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

[whole diary]

[bobm]

On Friday I travelled on the last HST^▸ (High Speed Train) Pullman from Paddington - the 13:03 to Plymouth.

The restaurant had been fully booked for a few days ahead of the event but some additional places were laid up in the adjoining carriage allowing a total of 23 people to dine.

It has been a while since I posted any pictures of the food - this was the chicken salad starter, although with a few vegetables it could have been a main course!



I had steak for my main course - and I won't bore you with another photo of that.  There is also a very nice baked cod dish on the current menu which I had an on earlier trip.



Many had made a special trip to enjoy the final run.   Even LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about) got in on the act as one of their Azuma^▸ (Brand name for Class 80x trains on LNER) trains came in on the adjoining platform on a test run.


(Sorry for the slightly wonky angle - it was an opportunist photo taken on my phone)

With 23 to serve the staff were kept on their toes but the meal was comfortably finished by Newton Abbot.  I travelled through to Plymouth and had a chance to talk to the crew as they finished clearing up.  From Monday they will be operating on IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) in both directions (they work back on the 18:03 from Plymouth) which will make it easier as far as the equipment they need to carry.  Although the IETs have more modern (and reliable) kitchens the seating arrangement is not as good when it comes to dining.  As mentioned higher up the thread there are only two pairs of double seats - one is the disabled space and the other has no window.  Other than that it is bays of four and single seats.  There will be the option to lay up part of the next coach if space allows.

A good day out - even better because I was continuing into Cornwall for a meeting (in a brewery)!



Journey's end for the HST Pullman at Plymouth as the train prepares to form the 16:57 back to London.

[mjray]

Entirely fair comments GBM.

My "long distance" travel by train tends to be Paddington (or occasionally Reading) - Plymouth......given the variety of food and drink available to take away at/nearby either of those stations, far superior in quality and far better VFM than that available on a train, I simply make sure that I stock up before departure - always carry a bottle of water anyway to guard against being "parched" - looking around the train it's clear that many do the same.

And when your bottle of water is empty, then what? There's nowhere to refill on board during the 4 hour journey from Plymouth to Paddington.

To "stock up before departure" adds to the overall journey time, instead of being done on the move. If I wanted to be faffing around trying to find decent food and drink while stopped, I'd drive a car!

It also adds another vulnerability and inconvenience to train travel: if you allow time for lunch at some interchange but arrive delayed inbound, do you miss your connection or go hungry? That's not going to be a great user experience either way and it's completely unnecessary. All it takes is consistent on-board catering on long-distance trains.

On my last HST^▸ (High Speed Train) trip the buffet was open but doing very little business with a very limited range and it could only take cash because "our card machine isn't working" - sort of sums it up.

Yes and it's that sort of inconsistency which kills the buffets. Many people feel they just can't count on British railway catering. With so many other operators having no catering at all, not even GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s rather random and patchy service, one could argue that we're now in an even worse situation than the 1980s cling-film sandwiches.

The Pullman seems a premium novelty experience more than a mainstream buffet service. It shouldn't really be part of the same discussion IMO^▸ (in my opinion).

[broadgage]

The Build Your Own Burgers were fantastic too.

As were the breakfast bloomer sandwiches with your choice of fillings.

And the omelettes.

Actually, all the Travelling Chef food I sampled over the years was top notch nosh. I'm struggling to think of a poor bit of scran. Never mediocre in my experience.

I agree, the problem was largely patchy and inconsistent provision and not price or quality.
It seemed to me that the travelling chef was often provided as a downgraded alternative to a Pullman restaurant, rather than being an improvement over a buffet.
Someone expecting a proper restaurant was unlikely to be impressed with a traveling chef.
Someone expecting a buffet might have been impressed with the extra choice and quality of a traveling chef.

[broadgage]

According to the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website, first class passengers may obtain complimentary items from the buffet "if we can not serve you at your seat"

https://www.gwr.com/plan-journey/first-class/menu

[TaplowGreen]

…………..heaven help GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) if Broadgage is travelling tonight! 


19:03 London Paddington to Plymouth due 22:22


Facilities on the 19:03 London Paddington to Plymouth due 22:22.
This is due to a problem currently under investigation.
Catering is reduced - There will be no Pullman Dining Service on this train today. .

[SandTEngineer]

…………..heaven help GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) if Broadgage is travelling tonight! 


19:03 London Paddington to Plymouth due 22:22


Facilities on the 19:03 London Paddington to Plymouth due 22:22.
This is due to a problem currently under investigation.
Catering is reduced - There will be no Pullman Dining Service on this train today. .

Well, I was on it.  It was announced as no hot food available due to non-delivery.  The trolley also didn't come through FC^‡(resolve) until after Newbury.......

[IndustryInsider]

Interesting...the internal system I have access to said there was no chef available.

[SandTEngineer]

Interesting...the internal system I have access to said there was no chef available.

Thanks II.  Perhaps they didn't want to upset those sat in Coach L with glass of wine in hand and ready to eat....

Once the trolley did arrive (and I was sat only half way down Coach K), it did manage to come through three or four times before reaching journeys end.  And, at least they were able to 'heat up' a few things in the microwave.

[chuffed]

Talking Pictures showed Centenary Express yesterday, showing how 100 years of Travellers fayre was marked in 1979. Green Arrow pulling out of York, with a full sized buffet car and serving the roast beef of old England on platters to seated customers. I could not believe the opulence of the place settings...rivalled a state banquet. On arrival at St Pancras, Sir Peter Parker was seen cutting a enormous 5 tier fruit cake, which unlike the ubiquitous British Rail sandwich served to the plebian class, was not turning up at the edges.

[broadgage]

…………..heaven help GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) if Broadgage is travelling tonight! 


19:03 London Paddington to Plymouth due 22:22


Facilities on the 19:03 London Paddington to Plymouth due 22:22.
This is due to a problem currently under investigation.
Catering is reduced - There will be no Pullman Dining Service on this train today. .

A poor show, but hopefully a "one off" and not part of a trend.
I was not on board, and was indeed partaking of fillet steak elsewhere.

I recall one Pullman meal with "no hot puddings due to lightning strike at Plymouth"
And several services with a restricted menu due to no chef, the restaurant manager cooking a limited choice.
And one train with no proper cutlery on board !
So the odd c0ck up is nothing new, just hope that they are not too frequent.

[Celestial]

Talking Pictures showed Centenary Express yesterday, showing how 100 years of Travellers fayre was marked in 1979. Green Arrow pulling out of York, with a full sized buffet car and serving the roast beef of old England on platters to seated customers. I could not believe the opulence of the place settings...rivalled a state banquet. On arrival at St Pancras, Sir Peter Parker was seen cutting a enormous 5 tier fruit cake, which unlike the ubiquitous British Rail sandwich served to the plebian class, was not turning up at the edges.

Did you spot broadgage by any chance?

[TaplowGreen]

Talking Pictures showed Centenary Express yesterday, showing how 100 years of Travellers fayre was marked in 1979. Green Arrow pulling out of York, with a full sized buffet car and serving the roast beef of old England on platters to seated customers. I could not believe the opulence of the place settings...rivalled a state banquet. On arrival at St Pancras, Sir Peter Parker was seen cutting a enormous 5 tier fruit cake, which unlike the ubiquitous British Rail sandwich served to the plebian class, was not turning up at the edges.

Did you spot broadgage by any chance?

He jumped out of the cake when Sir Peter Parker cut it, dressed up as a fillet steak shouting "NO IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train)"! 

[broadgage]

It would have to be an exceedingly large cake if BROADgage was to be concealed within.

[TonyK]

My brother in law is Peter Parker, CBE. I reckon he would have been knighted, but for someone else of the same name.

[TaplowGreen]

My brother in law is Peter Parker, CBE. I reckon he would have been knighted, but for someone else of the same name.

Did he ever bake an enormous 5 tier fruit cake? That would have been both ironic and an incredible coincidence.