Northern - Free Brownies

[xotGD]

Northern were handing out mini brownies to passengers on the concourse at Leeds this evening.

Has this been happening elsewhere?


(For the avoidance of doubt, I am referring to the chocolate cakey things, not the younger version of Girl Guides!)

 

[yorkie]

I wonder if they are the same as the absolutely tiny ones given out in 1st class by LNER (though I've not seen those recently; maybe that's linked )

I've not heard of Northern doing this any other time; @yorksrob is a regular Leeds commuter so might have experienced this.

 

[syorksdeano]

Hope nobody had the munchies later

 

[xotGD]

I wonder if they are the same as the absolutely tiny ones given out in 1st class by LNER (though I've not seen those recently; maybe that's linked )

I've not heard of Northern doing this any other time; @yorksrob is a regular Leeds commuter so might have experienced this.

These have a layer of icing on the top printed with the Northern name and logo.

Anyone wanting it for a collection of memorabilia - sorry I've just eaten it!

 

[High Dyke]

These have a layer of icing on the top printed with the Northern name and logo.

Anyone wanting it for a collection of memorabilia - sorry I've just eaten it!

Well you could've posted a picture, before you ate it of course.

 

[startingaparty]

Yes, at Manchester Victoria along with a leaflet basically apologising for disruption… lol

 

[xotGD]

Well you could've posted a picture, before you ate it of course.

I never thought of that!

Yes, at Manchester Victoria along with a leaflet basically apologising for disruption… lol

I got the leaflet too, but was more interested in the brownie!

 

[Egg Centric]

Hope nobody had the munchies later

Exactly what I was thinking

This is an interesting idea. A few mid-range hotels do this (e.g. Doubletree) and it's most welcome when you've come off a 12 hour flight. Given how cheap most northern fares are I think I'd probably be bribed by it not to bother claiming delay repay, and I'm sure others would feel the same. So perhaps even revenue positive!

 

[PeterC]

Northern were handing out mini brownies to passengers on the concourse at Leeds this evening.

Has this been happening elsewhere?


(For the avoidance of doubt, I am referring to the chocolate cakey things, not the younger version of Girl Guides!)

I clearly missed out by starting my Settle and Carlisle trip from Keighley today.

 

[ExRes]

In the interest of levelling does anyone know when this will be rolled out to London?

 

[Egg Centric]

In the interest of levelling does anyone know when this will be rolled out to London?

When I worked in London there were constant freebies in Liverpool Street. Product samples rather than TOC goodies admittedly, but surely they've not stopped this?

Edit: I just remembered last time I took a train from KGX (within last month) I got a bunch of freebies from Flymo and got to sit in a comically large chair that was difficult to get out of gracefully

 

[fgwrich]

When I worked in London there were constant freebies in Liverpool Street. Product samples rather than TOC goodies admittedly, but surely they've not stopped this?

Edit: I just remembered last time I took a train from KGX (within last month) I got a bunch of freebies from Flymo and got to sit in a comically large chair that was difficult to get out of gracefully

Not long after the Waterloo blockade, SWR were handing out a multitude of bribes, sorry freebies including SWR Jelly Babies, Ice Cream and continental breakfasts (pastries, jam and orange juice!), as well as vouchers to use at some of the food outlets (at Waterloo I think). Certainly made my commute in the morning a little more interesting (normally I'd just find a seat on my 159 and go back to sleep).

 

[Horizon22]

When I worked in London there were constant freebies in Liverpool Street. Product samples rather than TOC goodies admittedly, but surely they've not stopped this?

Edit: I just remembered last time I took a train from KGX (within last month) I got a bunch of freebies from Flymo and got to sit in a comically large chair that was difficult to get out of gracefully

Not long after the Waterloo blockade, SWR were handing out a multitude of bribes, sorry freebies including SWR Jelly Babies, Ice Cream and continental breakfasts (pastries, jam and orange juice!), as well as vouchers to use at some of the food outlets (at Waterloo I think). Certainly made my commute in the morning a little more interesting (normally I'd just find a seat on my 159 and go back to sleep).

Southern & Southeastern used to do the same thing, normally in the morning or evening peak after a big disruption. I think coffee vouchers were normally a firm favourite with the commuters

As for "stopped this" I imagine it was one of those things that fell by the wayside with Covid.

 

[HuggyB87]

Merseyrail recently gave out Muffins to pax because of the wheel bearing faults.

During periods of long unplanned disruption, they do tend to give freebies out at breakfast time by way of a “soz”

 

[185]

Probably space cakes, so passengers overlook the clueless MD's £300K salary, paid for actually doing nothing.

 

[johntea]

Leeds used to be a gold mine for freebies from various companies trying to flog their latest product, you could often get 3 or 4 free samples because there were multiple people hovering around the concourse handing them out!

On a similar note I do often wonder whatever happened to the 2 friendly blokes that would be there like clockwork every morning trying to encourage you to take a Metro newspaper!

I also miss some of the more generous promotions the train operating companies used to do, fond memories of East Midlands Trains and their Red Dot Day promotion where you could travel unlimited all day on their network for a tenner (a slight restriction in that you had to initially purchase a ticket from a designated station), and they even gave out a free goody bag which was aimed at the kids but I still have my keyring all these years later

 

[yorksrob]

Leeds used to be a gold mine for freebies from various companies trying to flog their latest product, you could often get 3 or 4 free samples because there were multiple people hovering around the concourse handing them out!

Yes, the golden era for this was before the 2008 economic crash. Never been the same since.

 

[Skie]

Merseyrail recently gave out Muffins to pax because of the wheel bearing faults.

During periods of long unplanned disruption, they do tend to give freebies out at breakfast time by way of a “soz”

And planned. Got plenty of bacon baps and danishes dished out during the Wirral line works and platform alterations.

 

[JaJaWa]

There is a picture here

Matt Harrison
@ntmatt

Lovely to see team @northernassist on hand with branded brownies at Manchester Victoria! A really nice touch to thanks customers for their patience through recent disruptions.



11:43 PM · Jun 27, 2022 from Manchester Victoria Railway Station (MCV) · Twitter for iPhone

https://twitter.com/ntmatt/status/1541447159886782464

 

[xotGD]

In the interest of levelling does anyone know when this will be rolled out to London?

You have to endure Pacers for 30 years before you get a brownie!

 

[CJSwan]

ScotRail had people handing out free fruit on the first day of government running at some of the larger stations.

I was offered in Inverness, but declined. I was more interested in getting to Comfort Foods for my cooked Full Scottish Breakfast!

 

[ExRes]

You have to endure Pacers for 30 years before you get a brownie!

No, no thanks all the same, I'll bring my own digestive ........

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I travelled through Leeds a few times a fortnight ago, and I did see a couple of people handing out edible goodies.

However, I didn't want what they had, so I didn't take advantage of the offers ... brownies, though, would have been accepted!

 

[Kite159]

The only freebies I've got is branded bottles of water from South Eastern during a heatwave & from SWR.

Also something from the opening day of Warrington West, might have been brownies.

 

[Runningaround]

ScotRail had people handing out free fruit on the first day of government running at some of the larger stations.

I was offered in Inverness, but declined. I was more interested in getting to Comfort Foods for my cooked Full Scottish Breakfast!

I gather they struggled to even give away free strange looking foods like apples and juice up there. If it'd been fruit based products like White Lighting Cider or Lemon Drops they'd have been gone by 7 o'clock. Even Dairy Fruit & Nut bars are looked upon as suspiciously healthy.

 

[High Dyke]

East Midlands Railway have done similar things in the past. The Platinum Jubilee biscuit is a bit bland IMO.

 

[RichJF]

Southern & Southeastern used to do the same thing, normally in the morning or evening peak after a big disruption. I think coffee vouchers were normally a firm favourite with the commuters

As for "stopped this" I imagine it was one of those things that fell by the wayside with Covid.

Been a recipient of this at least twice when I used to commute from Redhill - London 2012 - 2016. Most of the freebies I got were associated with the London Bridge rebuild knock-ons.

 

[Runningaround]

Good way of getting the travelling public to dispose of your overstocked product that's about to go out of date and as the train gets delayed it might soften them and the passengers up before they get to the complaints desk. Just wish the staff would be as visible then.

 

[skyhigh]

Good way of getting the travelling public to dispose of your overstocked product that's about to go out of date

Erm given Northern don't do catering, how do you come to the conclusion they've ended up with a bulk load of short dated brownies they're trying to get rid of?

 

[WesternLancer]

Northern were handing out mini brownies to passengers on the concourse at Leeds this evening.

Has this been happening elsewhere?


(For the avoidance of doubt, I am referring to the chocolate cakey things, not the younger version of Girl Guides!)

do they hand them out to the excess fare payment desk queue on the platform side where the staff seem to hover to issue Penalty Fares etc - ?

This group might have appreciated some:

Penalty fare given to family

My son went to a birthday brunch with his friends family, 6 of them in total. They could not get tickets at the only ticket machine at an unmanned station (low moor) the mother was paying for them and says her card wasn't accepted at the ticket machine. There was no conductor or any staff on...

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