Virgin Trains - first class menu

[CheapAndNerdy]

On 26 July (tomorrow) I am travelling on a first class advance from Euston (12:30) to Wigan. This will be my first experience of first class travel in 10 years and I have a couple of questions about the menu (which I realise is subject to availability).

Which menu can I expect?
Am I restricted to choosing just one of the items on offer or can I select (say) Mexican Burrito followed by Deli or snacks?

Thanks.

 

[vlad]

I've no idea which menu you'll get. However, assuming that the Wigan trains have similar service to the Manchester trains you'll be offered tea/coffee and then a cold drink (more than once if there's time). In terms of food, you get a "main" and a "dessert"; in other words you get to choose a sandwich or similar and then fruit/crisps/chocolate.

Depending on the staff and how busy the train is you could be allowed fruit, crisps and chocolate but I doubt they'd let you have more than one main unless they want to get rid of the food, so you can't have the burrito and deli selection.

 

[CheapAndNerdy]

Cheers vlad. That's what I needed to know. Cross fingers for the Burrito .

 

[Bletchleyite]

I find they are quite good at insisting you have lots of packets of crisps and pieces of fruit even if you don't want them. Though nothing will quite beat the East Coast steward I had ages ago who appeared to be trying to get me drunk (with some success), I think I got through about 7-8 ciders between Edinburgh and London, maybe more.

 

[CheapAndNerdy]

I find they are quite good at insisting you have lots of packets of crisps and pieces of fruit even if you don't want them.

I hope they feel that way about the chocolate goodies too

And just today I realised I can use the first class lounge. None of this even occurred to me when I bought the tickets, I just wanted a comfortable and uncrowded journey.

 

[Chrism20]

I hope they feel that way about the chocolate goodies too

And just today I realised I can use the first class lounge. None of this even occurred to me when I bought the tickets, I just wanted a comfortable and uncrowded journey.

They are usually pretty generous with the uglies (that’s the name of the chocolate). If you say you like them you usually get a generous handful of them.

 

[PeterY]

I love Uglies but one isn't enough

Last time I used Virgin to Glasgow I convinced the steward to give me 5 on the north bound and I managed 4 on my way back.

 

[dave87016]

I love Uglies but one isn't enough

Last time I used Virgin to Glasgow I convinced the steward to give me 5 on the north bound and I managed 4 on my way back.

Whilst uglies are very nice and rich they sure aren't good for teeth as they are rock hard ( might not these days due to the warm weather lately ) but they usually are

 

[47271]

If it helps, the 1200 Euston-Manchester today was a bacon roll and fruit salad. I misheard him at first and thought he said a bacon roll OR fruit salad, which would've been odd. The usual crisps, fruit, biscuits etc. Two rounds of hot drinks and two rounds of cold.

 

[Chrism20]

I love Uglies but one isn't enough

Last time I used Virgin to Glasgow I convinced the steward to give me 5 on the north bound and I managed 4 on my way back.

I'm back to working in Preston for the summer so going back and forth between there and Edinburgh a couple of times a week. Over the last five weeks I've managed to accrue a carrier bag full of them. The evening crews can be very generous with them.

Whilst uglies are very nice and rich they sure aren't good for teeth as they are rock hard ( might not these days due to the warm weather lately ) but they usually are

They are a bit dangerous in that respect. I always use the second knife in the cutlery pack and half them.

 

[shredder1]

I would have though pies would be on the menu for Wigan trains?

 

[route101]

Im sure you could ask for both options , nicely ha.

 

[CheapAndNerdy]

Journey complete. So did it live up to expectations? Mixed, but overall good.

I am so pleased I had access to the lounge at Euston. I walked there from St Pancras (10 minutes only) but it was so hot I felt seriously depleted and the heat on the concourse at Euston was terrible. The lounge was pretty full, due in part I think to a delayed service, but compared to the concourse it was heaven. I found a seat near an air-conditioning vent and spent the first 10 minutes just cooling down. After that I partook of some of the freebies on offer (water -- and plenty of it, cookies and brownies. So I felt much better when I had to leave to board the train.

The train journey to Wigan was a bit disappointing. The service was short-formed (9 cars instead of 11) and so many standard class ticket holders were rehoused in first. Now that wasn't an issue in itself but due to the fact that the carriage was full and the temperature outside was high the aircon couldn't really cope and it was a somewhat uncomfortable journey (getting off at Wigan though was like stepping into paradise -- temperature-wise!).

Added to that there was a shortage of staff so no drinks (other than water) before Preston. The snack was disappointing. Menu 1 was on offer but they had run out of the sandwich so I made do with the rather uninspiring cheese selection. Nothing else was offered before I got off.

The return journey was another matter. A lightly-populated and cool carriage and even though I joined towards the end of the service I got my sandwich (quite nice really), crisps, cookie, coffee and water, and The Times (felt right grown up I did). I was a little sad when I had to disembark.

As an addendum, once I walked across to St Pancras (pretty warm still) I was greeted with Thameslink cancellations on the Sutton loop. Thankfully I had already planned backup routes (NOT involving LU!) and travelled home via East Croydon (cross-platform interchange too -- wayhay!).