Villa Park Catering.....

[astonvilla82]

Also when you are in the Holte suite you get some Sargent Major shouting for you to drink up after about fifteen minutes

[Clampy]

Also when you are in the Holte suite you get some Sargent Major shouting for you to drink up after about fifteen minutes

I know the bloke you mean. I'm sure he's a nice chap but he's a bit if a jobsworth.

[Risso]

One of the advantages Spurs have got, and I've said this many times about different places, is that theirs is the sort of ground where people have always got there early because there's a lot of choice close by. We don't have that - our tradition is to eat and drink well away from the ground and get close to Villa Park comparatively later.

I'm not sure Spurs is the best example of that, Arsenal is probably better. Spurs is in a pretty shitty area with not that much around it, London-wise anyway. Arsenal's got a massive area between Islington and Finsbury Park on its doorstep with hundreds of pubs, cafés and restaurants.

Our problems are a combination of a large old ground, with poorly designed concourses and the fact we don't utilise the outside space, as well as really terrible agency staff.

[pauliewalnuts]

I get the challenges and the need to be realistic when you have minimum wage agency staff working for a third party doing the serving but when you watch them work there is nothing at all suggesting any urgency about them.

It’s all properly fucked and has been for years.

[Nev]

I get the challenges and the need to be realistic when you have minimum wage agency staff working for a third party doing the serving but when you watch them work there is nothing at all suggesting any urgency about them.

It’s all properly fucked and has been for years.

It's not unique to us, it's very similar at The Cheltenham Festival so much so that I will be attending one day this year when I usually do 3. That's down to the astronomical cost as well of course but it all boils down to minimum investment and maximum profit, where training and decent wages drive up the former and down the latter.

[RamboandBruno]

I get the challenges and the need to be realistic when you have minimum wage agency staff working for a third party doing the serving but when you watch them work there is nothing at all suggesting any urgency about them.

It’s all properly fucked and has been for years.

At the Villareal friendly, my lad wanted to go down for a hot chocolate on 35 mins, as it was so cold that night. At that point there were 4 people in front of me in the que at the pie kiosk in the middle of the holte. There was no hot food being served, just drinks. There was one teenage girl busily trying to serve everyone hot drinks and pints and two lads not being lazy but just standing around looking like they didnt have a clue what to do. I eventually got the hot chocolate and a pint, 5 mins before the second half started, thats 20 mins to serve me and 4 people in front. Its appalling service, but again i categorically do not blame those minimum wage kids, in fact i feel as sorry for them being placed in a position where they have to face thousands of pissed off people on a match day.

[The Edge]

I get the challenges and the need to be realistic when you have minimum wage agency staff working for a third party doing the serving but when you watch them work there is nothing at all suggesting any urgency about them.

It’s all properly fucked and has been for years.

It's not unique to us, it's very similar at The Cheltenham Festival so much so that I will be attending one day this year when I usually do 3. That's down to the astronomical cost as well of course but it all boils down to minimum investment and maximum profit, where training and decent wages drive up the former and down the latter.

Cheltenham has 50/60,000 four days a year and in my opinion they have made massive strides in catering and customer services over the last ten years. Villa Park has fallen behind a helluva lot over those years. With enough determination and commitment it can be done. Hopefully it'll all change when the stadium revamp happens and we can look back and laugh at the current "bad old days" of service.

[astonvilla82]

I get the challenges and the need to be realistic when you have minimum wage agency staff working for a third party doing the serving but when you watch them work there is nothing at all suggesting any urgency about them.

It’s all properly fucked and has been for years.

It's not unique to us, it's very similar at The Cheltenham Festival so much so that I will be attending one day this year when I usually do 3. That's down to the astronomical cost as well of course but it all boils down to minimum investment and maximum profit, where training and decent wages drive up the former and down the latter.

Cheltenham has 50/60,000 four days a year and in my opinion they have made massive strides in catering and customer services over the last ten years. Villa Park has fallen behind a helluva lot over those years. With enough determination and commitment it can be done. Hopefully it'll all change when the stadium revamp happens and we can look back and laugh at the current "bad old days" of service.

went to Cheltenham many years ago they have the pints lined up ready to give out and was very quick,is it any different today, they use to do the same in the upper Holte years ago ready for halftime but now I am in the lower Holte

[The Edge]

I get the challenges and the need to be realistic when you have minimum wage agency staff working for a third party doing the serving but when you watch them work there is nothing at all suggesting any urgency about them.

It’s all properly fucked and has been for years.

It's not unique to us, it's very similar at The Cheltenham Festival so much so that I will be attending one day this year when I usually do 3. That's down to the astronomical cost as well of course but it all boils down to minimum investment and maximum profit, where training and decent wages drive up the former and down the latter.

Cheltenham has 50/60,000 four days a year and in my opinion they have made massive strides in catering and customer services over the last ten years. Villa Park has fallen behind a helluva lot over those years. With enough determination and commitment it can be done. Hopefully it'll all change when the stadium revamp happens and we can look back and laugh at the current "bad old days" of service.

went to Cheltenham many years ago they have the pints lined up ready to give out and was very quick,is it any different today, they use to do the same in the upper Holte years ago ready for halftime but now I am in the lower Holte

The Best Mate beer tent where we going huge. It's one massive long bar to take orders and money. Behind them is an equally long bar with people just serving drinks. The ones taking the orders just turn round and pick up the already poured drinks and hand them to you. There's a huge rush between races which lasts a similar time to half time at football and everyone gets served pretty rapid. Something similar could be employed at VP. The main difference is space. Those bars at Cheltenham cater entirely for alcohol. Food vendors are spread everywhere else. It needs a massive re-think.

[Border villan]

Getting worried I may be turning into the Wilma of this thread.

Queen outside the Holte pub at 6.45, the steward told us it was one out one in and when we got in there was a 20 minute wait to get to the bar ………… however the problem was resolved at 6.55 when another steward came out and told us all that there was no draft beer left.
The wonder of AVFC catering continues.

[Clampy]

Getting worried I may be turning into the Wilma of this thread.

Queen outside the Holte pub at 6.45, the steward told us it was one out one in and when we got in there was a 20 minute wait to get to the bar ………… however the problem was resolved at 6.55 when another steward came out and told us all that there was no draft beer left.
The wonder of AVFC catering continues.

You should have gone in, they keep a Moet et Chandon in a pretty cabinet.

[Lastfootstamper]

Here's a novelty; some praise!

We got up to the UT concourse at about 7.20/7.25, importantly before the scanner breakdown. The queues were minimal, 4 or 5 groups/people at most in any one, probably facilitated by two glaring improvements: firstly, they were well-stocked with hot offerings besides chips, with burgers, hotdogs and pies aplenty; secondly, better service at the counter, in that once our order was placed (two cans and a Coke) we were asked to take one step to the right whilst waiting for our drinks to be poured so that the next people in the queue could give their order. So quick we nearly had a second!

[chrisw1]

Getting worried I may be turning into the Wilma of this thread.

Queen outside the Holte pub at 6.45, the steward told us it was one out one in and when we got in there was a 20 minute wait to get to the bar ………… however the problem was resolved at 6.55 when another steward came out and told us all that there was no draft beer left.
The wonder of AVFC catering continues.

You should have gone in, they keep a Moet et Chandon in a pretty cabinet.

Yeah, and to be fair last time I went in there I got served in a flash.

[Simon Page]

Moet's more suited to a Night at the Opera.

[SaddVillan]

Having baled out of the queue at the Pub with no Beer (see Border Villa above) and decided that the queue to get jnto the Holte Suite was longer than the one thstvtgete used to be to see Fsther Christmas and Uncle Holly at Lewis's (ask your grandad kids),, decided to see what was onboffer in the Lower Witton Lane.

Purity on sale excellent I thought. But no,: "Not available. "Why?" I asked. "Dontvtell me you've run out too?"

"No the person pouring it can't do it properly."

I kid you mot.

The Villa really needs to get a grip in terms of the catering offer- it's a weekly car crash.

Supplies
Facilities
Equipment
Processes
Staff training

All need upgrading

Thankfully most posters on the forum realise that it's not the poor minimum age undertrainef kids at the sharp end who are to blame and don't give them too much grief

As with most things that don't work in modern Britain, its the management who are falling short. NSWE need to take them to task - shape up or ship out. And if we're outsourcing catering we need to start kicking arses

Personally, I couldn't give a flying fuck about Spurs or Cheltenham, I just want Villa up their game.

Next time our representatives have a "chat" with Purslow this needs to be brought up.