Food Outlets

[CallumSyxr]

30 minutes ago, Matt Creek said:

Pre-purchase meals could be another thing, where they show a reservation number/email at food outlets and receive their pre-ordered items (meal deal?). Unless they already offer this.

 

They kinda do it with Pizza and Pasta but thats about it!. They used to do it for more restraunts like desperadoes and pizza and pasta and finns deal meal with better advertisement around 2015-2016 but now you only have this for inferno pizza and pasta.

 

Although Thorpe do have the best food selection this season we have seen a decline in them with Bush BBQ for special events only now and Pulled Meat Co biting the dust aswell as Desperadoes not opening yet until the refurb to Sombreros Burrito Bar is complete we have less restaurants/ fast food outlets.

 

It would be nice to see a Merlin Meal Pass which you could top up or pay a certain amount yearly for a Merlin Saver Meal or a pass that allows you meals for a restaurant which you pay yearly. Although this would be so much of a hassle and not marketed very well most likely is it worth it really?.

[Olistjj]

Seems like Bush BBQ is being replaced! Is this a Merlin own food brand?

[Nick Hutson]

http://www.stickysisters.co.uk

 

Appears to be an outside brand! Exciting! 

 

Chicken Wings and spicy sauces! 

[Olistjj]

 I was under the impression they wanted brands out food looks quite nice

[TPC]

At least Bush BBQ fit the area...

[Marc]

Looks nice! Good to see BBQ space not going to waste

[Stuntman707]

Oh great, I’m sure there will be endless teenagers chuckling at this.  Nice to see some less well known brands bringing hopefully decent quality food to parks though. I like Nitrogenie too. Looks like Universal is doing well with Voodoo Donuts.

[Matt 236]

Whilst I still miss Bush BBQ, I’m glad they are opening a new brand outlet as that’s one less derelict Park eatery. 

 

Fingers crossed Sticky Sisters will add some fine choice and quality to the park’s F&B choices.

[Cal]

Chicken wings 

[Coaster]

BBQ though 

[Mattgwise]

9 hours ago, OliIzzy said:

 I was under the impression they wanted brands out food looks quite nice

The move is rather interesting considering Eastern Express have just expanded into Dark Forest in Alton Towers, another outside brand. Maybe it was easier to have outside companies! 

[Flipper]

2 hours ago, Mattgwise said:

The move is rather interesting considering Eastern Express have just expanded into Dark Forest in Alton Towers, another outside brand. Maybe it was easier to have outside companies! 

I’m still somewhat surprised Eastern Express survived through everything being cut away at Towers. But I do feel their new Dark Forest outlets were a mutual decision between them wanting more and Towers preferring to have the outlet opened under franchise over ran by themselves.

 

On the note of Sticky Sisters I’ve never heard of them. I was wandering if this is the same brand that was being advertised at Chessington the other week, but after a google search I can’t find anything, so I might be wrong.

 

Based on the internet though they have an abysmal Facebook following as a brand and very poor reviews on the web. So I’m somewhat cautious if this is going to work out well. I also wonder who’s plucked this idea out; be it someone in Merlin who’s a fan; or the company approaching the park wanting to get a unit within? Either way I’m sure there is a lot of far more popular eateries popping up that could have utilised that better (ie 7Bone is pretty popular around the south now) and likewise Creams.

 

And nothing will stop me feeling bitter at the loss of Pizza Hut. Burger King and KFC stayed, this, Costa and Nitrogenie come in... I know things changed but some of us just really liked Pizza Hut buffet! And Caffè Nero if we’re allowed to dwell!

[Benin]

14 hours ago, Coaster said:

BBQ Lattice fries though 

 

[JoshC.]

Tried Sombrero's Burrito Bar for the first time yesterday, and it's pretty decent. The burritos are big, completely filled and filling.

 

It's a bit pricey (£5.95 for a burrito by itself, £8.50 for meal with nachos and a drink), but you do get a lot for your money.

 

The biggest downside is that extras for the nachos (cheese, salsa, sour cream, guacamole) all cost an extra £1 per extra. Bit cheeky that.

[Matt 236]

Burrito Bar sounds promising.

 

Are the prices above with or without AP discount (if there is discount) 

 

Shame about the upcharge for extra toppings, but I guess lots of places do that nowadays. My local Burrito place charge an extra £1 for guacamole and chorizo. Worth it for the guacamole though.

 

I will wait and see with Sticky Sister, but it would be a massive shame if they don’t deliver especially for the loss of lattice fries.

[JoshC.]

That is without discount, but that is indeed available.

[Zappomatic]

After some rather disappointing meals in Fin's last year the food quality seems to have taken a slight uptick this year, and the chips have gone from being the weird v-shape fluted ones to big chunky chips. Some slight tweaks to the menu including jerk chicken being changed for piri piri, fish and chips being freshly battered and a gnocchi dish being added. Also the beer selection has improved with Goose Island Honkers Ale on tap!

[MattyMoo]

Good work on the Goose Island - was similarly impressed the other year when they had some Meantime beers in that little street food bit that randomly appeared near Crust. Goose Island is now owned by InBev mind you so they are "mainstream" if you like, but that's me being pedantic Better beer selection than Towers anyway!

[Zappomatic]

1 hour ago, MattyMoo said:

Good work on the Goose Island - was similarly impressed the other year when they had some Meantime beers in that little street food bit that randomly appeared near Crust. Goose Island is now owned by InBev mind you so they are "mainstream" if you like, but that's me being pedantic Better beer selection than Towers anyway!

I understand that Goose Island has also appeared at the Alton Towers Hotel, not sure about the park though. For the last coupe of years at Fin's you could at least get London Pride in a bottle if you didn't fancy lager.

 

The street food pop up was run by the same outside company that runs the chocolate fountain stall near Slammer: http://wearepineapple.co.uk/chalets/theme-parks-and-visitor-attractions

Edited April 29, 2018 by Zappomatic
Added link

[Matt 236]

Good to see Fins serving up fantastic food.

 

One thing I couldn’t help but notice recently was how few food places were open last week. Fish & Chips, Burritos, Cornish, Peckish and Grill all closed.

 

The only food places open were Fins, Pizza Pasta and the chains along with Donut Factory and Nitrogenie. Even then, they’ve reduced staff for Pizza Pasta as you no longer get lead to your table or given cutlery. 

 

I know it was an off peak day, but such a shame to see F&B at the parks being squeezed so much now financially. 

[JoshC.]

1 hour ago, Matt Creek said:

The only food places open were Fins, Pizza Pasta and the chains along with Donut Factory and Nitrogenie. Even then, they’ve reduced staff for Pizza Pasta as you no longer get lead to your table or given cutlery. 

 

I know it was an off peak day, but such a shame to see F&B at the parks being squeezed so much now financially. 

You'll also have had Amity Kebabs and Colossus Hot Dogs open, as well as Coffee Shack in the Dome, which is run by the F&B department. The place outside the BBQ which serves Proper Cornish might also have opened for a couple of hours too. All other places do open on busier days. Still, your point stands that the choice isn't the greatest, and certainly a lot more limited compared to previous seasons.

 

Hopefully with Sticky Sisters and The Grill (replacing the Hot Dog place in Old Town) coming soon, that'll add to the choice, and hopefully quality. 

 

 

Don't think it's been mentioned in the forums yet, but the Coffee place by Tidal Wave is being turned into a place that serves churros!!

[Matt A]

11 minutes ago, BaronC. said:

Hopefully with Sticky Sisters and The Grill (replacing the Hot Dog place in Old Town) coming soon, that'll add to the choice, and hopefully quality. 

Didn't know that area was re-opening, will be nice to have something making use of all the seating in that area. I just hope it's not too far away from everything else to not get enough customers.

[Matt 236]

By anything it was more of an observation. Whilst there have often been ‘peak only’ outlets the choice available was still comparatively limited, especially to any visitors that don’t fancy pizza buffet or chain stuff.

 

Even opening just one (I.E Sombreros) would make a noticeable improvement. If Sticky Sisters is open all the time then that too will help. 

 

Churros though sounds great. Don’t think the park (or others in Merlin) have done something like thrn before.

 

 

[MattyMoo]

Drinks offerings on park at Towers were Stella and Stella Cidre at the Welcome Inn, with some other similar mainstream stuff.

[JoshC.]

18 minutes ago, EpicSmatty said:

Didn't know that area was re-opening, will be nice to have something making use of all the seating in that area. I just hope it's not too far away from everything else to not get enough customers.

 

I only caught the glimpse of a sign there in the background of an Instagram story in saw, so must be a reasonable new thing they've decided to develop. No clue whether it'll end up being in house or an external brand, but yeah, hopefully it pays off.

 

2 minutes ago, Matt Creek said:

Churros though sounds great. Don’t think the park (or others in Merlin) have done something like thrn before.

 

Legoland do (or at least did) something which they called Churros in the snack place my Dragon. However, they were frozen 'churros' sparingly filled with chocolate sauce and heated up - calling them churros was a stretch, and they didn't taste great! I just hope that Thorpe are getting proper churros and not that rubbish.