Avanti West Coast
Catering Grades Newsletter January 2023
Trying to move forward What is the future for catering?
REPORT FROM AVANTI WEST COAST CATERING COMPANY COUNCIL “When it comes to catering what’s your vision, how do you intend to deliver it… and when?” RMT asked at the Avanti West Coast Catering Company Council meeting earlier this month at the Talent Academy in Crewe. Vicky Shepherd, an On Board Manager, was the new management side Chair and it became apparent early in the meeting that many of the issues we were raising on behalf of our members were going to need further investigation or be passed up to a higher level of the management team for a detailed response. There was a packed agenda as it had been five months since the last meeting. One of the main issues raised was what is the company long term plan when it comes to the on-board catering service? At the start of the Avanti franchise, it was suggested that the catering service would be enhanced as an integral part of the offer to customers in first class – this objective (if it was ever real) seems to have collapsed in to utter chaos. The much heralded seven-day consistent service has ended up with virtually no first-class service between some locations (particularly the North Wales route) and a mediocre “collect from the shop” option on Voyager services. report continues page 2