[Food] Catering at the Amex, has it improved?

[Perkino]

I don't understand the long queues. There is too many options for food and service takes ages. Cashless is the best way to speed things up, or some token based model with pay stations around the stadium

 

[portlock seagull]

I'm sick of complaining, so I've just given up. I didn't even leave my seat at half time yesterday as last time I left on the half time whistle the game was on 49 minutes before I got back to my seat (without the pint I wanted).

The food is okay. Not exactly gourmet, but I wouldn't really expect that as it's all pre-cooked and heated for sale. It's the speed of service which absolutely irritates the crap out of me.

I will say again : vending machines serving cold beer in plastic bottles on the concourses. A pad on the front saying "how many beers?" - customer taps the required number - contactless payment - machine dispenses bottles. Fast, easy.

If that's too much effort and expense what about "beer only lanes" at the kiosks. Loads of pints already lined up - beer only - bish bash bosh. That'll save the "Derek... Derek... DEREK... was that a hot dog or a pie? A pie.. okay... what about Dave. Dave... DAVE? A what pie? Oh.. crisps.. okay. Bob.. Bob.. BOB.. come on, I'm being served..." knobheads.

It's not the be-all and end-all to me (which I why I've stopped bothering) but it's missed revenue for the club - and as a rule, a man with a couple of beers in him tends to get more 'involved' in singing and cheering... which we all want.

Football clubs around the country could do so much better and earn more money. Most (not all!) are inept though, Albion included. As you say, they don't care and it's easier to avoid. I guess £110m from Sky means they'll never try to improve.The excuses are so tired and cliche that clubs believe them themselves, when I've seen Scouts run busy bank holiday fete stalls far more efficiently. That's right Albion, children can do a better job than Sodexo! FACT!

 

[essbee1]

Football clubs around the country could do so much better and earn more money. Most (not all!) are inept though, Albion included. As you say, they don't care and it's easier to avoid. I guess £110m from Sky means they'll never try to improve.The excuses are so tired and cliche that clubs believe them themselves, when I've seen Scouts run busy bank holiday fete stalls far more efficiently. That's right Albion, children can do a better job than Sodexo! FACT!

This. Simply not important enough to the club.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

A chicken and ham pie, packetof ready salted crisps, and an orange Fanta, cost me seven pounds ninety yesterday. Is that the price of a meal deal?

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Football clubs around the country could do so much better and earn more money. Most (not all!) are inept though, Albion included. As you say, they don't care and it's easier to avoid. I guess £110m from Sky means they'll never try to improve.The excuses are so tired and cliche that clubs believe them themselves, when I've seen Scouts run busy bank holiday fete stalls far more efficiently. That's right Albion, children can do a better job than Sodexo! FACT!

No you're right the club couldn't give a shit.

Only top club I know that has four beers available on draught one of which is a real ale which has to be binned if it doesn't sell (bright beer only last a few days). Uses a local pie supplier instead of a standard shite one. Plenty of kiosks compared to many grounds. Large comfortable concourses.

No you're right.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Football clubs around the country could do so much better and earn more money. Most (not all!) are inept though, Albion included. As you say, they don't care and it's easier to avoid. I guess £110m from Sky means they'll never try to improve.The excuses are so tired and cliche that clubs believe them themselves, when I've seen Scouts run busy bank holiday fete stalls far more efficiently. That's right Albion, children can do a better job than Sodexo! FACT!

The problem is, now that catering has been outsouced, that there is only so much that the club are in control of. Short of sacking Sodexo, (and the club have already dismissed two catering 'partners'), there isn't a great deal that they are able to do.

 

[essbee1]

No you're right the club couldn't give a shit.

Only top club I know that has four beers available on draught one of which is a real ale which has to be binned if it doesn't sell (bright beer only last a few days). Uses a local pie supplier instead of a standard shite one. Plenty of kiosks compared to many grounds. Large comfortable concourses.

No you're right.

Point taken - but for me more to do with efficiency (or lack of).

Impossible to get a pint of beer and drink it in a reasonable time by leaving your seat at the half-time
whistle. If the Club could achieve *that* then I'd accept your argument.

 

[portlock seagull]

I don't understand the long queues. There is too many options for food and service takes ages. Cashless is the best way to speed things up, or some token based model with pay stations around the stadium

Yes, but you're coming from a logical, practical angle. Sodexo's C&C approach is different. I'd start by employing, like the Caterers outside, more independent firms who tend to employ more permanent, family and therefore incentivised personnel. The Big Contract Caterers are all hampered by transient workforce who just don't care, and at the prices they're paid (versus the cost of goods and sale prices), who can blame them. Too much greed involved and it probably starts in fairness with Albion's tender demands. Still, it's about that old chestnut 'value' and what 'the market will bear' and obviously plenty of people are happy to queue for long periods and pay OTT - not to mention miss loads of football because of. It can be done because I've seen it done at other grounds. But the LT solution lies between improving service and overturning our archaic laws about not drinking alcohol in the stands.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

A chicken and ham pie, packetof ready salted crisps, and an orange Fanta, cost me seven pounds ninety yesterday. Is that the price of a meal deal?

More a tax on the stupid, I'd say. It's Boxing Day, you've had all day to stuff your face with Xmas leftovers and still you feel compelled to stuff your face with that shit

 

[Weststander]

The casual / part time staff will never have the speed of experienced bar staff, all so slow. With the hundreds needed each match, I can’t a viable alternative.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Point taken - but for me more to do with efficiency (or lack of).

Impossible to get a pint of beer and drink it in a reasonable time by leaving your seat at the half-time
whistle. If the Club could achieve *that* then I'd accept your argument.

You can drink for hours before and after the game mainly unhindered. Longer than most stadiums, able to watch Sky Sports in reasonable comfort. Due to MP's believing we are thugs we're not able to drink at our seats. To ask the club to meet demand for a 15 minute period is almost impossible, and lets be honest if you need a drink in that short time you have a problem.

 

[portlock seagull]

The problem is, now that catering has been outsouced, that there is only so much that the club are in control of. Short of sacking Sodexo, (and the club have already dismissed two catering 'partners'), there isn't a great deal that they are able to do.

Believe me, I'm in this line of work and had quite a bit to do with the opening - there was a VAST amount they could have done a lot better / still could. Different people then and now obviously but as others say, the constant has been inadequate service throughout to the point people gave up complaining. The opportunity missed therefore probably runs into 6 or even 7 figures, however it's not much when you consider the overall picture. In my experience, attempts to make improvements are too frequently met with an arrogance and a detachment from reality by 'them that knows better' (but don't) despite numerous complaints. Anyone who's worked in big business will be familiar with this though, I'm sure you are too! Football is a funny business because it runs opposite to almost every other model. And that my friend, is why it'll never try harder to improve things i.e. it doesn't need to.

 

[essbee1]

You can drink for hours before and after the game mainly unhindered. Longer than most stadiums, able to watch Sky Sports in reasonable comfort. Due to MP's believing we are thugs we're not able to drink at our seats. To ask the club to meet demand for a 15 minute period is almost impossible, and lets be honest if you need a drink in that short time you have a problem.

I agree. But lots of people do. And the only way they *can* do that is by either leaving 5 minutes or so before the h/t whistle
or asking one of their mates to get the drinks in for them. Tbh - I find half-time as entertaining as watching paint dry. So it would not be
a question of "needing a drink" more that it is a convivial way of passing an otherwise tedious 15 minutes.

 

[BensGrandad]

You can drink for hours before and after the game mainly unhindered. Longer than most stadiums, able to watch Sky Sports in reasonable comfort. Due to MP's believing we are thugs we're not able to drink at our seats. To ask the club to meet demand for a 15 minute period is almost impossible, and lets be honest if you need a drink in that short time you have a problem.

Not in West Lower last night as the bars up the end I use were closed at the end of the game . Also the club made a point if telling everybody to get there early which I did arriving from Lewes at about 3.20 but the turnstile shutters were closed.so no admittance possible

 

[Barham's tash]

With hot drinks being cheaper since flasks were banned are you sure it wouldn't have been cheaper to buy a pie and a hot drink without the meal deal

Would be classic BG for this to be the case

I didnt want a pint as they only sell River Ouse Water Rubbish. I wanted a pie and a coffee rather than a pie and Coke or 7 Up.

Followed up by classic/wind up merchant BG ignoring the valid point of [MENTION=1958]Gazwag[/MENTION]

Gut feel is queues have generally been shorter/quicker this season in the WSU but I wonder if it's just that more people now swerve the catering completely.

Totally THIS 7/8 of us who sit together used to send one to get half time pints in now 6 out of the 8 can’t be bothered so we just give up. If that’s replicated just across the WSU then assume they’re giving up quite a bit of dosh there alone.

The problem is, now that catering has been outsouced, that there is only so much that the club are in control of. Short of sacking Sodexo, (and the club have already dismissed two catering 'partners'), there isn't a great deal that they are able to do.

The fact we have a catering partner and have sacked two suggests we know that operationally it’s impossible to deliver and the margins not tempting enough to do that ourselves.

I reckon from the first season to now the lost revenue per person per game from our group of 8 alone is c£20.


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[portlock seagull]

You can drink for hours before and after the game mainly unhindered. Longer than most stadiums, able to watch Sky Sports in reasonable comfort. Due to MP's believing we are thugs we're not able to drink at our seats. To ask the club to meet demand for a 15 minute period is almost impossible, and lets be honest if you need a drink in that short time you have a problem.

I get what you're saying but it's more if you 'want' a drink? The HT window is actually more like 40mins too. Still short, but better service is most definitely achievable. Seen it up and down the country elsewhere, not to mention witness the Amex farce season after season.

 

[Hazwaz]

Most of the people i know ,given up with the catering and eat /drink at other pubs,note there is a lot of pubs in Brighton that offer a free minibus service and the Bevy and Swan were packed yesterday

 

[Stat Brother]

I'm in the West Upper we are the poor cousins as we just have the basics compared to other stands

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But you've still got fresh cooked pizzas and boxes of chicken like we have in the ESL, right?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

No complaints from the North. Damn fine selection of tasty foods and acceptable beverages

The noodles are good, and we tried the pizza before the Palace game. Not bad at all.

 

[BensGrandad]

I must admit I havent looked for or tried the noodles as to me football is about pies, coffee and bovril. I would NEVER buy a cooked pizza and very rarely an uncooked one as they do not appeal to me.