Quote:
Originally Posted by dowlingm
I don't think it's credible to compare on-train catering to shops. The costbase and stock management is entirely different. It's more comparable to bars/cafes I would say.
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I do think it is entirely credible to compare on-train catering with that of shops. CIE catering/Network Catering and now Gourmet Rail have massive buying power far in way greater than the Euro Saver chain of shops. For years CIE/IE made a farce of rail catering and now with out-sourcing it is a complete shambles. Instead of offering good value meals/trolley food as an incentive to travel by rail CIE/IE always saw it as yet another way of fleecing the travelling public. Compare this with Norfolk Line who a while back were marketing a Dublin/UK ferry trip with a 'free' meal thrown in! It is all a state of mind and a modicum of clever marketing. Off course with Gourmet Rail having to pay CIE/IE for the concession to operate catering services, pay their staff, pay insurance etc. etc. the pressure is really on to fleece to travelling public. I predict that they are not making anything like enough money to keep their concession going and you will see many services devoid of even overpriced trolly services before much longer.