Great Western Railway: on-board catering, buffets, Travelling Chef, Pullman - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

Start with Coffee and Orange Juice (with bits in )

Fair comment: one does not expect to find bits in one's coffee. 

[Rhydgaled]

"We are talking to colleagues and crew about ways we would like to improve food and drink provision for both Standard and First Class customers on our long distance trains.

This follows the successful re-launch of our Pullman services last year.

The proposals include four additional Pullman services, with the return of a Pullman to our South Wales services. If agreed, the changes would also mean an updated buffet car menu and a change from Travelling Chef services to a service more suited to the choices being made by our customers."

So as it stands, it is just proposals and needs to go via consultation until any proposal is put in place.

-Ollie

Added some bold there to highlight a question. Have any details of what will constitute the 'improved food and drink provision more suited to the customer's choices' to replace travelling chef, other than the additional Pullmans, surfaced yet?

[JayMac]

Aimed for a another Pullman Brunch today. Sadly not to be due to set swaps leaving the 1045 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-SWA^» (Swansea - next trains) without full kitchen facilities. The set had what some staff call a 'Wendy House' kitchen. Just a Merrychef oven and a grill. You can't fry, poach or scramble eggs with those. Merrychef ovens are great bits of kit, but utterly useless for preparing Eggs Benedict or an Omelette Arnold Bennett.

So instead of my anticipated Eggs Benedict, it was a bacon butty. Still freshly prepared by chef though. Oh, and a complimentary coffee by way of apology from the Pullman team.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From Western Morning News:

FGW extend fine dining menu


FGW supplier Tim Towill, of Brown and Forest smokery, on the Somerset Levels

British Rail was once routinely derided for the standard of its onboard food with the ^curled up sandwich^ becoming synonymous with poor service.

But First Great Western is now turning that image on its head making a new culinary commitment to diners, increasing the number of its Pullman dining trains and adding more local food to its menus.

From this month, the Pullman fine dining menu will run on 10 trains daily, up from four, with 32 new locally-sourced products on-board.

Travelling between Penzance, Plymouth and London, diners can now enjoy tea grown in Cornwall and an omelette Arnold Bennett made with Somerset smoked haddock and eggs.

First Great Western^s Jo Elliott said: ^First Great Western is committed to supporting the communities we serve. What better way to do that than by helping local farmers and producers and serve up dishes cooked with their own ingredients, prepared and presented with the skill and delicacy that this top of the range produce deserves.^

Locally-made products on its Express Cafe range ^ found on board every high speed train ^ include Devon marmalade, Cornish shortbread as well as award-wining Somerset pies and Brixham crab.

[TaplowGreen]

Looks great, but in view of the current generally appalling level of rail service from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (ongoing yet again this morning) it may be regarded as an attempt to polish a turd? 

[JayMac]

That's a finest smoked turd from Somerset, I'll have you know! 

[NickB]

Looks great, but in view of the current generally appalling level of rail service from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (ongoing yet again this morning) it may be regarded as an attempt to polish a turd? 

Hilarious!  And quite right too.

[broadgage]

Looks great, but in view of the current generally appalling level of rail service from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (ongoing yet again this morning) it may be regarded as an attempt to polish a turd? 

The reliability of FGW services is indeed poor and seems to be getting worse, this is however largely the fault of network rail. In some cases I feel that FGW could respond a bit better to the weekly disruption but they certainly are not to blame for the disruption itself.

I for one greatly enjoy the Pullman services and feel that FGW are to be commended for providing this.

[TaplowGreen]

Looks great, but in view of the current generally appalling level of rail service from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (ongoing yet again this morning) it may be regarded as an attempt to polish a turd? 

The reliability of FGW services is indeed poor and seems to be getting worse, this is however largely the fault of network rail. In some cases I feel that FGW could respond a bit better to the weekly disruption but they certainly are not to blame for the disruption itself.

I for one greatly enjoy the Pullman services and feel that FGW are to be commended for providing this.

I'll be the first to commend FGW when they start providing a service worthy of commendation........with or without smoked haddock.......

[bobm]

The new timetables from 14th December are on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website.

Interesting note on the 13:03 M-F Paddington to Plymouth service to the effect that a Pullman service is expected to be introduced during the currency of the timetable on that train.

However perhaps of more interest is that a similar note is on the 15:59 Penzance to Paddington (18:03 off Plymouth).  I assume this is the return working for the crew of the 13:03.

That presumably means a London crew will be operating a Pullman for the first time in a few years.

[JayMac]

Having spoken with Plymouth based Pullman crew in the past week, I've been told that a couple of London based (soon to be former) Travelling Chefs are being trained up for Pullman duties on the 1303 from Paddington and a return working at 1803 from Plymouth (on the 1559 ex Penzance). They, and some Customer Hosts, have been to Plymouth for menu training and will be shadowing existing crews in the coming weeks.

I expect there may well be a quiet introduction around the time of timetable change, with a more formal advertisement of this further addition to the Pullman services in the new year.

Nice to see a further expansion of the Pullman. This will be a total of 12 full service restaurants on FGW^▸ (First Great Western). Good news.

Also heard, but only rumour (although from someone who I've no reason to disbelieve), that there may well be a surcharge for Standard Class ticket holders to use the Pullmans. Not so good news.

 

[JayMac]

As it's two dishes I'd not tried before, they had the obligatory photos. From my Pullman lunch last Thursday:

Fish Soup with tomato and fennel


Gnocchi with truffle sauce and Parmesan cheese

[bobm]

I must admit I am a big fan of that fish soup.  Very tasty.

[IndustryInsider]

Why is there an obsession with chucking fennel into so many dishes at restaurants these days?  I can't think of a single dish it improves on and quite often overpowers and ruins it in my opinion!

[JayMac]

I guess it boils down to the amount used and individual taste. I like robust flavours so not an issue for me. In fact my soup came with the addition of a dollop of spiced creme-fraiche. Very nice!

Talking of robust flavours. The Gnocchi fits that description as well. Truffle oil, lots of garlic and parmesan. Delicious. And filling. I shouldn't have bothered with the side of potatoes as well.