on one once and a tannoy said that the chef was taking no more orders. It was a busy train and presumably they had a backlog of orders or had run out of ingredients!

And I agree with others. Maybe if they put more effort and enthusiasm into promoting the service then it would be more profitable.

 

[Goatboy]

Nothing must get in the way of the needs of the Reading commuters.

They should get rid of First Class so they can fit even more season ticket holding Reading commuters on the train for 30 minutes at a trivial daily rate.

Infact maybe a step further and just stop running trains West of Reading?

FGW as a franchise could be made 100% about the needs of those who want the attractive salary of London but without needing to live there.

 

[Squaddie]

They should get rid of First Class so they can fit even more season ticket holding Reading commuters on the train for 30 minutes at a trivial daily rate.

I never - and would never - travel in FGW's grim standard accommodation, but I don't think you're being entirely fair here.

Firstly, the equivalent daily rate paid by a Reading commuter may be significantly lower than an Anytime return, but over the course of a year they pay many thousands of pounds and are entitled to expect a seat in return for that money.

And secondly, it's not just the commuters who need more standard accommodation: I've been on many trains where Standard is full and standing while I am sitting in almost-empty carriage.

Nevertheless, the reduction in first class accommodation, and the resulting crowding in the remaining carriages, will make far less likely to travel with FGW in future.

 

[TEW]

Nothing must get in the way of the needs of the Reading commuters.

They should get rid of First Class so they can fit even more season ticket holding Reading commuters on the train for 30 minutes at a trivial daily rate.

Infact maybe a step further and just stop running trains West of Reading?

FGW as a franchise could be made 100% about the needs of those who want the attractive salary of London but without needing to live there.

Can you please explain exactly how the provision of a good service on the popular Reading-London corridor has anything to do with the Travelling Chef service?

 

[Essexman]

Tweeted FGW -

@FGW Is the rumour true that the wonderful Travelling Chef service is to be scrapped? I sincerely hope not.

Hi Currently a consultation taking place with catering crew, one of the proposals is removal of t/chef. -
7:56 PM - 9 Jul 2014

So now I've asked what about consultation with customers?

 

[Bishopstone]

Nothing must get in the way of the needs of the Reading commuters.

They should get rid of First Class so they can fit even more season ticket holding Reading commuters on the train for 30 minutes at a trivial daily rate.

Infact maybe a step further and just stop running trains West of Reading?

FGW as a franchise could be made 100% about the needs of those who want the attractive salary of London but without needing to live there.

Hard to know where to start with that rant.

How is the demise of Travelling Chef connected to the realignment of First Class accommodation with demand for First Class seating?

Many people (and I am one) in decent jobs cannot afford more than a small flat in London, because population growth has been so high; because much of the housing stock has been sold-off to foreign investors who don't pay housing taxes (eg CGT); and because Governments of both hues have pursued a policy of restricting house building to the lowest possible number, to drive up prices and please homeowners.

Incidentally, I pay to commute First Class with Southern/FCC, generally in 2+2 seating on a journey of 70 minutes. Very often the compartment is full, or almost full, within a 45 minute radius of London. Those First Class passengers on fGW, whining about the imminent need to share a bay of two/four, should take a reality check.

 

[LateThanNever]

I'm sorry to say from my own experience, that while I have been enjoying the offering and service from travelling with a Travelling Chef on FGW, I have been dissapointed by the lack of enthusiasm by so many other passengers on board, many seemingly quite content to eat as many free biscuits or whatever else is available from the trolley at no cost.

In the words of Falklands War commentator Brian Hanrahan, when referring to the prohibition on stating exactly how many Harrier jets the UK deployed, I have counted the fruit leaving the kitchen on an FGW trolley, and "I counted them all out and I counted them all back".

I worry, not just for the future of FGW's Travelling Chef, but for the long-term health of the residents of Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.

I presume that's for first class as there's no free biscuit in second. As most residents of Somerset, Devon and Cornwall are p poor you'll find precious few of them in first. First class is for emmets, who obviously eat so much fruit normally they're delighted to wolf some fatty or fudgy biscuits

 

[yorksrob]

When travelling back from my hols, I usually have something for breakfast, but it's always been the usual microwave fayre.

When do they run these travelling chefs ?

 

[daikilo]

Here is that conversation:

Me: "So, you are going to phase out the Travelling Chefs are you? Another erosion of the quality of catering across UK rail services. One can only eat so many Merrychef'd baguettes and toasties. They are no substitute for a proper chef prepared meal."

FGW: "Hi xxxxxx,

I've now been given the following response:

"We are talking to colleagues and crew about ways we would like to improve food and drink provision for both Standard and First Class customers on our long distance trains.

This follows the successful re-launch of our Pullman services last year.

The proposals include four additional Pullman services, with the return of a Pullman to our South Wales services. If agreed, the changes would also mean an updated buffet car menu and a change from Travelling Chef services to a service more suited to the choices being made by our customers."

So as it stands, it is just proposals and needs to go via consultation until any proposal is put in place.

-xxxxx"

Convert this from PR to Business speak and they are really happy with the travelling chefs and they want to expand, including other routes/services. That means lighter demand so costs need to decrease. Chefs, what can you suggest. Any chef worth the title will have something to contribute.

 

[richw]

What's the difference between traveling chef and Pullmans?

 

[hassaanhc]

Incidentally, I pay to commute First Class with Southern/FCC, generally in 2+2 seating on a journey of 70 minutes. Very often the compartment is full, or almost full, within a 45 minute radius of London. Those First Class passengers on fGW, whining about the imminent need to share a bay of two/four, should take a reality check.

Every day there is at least someone posting on their Twitter feed wanting First Class to be declassified, quite often throwing their toys out of the pram when the inevitable "it is up to individual train managers" reply comes through. So they should take a reality check :roll:, but not about sharing a table, more about wanting something for nothing! :roll: I'm always tempted to reply that they should upgrade to First Class then if getting a seat is so important

 

[455driver]

What's the difference between traveling chef and Pullmans?

Traveling chef is just the chef cooking fresh (but simple items) such as a fry up, porridge, baguettes etc. I havent done the dinner time ones lately so cant comment on them.

The Pullman dining is full 3 course meals served at your seat by the waiting staff, so there is the chef and up to 4 waiting staff.

 

[dk1]

What's the difference between traveling chef and Pullmans?

Absolutley everything mate. Travelling Chef is basicly a selection of quick but freshly prepared hot/cold baguettes, sandwiches & burgers brought to seats in 1st or collected in Std. Pullman is the full silver service dining in a layed up restaurant car with typical dishes to suit inc a proper full English breakfast on early trains with cereals, juices & bread basket.

 

[455driver]

Every day there is at least someone posting on their Twitter feed wanting First Class to be declassified, quite often throwing their toys out of the pram when the inevitable "it is up to individual train managers" reply comes through.

Maybe they should walk further than coach E to get a seat instead of getting onto twitter then!

 

[Drsatan]

Firstly, the equivalent daily rate paid by a Reading commuter may be significantly lower than an Anytime return, but over the course of a year they pay many thousands of pounds and are entitled to expect a seat in return for that money.

This does bring us onto a bit of a conundrum: how to ensure not only do passengers for stations beyond Reading get a seat but that Reading commuters get a seat to.

The most radical solution would be to add two extra tracks from Didcot to Swindon, allowing for the operation of a half-hourly Paddington to Swindon service, stopping at Reading and Didcot Parkway. Even though this might give Reading commuters a greater chance of a seat, I very much doubt what I've proposed will ever happen.

Ultimately, it's going to be impossible to keep both leisure travelers and Reading commuters happy; any decision will be made on who shouts the loudest.

 

[91103eastcoast]

455 driver is absolutely spot on. I once walked to coach A and found an empty bay of four when the 'sheep' were all stood in the vestibules of Coach E!

 

[Bishopstone]

Every day there is at least someone posting on their Twitter feed wanting First Class to be declassified, quite often throwing their toys out of the pram when the inevitable "it is up to individual train managers" reply comes through. So they should take a reality check :roll:, but not about sharing a table, more about wanting something for nothing! :roll: I'm always tempted to reply that they should upgrade to First Class then if getting a seat is so important

Another Standard coach should ease the seating problem. Then it's up to fGW to enforce what remains of FC.

 

[Clip]

Absolutley everything mate. Travelling Chef is basicly a selection of quick but freshly prepared hot/cold baguettes, sandwiches & burgers brought to seats in 1st or collected in Std.

So basically the same sort of stuff people early on the thread were moaning about but allegedly made 'fresh'.

So tell me, apart from the full english, what is the difference between a baguette made right there and then or one made back at terminal and then heated up?

'Oh but it tastes so much nicer' or something similar no doubt will be the reply.

 

[richw]

Traveling chef is just the chef cooking fresh (but simple items) such as a fry up, porridge, baguettes etc. I havent done the dinner time ones lately so cant comment on them.

The Pullman dining is full 3 course meals served at your seat by the waiting staff, so there is the chef and up to 4 waiting staff.

In that case more Pullmans sound better to me.
If I'm understanding correctly a travelling chef is just the same as the pre packed stuff but made fresh?

 

[dk1]

So basically the same sort of stuff people early on the thread were moaning about but allegedly made 'fresh'.

So tell me, apart from the full english, what is the difference between a baguette made right there and then or one made back at terminal and then heated up?

'Oh but it tastes so much nicer' or something similar no doubt will be the reply.

Hope you are not having a dig at me my beauty. Your reply seems a tad officious.

 

[Flamingo]

455 driver is absolutely spot on. I once walked to coach A and found an empty bay of four when the 'sheep' were all stood in the vestibules of Coach E!

I do that most days...

 

[Clip]

Hope you are not having a dig at me my beauty. Your reply seems a tad officious.

Not really treacle more in relation to this

Here is that conversation:

Me: "So, you are going to phase out the Travelling Chefs are you? Another erosion of the quality of catering across UK rail services. One can only eat so many Merrychef'd baguettes and toasties. They are no substitute for a proper chef prepared meal."
"

So a chef prepares a baguette is different to a reheated baguette... hmmm.

 

[richw]

So a chef prepares a baguette is different to a reheated baguette... hmmm.

I'm trying to work this out as well.

Is their a premium price for a chef to stick it together instead of the pre packed same product?

 

[dk1]

Not really treacle more in relation to this



So a chef prepares a baguette is different to a reheated baguette... hmmm.

Each to their own with taste & pocket. Just explaining the difference Chef/Pullman. Fast food wins with me usually but sometimes happy to shell out & do things properly. Im sure FGW have costed things & sad though it is, i never do things for love when in business.

 

[455driver]

So a chef prepares a baguette is different to a reheated baguette... hmmm.

Du of course it is, for one the chef can add other items such as mushrooms, with the reheated ones it is what it is!

Given the choice of the chef one or the cheaper reheated one I will have the chef one thanks.

 

[TEW]

The Travelling Chef menu offers a wider variety of hot food than the standard buffet menu. You can compare the two:

Buffet
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/...rst-Great-Western-Food-and-Drink/Express-Cafe

Travelling Chef
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/...-Great-Western-Food-and-Drink/Travelling-Chef

A lot of the Travelling Chef items are actually fairly substantial meals, the breakfasts and items from the 'main menu'. That's not something you ever really get from the standard buffet.

 

[Michael.Y]

As I understand it from the one time I've bought a chef's baguette, the travelling chef baguettes (or sandwiches / toasties) are either bacon or sausage (or indeed both!), cooked fresh from the raw meat on a grill pan. The baguettes themselves are the par-baked type you can get in supermarkets which are then freshly baked off.

Compared to a microwaved pre-packed baguette that's not bad for the same price.

 

[Essexman]

Travelling Chef cooked baguettes are freshly (part) cooked with freshly cooked contents - made to order. Far superior to the microwaved bacon ones available from the normal buffet. Plus the chef cooks what is effectively a full breakfast, served at seat in first class, and other meals. Far far superior to the normal buffet fare.

 

[yorksrob]

I'd go for the full English. Whether they'd have it on the 10:00 Saturday departure from Penzance is another matter.