The Burger Bar

[PogoDave]

Putting all match thoughts aside, the main thing to come out of the Colchester game for me was the Burger Bar!

 

Now I'm sure a lot of you were happy with the extra food available etc. but I wasn't.

 

I thought the service was some of the worst I've ever encountered. When we, eventually, got to the front of the queue (not a new problem I know) and tried to order chips we were told 'No Chips!' Not 'Sorry, we're cooking some, can you wait a few minutes'. They were shouting at kids to hurry up and were generally rude and unpleasant.

 

I ordered a vegie burger which was taken out of the freezer, put on the hotplate for five minutes and served to me still cold in a dubious role.

 

I was disgusted with the food and the service and I for one am praying that the old burger bar is back in service for the new season. Friendly service and good food. The new one will not be getting my custom again.

[Hempstead Gaz]

This is nothing new. The following article has been lifted from the Grounds Tour site, the author visited us in Jan 2005. He was NOT impressed with our catering!!

 

"Once through the turnstiles, I was a bit taken aback to be charged a hefty £2.50 for the programme. It didn't compare too badly with its counterparts in the Conference (although was littered with spelling mistakes on every page) but in no way justified the cover price. There were two snack bars for home supporters, both to the back of the terrace opposite the Main Stand, with a further single hut in the away enclosure. Once the windows to these huts had opened about 2:15pm, it was apparent that it was necessary to queue up twice if you wanted a drink and something to eat! One snack bar sold hot and cold drinks and a small selection of sweets but that was it, whilst the other sold burgers, chips and bacon rolls but no pies and nothing else. With separate long queues for each, it was a ridiculous system I hadn't seen at any of the 152 grounds I'd visited and even at an early stage in the afternoon it took 20 minutes to get a drink and a burger and chips. Even more of a shock were the prices, with Gravesend charging £3.90 for a dodgy burger and stone cold chips, expensive by even Premiership standards, very poor in quality and with dubious hygiene, surly staff smoking then heading straight back into the huts serving food. You almost expected to see them stubbing out their cigarettes on the burgers! With huge queues at the single refreshments van in the away end, the catering at Gravesend in terms of price, taste, variety and time to get served is without question the worst I have encountered anywhere in the UK - and Morton's pies take some beating! "

[Jeff]

I have always thought it a bit daft that you have to queue up twice if you want a burger and a cup of tea.

[Hempstead Gaz]

Just out of interest, does anyone know whether the burger bar and the tea bar are run by the same caterers?

If they are, they really need to get their act together.

1. find more suitable location that would not block most of the terrace before and during the game.

2. Sort out the separate queuing system. Nothing is more frustrating than waiting 10 mins for a burger and chips, get it (if you are lucky) reasonably warm, thewn have to eat it whilst in the tea queue.

[Harry J Allstars]

Sorry pogo the new burger is here to stay from what I believe, he/it or whatever is the same organisation as the bar at the away end.

[kmj]

I heard conflicting views about this season's catering. Firstly that the Sevenoaks firm there last night were the new franchise holder. Secondly that Gap Fillers were simply on holiday and would be continuing at the start of the season. If the burger bar is to be kept behind the Nothfleet End I can see a problem. Very few people will want to use it and miss the game while it is being played, leading to huge queues before the match and at half time. Also the caterer for the away fans has in the past been criticised for it's staff being rude. This is not a good advert for our club. Is this the same caterer that was there last night?

[jc]

Quote:

PogoDave said:I for one am praying that the old burger bar is back in service for the new season. Friendly service and good food.

Don't tell FF that.

[Riverview Supporter]

I do think that some queuing system needs to be introduced though. It was busy last night and only 400+ in. What happens later in the year with 1000+ . Will there be more staff. The service was slow and the staff arrogant. One guy was just standing and pointing. A lot of looking for stuff and not so much serving was evident.

 

My bacon roll was nothing more than bacon, delicatly balanced on top of a torpedo roll thing.

 

I did make the comment on DIY rolls and was met with a quote of."What do you expect?"

 

Well bacon in a roll would be a start

[Alan W (GNFC)]

I was asked if I wanted a bap or baguette for my Hot Dog - I asked for Baguette and promptly charged £3 rather than £2.20 for bap.

 

It didnt say that there was an additional charge anywhere

[David Holden]

There was a big sign on the front which said Bacon Baguette £3.00. I noticed it because I got the same thing for £1.50 on Saturday.

[Harry J Allstars]

Why would anyone choose a baguette ovar a bap?

 

Baguettes are huge great things and the sasuage seems tiny in comparison where as with a bap the meat fits nicely in to the roll. Why anyone would go through the annoyance of paying an extra 50p is beyond me.

 

And as for the politeness of the staff where was the last place you went for the person behind the counter to say please and thank you while smiling? 1958?

[Hempstead Gaz]

That sounds a rip off. A tasty jumbo sausage in a french stick is £1.50 in Chatham high street, "2.00 if you want a bacon torpedo.

If no one uses the food bars, perhaps the owners will get the message, drop the prices and inprove the quality.

[FleetFanatic]

Quote:

Harry J Allstars said:
Baguettes are huge great things and the sasuage seems tiny in comparison

Perhaps the people need to invest in better stock at the wholesalers. Korker's jumbo sausages taste nice.....

.....fantastic, another season, different caterers yet more to moan about.

Can't wait. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Andrewc]

Strange. The staff were perfectly polite to me when they served me.

 

I did think the prices had that 'captive audience' look about them though.

[thatguy]

let sneak the seafood man in from the Plough car park at the next home game!

[Bate'o]

Does the new burger bar sell drinks as well?

 

Do the caterers not realise they lose money by having a seperate bar for drinks? Many times I have bought a burger (as my waistline shows) and not bothered to get a drink. If I could have got both in one go, I probably would have.

[Harry J Allstars]

The new burger bar does do drinks.

[Riverview Red]

Why doesn't the club simply re-furbish the proper snack bar on the main stand side of the ground and give them both back to the supporters association who ran it years ago free og charge ?

 

In those days the food was good (meat and burgers etc supplied by Mr Ham Man), there were two snack bars to choose from, at reasonable prices and all the profits were given to the club - how bad was that ?

 

Too simple I guess !

[Hempstead Gaz]

It would have to relocate to the other end of the stand,, for use by aways fans, but that wouldn't be a major building project. Agreed the club should reap the rewards of its own snack bars, but the problem is on some games, with poor attendances, good profits are not assured, whereas with the present franchise, Fleet are Guaranteed a certain income, extra profit goes to the operator, but any loss is borne by him as well.

[Riverview Red]

The profits were superb when it was run by the supporters association

 

What the club gets now is only a fraction of what it did then.