Food at Easter Road

I agree that the food is both disgusting and overpriced, and is actually one of the reasons why I don't like bringing children to Easter Road, as they ask for that rubbish, and on what is supposed to fun day out, you are cast in the role of pompous bad guy if you refuse.

While other public entertainment arenas, multiplex cinemas for example, also serve up overpriced garbage, I feel that sporting organizations have a bigger responsibility to the community and should be promoting good eating amongst children.

It seems to escaped the attention of football clubs that there has been a slow revolution in food in Britain over the last fifteen years, which is gathering pace to the extent that the crud they sell at ER will shortly, and correctly, no longer be regarded as food.

Wouldn't it be nice if Hibs could be innovators on this issue, instead of just following the same shabby template that every other club, with a few notable exceptions, also goes along with? Yes, costs might increase, but parents who want their kids to eat properly may be more inclined to bring them along if there are some decent nutritional and easy options available. There are several good local suppliers of quality snack food in Edinburgh. I'd like to see the club be more proactive and explore some of those options, rather than buying from the same ugly mass catering outlet on some plagued industrial estate in central Scotland which should be carpet-bombed for crimes against humanity.

A kid should not repeatedly be physically sick by eating a 'hot dog'. We can make light of this, but what's really happening here is that a young lad is being poisoned by the club on a day out. If somebody else was poisoning a child, we'd be asking questions. We shouldn't be putting up with it here. Ultimately though, we get what we put up with, and we really shouldn't be putting up with this nonsense.

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Originally Posted by Northernhibee

There's so many cheap and tasty things they could do that'd be better than the slop they serve.

Stovies is one, scotch broth the other, proper bridies or sausage rolls, decent pies - I'd imagine you'd sell more if they were tasty. I know I get myself two pies if I'm at Killie.

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:agree: I do feel insulted by the vastly overpriced drivel on offer at ER and as a result, I don't buy nearly as much food as I'd like to, sometimes going hungry rather than paying OTT prices for what is very often poor quality fare. I would urge the board to dismiss the current purveyors as soon as is contractually possible and make reasonable pricing a core requirement for any future caterer. Some imagination should also be shown in regard to the menu items on offer - would love to see stovies on offer for example.

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Originally Posted by basehibby

:agree: I do feel insulted by the vastly overpriced drivel on offer at ER and as a result, I don't buy nearly as much food as I'd like to, sometimes going hungry rather than paying OTT prices for what is very often poor quality fare. I would urge the board to dismiss the current purveyors as soon as is contractually possible and make reasonable pricing a core requirement for any future caterer. Some imagination should also be shown in regard to the menu items on offer - would love to see stovies on offer for example.

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Thing is, making decent stuff even on a mass scale is potentially cheap and easy, and something that other clubs (i.e. Killie with their quality pies) have started to make themself famous for!

Making a pot of chicken and veg soup just now - simmered the carcass from a chicken for a few hours with some salt and some onions, that's the stock, added some potatoes, carrots, barley, mushrooms, leeks - cheap to make, difficult to ruin, can be mass produced, and let's face it - come December and January, how good would some decent soup be at half time (especially if they got really frisky and added a bread roll to the deal)?

I'd be willing to pay the two pounds odd we currently pay for awful pies for a cup of soup or stovies (and bannocks would be good with them), and I'm not sure that the difference in the margin would be that monumental.

Those kids are not doing just 40 minutes work, they have to be there 2 hrs before kick and are still there after the match has finished. I know my daughter works there. She has come back and told me about shutters having to be closed due to something kicking off, verbally abused by so called customers. Yes it is a minimum wage and for what they have to put up with they should be paid double. I have been to games where I've witnessed this myself. So I think people should get off the staffs backs, complain about the food to the outside company.

The health issue is an important one. I know someone within the club has raised this issue at director level and was told that 'no-one would buy healthier food'. Bearing in mind the hibernian community foundation, like other SPL sides, is currently running fit fans programmes, it seems ridiculous that the options are limited to defrosted and reheated poor quality chips, hot dogs, pizza etc for when these fans and their children actually enter the stadium on match days.

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Originally Posted by hibsmum

Those kids are not doing just 40 minutes work, they have to be there 2 hrs before kick and are still there after the match has finished. I know my daughter works there. She has come back and told me about shutters having to be closed due to something kicking off, verbally abused by so called customers. Yes it is a minimum wage and for what they have to put up with they should be paid double. I have been to games where I've witnessed this myself. So I think people should get off the staffs backs, complain about the food to the outside company.

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I've certainly not had any bother with the staff at ER, so no complaining about that at all :aok:

If the catering is to be contracted out ( I would advocate that in a club the size of ours it shouldn't be) then the negotiation is a simple one. You get the higher priced hospitality but you must offer a predefined menu offer at fixed for a season prices and expect to lose money on it which will be made up in hospitality. Someone got it spot on earlier with a preorder system. Easy to set up and easier to manage. I have been responsible for nearly every major stadium in the UK and I have always felt that the catering at ER is way below the norm (retail wise).

Stadium owners now discuss footprint, as in the entire radius of the walk up and walk out and try and own it as it is parasitical left to individuals.

It's an industry like any other and has it's stars and villains. I would take it in house, employ the right people and keep the fans happy.

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Originally Posted by hibsbollah

The health issue is an important one. I know someone within the club has raised this issue at director level and was told that 'no-one would buy healthier food'. Bearing in mind the hibernian community foundation, like other SPL sides, is currently running fit fans programmes, it seems ridiculous that the options are limited to defrosted and reheated poor quality chips, hot dogs, pizza etc for when these fans and their children actually enter the stadium on match days.

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I think the big problem when it comes to pushes on healthy eating, they typically make salads and stuff that fall into what most people think of when it comes to healthy eating.

Why not try out healthier made versions of stuff that'd sell? Stovies aren't hugely healthy, but contain veg, especially if you throw in some onion and that. Soup can be big, hearty stuff but can be full of veg and pretty healthy.

Things just need a slight change to work.

£1.80 for a plastic cup, tea bag, milk and some boiling water. These four things together can't cost anymore than about 10p-15p.

Absolute rip off.

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Originally Posted by iwasthere1972

£1.80 for a plastic cup, tea bag, milk and some boiling water. These three things together can't cost anymore than about 10p-15p.

Absolute rip off.

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Thats 4 things :greengrin

And the electricity to boil the water.
And the stirrer.
And the sugar
And the lid.
And the wages of the person serving it.

Rip off right enough.

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Originally Posted by BroxburnHibee

Thats 4 things :greengrin

And the electricity to boil the water.
And the stirrer.
And the sugar
And the lid.
And the wages of the person serving it.

Rip off right enough.

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:agree: I originally forgot to include the wee milk carton.

:aok:

I never get a stirrer and I'm sure the water ain't even boiled. It is a rip off what ever way you look at it. God for £1.80 they could Irish it up a bit.

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Originally Posted by staunchhibby

Over priced and rubbish

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All that needs saying :agree:

The most expensive matchday experience in the SPL also includes the worst food. You don't have to eat it though and a person could just about survive 90mins without wedging something into the face. The kiosks are about making the most amount of money possible from the least amount of outlay. Profit for both the catering company and the club is the only consideration.

The average spends in the SPL are between 65p and 1.05 depending on the stadium. With average crowds just now of less than 10k I suggest that the turnover is circa 7,000 UK Pounds per match. Wastage factors are high in retail catering and staff are employed on a set up, work and breakdown basis (over three days) with the bulk coming from agencies on match day. If they are making 700 quid they are managing it very well. Hardly worth the effort unless you have the more lucrative Hospitality contract and non match day income which Azure do.

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Originally Posted by SaudiHibby

The average spends in the SPL are between 65p and 1.05 depending on the stadium. With average crowds just now of less than 10k I suggest that the turnover is circa 7,000 UK Pounds per match. Wastage factors are high in retail catering and staff are employed on a set up, work and breakdown basis (over three days) with the bulk coming from agencies on match day. If they are making 700 quid they are managing it very well. Hardly worth the effort unless you have the more lucrative Hospitality contract and non match day income which Azure do.

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I would be very surprised if there is much wastage at Easter Road when you consider that half the time they run out pies etc.

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Originally Posted by iwasthere1972

I would be very surprised if there is much wastage at Easter Road when you consider that half the time they run out pies etc.

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A common sign of poor management. They should keep match by match profiles of crowd sizes, products sol, customer comments etc. Poor managers will record, say, 200 pies sold in a particular unit and the next time a similar crowd profile comes up they put 200 pies in not taking into account that they ran out the first time. I don't attend much but it sounds a mess.

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Originally Posted by Cyprus Hibby

Why not scrap the football and have the Scottish Pie League where the teams are made up of caterers who run around the pitch selling there wares. The top stars of the teams would be the cordon bleu piemakers who would serve up a mouthwatering display and thrill us with there skill. We would have our average piemakers who some weeks are good and other weeks are rubbish. The subs are made up of young guys learning there trade, the piemakers of the future. . Imagine the songs. Who ate all the pies...Bye , Bye American pie. Your rotton pie making barstewards. Steakbakes on leith and many more. The result would be based on who's pies where the best.............Sorry..........:taxi

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Think the Cyprus sun has went to your head ma' man! Do you get mince pies out there? What food do you get at the games?

Can you imagine it if Gordon Ramsey was to make a programme about the ER catering ?, he would run out of swear words after ten seconds !. I must admit i have not bought food at ER for years but i see the kids coming back to their seats at half time with i what i think are pizzas but they are nothing that any Italian would recognize !. It would appear that any old merde will do for the fans and i don't expect there is a vast difference accross the land but you would think that whoever is in charge of catering would take a tumble to themselves and try to be a bit different and offer something edible , by the way do you think the directors eat the same **** ?.

Most (professional) grounds down here only serve pies, burgers and hot dogs - the first time I mentioned that not only could you buy chips at ER but also pizza, nobody would believe me, so I suppose that's a plus point on this topic! :greengrin

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Originally Posted by Hermit Crab

If the fans stopped buying the pies burgers etc the club would surely take notice and try to improve the services?? A sort of food boycott at the Motherwell game :wink::greengrin

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Well said that man. Time to take some direct action.

The best food of a poor lot is the pizza slice which, for reasons best known to Hibs, is unavailable in the West Upper.

Incidentally, add up the the so called food "deals" and you'll find that it's no cheaper than buying the over-priced crap separately.

IIRC, the last time people complained to Hibs about the catering, Hibs replied saying it was nothing to do with them and provided contact details for the contractor. That is a pathetic cop-out as far as I am concerned - time for Hibs to replace the contractor if they are not deliver the goods.

The Pontius Pilate act won't work forever.

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Originally Posted by LancashireHibby

Most (professional) grounds down here only serve pies, burgers and hot dogs - the first time I mentioned that not only could you buy chips at ER but also pizza, nobody would believe me, so I suppose that's a plus point on this topic! :greengrin

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Every time that I've been at a Premiership game, the food has been much more varied (and better quality) than Easter Road. I can't remember exactly who sells what but Man City definitely does chips and the Emirates does pizza, chips and much much more.

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Originally Posted by Beefster

Every time that I've been at a Premiership game, the food has been much more varied (and better quality) than Easter Road. I can't remember exactly who sells what but Man City definitely does chips and the Emirates does pizza, chips and much much more.

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Never been to the Emirates and I'm usually too pished to remember at Citeh, apologies :wink:

Certainly no different at Bolton, Wigan and Blackburn anyway.

The newer stadiums are better as they generally have some Caterers in-put :wink: in advance therefore have the right amount of power for the right equipment. Add to that bigger crowds down south and beer sales and you have an opportunity to make money. Clubs like ours have to start understanding that it is part of the match day experience and supplements the ticket price i.e. adds value. There is absolutely no reason why proper quality food cannot be served, its a mindset and an investment issue.

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Originally Posted by BroxburnHibee

Thats 4 things :greengrin

And the electricity to boil the water.
And the stirrer.
And the sugar
And the lid.
And the wages of the person serving it.

Rip off right enough.

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It's now £2 for a hot drink at ER. There is no milk carton required as it's already white when they add the water to the bag. It's dearer than Starbucks ffs. It's a TOTAL rip-off. No excuses whtsoever. :rolleyes:

My team in The Hague sell hotdogs and various other goodies its not brilliant quality but its very do-able,and alot better than the keek at ER, they also sell alcohol, (this, from a club, that in the past has had the worst hooligans in Holland). Pre-match entertainment in the form of dancing pom pom girls, former players recieving awards, kickass build up of bouncing music, exploding confetti (the fans let them off) massive FULL family area for the kids and kids fitba clubs, with entertainment for the kids outside the stadium, even the visiting fans appreciate what the club is doing, Hibs/Scottish fitba could really learn alot from clubs like ADO.

On a side note, why IF the stadium is not selling out, why does the club not close parts of the stands and push folk to sit closer together and make an atmosphere.

As posters have said mindset of club is yet again the problem (not just regarding food). It was raised at a forum in 2007 and O'Hagans response (in tone with him rejecting doing anything remotely radical the whole evening) to the lady who highlighted poor quality of catering was of the nature "do you come to the football to eat" - no wonder crowds are falling if Tom Farmer thinks men like O'Hagan are appropriate to hold senior positions.

The real indictment of Hibs is that every junior and non-league ground in Scotland I have visted in last 2 years provides far superior value for money despite less resources.

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Originally Posted by Joe Baker II

As posters have said mindset of club is yet again the problem (not just regarding food). It was raised at a forum in 2007 and O'Hagans response (in tone with him rejecting doing anything remotely radical the whole evening) to the lady who highlighted poor quality of catering was of the nature "do you come to the football to eat" - no wonder crowds are falling if Tom Farmer thinks men like O'Hagan are appropriate to hold senior positions.

The real indictment of Hibs is that every junior and non-league ground in Scotland I have visted in last 2 years provides far superior value for money despite less resources.

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Exactly - the club don't really give a monkey's about the fans, until they stop turning up in droves, but even then all they do is put out some media release urging us all to 'stick together' and all the rest of it, without actually making any improvements!

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Originally Posted by tamig

It's now £2 for a hot drink at ER. There is no milk carton required as it's already white when they add the water to the bag. It's dearer than Starbucks ffs. It's a TOTAL rip-off. No excuses whtsoever. :rolleyes:

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I would rather run the risk of dehydrating than give them £2 for that muck they call tea.