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Food & Beverage 2019

Here is lunch for one of the inmates at H.M.P Oakwood in Wolverhampton. While still questionable. This genuinely looks more appetizing than what that picture from the RCR shows. I kid you not, prisoners are being served better food than what is being served at Britons leading theme parks...



This was from an article inside the prison by The Guardian
 
Meanwhile here is a (delicious from my personal experience) £4.50 "snack" from flame tree bbq at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Honestly there was enough meat hidden under that plastic cheese to feed me for the whole day
Flame-Tree-Barbecue-Pulled-Pork-Fries-Snack.jpg
 
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While we on the subject of food quality... i saw an awful picture from the Rollercoaster Restaurant posted online today. In fact, I’ve actually put in spoilers here because it made me feel uneasy just looking at it.
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I’ve not been to Alton Towers yet this season, but hearing the food quality – which I’ve had too many issues with in the past – is still awful is not exactly making me want to go. :(

Either half of the meal was lost during the loop the loop section or that they are just trying to shift the remaining unclaimed Star Gazing Pods breakfast for the day o_O
 
The sausages used in the hotels for breakfasts are revolting.

Think chip shop, but ten times worse. And less meat content. And only just cooked.
 
They’re pushing the dirty fries hard at Chessington. Not tried them, but look as though they’d be a decent addition to AT.

I assume these are the fries that have fell on the floor and are then swept up with all the dirt and grime at the end of the day, reheated, whacked on a plate and sold at a premium as Merlin do not like to waste money? (takes a breath)

I digress.....yes I would also like these, I LOVE dirty fries.
 
I've had dirty plates and cutlery at RCR too.

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I just don’t get how it’s so hit and miss. Last year we had a lovely meal in there when they offered the vegan wicker man stack, the whole experience was great. And then not so long after we had an experience where I flat out refused to pay for 2 of the 3 meals it was that bad, I wasn’t the only person not paying either
 
On my one visit to Towers this year I purchased a Donner Baguette from Eastern Express in Dark Forest, the baguette was bulging with meat and the sauce was great.
 
Almost as if they're not owned by Merlin :tearsofjoy:

It's sad, but true. If you want decent food at Towers you have to go to a non-Merlin run unit (of which there is only one, Eastern Express). All the other food both on-park & in the hotels is "dive for the cheapest supplier / poor quality / sell at a huge mark-up" Merlin fare.

Merlin should look at the food offer in places like Phantasia Land & Europa Park. Quality food, appropriately themed to the area of the park the outlet is located in. Cooked fresh to order - often in front of you at some of the quick service units. They could also look at restaurants like Mythos in Islands of Adventure - that is seriously good theme park dining and not ridiculously priced either.

The worst theme park meal I've had outside of Merlin was at the Rainforest Cafe at Animal Kingdom. The food was just awful, greasy, bland & was sent back. The manager removed all the food from the bill so we only had to pay for 2 diet cokes. Bet you won't find Merlin Managers removing food from the bill without a good argument.

As an aside, you do not have to pay for food in a restaurant if you are not satisfied. You have to pay what you think is reasonable for what you had and leave your name and address (& possibly prove this, e.g. photo driving licence) and state why you are with-holding payment. It then becomes a civil matter between you & the restaurant.
 
Remember articles like this? I wonder how long this poor guy actually supplied the Crooked Spoon for before they sacked him off and got the cheaper frozen stuff from Brakes?

ALTON TOWERS ENCHANTED VILLAGE AND CROOKED SPOON RESTAURANT
altontowers.JPG


Below is the Press Release on the Alton Towers contract for Giant Veg to Supply the Crooked Spoon Restaurant

A CWMBRAN prize-winning vegetable grower famed for his giant produce has been chosen as the official grocer for Alton Towers Resort’s new restaurant - in a bid to make the menu ‘more enchanting’.

Kevin Fortey, 36, who is the proud owner of a four foot marrow will supply his gargantuan ingredients to new restaurant ‘The Crooked Spoon’, which is part of the new Enchanted Village, opening in April next year.

His impressively large vegetables include a 1000lb pumpkin that is big enough to make 8,056 slices of pumpkin pie, and a four foot marrow that would produce enough soup for 308 people. Mr Fortey’s harvest also includes two-foot long orange cucumbers, boulder-sized beetroots and radishes longer than your arm.

He was contacted by Alton Towers several weeks ago after being chosen for growing the UK’s biggest marrow.

Mr Fortey’s late father Mike was the founder of the British National Pumpkin Championships in the 80s and was instrumental in developing the art of giant vegetables, growing and developing the giant vegetable movement in the UK.

He said: “Growing giant vegetables is a family tradition which I’ve been fascinated by my entire life. I grew my biggest ever marrow this year, weighing over 12 stone, which is the current UK record, and it was a huge achievement.”

Mr Fortey and his brother Gareth, who run Giant Vegetables, are considered one of the top growers in the UK and have featured on tv shows such as Gardeners World and won the Great British Village Show in 2007 for the UK’s heaviest marrow.

“I was approached by Alton Towers Resort several weeks ago after they saw an online article about me and asked me if I would be interested in supplying their new restaurant,” he said.

“This is a major accomplishment and will take giant vegetables to a new level. It’s the first time I’ve been asked to supply a restaurant and am looking forward to sending my giant Welsh beetroot’s, marrows and pumpkins to Staffordshire.

“Alton Towers Resort is the first company I know of that is actually committing to using these amazing and oversized vegetables in their everyday cooking,” Mr Fortey added.

“I can’t wait to try some of the dishes they’ll be creating. I’m sure they’ll be plenty to go around.”

Simon Jones, head chef at The Crooked Spoon praised Mr Fortey’s pumpkins.

He said: “We want to make everything about The Enchanted Village completely captivating and that commitment extends to the produce we plan to use in the Crooked Spoon kitchens.”

“Why would we want to use ordinary pumpkins when we can use an absolute giant like Kevin’s? It tastes just as good and I can’t wait to start using his vegetables in my recipes when we open in April.”

The Enchanted Village will house 120 woodland lodges five luxury tree-houses alongside children’s play areas and The Crooked Spoon restaurant
 
Pretty sure that was all marketing rubbish from the off, like every other article that comes out of towers and Merlin.

Disappointing thing now with crooked spoon is thst it runs the same menu as the chessie hotel. Basically just copy and paste. So gone is anything actually unique. Now replaced by generic meals probably created at head office.
 
Isn’t the food generally the same across all keeling resorts?

We would often pop in to the hotels for a meal after the park even if we weren’t staying, now we either go to the Alton bridge (excellent and much cheaper!) or F&B in uttox on the way home, also better and much cheaper! Shows how bad the offering really is when F&Bs is way better
 
Pretty sure that was all marketing rubbish from the off, like every other article that comes out of towers and Merlin.

Disappointing thing now with crooked spoon is thst it runs the same menu as the chessie hotel. Basically just copy and paste. So gone is anything actually unique. Now replaced by generic meals probably created at head office.

That press release quoted needs a little translation...

Simon Jones, head chef at The Crooked Spoon said: “We want to make everything about The Enchanted Village completely captivating and that commitment extends to the produce we plan to use in the Crooked Spoon kitchens. We guarantee that our guests will never see a Wetherspoon meal in the same light again after they have sampled our cooking. Myself & my team are expert in the use of microwaves to reheat pre-cooked food bought in from the cheapest supplier we could find. The difference is we charge at least double what Wetherspoon do, but deliver a fantastical inferior product with Merlin Magic sprinkled all over it. As part of our commitment to support local businesses, we have signed up the Alton Sawmill as the provider of our breakfast sausages - these contain 0.00% meat and are suitable for our vegetarian guests.

Mr Varney & the Merlin Board were very impressed with our menu when they visited. As they wished to check out what the competition offers our guests, they stopped at The Water Bridge (Table Table restaurant) in Uttoxeter on the way here so were full. They did like the heavily photo-shopped pictures on our menu and said the dishes look very appealing."
 
The Crooked Spoon, Zafari Restaurant and Fin's Bar & Grill all now run the same menu.

It's all in the name of profits. Creativity doesn't really matter.

Yep. Just looked at the Crooked Spoon menu - as I thought, all about double the prices Wetherspoon charge for similar dishes.
 
Yep. Just looked at the Crooked Spoon menu - as I thought, all about double the prices Wetherspoon charge for similar dishes.

I don't think anybody is expecting Alton Towers to charge Wetherspoon prices, to be fair?

I actually don't mind the prices too much. It's the fact that the creativity is so poor.
 
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