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Food & Beverage: The Aramark Era begins
Jb85
TS Member
Really were the good old days.
Food on site now is appalling…. Even Eastern Express has actually gone downhill
Jb85
TS Member
Even the donuts these days don’t smell the same
I’m tempted to give the park a miss for a year - and maybe all Merlin parks.
I think familiarity is a major issue in noticing constant floors
jon81uk
TS Member
I went to Thorpe Park for the first time since before the pandemic (I only went while it was Derren Brown Ghost Train once that's how infrequent my visits are) yet still noticed the cobwebs and lack of general cleaning and painting at Thorpe. Although yes I do agree it does mean you notice the flaws less and get less annoyed by them.
Melancholic nostalgia just isn't what it used to be, eh homer.
Try walking round Europa-Park and Efteling and sniffing the goodies in the air there. Some lovely food at both those parks, a million miles away from Merlin establishments.
Benzin
TS Member
Two VERY different food experiences yesterday.
Lunch at CBeebies Restaurant was depressing. The chips were barely cooked and the pasta looked very sad. The chicken strips very meh.
Rollercoaster Restaurant was much better. Though damning with faint praise least it was edible.
What was telling that we could get 6 of us in there at 7pm on the door. People clearly voting with feet and wallet.
Edit: Visiting X-Sector Chicken place yesterday. Felt like the rice pot thing instead of chips. More fool me it would seem. Loved the flavour choice that had zero explanation as to what it was on top of covering the chicken in sauces (presumably to hide lack of flavour). The rice itself was hidden and just bland. Bring back in-house all is forgiven.
Lunch at CBeebies Restaurant was depressing. The chips were barely cooked and the pasta looked very sad. The chicken strips very meh.
Rollercoaster Restaurant was much better. Though damning with faint praise least it was edible.
What was telling that we could get 6 of us in there at 7pm on the door. People clearly voting with feet and wallet.
Edit: Visiting X-Sector Chicken place yesterday. Felt like the rice pot thing instead of chips. More fool me it would seem. Loved the flavour choice that had zero explanation as to what it was on top of covering the chicken in sauces (presumably to hide lack of flavour). The rice itself was hidden and just bland. Bring back in-house all is forgiven.
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Alastair
TS Team
Pizza Pasta is an absolute disgrace. Tried it yesterday after about a 10 year gap...beyond atrocious. Pizza dry as a bone, no cheese, absolutely nothing replenished in the 45 minutes we were there (lord knows how long the existing pizza has been there). The pasta was even worse, somehow. All clumped together, massively overcooked, sauce thin as anything with absolutely no flavour and no seasoning. Frankly disgusting.
To make matters worse, we complained and the "manager" claimed we were the first to complain about the food of the year, and outright refused any sort of refund. Another example of arrogant and embarrassingly rude staff.
I just can't get over how bad the food was. It's unthinkably low standards.
To make matters worse, we complained and the "manager" claimed we were the first to complain about the food of the year, and outright refused any sort of refund. Another example of arrogant and embarrassingly rude staff.
I just can't get over how bad the food was. It's unthinkably low standards.
Not surprised its frozen Pizza Pre made. Aramark needs to go their food is below standard really should be using fresh local home grown produce benefit both park and surrounding farms benefit.
Would love a food critic or actual chef to go in and see how bad their food practices are
Aramark aren’t actually the problem. Like any major food outsourcer, they can provide anything from gruel up to exceptionally high quality cuisine. The problem is Merlin who have clearly specified that they are only willing to pay for the cheapest, dirtiest, most basic ingredients. The contract between Merlin and Aramark will state what banding of pricing and quality is expected and unfortunately for the consumer, the pricing is high and the quality is terrible.
At present it feels like the ethos is mostly “sod it, our customers are at a theme park so just stuff them full of cheap burgers and chips because they won’t care”. But saying that, there are glimmers of hope with RCR and Coach House Confectionary.
NuttySquirrel
TS Member
TripAdvisor reviews suggest that's a big fat lie, here's one example from June 2025:
(https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Resta...Pasta_Buffet-Alton_Staffordshire_England.html)
I think you could make a formal complaint if you've been spoken to rudely and told blatant lies. Whether it would actually change anything is another matter.
Alastair
TS Team
Oh yes I absolutely knew it was a lie, but it was just the brazen, gaslighting manner in which he said it which astounded me. The price in there as well! £22.50 without discount! I can't believe they've presumably been getting away with this sort of standard for years and years now.
Had breakfast in the Alton Towers Hotel. When even the orange juice tastes cheap you know there’s a problem. And the sausages… Night and day compared to the breakfast at the Wonder Hotel at Efteling. That was top quality.
RCR when I went in July was the worst I’ve ever experienced in all the years of visiting. Needless to say we won’t be stepping foot in there again. It was pretty dead as well at 7pm on a weekend evening so no doubt others are doing the same.
Usually when I visit despite staying offsite we used to book a table in the secret garden for dinner. Again based on a very poor past experience we also don’t do this anymore.
In the park we usually take our own food now. So if you think in a weekend for a family of three, that’s quite a bit of revenue they are missing out on thanks to the penny pinching poor food they are providing.
If every family does the same then it’s no wonder food and drink revenues are down.
Usually when I visit despite staying offsite we used to book a table in the secret garden for dinner. Again based on a very poor past experience we also don’t do this anymore.
In the park we usually take our own food now. So if you think in a weekend for a family of three, that’s quite a bit of revenue they are missing out on thanks to the penny pinching poor food they are providing.
If every family does the same then it’s no wonder food and drink revenues are down.
VerticalLoop123
TS Member
I can fully confirm that’s not the case as I complained in July about the lack of vegetarian pizza and the appalling quality of the salad. I don’t think the lettuce has seen the ground in it’s a life, let alone a fridge!
It is frustrating as a generally think the public would be willing to pay for a good meal and it could increase revisits.
It doesn’t even have to be fancy food- the model that places like Wetherspoons and Greene King have of easy to cook basic meals that taste half decent would work.
Skyscraper
TS Member
If only they could outsource it to Pizza Hut. That would actually be an improvement.
AT86
TS Member
What a depressing thought.