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

[whole diary]

[John R]

One of the Customer Hosts on the 1730 Swindon to Yatton this week was wearing the Pullman Uniform. Though unfortunately he was only able to serve me my usual evening diet of tea and crisps. Having read the correspondence here with a degree of envy over recent weeks I was looking forward to something better. 

[thetrout]

Haha, At least you got served at your seat John

Few weeks back I was on the 21:50 BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) - PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) and I went to the buffet for a cup of coffee having a longish journey in front of me. The lady in the Buffet said the complementary snacks were in the blue boxes on the  Luggage Rack in Coach G (Was a Micro Buffet) and that I could "help myself" I resisted the urge to take the whole box back to my seat

[JayMac]

More pictures of the food available on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Pullmans. From a trip made on 06/03/2013. It's worth restating just how good it is. How attentive the staff are, with their very smart new uniforms, and how there is no better way to enjoy fine dining, at speed and with a constantly changing scenery. I urge all forum members to find the time (and money!) to try this service. Remember, on the up services (1201 and 1255 off Plymouth - 1201 restaurant service available until Taunton. 1255 available until Castle Cary) you are almost guaranteed to find space in the Pullman Restaurant, so there's no need to fork out for a 1st Class ticket. A cheap Advance or Super Off Peak tickets will suffice. If you are bailing at Reading there are also some split ticket options.

Also mustn't forget to mention the pleasant company and engaging Train Manager on this most recent Pullman trip. You know who you are. 

Pullman Reserve Smoked Salmon - oak smoked in Somerset, with cornichons, cream cheese & rye bread


Prime Somerset Reared Fillet Steak - with Caf^ de Paris butter and a choice of mustards

Take care with the English mustard. It's strong - very strong!

Chocolate Nemesis - with Dorset clotted cream


Introduction from Chef Mitch Tonks


Rumours continue that a breakfast service will be trialed some time soon. The up Golden Hind (0505 off Penzance), looking like the favourite candidate for a trial. Hopefully added to that will be a balancing down lunch service.

[bobm]

I'd agree with all bignosemac has said - even though my mother told me never to play with my food, let alone photograph it. (Glad I had clean nails for picture one!  )

Was on the Pullman again today - another good show, including a very well behaved young lad who couldn't have been more than seven but ate all his vegetables, put me to shame.  He also showed up another diner who insisted on putting her heavy bag on the seat next to her and then ate her meal with one hand and tapped away on her laptop with the other!!

For those thinking of partaking; the menus rotate on a fortnightly basis.  Details are on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website.  Menu 2 starts again on Monday (11th March) for two weeks.

[JayMac]

Seafood it is for my next trip on the 20th March then. Dressed Crab for starter then Lemon Sole for the main.

It'll have to be the Chablis to go with that. 

[Super Guard]

Also mustn't forget to mention the pleasant company and engaging Train Manager on this most recent Pullman trip. You know who you are. 

Cheque is in the post 

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Mrs GTBE and myself sampled the Pullman lunch on Monday on the 1201 ex Plymouth.  Apart from the excellent food and service, the timing was most relaxing (our last lunch was a very rushed affair between Reading and Bedwyn).  You can sit down at Newton Abbott, the starter comes out at Exeter, and the service is timed so that you are ready to pay the bill around Newbury.  Overall a very pleasant experience which we shall do in future whenever we come back from Cornwall.

There's a downside for non-dining passengers.  A lady opposite us in coach G before we moved to F was complaining there was no Travelling Chef, and it seems that only sandwiches were available, and no hot snacks.  I think I've come across this issue before - maybe the scaled down kitchen facilities just don't have the capacity for cooking a good lunch and preparing hot snacks.

[bobm]

Our paths crossed!  I was on the same train.  Very good turnout for a Monday too with 13 taking a meal - boosted, it now seems, by three from the Coffee Shop! 

[Network SouthEast]

If I wanted to book myself on the Pullman, is it possible to occupy the same seat for my whole journey, or will I get turfed out after I've paid the bill?

I don't mind having a 1st Class ticket, but would rather stay in the same seat... unless there's a reason why I should leave the carriage after the journey?

[bobm]

I have only once seen someone being asked to return to their seat elsewhere on the train after their meal and that was someone who was a little the worse for wear and getting disruptive.

Depending on which service you plan to use you may not even need a first class ticket.  The two lunchtime trains are rarely full and standard class passengers are just as welcome as first and are free to remain after their meal.

The two evening journeys from Paddington are a different matter and are usually full with priority going to those with First Class tickets but you might be lucky with a standard.  If you do have a first class ticket you can book by telephone on 08457 000 125 before 15:15 or at the First Class lounge at Paddington after that.

For the two lunchtime services you will have to occupy a seat elsewhere on the train until about Newton Abbot while the crew lay up coach F. 

[broadgage]

If I wanted to book myself on the Pullman, is it possible to occupy the same seat for my whole journey, or will I get turfed out after I've paid the bill?

I don't mind having a 1st Class ticket, but would rather stay in the same seat... unless there's a reason why I should leave the carriage after the journey?

If you have a first class ticket from London then you may normally remain in the restaurant until your destination, there is only one sitting, and no harm in sitting in first class with a first ticket.


If you have a first class ticket TO London, then normally you may remain in the restaurant until arrival in London, the only exception being if you have completed your meal by Taunton, and someone boarding at Taunton wishes to dine, and no other seats are free. Almost never happens



If you have only a steerage ticket then you are meant to move out of the restaurant on completing your meal, enforcement is patchy and may depend on the extent of the tip offered.

[Southern Stag]

There's a downside for non-dining passengers.  A lady opposite us in coach G before we moved to F was complaining there was no Travelling Chef, and it seems that only sandwiches were available, and no hot snacks.  I think I've come across this issue before - maybe the scaled down kitchen facilities just don't have the capacity for cooking a good lunch and preparing hot snacks.

I'd guess it just isn't possible to other both the Pullman and the Travelling Chef on the same service. The chef on the Pullman will be occupied preparing the Pullman menu and the kitchen isn't really big enough to have two chefs working in there.

[bobm]

Probably also issues with storing the uncooked food.  Remember the up services also have to carry the food which will be served on the crew's return journey in the evening so the fridges are pretty full.

Although not of the same quality, it is still possible to get hot food by way of the microwave at the buffet.

[chuffed]

Being almost 20 years lder than BNM, I feel honour bound to mention that you may need to watch your waistline after 40! There seems to be a correlation between thinning hair ( not a problem for BNM , rarely seen without his trademark cap!) and expanding girth, so perhaps some of these slap up feeds courtesy of FGW^▸ (First Great Western) may need to be curtailed a little !

[JayMac]

One more trip next week chuffed. But I'm going for fish as both a starter and a main, so a bit healthier!