The caterers are letting down the stadium

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

You can appreciate why the 1901 posse are a bit peeved though?

I wouldn't worry about the 1901ers unduly. The club may THINK they've got them by the balls for five years, but many of the corporates will probably have their lawyers poring over the small print even as we speak.

 

[Gritt23]

Maybe I'm just old skool, but I'm simply impressed by having facilities so good that people are genuinely considering having a meal at a ground. Wow, for me it was a case of buying something, anything at a ground if I absolutely had to, if starvation had reached "passing out" levels, and then it was a rock solid snickers from a frozen kiosk, and a cup of coffee (that tasted vaguely of bovril) purely so that I could dunk the aforementioned snickers in the hope it would thaw out enough to avoid my teeth shattering at the first bite.

I'm now reading threads about where one of the pies (there's a CHOICE of pies!) needs a little more pepper.

As a certain Brighton fan might say ... we've come a long long way together.

 

[Samej]

Love The Amex on the whole but I think the caterers are really letting down a fantastic stadium.

Long queues, running out of food, closing the bars in the 1901 club early, no choice any more for the sit-down meal in the 1901 lounge (and the vegetarian option I tried was laughably poor), crap hamburgers by most accounts, staff that haven't been trained properly if at all, no curry or noodles now for some reason even though they were promised and a lot of people fancied the idea etc etc

The only thing that is a roaring success are the pies, which they have nothing to do with other than putting them in the oven.

As far as I can make out, everything they do is aimed at keeping their costs as low as possible. It's annoying me because most other things about the Amex are spot on (and where they haven't been, the club has moved quickly to improve them).

Totaly agree
/the burgers are cold
/no onions in the hot dogs
/i would not give the chilli beef and noodles to my dog
/the pies are ok
/The Stadium is fcuking amazing
/The atmophere is fcuking amazing
/The football is amazing
The catering is not up to the standard that has been advertised, though i personaly do not give a shit,remember the burgers at the goldstone, they were f***ing awfull but its the football that counts.
We love you Brighton we do
We love you Brighton we do
Ooooohhhh Brighton we love you
As you can probably guess i stand in the North not in the Prawn sarnie stand

 

[Shanker45]

Maybe I'm just old skool, but I'm simply impressed by having facilities so good that people are genuinely considering having a meal at a ground. Wow, for me it was a case of buying something, anything at a ground if I absolutely had to, if starvation had reached "passing out" levels, and then it was a rock solid snickers from a frozen kiosk, and a cup of coffee (that tasted vaguely of bovril) purely so that I could dunk the aforementioned snickers in the hope it would thaw out enough to avoid my teeth shattering at the first bite.

I'm now reading threads about where one of the pies (there's a CHOICE of pies!) needs a little more pepper.

As a certain Brighton fan might say ... we've come a long long way together.

I know what you are saying but the club did build up the expectation levels a bit on this and are wanting fans to arrive early and leave later.

 

[Washboard Didgets]

Maybe I'm just old skool, but I'm simply impressed by having facilities so good that people are genuinely considering having a meal at a ground. Wow, for me it was a case of buying something, anything at a ground if I absolutely had to, if starvation had reached "passing out" levels, and then it was a rock solid snickers from a frozen kiosk, and a cup of coffee (that tasted vaguely of bovril) purely so that I could dunk the aforementioned snickers in the hope it would thaw out enough to avoid my teeth shattering at the first bite.

I'm now reading threads about where one of the pies (there's a CHOICE of pies!) needs a little more pepper.

As a certain Brighton fan might say ... we've come a long long way together.

Great post!

I've already given you rep, so it won't let me again... but well done for saying it!

Ice cold Snickers and unspecific hot beverage vs good half-time pie and a pint for £6.50 - no contest!

(and for those keeping count, yes that is the third time I've mentioned last nights pie, and yes it was THAT good! )

 

[Winker]

I didn't bother with food last night, just bought a pint of Harvey's off a young man under an umbrella - no queue, quite surprised. What did shock me was having to pay £3 for a tiny bottle of Foster's for my daughter, now that is a scam. She'll have to learn to drink ale in future!

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

Queues are FAR too long before the game.
(Waste of time trying at half time. By the time you have been to the loo it's kick off time! I have suggested in ATC that we have an in and an out for the toilets)
Need an 'entry/exit system for the queues
Not all the tills were open in WSU last night
Need 'drink only' tills
Not enough places to put food/drink IE shelving/tables.

The club may be happy with what they have sold so far on match days, but I would have spent probably double what I have done if I was served quicker.

As far as the on-site training is concerned, surely this should be done beforehand, not on the night?

I hope this thread, and the one about transport are flagged up to those at the club who can make sure the necessary changes are made. The feel good factor won't last for ever.

 

[Gritt23]

I know what you are saying but the club did build up the expectation levels a bit on this and are wanting fans to arrive early and leave later.

I do arrive earlier, and leave later, yet I'm yet to actually buy food for myself, as I haven't broken the habit of not eating at grounds unless I have to. I spend the extra time at the ground standing there - in the DRY! - marvelling at the sight of the place, and drinking beer.

All a tremendous experience. If I get hungry, there's food as well? Ah, they are spoiling us.

Maybe I just set my sights lower than some.

 

[footychick]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbG4YiyHYQc

My fave clip of the series

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Hasn't anyone considered that the teething problems could simply be down to the fact that the club or their advisors / experts completely underestimated potentaial demand for food and drink

It wasn't long ago that it was posted on this site about how they ran out of beer at the SSCF, they almost ran out of Harveys at the Donny match even after using some of the allocation for Tuedays game because demand had surprised them.

I would imagine with Alcohol that it keeps longer and they can therefore hold more in stock however it could be harder to judge demand levels for food, too much and the leftovers go to waste, too little and they run out. The food won't carry over to the next game. So far we have had 1 full capacity home game (Donny) and a cup game with a late rush for tickets just 3 days later.

Give the caterers time and they will get things right in terms of food.

They have already added mobile units for selling Harveys and they have people selling Fosters and soft drinks from mobile points too within the concourses, so given time i'm sure that they will find further ways of improving things to cut the queue times for the main refreshment bars as well as the staff getting quicker as their experience levels improve

I don't remember this level of moans about queueing times at Withdean where we had fewer fans to serve and far less choice and NO alcohol, so its got to be worth it even if it means spending a few extra minutes queueing as the end result is some decent food and / or a pint

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

This has got to get sorted. The girls serving in wsl south end on Saturday was taking about a minute per customer, and then double charged my card I found out later. It doesn't take a genius to work out that is losing the club a fortune.

Why is double charging losing the club a fortune? If anything it will make the club a fortune, surely?

 

[Albion Dan]

Why is double charging losing the club a fortune? If anything it will make the club a fortune, surely?

Taking a minute to serve a customer is losing the club a fortune

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Taking a minute to serve a customer is losing the club a fortune

Not if you then double charge them.

 

[beorhthelm]

True. But that's going to be pretty tiresome after a while when it's the only viable option.

a bit like saying its tiresome that your local pub only has Harveys/Erdinger/Guiness/[insert favorite drink]

some say the pies are "ok", please tell me where better ones for similar price and convienence can be found?


my only critism so far is the service and queues. i dont really understand why it takes so long to enter in "pie" and "Harveys" or "crisps". they cant have more than a dozen options on their tills yet every time look baffled. this is leading to the queues as the pies and beers are all poured and lined up, but it still takes what seems an age to serve you.

 

[Seagull_Wes]

Did you prefer the cow spleen burgers at the Withdean?

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I was speaking to a mother of a girl that works in catering at Amex and, seemingly, the manager in charge is an utter bitch (of her). They'll need to get rid of those types if they want decent service and so on.

 

[trueblue]

I think that anyone in 1901 with problems should surely take up that problem with 'Ask the Club' as their contract would be somewhat more specific.

Nobody I know that's contacted the 1901 club by email has had a reply.

 

[marshy68]

Doesnt help that they employ idiots....

Me " Can i have a chicken and ham pie and fosters, a cheese burger and a bottle of water please?"

Server " Errr sorry can you say that again my mind has gone blank"

Me " Can i have a chicken and ham pie and fosters, a cheese burger and a bottle of water please?"

Server " Sorry my minds not working can you say that again?"

Me " Can i have a chicken and ham pie and fosters, a cheese burger and a bottle of water please?"

Server " No sorry you are not saying it correctly"

Me " How should i say it?"

Server "pie and a pint " and Burger and drink"

Me " can i have a pie and a pint and a burger and a drink"

Server programs till......

Server goes away to retrieve food...

Server " what drinks do you want and what pie"?

Me "botte of water and a pint of fosters chicken and ham pie""

Server gives me bottle of sprite and then fosters.

Me "Bottle of water - i have asked for this 4 times"

Server "no need to be so rude"



Stadium £93 million quid - service priceless!!!

 

[spongy]

I don't bother with food at games at all,

what would be good was if we could use our cards on the mobile harveys stalls.

I've stumped up £100 on my card and still had to pay cash to avoid the monster queues.

 

[catfish]

It's enough to make one choke on one's prawn sandwich.