Catering tonight

[Bozza]

The problem isn't getting served, its whats being served.

The problem is getting served at half-time. Clearly that's always going to be a problem in a football ground - I accept that - but just how early before half-time should you have to leave in order to be able to buy something at half-time? On the basis of Friday night in the WSU, I think you'd have had to have left your seat between 30-35 minutes to have any chance of being served.

 

[sully]

I apologise if I've missed another post but shirley this is just a matter of your taste.

I could spin this as in the ESL you were served twice, got exactly what you asked for both times, and had a nice pint.
The fact that you didn't like it, isn't really the problem.

Scan reading this thread the complaints are 'long unmoving queues', 'sold out', 'poorly staffed', 'bad technology'.
You make no reference to any of those in the ESL.


Edit - We appear to be on the same wavelength this morning.
I feel sorry for you

Correct. As my follow up post just now, I think we've generally been ok in ESL, but the quality has nose-dived dramatically if Friday was anything to go by. The queueing issues seem to have been sorted in our area, but that might just be less people partaking. I don't often get anything at half time, but certainly haven't missed any of the game when I have.

The OP asked "how was your food", not "how long did you queue for", so that is what my first post on here responded to.

 

[Mr Banana]

You are of course correct, me old mucker, but for an evening game when you have to dash, only to find the ample time you left yourself is eaten away by the nuggets at Southern, inside the ground was my only option. I think I shall prepare myself a nice packed dinner in the future!

I'll buy you a Snickers? Piglets are known for not being able to cook. Good PR team though.

 

[8ace]

The problem is getting served at half-time. Clearly that's always going to be a problem in a football ground - I accept that - but just how early before half-time should you have to leave in order to be able to buy something at half-time? On the basis of Friday night in the WSU, I think you'd have had to have left your seat between 30-35 minutes to have any chance of being served.

I left my seat on 40 minutes and still hadn't been served by the time the HT whistle blew. There were four people in front of me when I joined the queue.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

The problem is getting served at half-time. Clearly that's always going to be a problem in a football ground - I accept that - but just how early before half-time should you have to leave in order to be able to buy something at half-time? On the basis of Friday night in the WSU, I think you'd have had to have left your seat between 30-35 minutes to have any chance of being served.

I've mentioned this before (everyone rolls eyes) but here at the Olympiastadion I have always been able to leave my seat on the HT whistle and get a beer and be back in my seat for the second half. One element which helps this are the numerous bars outside the actual stadium but within the stadium grounds. Maybe the club could do something similar ie fence off a ring around the stadium and fill the area with catering outlets? The huge area behind the west and north stands could easily be fenced off for this with stadium entry pushed back from the turnstiles to the fence. You will still need competent staff though.

 

[dazzer6666]

The problem is getting served at half-time. Clearly that's always going to be a problem in a football ground - I accept that - but just how early before half-time should you have to leave in order to be able to buy something at half-time? On the basis of Friday night in the WSU, I think you'd have had to have left your seat between 30-35 minutes to have any chance of being served.

Sounds like it's patchy all over the ground. I managed to get served during half time in WSL, but only just - was walking back down the steps as the second half kicked off.

 

[Invicta]

East Upper service was terrible. Only 4 tills open at 6.15, so queues permanently huge. Staff didn't have a clue and nobody taking charge. Half time even worse. Cheese & Onion pasty was dire. Each pint being poured to order, so extremely slow.

 

[Herne Hill Seagull]

Get to near front of queue in West Lower around 7pm. Still a few pies about, wait hasn't been too bad, with our group splitting in two to cover two queues in case one moved really slowly. Woman in front of me asks for a pack of Opal Fruits, or whatever the hell they're called these days. Bloke picks up a Mars Bar. She repeats her order, and points at the pack visible in the clear plastic display unit. The bloke leans forward, sees what she's looking at and picks out a Marathon. She again repeats her order and points at the pack, at which the server at the next till comes over and picks out the right thing for him. She pays and leaves, without the water she'd paid for because he'd forgotten to get it for her and, in her exasperation, she must have forgotten she'd ordered it.

My turn. I ask for three pints of Kronenberg, holding up three fingers in the process. "One pint?" the bloke asks me. "Three," I reply, showing him three fingers again. Eventually I get three.

I know these are kids. I know they're on minimum wage. I know there's a high staff turnover, and no doubt even a few agency staff who won't be there more than one week. But really? Really? Unable to identify the products, despite having them pointed out by the customer, or being able to tell the difference between one and three? Do they receive any training, any preparation for twenty-plus thousand people turning up for a fixed kick off?

I don't care that much - I go for the football, not the pies etc. But this is an important revenue stream that the club still haven't got right with their caterers after four full seasons now, and it makes you worry that other, more important aspects of the club's business may be run along similarly amateurish lines.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I don't care that much - I go for the football, not the pies etc. But this is an important revenue stream that the club still haven't got right with their caterers after four full seasons now

For a club that is continually trying to squeeze every last penny out of its customers, it is truly unbelievable that in the one area of the match day experience where the customers are more than happy to hand over money to the club, huge numbers are unable to do so. Ridiculous really. The club probably loses near enough a six figure sum in potential revenue every home game, which must pan out to a million quid over the course of a season.

 

[Gwylan]

I've mentioned this before (everyone rolls eyes) but here at the Olympiastadion I have always been able to leave my seat on the HT whistle and get a beer and be back in my seat for the second half.

The one time I've been to a Hertha Berlin game, we didn't have to leave the stands. There were bars at the back of the seats, I think we missed about 5 seconds of action getting our drinks. If we hadn't been veggies, we could have sausages actually delivered to our seats too. This was about 20 years ago, so things may have changed since then

 

[LowerWesty]

Get to near front of queue in West Lower around 7pm. Still a few pies about, wait hasn't been too bad, with our group splitting in two to cover two queues in case one moved really slowly. Woman in front of me asks for a pack of Opal Fruits, or whatever the hell they're called these days. Bloke picks up a Mars Bar. She repeats her order, and points at the pack visible in the clear plastic display unit. The bloke leans forward, sees what she's looking at and picks out a Marathon. She again repeats her order and points at the pack, at which the server at the next till comes over and picks out the right thing for him. She pays and leaves, without the water she'd paid for because he'd forgotten to get it for her and, in her exasperation, she must have forgotten she'd ordered it.

My turn. I ask for three pints of Kronenberg, holding up three fingers in the process. "One pint?" the bloke asks me. "Three," I reply, showing him three fingers again. Eventually I get three.

I know these are kids. I know they're on minimum wage. I know there's a high staff turnover, and no doubt even a few agency staff who won't be there more than one week. But really? Really? Unable to identify the products, despite having them pointed out by the customer, or being able to tell the difference between one and three? Do they receive any training, any preparation for twenty-plus thousand people turning up for a fixed kick off?

I don't care that much - I go for the football, not the pies etc. But this is an important revenue stream that the club still haven't got right with their caterers after four full seasons now, and it makes you worry that other, more important aspects of the club's business may be run along similarly amateurish lines.

Herne Hill just about sums it up.

As it was a lovely evening we arrived early and went to the Harvey's outlet by the band. There was one girl serving and the queue went round in an arc, about 80 meters long! After 20 minutes another young lady, I think her name was Harriot appeared, apparently she was in charge, then a couple of guys carrying small barrels arrived, one stayed and after a while began pouring pints, but progress was still slow. My daughter went to for fish and chips and was back before we were served.

In the Lower West we queued for an age for a bottle of water, the pies were all in paper bags, as they were on Sunday. I didn't try one as I'd had the F&C's and judging from other comments I'm glad I didn't and then to make matters worse, due to all the time spent queuing, we missed Bobby's entrance.

We gave up trying to get anything at HT last season, not wishing to inconvenience others by leaving before the whistle we invariably inconvenienced them by returning after the second half had started.

Others have mentioned the impact on the Clubs finances caused by the inability of the club to get these basic functions set up during the Summer.

15 pages of reports on NSC, concerning the lack of an acceptable level of catering must indicate to anyone the amount of dissatisfaction. What will happen? Based on previous years we will get the usual responses, only a few times a year for 4 hours, students not back yet, it will get better etc etc. I'm not sure it ever will ......

We can only wonder what the club would do if they didn't have the Uni to provide a large work force right next door, other clubs must manage without a Uni surely we should be able to better given that we have one.

 

[Dunk]

I'll say it quietly, but the service in ESU (pre-match, about 7.00) was OK. I enjoyed my chicken + chorizo pie and the steak pie guys were happy. The guy knew how to work the till and was able to explain why contactless didn't work (over £15 he said).

Bit of a long queue and I was annoyed that the majority were 'cash only' tills (replacing ecash with contactless my arse) but overall it was OK. I may even try the sausage roll next time (though £4.10 still seems a lot).

Not sure what the 'British food' thing was all about and I'm glad I avoided the pasty, but for the first game of the season it wasn't as bad as I had feared.

 

[Mackenzie]

I was served efficiently at the Seven Stars and at the ESL pie and pint kiosk. Seems I was lucky, no issues or problems at all.

I guess it's a matter or timing!

I also parked at the bridge car park, collected my match tickets and bought my son a yellow kit without fuss. Enjoyed my pie, the game and the result. Was home in Mid-Wales by 1-20am. Piece of piss!

 

[hans kraay fan club]

As usual the ESL is the place to be.

Chicken and Chorizo was larva encased in pastry.
Good chunks of both main ingredient, and nicely spiced.

.

They are doing ****ing BUSHTUCKER TRIALS now, in the ESU?

Barber OUT.

 

[The Birdman]

Just spoken to a friend who was pissed off with the catering in the ESU he waited to be served for fifteen minutes to be told sorry we are closing as the game about to start. Some people can't get to the stadium early due to work.he said the staff behind the counter are just very slow and he works in retail sales so it frustrates him.

 

[Easy 10]

Just spoken to a friend who was pissed off with the catering in the ESU he waited to be served for fifteen minutes to be told sorry we are closing as the game about to start. Some people can't get to the stadium early due to work.he said the staff behind the counter are just very slow and he works in retail sales so it frustrates him.

Why exactly does the catering stop when the game starts ? I don't get that. Whats the reason ? (I'm throwing that open to the class btw, not directing it specifically at you)

 

[8ace]

Why exactly does the catering stop when the game starts ? I don't get that. Whats the reason ? (I'm throwing that open to the class btw, not directing it specifically at you)

So they are ready for the HT rush

 

[Vegas Seagull]

Why exactly does the catering stop when the game starts ? I don't get that. Whats the reason ? (I'm throwing that open to the class btw, not directing it specifically at you)

Ludicrous idea to lower income & upset fans by making them watch footy. Same reason that the programme sellers had gone AWOL when I turned up late due to trains

 

[Stoichkov]

Listening to Talk Sport (I know, I know) this afternoon and 'The Moose' (I know, I know) didn't get the halftime pie he was expecting either

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Why exactly does the catering stop when the game starts ? I don't get that. Whats the reason ? (I'm throwing that open to the class btw, not directing it specifically at you)

DOES the catering stop?

They obviously have to stop serving alcohol, due to the regulations.