If the club want to know how to fix the catering…

[donnydogk9]

They should just follow this account on twitter:

https://twitter.com/footyscran?s=21&t=HfySmc5ZCXdS9Ye-dtfo-Q

Pretty much shows the good the bad and the ugly

[rich1471]

The biggest problem I see, Is getting staff to work on minimum wage 1 day a week and no work when the seasons finished , And so agencies pay crazy money for chefs ,the food could be amazing but customer service will always be poor.

[Filo]

They should just follow this account on twitter:

https://twitter.com/footyscran?s=21&t=HfySmc5ZCXdS9Ye-dtfo-Q

Pretty much shows the good the bad and the ugly

How did your protest go the other night?

[Reg of the Rovers]

They should just follow this account on twitter:

https://twitter.com/footyscran?s=21&t=HfySmc5ZCXdS9Ye-dtfo-Q

Pretty much shows the good the bad and the ugly

Funnily enough I mentioned this on the 'Tell me I'm wrong' thread. We follow this and there's some brilliant (and horrible) stuff out there. Best option always seems to be local stuff done by non-chains - if we could let the booths individually and get a pie stand and a yorkshire pudding stand I'd be a happy chap!

[silent majority]

They should just follow this account on twitter:

https://twitter.com/footyscran?s=21&t=HfySmc5ZCXdS9Ye-dtfo-Q

Pretty much shows the good the bad and the ugly

Funnily enough I mentioned this on the 'Tell me I'm wrong' thread. We follow this and there's some brilliant (and horrible) stuff out there. Best option always seems to be local stuff done by non-chains - if we could let the booths individually and get a pie stand and a yorkshire pudding stand I'd be a happy chap!

Yes, but if you read my post, Bulbshare findings, you’ll see that the club have followed up on the reports of good food at certain stadiums as reported by supporters, but the clubs dismiss that when approached.

[Reg of the Rovers]

They should just follow this account on twitter:

https://twitter.com/footyscran?s=21&t=HfySmc5ZCXdS9Ye-dtfo-Q

Pretty much shows the good the bad and the ugly

Funnily enough I mentioned this on the 'Tell me I'm wrong' thread. We follow this and there's some brilliant (and horrible) stuff out there. Best option always seems to be local stuff done by non-chains - if we could let the booths individually and get a pie stand and a yorkshire pudding stand I'd be a happy chap!

Yes, but if you read my post, Bulbshare findings, you’ll see that the club have followed up on the reports of good food at certain stadiums as reported by supporters, but the clubs dismiss that when approached.

Thanks, just had a read.

[ravenrover]

They should just follow this account on twitter:

https://twitter.com/footyscran?s=21&t=HfySmc5ZCXdS9Ye-dtfo-Q

Pretty much shows the good the bad and the ugly

Funnily enough I mentioned this on the 'Tell me I'm wrong' thread. We follow this and there's some brilliant (and horrible) stuff out there. Best option always seems to be local stuff done by non-chains - if we could let the booths individually and get a pie stand and a yorkshire pudding stand I'd be a happy chap!

Would you be happy paying the prices that decent food would  need to be sold at?

[i_ateallthepies]

Raven, do you think the prices being charged for poor quality food are about right?

[Reg of the Rovers]

There's clearly some middle ground between half a dozen oven chips on a tray and Heston Blumenthal quality grub. I wasn't trying to be critical or controversial, rather I was suggesting that simple 'home cooked' style food could be an affordable but better quality option as the club develops plans for the food outlets moving forwards.

[Glyn_Wigley]

One solution would be for the catering not to be sold as one big franchise, but as separate smaller franchises, two or three per stand. That way they'd be competing against each other and those who provided the best food and service would get the most customers.

[ravenrover]

Raven, do you think the prices being charged for poor quality food are about right?

I never buy it, but looking at the price board I would say anyone paying that amount for rubbish must be daft
When talking about better quality food on a once fortnightly basis unless this is done as an extra to an existing operation then the price will be sky high for the quality that people are talking about especially if they expect an improved service to go with it

[Beerseller]

I had a sandwich shop/deli for over ten years.  The comments about staff are closest to the mark.  How would you find trained staff to work for a couple of hours or so once or twice a fortnight for a season then have to take 2-3 months holiday?

When I brought in new staff they'd invariably say "how hard can it be to make a sandwich".  The answer is when there's a huge queue and you're running out of prepared produce it's a nightmare.

At a football ground you're faced with two short, busy times and would need to have enough produce prepared for what you think will sell.  If you try to prepare it to order you'll be lost.  That's why the catering firms go for the pre-prepared stuff.  It's lower quality but its quick to make ready to serve and can be served by untrained staff.

As for price, if you can sell all you've made it's easy to work out but factoring in waste would be hard for the first few matches, as would determining your best sellers. 

There's a lot more I could say about the business but it would take a long time to set it out. I think I could have run a single outlet provided I had my trained staff with me and some additional prep facitilities but I'm not sure I'd have liked the hassle to be honest.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I had a sandwich shop/deli for over ten years.  The comments about staff are closest to the mark.  How would you find trained staff to work for a couple of hours or so once or twice a fortnight for a season then have to take 2-3 months holiday?

When I brought in new staff they'd invariably say "how hard can it be to make a sandwich".  The answer is when there's a huge queue and you're running out of prepared produce it's a nightmare.

At a football ground you're faced with two short, busy times and would need to have enough produce prepared for what you think will sell.  If you try to prepare it to order you'll be lost.  That's why the catering firms go for the pre-prepared stuff.  It's lower quality but its quick to make ready to serve and can be served by untrained staff.

As for price, if you can sell all you've made it's easy to work out but factoring in waste would be hard for the first few matches, as would determining your best sellers. 

There's a lot more I could say about the business but it would take a long time to set it out. I think I could have run a single outlet provided I had my trained staff with me and some additional prep facitilities but I'm not sure I'd have liked the hassle to be honest.

Well said. It's easy to say bring it in house or go local but that wouldn't solve all the problems for precisely the reasons you highlight.

As Glyn says, there's scope for choice and competition both inside and outside the stadium. The food vans outside, provide a good alternative and do some things better than what can be done on the concourse with proper griddled burgers for example.

Basic beverages and snacks are simple and are quick to shift with minimal training. 

For those wanting a more high quality street food offering then it gets less simple particularly if you expect things to be fresh and made to order!

[Campsall rover]

The biggest problem I see, Is getting staff to work on minimum wage 1 day a week and no work when the seasons finished , And so agencies pay crazy money for chefs ,the food could be amazing but customer service will always be poor.

I went to a Spurs match last season v Chelsea Semi Final 2nd leg of the League Cup.
60,000 people.
Food was very high quality. It was hot. The drinks were hot. There was virtually no queue because the service was so efficient and quick.
Only draw back was the cost. Fish & Chips £9.95. Coffee or Tea £2.95. But it’s London so expected.

This was takeaway food I am talking about not cafe / restaurant service.
Quality and service is possible in a football stadium.

[donnybez]

Pukka's lovely and all...



But couldn't we use local businesses? We have Toppings Pies based in Donny, Whites Bakery in Barnsley...

[Silkscarf]

Keep it simple has to be the way to go.

I think it was Burnley away years ago had it sorted. Holland’s pies (or similar). About 2inch deep so just stick them in gob like sausage rolls. C&O or meat and tayter. No trying to stick a plastic fork in. Pukka are garbage.

No point in draught beer. It’s not real ale. So don’t waste time on that. Bottles or cans will do (emptied in a plastic). Like we do for the cider.

[donnydogk9]

Go to the local takeaways and offer them a good deal to put pop-up shops in there.

Fish Bits? Suburb Burgers? Bella Pizza? Cooplands?

These places all have well trained staff and could flip the hours etc.

Problem is the club want too much rent…

[silent majority]

Go to the local takeaways and offer them a good deal to put pop-up shops in there.

Fish Bits? Suburb Burgers? Bella Pizza? Cooplands?

These places all have well trained staff and could flip the hours etc.

Problem is the club want too much rent…

That would just be a disaster!

[Beerseller]

Go to the local takeaways and offer them a good deal to put pop-up shops in there.

Fish Bits? Suburb Burgers? Bella Pizza? Cooplands?

These places all have well trained staff and could flip the hours etc.

Problem is the club want too much rent…

That would just be a disaster!

It may well be a disaster SM but my initial thought is that its got potential and is worth further consideration.  Has it been brought up before and worked through to show its a bad idea?

[Draytonian III]

Go to the local takeaways and offer them a good deal to put pop-up shops in there.

Fish Bits? Suburb Burgers? Bella Pizza? Cooplands?

These places all have well trained staff and could flip the hours etc.

Problem is the club want too much rent…

Ok, I’ll the questions, how much rent do they want ? How do you know ?

[roversdude]

Was going to ask that very question

[Belle_Vue]

Go to the local takeaways and offer them a good deal to put pop-up shops in there.

Fish Bits? Suburb Burgers? Bella Pizza? Cooplands?

These places all have well trained staff and could flip the hours etc.

Problem is the club want too much rent…

That would just be a disaster!

Why?

[Padge_DRFC]

Felt Mansfield had it right the other week to be fair especially the burger vans in the away end and selling the pint size bottles of beer.

[normal rules]

When Boston played at York Street , one of the local butchers, Carl Dunham, used to do burgers and hot dogs for supporters, at the away end.
It was always very popular and very well respected.
Just simple, local fresh grub.
No pukka pies, no pasties, wraps or nacho fries.
And it worked.
Why on earth dont rovers do similar. Why does it have to be some corporate catering lark?

[mushRTID]

Felt Mansfield had it right the other week to be fair especially the burger vans in the away end and selling the pint size bottles of beer.

Those burgers were excellent

[Chris Black come back]

Pukka's lovely and all...



But couldn't we use local businesses? We have Toppings Pies based in Donny, Whites Bakery in Barnsley...

Barnsley?! This is a local club for local people. We’ll have none of that here.

[Muttley]

Pukka's lovely and all...

But couldn't we use local businesses? We have Toppings Pies based in Donny, Whites Bakery in Barnsley...

If you were a quality local producer, then why the hell would you want to get involved in an operation where a huge number of the customers have got unrealistic expectations of the price and product & are prone to whinge vocally on social media?

[Reg of the Rovers]

You'd have thought the volumes would be attractive though - a few hundred customers in a couple of hours must be decent for an established local business, although as beerseller says some supply/demand and production chain challenges!

[ravenrover]

A few hundred spread around 4 stands, just think of staffing levels needed alone

[donnybez]

Pukka's lovely and all...

But couldn't we use local businesses? We have Toppings Pies based in Donny, Whites Bakery in Barnsley...

If you were a quality local producer, then why the hell would you want to get involved in an operation where a huge number of the customers have got unrealistic expectations of the price and product & are prone to whinge vocally on social media?

Because sales, viable marketing opportunity, chance to get customers acquinted with your product..

Yes people can whinge, but I don't recall much of that back at Belle Vue over in the pop end.

Okay maybe not Barnsley but still! We have so many great local producers and amazing local produce - lets bring them in and further furnish our community club tag whilst improving product quality.

We have great local brew's - lets get their bottles in the stand!