Why is railway catering such a rip off?

[WelshBluebird]

It is the stations that don't have much around them that really suffer.
For somewhere like Paddington you have options all around you just outside the station, but somewhere like Bristol Temple Meads really doesn't have that much nearby - certainly nothing in terms of a supermarket or similar (though it does make me laugh a bit that the pub kind of thing that was on Platform 3 was always empty due to the Spoons 2 mins walk away - not surprising that they've closed that now!).

£2.45!!?!? My eyes would water at anything above £1 for a bottled drink.

Not that stations / onboard prices aren't ridiculous, but I take it you haven't bought a bottled drink recently then? Long gone are the days when a bottle of Fanta / Coke / Pepsi etc were less than a quid. Even from cheap supermarkets you are talking £1.20 - £1.50 or more now.

However, they do sometimes obtain ales cheaply close to the sell by date.

Of course the reason they can do that is because they usually sell enough volume that it will all be gone as soon as you get anywhere near the actual sell by date.

 

[Wolfie]

You have had better luck than me at Wethers! I don't have a problem with the concept or operation. It is very popular mainly because it is cheap.

The steaks are not excellent. They are cheap, thin and in my experience, badly cooked but they are cheap and that is the point. I am not going to Wethers for a proper stake. I am going for cheap booze and if I get hungry some cheap, quick food of a similar quality no matter where you are, maybe with an extra pint chucked in. Like I said you know what you are getting because you are paying £5 not £35 for it!

I don't like their owner, I think he is an buffoon and I would rather spend my money elsewhere on a decent pint of decent, well kept ale in a decent pub. Clearly you and many others disagree. Such is life.

If you look at the number of Spoons pubs in the Good Beer Guide it is clear that CAMRA disagrees with your last para. I think Tim Martin is an astute businessman. I certainly don't like his politics.

 

[Grumpy Git]

................. as a 52% voter in favour of Brexit, I have to say that the longer term future is now looking a lot better than it has done for a long time.

Yes, OK: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58146039

Vodafone has become the second UK mobile company to reintroduce roaming charges for users travelling in Europe.
From January, new and upgrading customers will be charged at least £1 a day to use their mobile phone in EU destinations, on several tariffs.
It follows similar plans from rival EE, announced in June.
Initially, all operators said they would not reintroduce a roaming charge after Brexit, despite having the option to.
Vodafone's approach is to limit those that include roaming in Europe to "selected plans", including its more expensive options .

 

[colchesterken]

To anyone at Liv St walk across the road to Tesco, 1 ltr of Orange juice £145

oops £1.45p Not £145....

 

[DarloRich]

The steaks I've had are clearly very different to those you've had, but you're suggesting that your experience is typical - when it clearly isn't. I don't go for the beer but I do appreciate the fact that if I'm on my own I can grab a table and order on the App so that I don't have to move.
You seem to be letting your dislike of the owner colour your judgement.

Far form it - I simply say you have been luckier than me in your experiences than me. I have been in many Spoons over the years and it isn't simply the owner I dislike. He is just the most public issue

 

[TravelDream]

Be interesting to know. Presumably 67p is VAT for starters. Then there's profit margin, contribution towards central overheads, staff wages (and associated costs), cost of consumables, premises rates / rental.

Anything else? (Revenue share with Network Rail, leccy bill and cost of water supply?)

There are a lot of standard overheads like staff and utiltiies, but I was talking about the additional ones not seen on the high street.
In transport businesses, it is typical for the landlord to take a cut of the net revenue of a business. I am not sure about train stations, but in airports, it is typically around the 15 to 20% mark. This is in addition to rent, though some places only take a percentage cut with a minimum floor rent.
You also have other contractual obligations that a commercial business wouldn't normally undertake. For example, they might be required to open at 6am Monday to Friday before the station gets busy or stay open late even though not that many people want to buy coffees or sandwiches at 9.30pm.

Not that stations / onboard prices aren't ridiculous, but I take it you haven't bought a bottled drink recently then? Long gone are the days when a bottle of Fanta / Coke / Pepsi etc were less than a quid. Even from cheap supermarkets you are talking £1.20 - £1.50 or more now.

If I am out, I tend to look for the Poundland type places where you can get two small-ish Pepsi bottles for a £1 or Wilkos where they are still £1 for the normal 500ml ones. If not, I would do without.

 

[Bald Rick]

To anyone at Liv St walk across the road to Tesco, 1 ltr of Orange juice £145

oops £1.45p Not £145....

And that’s Metro / Express prices. At a normal Tesco it’s £1.25.

Nevertheless, at Tesco Metro / Express, a 250ml bottle of OJ van be the same price - or even more expensive - than a litre

 

[DarloRich]

If you look at the number of Spoons pubs in the Good Beer Guide it is clear that CAMRA disagrees with your last para. I think Tim Martin is an astute businessman. I certainly don't like his politics.

I find the quality of ale variable. I do wonder if that is reliant on the past experience of the particular outlet management. I am a CAMRA member and get the guide every year and I don't agree with some of the Spoons listed but that is based on member submissions.

I also think Martin has developed and run a fantastically successful business model. No problem with that at all.

 

[Grumpy Git]

I also think Martin has developed and run a fantastically successful business model. No problem with that at all.

Which is struggling for staff since his particular brand of politics delivered our exit from the EU, so he's been hoisted on his own petard.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Which is struggling for staff since his particular brand of politics delivered our exit from the EU, so he's been hoisted on his own petard.

Not just at Spoons, and maybe not necessarily resulting from Brexit; many other former catering staff have quite possibly now got themselves alternative employment after COVID-19 hit the economy.

 

[dk1]

I also think Martin has developed and run a fantastically successful business model. No problem with that at all.

I was on the fence regarding the Brexit vote for months. It was watching Tim on Question Time the week before that convinced me to vote to leave.

 

[DarloRich]

I was on the fence regarding the Brexit vote for months. It was watching Tim on Question Time the week before that convinced me to vote to leave.

really? Can you give an example of his argument that won you over?

 

[Mag_seven]

OK folks it looks like we are done here.

For discussion of Brexit matters you can use this thread:

Brexit matters

I cannot find an open Brexit thread on the website so have opened this one for all and sundry to use. However, at a later date, the forum staff say that I am not to participate on the thread.

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