New food/drink rules at the Turf

[Bosscat]

He was in the fanzone around 1pm today

So were we for a couple of minutes ... looked at the queues so went into the stand ...

[deanothedino]

Oh I think that's fairly obvious

One of the boys.

Considering the ruthlessness shown elsewhere maybe they should consider kicking him out of the tent.

[NewClaret]

He was in the fanzone around 1pm today

Fair enough, well done to him on that front. Would love to also see him on the longside at HT.

[Vintage Claret]

So were we for a couple of minutes ... looked at the queues so went into the stand ...

Same here though to be fair we did get served in the BL stand quickly (£8.40 for a Wainwright and a fanta orange)

Thought we'd give the fanzone another try after the game as we had about 40 mins wait for pre-booked taxi but it was closed for some reason.

[JohnMac]

£4.40 for a Hollands pie is just plain daft.

[brexit]

I absolutely love Haffner’s pies but £6.50 for pie and peas in the fanzone was daylight robbery.

I’ll be taking my own next time.

Haffners would like to charge £4.50 for pie and peas but are not allowed to undercut Holland's. Haffners hope to bid and get the contract for the whole stadium when it comes up for renewal

[Joe14]

In the fanzone one of the women that used to take payment was very vocal. This meant that the queue moved fast. Now it’s painful. Real shame that the service gets so poor yet the price goes up. Should be the other way round!!

[ClaretAL]

The queue in the fanzone is massive around 45 minutes to kick off, but it does move deceptively quickly. However, in JHU the service has definitely gone backwards, and feels like you handing them the shirt from you back and thanking them for it.

[NewClaret]

Haffners would like to charge £4.50 for pie and peas but are not allowed to undercut Holland's. Haffners hope to bid and get the contract for the whole stadium when it comes up for renewal

That’s interesting (about the contract). I’d imagined they run season to season but if that’s correct maybe longer term deals are in place. In that case it gives me some hope that the beer & general menu will be improved when contracts expire. Hopefully soon.

If there are contracts in place that need to be honoured the club should just communicate that to fans (not the specifics, just the intentions to review existing suppliers as contracts end).

Haffners must be well placed for the whole contract given how popular they are with fans.

[Jamesy]

I will say it one more time……. Lack of effective management.

[Bosscat]

The queue in the fanzone is massive around 45 minutes to kick off, but it does move deceptively quickly. However, in JHU the service has definitely gone backwards, and feels like you handing them the shirt from you back and thanking them for it.

Tbf the service was better this week in JHU but more likely due to Fan zone being chocka ... and less folk at 1pm ...
I had a Wainwrights and my m8 a San Miguel @ £11.00 ...

[Steve1956]

I had a Wainwrights and my m8 a San Miguel @ £11.00 ...

Yours was a bargain..your mate was mugged

[Woodleyclaret]

We bought our water at Tesco
80p bottle instead of £2.50 on the Turf.

[Bosscat]

Yours was a bargain..your mate was mugged

He was paying

[SalisburyClaret]

Advanced Warning for Catering Staff -

Half time will be around 3.45 pm on Saturday - have the pies hot by then

[jdrobbo]

At half-time, they had run out of pies in the James Hargreaves upper and a senior member of staff at the kiosk was hacking away at a Hollands pie box with a massive knife…such was the rush to get them out and into the oven…they went everywhere. You could see that she was visibly panicked.

I take no pleasure in saying it, because I want the service to be brilliant, and I want my club to succeed in every area possible, but I actually thought the service was completely substandard, ridiculously expensive for inferior products (compared to last year), and most worryingly, even worse than the Manchester City game, two weeks previous, after which fans were assured that errors would be ironed out quickly.

It really feels as though the staff working have zero experience of working under pressure within a very small time window.

[mikeS]

Prices for Haffners and Hollands pies online
HAFFNERS

haffners price list from website.jpg (125.65 KiB) Viewed 3776 times

HOLLANDS
Iceland do a deal - 8 meat and potatoes for £6

hollands pies at Iceland.jpg (87.31 KiB) Viewed 3776 times

[Transpennine]

It has been quite some achievement to make the service in the CFS worse than last year....and then even further since the City game.

The portable lager bar which was there at the city game (and a decent addition) had vanished.
Main bar- I manged to buy the last pint of cider...at 2.31pm...

Apparently the pies had sold out about 1.45...

And obviously the price has increased...

It can't be that difficult....can it...?

[k90bfc]

CHRIS GIBSON,SORELY MISSED,HOW GOOD WAS HE,NOW WE KNOW,ALL THE BEST CHRIS,ONE OF THE BEST,UTC.

[AmbleClaret]

It has been quite some achievement to make the service in the CFS worse than last year....and then even further since the City game.

The portable lager bar which was there at the city game (and a decent addition) had vanished.
Main bar- I manged to buy the last pint of cider...at 2.31pm...

Apparently the pies had sold out about 1.45...

And obviously the price has increased...

It can't be that difficult....can it...?

Why would you be buying a pint 15 minutes before half time ?

[Leisure]

Advanced Warning for Catering Staff -

Half time will be around 3.45 pm on Saturday - have the pies hot by then

And the Beni!

[sjb]

I went to Macclesfield FC with my lad last week, and without sarcasm, I can say that the food/bev service was 100x better.
The club have gone back 50 years. No idea what this new Levy operation are up to. I’m certain there is nobody of authority paying any attention to it.

They must have improved a helluva lot then. I went to a game at Macclesfield last season and paid £5 for a cheese and onion pie which was without doubt the worst food I have ever had in 60 years of watching football.

[fidelcastro]

And the Beni!

And don't order too few

Don't serve rations

Ensure the staff are fully trained

Put some milk in the brews

Bring back the meal deal.

[Gibbo]

Sacrilege, Benny and hot made with cold water not hot, the final straw.

[Transpennine]

Why would you be buying a pint 15 minutes before half time ?

A fair question; and ideally, I wouldn't be. There are 3 of us in the group, and we take it in turns for the bar-run. In answer to your question, the service is so poor that there are only 2 options:

1. 3.30 early pint run and get on for the 2nd half.

2. Queue for the entire half time and miss some of the 2nd half.

We choose the former, but neither are any good. Ideally, there should be an option 3:
Be able to go to the bar at HT, have a pint, and be back in the seats for the 2nd half...

[Longsidelenny1882]

You wouldn’t put up with that service any where else so don’t put up with that at the match utc

[mybloodisclaret]

A fair question; and ideally, I wouldn't be. There are 3 of us in the group, and we take it in turns for the bar-run. In answer to your question, the service is so poor that there are only 2 options:

1. 3.30 early pint run and get on for the 2nd half.

2. Queue for the entire half time and miss some of the 2nd half.

We choose the former, but neither are any good. Ideally, there should be an option 3:
Be able to go to the bar at HT, have a pint, and be back in the seats for the 2nd half...

TP is right. If you want a pint at half time you can't just walk down and get one in the CFS. You are pushing it if you leave it past 37 mins and 30 seconds into the first half. That is how bad the service is, and at 6 quid a pint for sub standard ale it is really beginning to push it.

To say there were no pies or cider in the CFS by half time is pretty shambolic. It is well known that the stand is always full, one would imagine they have a rough idea of how many of what gets sold every week.

Come on Alan, lets get it together.

[brexit]

That’s interesting (about the contract). I’d imagined they run season to season but if that’s correct maybe longer term deals are in place. In that case it gives me some hope that the beer & general menu will be improved when contracts expire. Hopefully soon.

If there are contracts in place that need to be honoured the club should just communicate that to fans (not the specifics, just the intentions to review existing suppliers as contracts end).

Haffners must be well placed for the whole contract given how popular they are with fans.

Contract is apparently up for tender at the end of this season we can only hope that pork and black pudding pie makes the menu

[bigdavethemaddog]

are you still allowed in with your own plastic bottles with lids on?

[Sean Dyche's Watch]

are you still allowed in with your own plastic bottles with lids on?

According to the ground rules:

Clear plastic bottles of water or clear liquids 500ml or less

Are allowed.

[dougcollins]

There's a weird thing where all the catering staff queue up at a door on the Lower Longside concourse. The queue goes all the way across the concourse and co-incides with the final whistle, so it gets interesting leaving after the game. Definitely a recipe for trouble.

[bigdavethemaddog]

According to the ground rules:

Clear plastic bottles of water or clear liquids 500ml or less

Are allowed.

ive never had a problem getting in before with plastic bottles with lids on but wasnt sure if anything had changed

[helmclaret]

Eat before you get to the ground or take a sandwich.

It’s a couple of hours.

[RickyBobby]

The fact that they are selling out of products shows that people are still prepared to pay the price for them. The only way the club would lower prices and improve service is if people stopped buying, but if the are selling out then maybe a further price rise is in order!
Things are going better then the club obviously expected them to go if the are selling out things.

[Jamesy]

CHRIS GIBSON,SORELY MISSED,HOW GOOD WAS HE,NOW WE KNOW,ALL THE BEST CHRIS,ONE OF THE BEST,UTC.

I’m not sure about this? He was good with his bugle however on Remembrance weekend fixtures.

[Roger1960]

There's a weird thing where all the catering staff queue up at a door on the Lower Longside concourse. The queue goes all the way across the concourse and co-incides with the final whistle, so it gets interesting leaving after the game. Definitely a recipe for trouble.

Just to explain for people partly why the service has become so bad this season. As everyone knows levy have taken over running hospitality from the club. All casual match day staff now use an app for their work information. Such jobs as are available are put on the app and staff submit for a specific post. However not all the jobs were put on there this week notably not those in the fanzone hence a shortage of people on the day. Also any workers registered with levy can apply to work at any of the venues they cover so you get someone who normally works at Man City can turn up without a clue how it works at Burnley or for instance what a benny and hot is . They have not ordered enough stock of anything presumably to avoid wastage. The big queue of staff at the end is because they have to log onto their shift with a fingerprint reader and log off and there is only 1 place for this for all staff in the ground. Levy staff are nigh on impossible to find and a lot of people will leave soon if the shambles isn’t sorted so it’s as bad for them as the customers.

[Bordeauxclaret]

Sounds like a slick company to be involved with.

[colne-claret]

Eat before you get to the ground or take a sandwich.

It’s a couple of hours.

Or a Premier League club gets their food service right.

[FeedTheArf]

Updated statement from the club:

We are aware that the level of service fans received on the concourses at the Aston Villa game fell well below your expectations and our required standards. We are extremely disappointed and recognise your disappointment as well. This is the second game that this has happened, and we acknowledge that it is unacceptable. We are committed to raising the experience to the required standards expected by us and by our supporters.

Listening to your feedback and based on our observations, wait times in queues were too long and food quality & quantities in specific areas were inadequate.

These issues are being addressed ahead of the Tottenham Hotspur game on Saturday and we want you to know what you can expect from your upcoming experience at Turf Moor:
We will have additional staff to manage queues and direct fans to the best locations for quickest service.
To speed up queues we will open additional kiosk windows.
We will have additional pouring units to minimise wait times.

We apologise for falling short of our standards and your expectations and we thank all fans for their continued patience.

[fidelcastro]

One of the first in today and I bought a coffee in the JML which was disgusting.

The woman in front of me had ordered a cheese and onion pie from the menu screen. When she got to the collection point, none were available.

Good to know they've been listening!

[Bordeauxclaret]

Certainly looks like people have voted with their feet. Hardly anyone queued up at all from what I saw.

[Goody1975]

One of the first in today and I bought a coffee in the JML which was disgusting.

The woman in front of me had ordered a cheese and onion pie from the menu screen. When she got to the collection point, none were available.

Good to know they've been listening!

The coffee is undrinkable imo, it's horrendous.

The fact you then have to add your own milk in an area where people stand at half time and there was no milk left at 2.50pm today is unacceptable.

As was mentioned above, there were hardly any queues before the game and far less people at half time, that proves more than anyone can say on here.

[jos]

After last weeks disgusting pie/coffee I decided to bring my snack with me.

[NewClaret]

One of the first in today and I bought a coffee in the JML which was disgusting.

The woman in front of me had ordered a cheese and onion pie from the menu screen. When she got to the collection point, none were available.

Good to know they've been listening!

Shocking. I’ve given up. Hopefully Russell Ball is on a PDP for this shambles.

[NewClaret]

After last weeks disgusting pie/coffee I decided to bring my snack with me.

Spoke to a few at HT that I normally see in the concourses with their own flasks and snacks.

Have always been a massive advocate for all things club, so hate to say this, but well done them.

[jdrobbo]

Diabolical again today. Awful coffee. No milk. Sachets sprayed everywhere by 2:45

[Bosscat]

Enjoyed pre match Beer but ... Asked for a white coffee just before 1/2 time, but told milk over at the self service ... I wouldn't mind that ... but the top was put on my cup and it was a bloody nightmare to get off without covering myself in boiling hot coffee ... I can put the lid on myself and carry a cup of coffee 4 yards to put my milk in 1st ...

[BurnleyFC]

Was it Clayton Park pies being served today, or have I imagined that?

[Burnleyareback2]

Was it Clayton Park pies being served today, or have I imagined that?

Yes, the blandest pie known to man. At least with Hollands you could taste the burnt bits.

[Boss Hogg]

The out of stock banner on the ordering machines doesn’t match what actually is in or out of stock at the kiosks. It’s pot luck. A lot less people buying stuff though so the queues are lower. I wonder how much the takings have fallen. It’s about as well organised as our defence.