The Catering Van in North Stand.

[BensGrandad]

I was appalled to find that at the match vs Plymouth you could not get chips or onions with your hot dog or burger. How can you have them without fried onions? An explantion was given to my friend by Liz Costa that they didnt have the facilities now to do chips etc why? Are they not the same vans with the same equipment?

Today my friend was permitted to pay £1.20 for a cup of tea and on enquiring about the milk was told ' to stir it its in the bottom of the cup - powdered milk'. A bottle of coke which costs £8.64 for 24 is £1.50. When queried the man said the club has set the prices.

Am I being to critical or is this just trying to rip off the supporters?

 

[Beach Hut]

You could always buy a 24 pack and it would last the season.

No-one is "forced" to use the catering it is a choice.

So if you don't like it don't use it.

 

[Blue&WhiteSea]

you are not just paying for the goods but also the service.
It's no more expensive than any other spoting facilities anywhere else.

 

[oapdodge]

The club has taken over the catering and hopefully takes the profits.Haven't noticed any price changes over the South stand side and chips still in plentiful supply.
I thought you only had prawn sandwiches and little tea cakes over the posh side with your roof.

 

[London Irish]

I am a bit disappointed that's there no chips on offer in the North Stand van - but I'm hoping it will keep me slim anyway!

 

[Beach Hut]

I have never bought anything to eat a Withdean it looks awful and by the sound of various opinions is !

My son proclaimed the hot dogs were nice a Reading two seasons ago

 

[BensGrandad]

You could always buy a 24 pack and it would last the season.

No-one is "forced" to use the catering it is a choice.

So if you don't like it don't use it.

That is a very negative approach.

The average burger from a wholesaler costs approx 15p. A slice of processed cheese 5p total 20p take into account wages overheads etc and you have a nice healthy profit for the club.

If the price and quality is such that 100 people buy one the club earns far less than if they can persuade 1000 people to buy one.

It takes the same staff and electric etc to serve 100 as 1000 why not try and sell 1000 and make more profit

 

[clapham_gull]

I always take a flask, bit sad and makes me looks old - but my tea or coffee is always nicer - and its one of those big bastard camping jobs - I can get six cups out of it.

Always keep the milk separate though, thats what makes flask tea or coffee taste iffy - the milk cooks.

Don't buy food at Withdean because its shit (all football ground foot is crap)

.. whats wrong with somebody selling a nice sandwich with prehaps some salad in it ? - Is that too much to ask.

 

[Beach Hut]

That is a very negative approach.

The average burger from a wholesaler costs approx 15p. A slice of processed cheese 5p total 20p take into account wages overheads etc and you have a nice healthy profit for the club.

If the price and quality is such that 100 people buy one the club earns far less than if they can persuade 1000 people to buy one.

It takes the same staff and electric etc to serve 100 as 1000 why not try and sell 1000 and make more profit

What is negative about that ?

You aren't forced to buy food from there you do it by choice. You choose to buy therefore stop moaning about about.

 

[BensGrandad]

Many years ago when we were at our HOME I suggested to the then Chairman that the club should purchase 1 pub in most large towns of Sussex and run it as a subsiduary company with an expert in that field in charge as a managed house pub company. The extention of that was to run all the catering at the ground under the same umbrella. Thus providing a great deal of extra revenue to the football club.
My reasoning was that1 pub in each town would be well frequented as 'the ' football pub of the town.

Good idea said Mr Chairman the idea then died.

 

[Beach Hut]

Many years ago when we were at our HOME I suggested to the then Chairman that the club should purchase 1 pub in most large towns of Sussex and run it as a subsiduary company with an expert in that field in charge as a managed house pub company. The extention of that was to run all the catering at the ground under the same umbrella. Thus providing a great deal of extra revenue to the football club.
My reasoning was that1 pub in each town would be well frequented as 'the ' football pub of the town.

Good idea said Mr Chairman the idea then died.

Very interesting but what relevance is this to the catering fan at Withdean ?

 

[BensGrandad]

What is negative about that ?

You aren't forced to buy food from there you do it by choice. You choose to buy therefore stop moaning about about.

The negative point is that you are not forced to buy from anybody i.e McDonalds, ASDA. TESCO etc but THEY WANT YOU TO BUY FROM THEM because it increases their profiots in the same way the club should want us to buy food and drink and not bring our own thus earning them more money.

My argument is that the prices and service should be conducive so as to encourage these purchases not do all they can to stop you buying at the ground.

 

[Beach Hut]

I fail to understand what you are trying to say suffice to say if the prices go down you might use the van again ?

 

[BensGrandad]

It is not just a question of reducing prices. I do not feel that the service and quality of food supplied represents value for money. The coke is just a pet moan of mine because so many shops etc buy the Irish made version which is considerably cheaper than English (Coke Lite as opposed to Diet Coke) but on the question of burgers etc if the demand is there supply those demands. Sell chips, which earn a fair amount of profit, give the customers milk with their tea or coffee even if you use the little sachets. Give the customers onions with their burgers This will all encourage additional sales which means additional revenue to be used for whatever.

Capitalise on what is already a self made market and to do this just improve the standards a little.

 

[Beach Hut]

I do not feel that the service and quality of food supplied represents value for money.

Fair point, don't use it then - bit of a no brainer this

 

[clapham_gull]

I've often thought that one caterer with a bit of sense could quite easily spend a little bit more money in producing much better food and tea and wipe the floor with the others.

Just supplying decent tea, coffee and soup in the winter and charging a little less than the others, the mark ups are very attractive.

It seems to be a bit quantity over quality at the Withdean. The chips are gross, I suggest they serve smaller quantities in a cup (like the goldstone) but make them much better quality.

What this supersize cup of tea and coffee thing, smaller cup better tea please.

Why don't the club run their own van...

 

[Fran Hagarty]

I was appalled to find that at the match vs Plymouth you could not get chips or onions with your hot dog or burger. How can you have them without fried onions? An explantion was given to my friend by Liz Costa that they didnt have the facilities now to do chips etc why? Are they not the same vans with the same equipment?

Why are chips available in the South Stand and not in the North Stand? It doesn't bother me as I don't eat them or burgers anyway, but as so many people do, it would seem sensible to provide them.

The catering varies considerably at different grounds - the best usually being in the lower divisions. Vegetarians are not always catered for though.

I understand that the curry sauce, which was previously popular with chips, served in the South Stand) is also no longer available. Why?

 

[trueblue]

It is not just a question of reducing prices. I do not feel that the service and quality of food supplied represents value for money..... This will all encourage additional sales which means additional revenue to be used for whatever.

/B]

Totally agree. At the moment, the choice is rubbish and everything's over-priced. £1.50 for instance for a tiny bottle of water that would only be about 50p in a supermarket, let alone from a wholesaler.

Currently, I but nothing from the vans at all. If they did a decent hot dog, I'd probably have one most matches.

Fat bastard that I am.

 

[BensGrandad]

Ben would have a coke a burger and chips some £5 - £6 to the club. Now he brings a bottle of coke a packet of sweets and a packet of crisps from a supermarket cost £1.50 multipy that by 1000 a lot of money lost

 

[Beach Hut]

Ben would have a coke a burger and chips some £5 - £6 to the club. Now he brings a bottle of coke a packet of sweets and a packet of crisps from a supermarket cost £1.50 multipy that by 1000 a lot of money lost

Then Ben has the same attitude as my Alex - I bring him a drink and something to eat, finally you've seen the light