TfW onboard chef shortage?

[LiftFan]

I’ve recently been trying to travel on a lot of TfW services which have supposedly included full catering.

Every single service I’ve caught I’ve found some very apologetic staff who end up telling the carriage that there is no onboard chef, so unable to get any hot food or sandwiches.

This begs the question, just how short are they on chefs?

And are there any services that don’t seem to suffer from this more than others?

Surely the unreliability of it is going to deter people from using it, especially some who have refrained from eating especially to make most of a three course meal on the train.

 

[NoOldEngine]

I’ve recently been trying to travel on a lot of TfW services which have supposedly included full catering.

Every single service I’ve caught I’ve found some very apologetic staff who end up telling the carriage that there is no onboard chef, so unable to get any hot food or sandwiches.

This begs the question, just how short are they on chefs?

And are there any services that don’t seem to suffer from this more than others?

Surely the unreliability of it is going to deter people from using it, especially some who have refrained from eating especially to make most of a three course meal on the train.

Always thought they bought the food frozen as many hotels do and simply cooked it in a microwave or small oven.

 

[dk1]

Always thought they bought the food frozen as many hotels do and simply cooked it in a microwave or small oven.

I know somebody who dines at least twice a month. That’s not the impression I get about his experience.

 

[Facing Back]

I know somebody who dines at least twice a month. That’s not the impression I get about his experience.

Which TfW services have chefs (planned to have...) Last time I used them there was no food offering. If it's good I will try it.

 

[dk1]

Which TfW services have chefs (planned to have...) Last time I used them there was no food offering. If it's good I will try it.

He and a couple of others always use Cardiff-Shrewsbury/Chester. That Welsh Government sponsored Holyhead service.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Oct 2023 ==

Late afternoon.

 

[sd0733]

Always thought they bought the food frozen as many hotels do and simply cooked it in a microwave or small oven.

No, everything is made by the chef. Even sandwiches aren't pre-packed and are made to order.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Oct 2023 ==

I’ve recently been trying to travel on a lot of TfW services which have supposedly included full catering.

Every single service I’ve caught I’ve found some very apologetic staff who end up telling the carriage that there is no onboard chef, so unable to get any hot food or sandwiches.

This begs the question, just how short are they on chefs?

And are there any services that don’t seem to suffer from this more than others?

Surely the unreliability of it is going to deter people from using it, especially some who have refrained from eating especially to make most of a three course meal on the train.

There's been a big recruitment drive recently for the whole catering side. In all honesty its more likely to have a 150 with a full complement of chef and hosts than a Mk4 without a chef now

 

[Facing Back]

He and a couple of others always use Cardiff-Shrewsbury/Chester. That Welsh Government sponsored Holyhead service.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Oct 2023 ==

Late afternoon.

OK thanks. Chester Cardiff works

 

[sd0733]

Which TfW services have chefs (planned to have...) Last time I used them there was no food offering. If it's good I will try it.

Anything that's booked a Mk4 so at present
0533 Holyhead to Cardiff
1714 Cardiff to Holyhead
0635/0849/1052/1449/1649/1855 Cardiff-Manchester
0627/1030/1230/1830 Manchester-Cardiff

 

[Facing Back]

Anything that's booked a Mk4 so at present
0533 Holyhead to Cardiff
1714 Cardiff to Holyhead
0635/0849/1052/1449/1649/1855 Cardiff-Manchester
0627/1030/1230/1830 Manchester-Cardiff

Thank you

 

[38Cto15E]

I am not a worker in the food industry, so you can take this with a pinch of salt.

I think many restaurants etc now buy in prepared high quality food which is then cooked in a Convector oven rather than a microwave and finished off (with gravy or sauce etc) by an assistant.

International airlines do not have a chef on board with a grill cooking steaks, but they serve high class meals to their first class passengers, and I think this is something that TOC's should be able to do using modern technology.

 

[trebor79]

I can't speak for the TfW service but I was amazed at the quality of poached egg on the Caledonian Sleeper a few years ago. I wondered how on earth they did it, surely not with a big pan full of simmering water on a moving train.
And I found out a few years later. You can buy pre-poached eggs that are in individual plastic wrappers. 10 seconds in a microwave to warm them through and voila. Even high end hotels use them.