Great Western Coffee Shop

For the information of those who aren't already aware, the people who have been running a fast food van on the platform at Barnstaple have recently taken over the old stationmasters house at the station  and have opened up a rather splendid cafe / shop on the ground floor with an entrance off the booking hall. Very reasonably priced and well worth taking the time to go and get a meal there if your in that part of the world. This brings the number of worthwile eating establishments on the Barny branch up to two, the Tea room / restraunt / museum at Crediton continues to thrive.

Phots of the new cafe /eating emporium  here (http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s81/chris64ex4/Rail%20odds-sods/142001Barnstaple23-08-20083.jpg), here (http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s81/chris64ex4/Rail%20odds-sods/Barnstaplenewcaf23-08-20081.jpg) & here (http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s81/chris64ex4/Rail%20odds-sods/Barnstaplenewcaf23-08-20082.jpg).

... or glug, glug, possibly?  ;)

Excellent news anyway, The SprinterMeister!

We had a lovely lady with a van, who tried to provide a coffee bar service at Nailsea & Backwell, but sadly it didn't work out.  ???

Yes thought I'd seen a van at Nailsea from time to time.

Anyway I hope the Barnstaple one gets well supported hence my giving them a plug on here and a couple of other forums.

Good to hear about Barnstaple, a cafe or bar seenms to me a good use of a redundant station building. 

I'm still wanting to get to Stalybridge and its world renowned real ale bar.

Chris why didn't your lady with a van work out? We would dearly like to get some form of catering on Taplow even if it's only for the morning peak. Say 0600 to 10:30 we are looking at what might make it attractive and finding out about any potential pitfalls. We hadn't thought of a van but with some white lining there might be a potential site close to the entrance to platform 4.

Burham had one that did proper bacon sanwiches, not sure if it's still there. Anyone know?

Yes, the van at Burnham was still there last time I caught a train from the station. Endulged in a gorgeous Egg, Bacon & Sausage bap.

Two reasons. Firstly, there just wasn't enough trade to make it worth while. Secondly, because of complaints during the initial planning application, she wasn't allowed to sell anything hot, like bacon butties. So her range was limited.

Thanks, John - and my apologies for not replying sooner, eightf48544!  :-[

Our local lady, Suzanne Webb, started her Kickstart coffee van service at Nailsea & Backwell station in December 2007, operating from 07:00 to 09:00, Monday to Friday.  However, she stopped the service in July 2008, for reasons summarised in our local paper:

"One service commuters have recently lost is a stall selling coffee and morning newspapers.  Suzanne Webb has stopped parking her Kickstart coffee van at the station after setting up stall last December.

She said the introduction of new licensing conditions by North Somerset Council meaning she would have had to pay an extra ^700 per year and the fact the station was not quite busy enough to make it worth her while had forced her to stop.

It also means commuters will not be able to buy papers at the station, as Suzanne was stocking them on behalf of Backwell newsagent Bob Taylor, after the theft of an honesty box from the station platform in February."

For full details, see http://www.thisisclevedon.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=223442&command=displayContent&sourceNode=223436&contentPK=21058249&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch

I hope this background information about the possible pitfalls helps with your campaign to get a (hopefully more successful) service at Taplow, eightf48544  ;)

Thanks John R and Chris will feed back your comments. Do you know roughly how many passengers you get at Nailsea duirng that period?

No problem, eightf48544!

To be honest, I don't, as I usually catch the 08:59 - but John is an early bird, so he may be able to give you some idea for the 'peak' commuter services.

However, for the 08:59 service itself, I'd reckon an average of say 25 passengers?  It's usually a 143 and I have a mental image of 8 or 9 passengers waiting on the platform at each set of doors! (So much for 'accurate research'!  :P ::) )

I'd say between 250 and 300.

Thanks similar to Taplow, so probably not enough.

Could I just add that Mike who runs Barnstaple Cafe offers a VERY reasonable rate for train crew, for his delicious food and beverages.

Just a couple of points to add to this, if I may, eightf48544.

I've sent you a PM with comments and a link to the original planning permission application for the Nailsea coffee van (not posted here, to avoid claims that I'm clogging up this forum with too many links ::) ), for further background information.

Also, as John and I have discussed on our walk home from our local station previously, Nailsea & Backwell is only 10 minutes journey time from Bristol.  Most commuters get off the local trains at BTM, either to change trains for onward connections or to leave the station to go to work, so it really didn't make sense for many of us to buy a coffee from the van at Nailsea.  However, if Taplow commuters have a longer journey ahead of them, they may well find it more convenient to buy a coffee and a newspaper, to enjoy on their journey!

Best of luck, anyway!

Chris.  ;) :D ;D

I'll second that  ;D

...and 10% off for NDRUG members!

Ermm ... excuse me, chaps, but is anyone doing any work down there in Barnstaple - in between glugging coffee and munching bacon rolls?  ;) :D ;D ;D ;D