Catering on CrossCountry trains

Roland Perry wrote:
> In message
> <40c39bb0-8144-42ee-a7c7-71c97c6a4cf6@p25g2000hsf..com>, at
> 00:23:38 on Wed, 25 Jun 2008, rob499@m remarked:
>> Yes, you could keep a westbound train's shop open beyond Plymouth, but
>> if the shop can't be stocked at Penzance then the staff have to travel
>> back "on the cushions".
>
> Low cost airlines seem to have solved this. They typically only stock up
> at the UK end of their hops to the Continent and back. So simply put
> enough stock on the train Plymouth to service the return trip. If
> necessary, put half of it "in quarantine" westbound, so that there's
> less risk of eastbound passengers finding the cupboard bare.

A chap I know who worked in on-train catering could rant for hours about
the lack of storage space, and (what he saw as) the inability of the
people/computers who make the decisions on what to stock to get it right.

A problem seemed to be a lack of granularity in working out what would
be likely to be sold. Human staff knew that any train leaving Darlington
(=Catterick) an a Friday evening could sell as much beer as could be
physically fitted on-board - and there was much less risk of trouble
than on trains full of horse racing types - but the systems couldn't
spot that trains stopping there at that time were a special case.

There was one route which could shift lots of booze at an hour when most
people wouldn't dream of drinking, but which happened to be when a ferry
docked, or oil rig workers came ashore or something of that nature.

Theft from depots was also alleged to be a big problem.

It's not just railways, though. There was a pub where the bean counters
could never figure out why takings plummeted over the Christmas period -
usually a busy time for pubs - and were low at Easter and in summer, but
were huge in September, with peaks in January, just after Easter and
June. It was, of course, near two universities.
--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

In message <2637fb54f%Rail@greywall.>, at 17:41:36 on Wed, 25
Jun 2008, Graeme Wall <Rail@greywall.> remarked:
>> The early morning flights I take seem to do a reasonable trade in
>> sandwiches.
>
>My trips tend to be late afternoon, I get the impression they stock up first
>thing, there's not much chance on the turn rounds after that.

When I fly back in the early evening they usually have supplies.
--
Roland Perry

On 26 Jun, 13:31, Richard Fairhurst <richa...@systemed.net> wrote:

THe problem is a use-it-or-lose-it scenario - they do cost money to
provide, and if no one (or insufficient number of customers) make
purchases to cover the costs (& likely make a profit) of provision it
will get progressively withdrawn.

From my experience, the vast majority purchase prior to boarding, and
for whatever reason, this seems to be increasing. From where I'm
sitting, that is obviously a customer choice - no one can reaistically
expect this service to be supplied at a loss, however small.

Use it or lose it.....and don't complain if you buy before boarding.

In message
<b61b7dcf-4c48-4a64-88a4-40d0e305f018@e53g2000hsa..com>, at
05:52:13 on Thu, 26 Jun 2008, Chris <chrisjbates@>
remarked:
>THe problem is a use-it-or-lose-it scenario - they do cost money to
>provide, and if no one (or insufficient number of customers) make
>purchases to cover the costs (& likely make a profit) of provision it
>will get progressively withdrawn.
>
>From my experience, the vast majority purchase prior to boarding, and
>for whatever reason, this seems to be increasing.

It's caught in a vicious spiral. Onboard catering is now so unreliable
that more people buy something before boarding.
--
Roland Perry

On Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:26:16 +0100, Phil Richards
<philrichards1@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

>David Hansen wrote:
>> On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:02:48 +0100 someone who may be Sam Wilson
>> <Sam.Wilson@ed.ac.uk> wrote this:-
>>
>>> I've said this before, but a friend of the family used to work for
>>> British Transport Hotels and one of his duties was to check on buffet
>>> staff to make sure they were only selling the prepacked sandwiches.
>>
>> In what era was this?
>
>IIRC one scam that used to go on was with the old Maxpax (sp?) coffee
>and tea. Buffet staff used to go round collect the used cups, wash them
>up and resell them using their own supplies of instant coffee or tea.

I caught out a crew doing that on the Paddington - Fishguard Harbour
service one day in 1975. Fear of their being reported meant I got very
good service when having dinner on the return run:-)