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Food & Beverage: The Aramark Era begins

That looks excellent! Perfectly cooked duck as well.

The stark contrast in price vs quality needs addressing urgently.

I think I’ve already posted this picture before, but I paid £13 for this abomination at fireworks last year from BK in Mutiny Bay. Probably £1.50 worth of ingredients at best, no doubt much less.
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I had a large XL bacon cheese burger meal today at Thorpe Burger King and that was only £11.99, compared to your burger above.

It sounds like so far the places that Aramark have opened new from scratch have been decent, like the Gloomy Wood treats, FV chicken, turkey legs in World of Jumanji etc, but the places they’ve inherited are just garbage like Burger Kitchen, Just Chicken etc… would it be fair to say maybe they’re just working their way round incredibly slowly?

Not heard reviews for the new food places at Thorpe and Chessington for this year yet - the curry and bubble tea outlets, Fish and Chips etc but if they’re decent then maybe there’s some hope.

I think the new places at Thorpe aren’t Aramark as they are all kiosk type places, think they are ran by that Pineapple company Thorpe use.

Having been to chessie and Thorpe this weekend, all the prices have risen, the chessie fried chicken place is identical to towers with same basic menu and same expensive prices. Same with Thorpe pizza pasta which is £21 for adults too.
 
A little late to the party with my thoughts, but I visited last Monday 18th March and took a punt on Rollercoaster Restaurant for lunch.

I ordered the Hunters chicken and chips and was really happy with what I received. The portion size was large, the quality was high, and it was hot.

Given my last experience in 2022, which was an abomination, I was happily surprised.

My concern is a potential lack of consistency - I visited on a very quiet day, with low expectations. I wouldn’t dare recommend it for fear of what a busy Saturday lunchtime experience could be!
 
I just don't understand how they can mess up pizza's, nuggets, burgers, and chips though? All have proven, well tested, efficient preparation processes. Buying frozen chips, pizza ingredients, processed beef and chicken is cheap. Making it is quick and cheap.

People don't walk into quick service restaurants, or up to burger van counters expecting Michelin style gourmet stuff. They just want something cheap, warm, and quick to fill a hole. It's a theme park staple for those in a hurry. They'll expect it to be processed crap full of saturated fat, and probably to pay around a tenner for some protein, chips and a soft drink in a theme park. We're not expecting Five Guys, Dominos, or even Burger King quality here, just in the ball park of McDonald's at an inflated price will do.

Even McDonald's manage to have 100% beef patties. Pictures won't do it justice, compare an acceptable fast food meal with the nonsense they are serving and they'll both look like junk, because that's exactly what they are. But it's set an extremely low bar if they can't get processed junk food right.
 
I just don't understand how they can mess up pizza's, nuggets, burgers, and chips though? All have proven, well tested, efficient preparation processes. Buying frozen chips, pizza ingredients, processed beef and chicken is cheap. Making it is quick and cheap.

People don't walk into quick service restaurants, or up to burger van counters expecting Michelin style gourmet stuff. They just want something cheap, warm, and quick to fill a hole. It's a theme park staple for those in a hurry. They'll expect it to be processed crap full of saturated fat, and probably to pay around a tenner for some protein, chips and a soft drink in a theme park. We're not expecting Five Guys, Dominos, or even Burger King quality here, just in the ball park of McDonald's at an inflated price will do.

Even McDonald's manage to have 100% beef patties. Pictures won't do it justice, compare an acceptable fast food meal with the nonsense they are serving and they'll both look like junk, because that's exactly what they are. But it's set an extremely low bar if they can't get processed junk food right.

From the photos others have put up recently it doesn't seem to be the ingredient sourcing that is the issue, they are buying cheaper quality than they used to and then not training staff well enough to assemble the meal right, or being cheap (like only one slice of gherkin). There seems to be a lot more issues with service than ingrediants.
 
I dont know about the food but had a hot choc from the kiosk as you approach the ruins and omg it was to die for was 1 of the best ive had on a day out.
 
The inconsistency is purely down to staff training, or lack of it.

Like a lot of people I've done a spell in fast food (well, Domino's) and we weren't allowed on the make-line until we were able to rattle off every pizza to franchise specifications. See also McD, the burgers look naff all like the pictures but if you have one in London and one in New York they are going to be effectively identical as they are following the spec.

I'm hesitant to say it but the quality does seem marginally better this year. The chips from Just Chicken this weekend were decent enough and a large portion was actually a large portion. The chicken tenders passed the child-test too and our freakshakes from Alton Manor area were their usual top-drawer standard.
 
I’ve had a response from the head of guest experience!

He said clarity over food labelling is something they’re working on, and thanked me for my feedback. So no concrete promises of change, but at least I got a response.

Still nothing from Aramark. Yet.
 
Ate at rollercoaster restaurant earlier and thought the food was fine and price wasn't too bad so for a cheeseburger meal + hunters chicken meal both adult sizes and a side of macaroni bites I paid £30 I think would have been £37 without map discount.

The portions were massive, my brother couldn't finish his and the food quality was just fine, comparing this to £33 I paid in beefeater the other day for a starter, burger meal, dessert and lemonade which was just for myself so the pricing I paid today in rcr isn't awful in this day and age.

I think the main thing what it comes down to is the quality of the food was good enough so even though I paid a theme park premium and for the gimmick of it coming on rollercoaster track I didn't leave with a bitter taste in my mouth, if the food was crap and I paid that premium of course it makes people leave quite dissatisfied.
 
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I’ve had another email from Towers guest services. Apologising again for lack of communications regarding dietary options, and another promise that they’re looking into it. They also asked how the day went so I’ve given them specific feedback of where things were good and not so good. It’s nice to feel listened to, but really would prefer to see some action.

Still nothing from Aramark though - so I’ve let guest services know Aramark don’t appear to reply to that email address.

I also spotted on the Thorpe app they clearly mark where vegan/veggie options are available - so if they can do it, why are Towers finding it so difficult?
 

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At least 15 prisoners ill with suspected food poisoning at Lewes Prison. (Link)

Guess who supplies them... Yep, you guessed it, Aramark.

The link does not work, but let's be fair, they are not ruling out deliberately contaminated food.

I've witnessed food inside English prisons be used as a toilet by prisoners and then fed to the population of sex offenders. This stuff does happen.

That said, it would not suprise me if it turns out to be Aramark.
 
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