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Food & Beverage: The Aramark Era begins
AT86
TS Member
Likewise Dave.
So… Just thinking of what food isn’t coming from Aramark:
Eastern Express
Rollover Dogs
Costa
Anything else?
It depends what you mean by ‘coming from Aramark’. The locations serving hotdogs and Costa Coffee are still staffed and run by Aramark, they just purchase the products from Rollover and Costa respectively.
Eastern Express and Forest Feast are the only locations not run by them, as they are run by Thornbury Hall.
You can see all the locations now run by Aramark here, as they have ‘Aramark@‘ in the name now.
AT86
TS Member
Ok , which places don’t sell food which is made by Aramark?
As above. Forest Feast and Eastern Express.
jon81uk
TS Member
Just Eastern Express and Forest Feast are run by Thornbury Hall.Ok , which places don’t sell food which is made by Aramark?
But it depends what you mean by “food made by” Eastern Express is almost certainly buying in the doner kebab meat already cooked, they aren’t making it. The curries they might make from scratch and reheat.
Just like Aramark will be buying in burger patties and rollover brand hotdogs, as well as Coca Cola brand drinks and Costa brand coffee. The only place they will actually be making anything from scratch really is the hotels. Not sure about pizza bases for the buffet and some of the salad might be chopped on site, the pasta comes in ready done and is just reheated then put in the Bain-Marie.
AT86
TS Member
Yes Warwick. Towers, Chessington, Thorpe and Legoland are all Aramark.
jon81uk
TS Member
They are probably sold by Aramark but not sure who owns the all day kitchen brand name.
BarryZola
TS Member
£6 for a couple of sandwiches. They have absolutely no shame. Imagine how many sandwiches you could make from somewhere like Tesco (for example) for up to £6? It's 85p for a standard loaf of bread and £1.25 for 5 slices of corned beef. Add in a negligible amount for a bit of margarine. I reckon you could get at least 20 sandwiches out of that if we're counting a sandwich as if there are 2 sandwiches in those packs above. Mental.
Skyscraper
TS Member
It's actually one sandwich cut into two£6 for a couple of sandwiches.

BarryZola
TS Member
Well, yes, maybe. Not sure how different people count it when they're cut in half, if that makes sense. Either way, it's either 10+ Tesco sandwiches compared to their 1, or 20+ Tesco sandwiches compared to their 2. It's not a good look either wayIt's actually one sandwich cut into two![]()
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A fairer comparison might be the prepacked sandwiches in the fridge, which Tesco would sell 2 of (and give some change!) for the same price, and even that's marked up to make their £3.50 meal deal seem more of a bargain.Well, yes, maybe. Not sure how different people count it when they're cut in half, if that makes sense. Either way, it's either 10+ Tesco sandwiches compared to their 1, or 20+ Tesco sandwiches compared to their 2. It's not a good look either way![]()
As in "Down down, deeper and down"?If Woodcutters remains the same as last season, it'll be perfectly adequate.
Disappointed to see status quo offerings generally though.
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Jb85
TS Member
Even Tescos new premium meal deal is only £5 and of good qualityA fairer comparison might be the prepacked sandwiches in the fridge, which Tesco would sell 2 of (and give some change!) for the same price, and even that's marked up to make their £3.50 meal deal seem more of a bargain.
Steve74
TS Member
Target audience!As in "Down down, deeper and down"?
pluk
TS Member
Having just come back from a midweek at Butlins, it really made me think about the absolute state and poor value of the food offering at Towers, especially at the hotel.
Frequently when comparisons are made comments crop up that 'not even at Butlins' would you get x, y or z, as if it is some low point marker. I'm not saying that they are serving up anything Michelin starred, but they blow Towers offering clean out of the water.
From the top of my head...
Breakfast every day:
Bacon, sausage, heinz beans, tinned toms, fresh fried toms (during a tomato shortage!), veggie sausage, hash browns, button mushrooms, eggs fried, scrambled or boiled, black pudding, fried slice, brown or white toast.
Porridge.
Omelette made to order with wide filling choices.
Multiple branded cereals, musli, yoghurt.
Bread rolls, cheeses, ham selection.
Fresh water melon, honeydew, bananas, oranges, apples.
All branded condiments, preserves and spreads including heinz sauces, Marmite, jams etc.
Pastries, Danish, pan au choc,
Wide juice selection, including orange, apples, lemon and lime, and my favourite rose pear.
Every sort of hot drink you can think of.
All unlimited
Dinner:
A huge selection...
Hot and cold startes, soups, prawns, pate, salad etc.
Every day a different meat carvery, all the trimmings.
Every day a different selection of pies.
Every day a different selection of veg and potatoes.
Every day random specials, think hunters chicken, pork chops, herb crumbed fish fillets.
Every day a different world cuisine. Thurs was tex mex with a good hot chilli, a mild chilli, rice, enchiladas, nachos, and amazingly, hickory smoked racks of ribs. Big, proper succulent, clearly slow cooked racks of ribs, in a smokey bbq sauce as good as any chain restraunt that would charge you about £20 for a portion. I went back for thirds.
Pizza out of a proper pizza oven.
Made to order pasta with huge combinations of ingredients and sauces.
Big children's selection
Hot desert of the day.
A choice of about 6 cold desters daily; think cheesecakes, roulades, gateaux, jelly, yogurt
Ice cream factory
Loads of fresh fruit
Cheeses (blue, brie, cheddar) and crackers.
And all the juices and hot drinks again.
The quantity does not hit the quality. It is genuinely excellent, tasty, well made food. And I'm a bit of a food snob sometimes.
The cost? £64 per person for 4 days of breakfast and dinner. And they are serving a similarly captive market ad Towers, and are making a good profit. There is no excuse or justification at all for anything towers are doing.
Frequently when comparisons are made comments crop up that 'not even at Butlins' would you get x, y or z, as if it is some low point marker. I'm not saying that they are serving up anything Michelin starred, but they blow Towers offering clean out of the water.
From the top of my head...
Breakfast every day:
Bacon, sausage, heinz beans, tinned toms, fresh fried toms (during a tomato shortage!), veggie sausage, hash browns, button mushrooms, eggs fried, scrambled or boiled, black pudding, fried slice, brown or white toast.
Porridge.
Omelette made to order with wide filling choices.
Multiple branded cereals, musli, yoghurt.
Bread rolls, cheeses, ham selection.
Fresh water melon, honeydew, bananas, oranges, apples.
All branded condiments, preserves and spreads including heinz sauces, Marmite, jams etc.
Pastries, Danish, pan au choc,
Wide juice selection, including orange, apples, lemon and lime, and my favourite rose pear.
Every sort of hot drink you can think of.
All unlimited
Dinner:
A huge selection...
Hot and cold startes, soups, prawns, pate, salad etc.
Every day a different meat carvery, all the trimmings.
Every day a different selection of pies.
Every day a different selection of veg and potatoes.
Every day random specials, think hunters chicken, pork chops, herb crumbed fish fillets.
Every day a different world cuisine. Thurs was tex mex with a good hot chilli, a mild chilli, rice, enchiladas, nachos, and amazingly, hickory smoked racks of ribs. Big, proper succulent, clearly slow cooked racks of ribs, in a smokey bbq sauce as good as any chain restraunt that would charge you about £20 for a portion. I went back for thirds.
Pizza out of a proper pizza oven.
Made to order pasta with huge combinations of ingredients and sauces.
Big children's selection
Hot desert of the day.
A choice of about 6 cold desters daily; think cheesecakes, roulades, gateaux, jelly, yogurt
Ice cream factory
Loads of fresh fruit
Cheeses (blue, brie, cheddar) and crackers.
And all the juices and hot drinks again.
The quantity does not hit the quality. It is genuinely excellent, tasty, well made food. And I'm a bit of a food snob sometimes.
The cost? £64 per person for 4 days of breakfast and dinner. And they are serving a similarly captive market ad Towers, and are making a good profit. There is no excuse or justification at all for anything towers are doing.
yoursilentface
TS Member
We go to butlins at least once a year and agree with everything you say...you really cannot fault the price or standard of the foodHaving just come back from a midweek at Butlins, it really made me think about the absolute state and poor value of the food offering at Towers, especially at the hotel.
Frequently when comparisons are made comments crop up that 'not even at Butlins' would you get x, y or z, as if it is some low point marker. I'm not saying that they are serving up anything Michelin starred, but they blow Towers offering clean out of the water.
From the top of my head...
Breakfast every day:
Bacon, sausage, heinz beans, tinned toms, fresh fried toms (during a tomato shortage!), veggie sausage, hash browns, button mushrooms, eggs fried, scrambled or boiled, black pudding, fried slice, brown or white toast.
Porridge.
Omelette made to order with wide filling choices.
Multiple branded cereals, musli, yoghurt.
Bread rolls, cheeses, ham selection.
Fresh water melon, honeydew, bananas, oranges, apples.
All branded condiments, preserves and spreads including heinz sauces, Marmite, jams etc.
Pastries, Danish, pan au choc,
Wide juice selection, including orange, apples, lemon and lime, and my favourite rose pear.
Every sort of hot drink you can think of.
All unlimited
Dinner:
A huge selection...
Hot and cold startes, soups, prawns, pate, salad etc.
Every day a different meat carvery, all the trimmings.
Every day a different selection of pies.
Every day a different selection of veg and potatoes.
Every day random specials, think hunters chicken, pork chops, herb crumbed fish fillets.
Every day a different world cuisine. Thurs was tex mex with a good hot chilli, a mild chilli, rice, enchiladas, nachos, and amazingly, hickory smoked racks of ribs. Big, proper succulent, clearly slow cooked racks of ribs, in a smokey bbq sauce as good as any chain restraunt that would charge you about £20 for a portion. I went back for thirds.
Pizza out of a proper pizza oven.
Made to order pasta with huge combinations of ingredients and sauces.
Big children's selection
Hot desert of the day.
A choice of about 6 cold desters daily; think cheesecakes, roulades, gateaux, jelly, yogurt
Ice cream factory
Loads of fresh fruit
Cheeses (blue, brie, cheddar) and crackers.
And all the juices and hot drinks again.
The quantity does not hit the quality. It is genuinely excellent, tasty, well made food. And I'm a bit of a food snob sometimes.
The cost? £64 per person for 4 days of breakfast and dinner. And they are serving a similarly captive market ad Towers, and are making a good profit. There is no excuse or justification at all for anything towers are doing.
Towers wouldn't have the same turnover of food as butlins as they're catering for a lot of people per sitting...but i'm sure they could do a far better job as they have been doing...even before the takeover
Saying that though i'd probably say an evening meal is sort of on a par with flambos but with less choice...but obviously far better value
It makes me laugh on here when you see put downs of butlins...i saw a comment on the hotels thread saying the entertainment was that bad it was like something you'd see at butlins
No it isn't...it really isn't