Way Overpriced Cafe Facilities on S.V.R?

[Chrius56000]

As a birthday treat for me, my friend whom I live with bought me a Severn Valley Railway Day Pass for last Saturday, although trains are only going as far as Hampton Loade, due the landslide the SVR suffered outside Bridgnorth, so there was no way to get to Bridgnorth to try and find town centre facilities! (There were no replacement buses provided, like there would be on N.R.!)

My friend bought us two meals and a tea each at the Engine House Museum Café at Highley, and he was furious at the price charged, and the quality of what was provided – £26 for the two of us, and the stew and chips were only lukewarm!

There were numerous other full plates of food left abandoned on all the other tables, clear evidence of the appalling quality of the catering there!

How on earth can whoever runs this facility justify charging so much for was clearly very bad quality food? I know Motorway Service Area catering is also expensive and very bad as well, but the Engine House Cafe beats them hollow!

(We only found out afterwards there is a much better pub down by the River that offers much better food!)

Are they hoping to earn the money to repair the landslide from the café catering?!

Chris Williams

 

[Llanigraham]

Did you say anything to the staff there at the time?

Ignoring the standard of the food, £13 each for a meal doesn't seem that bad.

 

[Tetchytyke]

A tenner for stew and chips and three quid for a drink sounds about right. And of course it is priced to generate revenue.

If you didn’t like what was served the time to complain was then, not days later on a forum.

 

[Chrius56000]

. . .My friend did complain about it most emphatically at the time, but they wouldn't do anything about it, and since posting the above, I've looked at "Trip Advisor" and unfortunately our experience wasn't an isolated one!

. . .Our local "Star Cafe" on Brownhills High Street serves far better than this cafe for less than £10!

. . . I presume the "Engine House Cafe and Museum" is a separate entity to the S.V.R. itself, but given the S.V.R. is potentially losing a lot of income, along with Bridgnorth Town Centre itself due to the line being shut from the bridge damage, I am afraid they will to have to do a lot better than what they're doing at the moment!

Chris Williams

 

[Trainlog]

Whilst I haven't typically gone for a sit down meal per say at the Severn valley railway, There are areas of the railway in terms of services that I have felt are very good. Tea and coffee was rather inexpensive and if you get off at Eardington during a gala event there is some really nice pieces of cake being sold there that are very cheap in comparison to your high street chain coffee shop.

The Bewdley second hand model shop is very good, they will happily test a loco prior to you purchasing it. When I visit heritage railways I usually think the ticket and maybe some teas here and there is a plenty enough contribution, maybe something from a second hand stall if its good value.

If just spotting at a heritage railway, then at least a cup of tea from a station refreshment stall is a better contribution to the line than nothing.

 

[Andy Pacer]

Did you say anything to the staff there at the time?

Ignoring the standard of the food, £13 each for a meal doesn't seem that bad.

Agreed, certainly not "way overpriced" as the thread title suggests.

 

[Falcon1200]

My most recent catering experience at the SVR was last May, a full English breakfast at Bewdley. I can't recall the price but it was absolutely wonderful!

 

[Harpo]

One thing the SVR could do is find way to speed up service in its pubs. The pub at the end of the line seems surprised when a trainload of people turn up and queue out of the door.

 

[43066]

My friend bought us two meals and a tea each at the Engine House Museum Café at Highley, and he was furious at the price charged, and the quality of what was provided – £26 for the two of us, and the stew and chips were only lukewarm!

That amount doesn’t sound unreasonable these days and is less than you’d expect to spend in a decent quality pub, in my experience. Presumably you’d looked at the prices before deciding what to buy?

. . .My friend did complain about it most emphatically at the time, but they wouldn't do anything about it, and since posting the above, I've looked at "Trip Advisor" and unfortunately our experience wasn't an isolated one!

Most of the reviews on trip advisor seem very favourable.

 

[birchesgreen]

I've always found the Engine House cafe underwhelming, not terrible but a bit meh. Same with the one at Kidderminster Town. Bewdley cafe is good though.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

. . .Our local "Star Cafe" on Brownhills High Street serves far better than this cafe for less than £10!

The Severn Valley Railway is a tourist destination and Brownhills, er, isn't.

 

[SuspectUsual]

One thing the SVR could do is find way to speed up service in its pubs. The pub at the end of the line seems surprised when a trainload of people turn up and queue out of the door.

Absolutely. We've had the same at the King & Castle when we've been to Kiddy for the football - a hundred fans pitch up and they're overwhelmed

 

[Instow]

That amount doesn’t sound unreasonable these days and is less than you’d expect to spend in a decent quality pub, in my experience. Presumably you’d looked at the prices before deciding what to buy?



Most of the reviews on trip advisor seem very favourable.

Not expensive. Here in the south that'd be reasonable. Always best to complain at the time in my opinion