Merlin Food

I just don't even understand how you can make a hot dog "crap", in general they're crap to begin with, but still taste alright.

It's probably a mixture of shit bread roll and the soggy onions they put on top.

The outside catering vans that are there now have the best food I've even eaten at towers. The roast pork baguettes and rolls, yes!

I don't find the park food outlets to be that bad... Except the gravy from fried chicken co. I swear it's oxtail soup!

TedTheHuman said:

At least Thorpe still has KFC (for now)

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DiogoJ42 said:

I know this is a strange thing to say from someone who is a bit of a food snob, but I've always felt theme park hot dogs are supposed to be crap.

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I don't think theme park food in general needs to be particularly high quality but what I don't expect to be is completely ripped off for really poor quality food.

I think the most important thing about F&B at theme parks apart from the convenience aspect is the presentation of the food and having interesting surroundings to eat it in.

This is what Disney and Universal excel at but what is totally overlooked in the UK. It is literally just an attitude of fill your face and then get back on the rides.

Not just Disney and Universal either, most parks on mainland Europe have really good food with nice surroundings (them bratwursts at Plopsaland are to die for!!)

Always enjoy the Pizza & Pasta at both towers and pleasure beach (BPBs I feel is better). And my last two visits to Hunters were perfectly fine.

Was disappointed at the standard of the burrito in Thorpe Park, certainly a reduction in quality from when it was in Towers.

danni87 said:

The outside catering vans that are there now have the best food I've even eaten at towers. The roast pork baguettes and rolls, yes!

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Except the are extortionately priced (and I live in London!) I'm sure last year at fireworks one van had burgers for £8.50 (just the burger, no chips or drink).

Had a battered sausage from Thorpe at the weekend; that was disgusting! The chips were okay though

Bert2theSpark said:

I've like the Nitrogenies but there an external fanchise, and RCR again is an external fanchise so there has to be a certain standard anyway, the BBQ Smokehouses seem promising and that's a internal fanchise within Merlin.

On another note, I there was a Ben & Jerry's outside The Flume which is the only thing that has been saved from The Flume site I'd expect it will be converted into a Nitrogenie in 2018 though. Which in my opinion is a good thing, Towers needs another Nitrogenie.

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But... Ben & Jerry's! In my personal opinion, Ben & Jerry's is some of the nicest ice cream I've ever tasted! Have you ever tried Cookie Dough or Salted Caramel Brownie? Nitrogenie is very nice, but doesn't hold a candle to Ben & Jerry's in my opinion. My sister gave what is in my opinion quite a harsh review of Nitrogenie saying that it tasted "like Tesco Value ice cream with some chocolate in it." I personally really liked Nitrogenie but I still prefer Ben & Jerry's.

On to the other Merlin food outlets, the ones I've eaten in are the Burger Kitchen, Coffee Lounge and the pasty place in Mutiny Bay. Burger Kitchen was nice from what I remember of it, Coffee Lounge was quite nice but I think that Starbucks served the food in Coffee Lounge when I went. The sausage roll I had in Mutiny Bay was nice as well. So, in conclusion, I've never had any problems with Merlin food. I went to the RCR, which was very nice also, but I don't think Merlin makes the food in the RCR. Oh, and I've eaten in Pizza and Pasta and the Undercroft Carvery at Warwick Castle. They were nice too.

I certainly agree about nitrogenie, very overpriced.

Towerslover said:

I certainly agree about nitrogenie, very overpriced.

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I never said it was bad, just that it wasn't as good as Ben & Jerry's that you can buy for a couple of quid a tub in Tesco.

[QUOTE="It is literally just an attitude of fill your face and then get back on the rides.[/QUOTE]

And tbh its true, ask a Nemesis perv if they'd rather spend time eating food or riding her...

I can see a master plan forming here, now that Merlin have signed up Bear Grylls for their new midway attraction.

I can see the marketing material now.

"He's eaten live cockroaches, camel hump and woodlice, nor to mention drunk his own urine. Can you outdo Bear Himself by finishing a meal at The Burger Kitchen?

If they don't rename Woodcutters to Bear's Grill, they don't deserve to keep their jobs.

Matt N said:

Have you ever tried Cookie Dough

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Yeah, I have it's nice but I would prefer Nitrogenie if you got more Ice Cream!

I think the B&J's will get converted into Nitrogenie as there's not much of a point having two different brands of ice cream shops in the same theme park.

Bert2theSpark said:

Yeah, I have it's nice but I would prefer Nitrogenie if you got more Ice Cream!

I think the B&J's will get converted into Nitrogenie as there's not much of a point having two different brands of ice cream shops in the same theme park.

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I suppose everyone's entitled to their own opinion about these things. I also suppose it's a bit impractical having two separate ice cream vendors at Alton, especially with Merlin's lust to get rid of branded outlets.

Can never see the fascination with B&J's. Its very overpriced ice cream which is even more expensive in themeparks/cinemas etc.

Big fan of Pizza/Pasta, but typically only do it at Scarefest, because a theme park is the last place I want to indulge in such quantities of food, but it's a good offer, really.