Who ate all the pies?

[TopSix]

Wow. Well done ICT on giving Lindley Catering a five and a half year deal.

The pie was excellent while the piping hot bovril hit the spot.

I agree with you 100%. Absolutely shocking today. IMHO.

Thank God we're away to the pars next week - Stephens Bridies - bring it on!

I reckon from now on take a piece to caley park.

By the way is the burger van at the front now gone on a permanent basis? I went to get a Macaroni pie, as gordyfromsneck did, BEFORE the game and they were sold out!!

Settled for a bovril - which was lukewarm at best. The schoolkids serving weren't the most polite people I've dealt with all week... But hey ho folks - ICT in a nutshell these days. I hope they club make a lot of new money from this deal. If they do then that'll be a positive.

Seriously, what is happening with this club? This is a clear indication that the fans should have far more of a say, and be far more involved, in the decision making and running of ICT.

Take the first post with a very large dollop of sarcasm :D. You're just rubbing it in CaleyD getting good quality (free) peeehs up in hospitality!

Edited December 13, 2009 by Top Six Next Year

[madsooz]

Not quite sure why the previous caterers got the boot? I had mince pies every week and they were well tasty, so I was truly devastated to hear that I wouldn't be able to get them any more. I foolishly had a macaroni pie yesterday and those of you who were too late to get one didn't miss much at all - think they forgot to put any cheese in the sauce and they were pretty stodgy. My hubbie said his scotch pie was mingin, but he did enjoy his balti pie. I'll probably take a packet of hand-wipes the next time coz of the mess we all got in - the pies fall apart in an extremely serious manner and if you haven't burnt yer mooth oot, then you'll defo burn yer fingers!! Hot choc was very nice tho, but surely you can't go wrong with that??

[CaleyD]

The pie I had was pretty minging, dunno why we switched from 'The Best Pie In Scottish Football' to the same as everyone else.

When did we ever have "The Best Pie in Scottish Football"?

I can't comment on the quality of the produce served at the games, or the service, as I'm tied up with doing the announcing. However, as the Supporters Trust have been in dialogue with the club over the matter for some time, and as some of the feedback suggests things weren't as they should have been then we'll ensure that gets fed back to the club via them (It's not really the remit of CTO to be taking on these discussions with the club).

The only thing I can add is that of those I spoke to after the game, their was the feeling that some things were better (quality of the produce) whilst some things were a much and suchness (queues etc), whilst prices were verging on the ridiculous and not justified by the changes.

I have my own opinions, such as nobody should have to pay more than ?2 for a pie....any kind of pie....and anything more than ?1 for a tea or coffee is daylight robbery. As for ?3 for a burger....that's just taking the p!ss. However, those are my own personal opinions. I had expected price increases, but it seems some are a bit steep.

I understand that staff were taken in from elsewhere because Lindley simply didn't have the time to recruit and train locally for this game....so that won't be an ongoing thing.

The real test for Lindley (and the club) will be what they do going forward in response to all feedback they get...positive and negative.

[Renegade]

I went to get a pie at about 10 minutes before kick off and was standing at the wall area of the main stand. Usually with that queue size, I get my order within 3 or 4 minutes. Well I stood there for about five minutes and barely moved, so just gave up. I went to the West Stand pie bit at half time and got a pie and bovril (I actually wanted a coffee, but they didn't have any and I'd have to wait till they came). Bovril was okay, but the pie was really annoying. You got in a wee silver bowl and the thing just fell apart, and you couldn't even pick it up to eat it. And that's not mentioning the prices. ?3.20 for a cheese burger! You get them for ?1.50 down the town. I have religiously bought ICT pies for years, but I won't be next time.

Edited December 13, 2009 by Renegade

[Yngwie]

It's funny, I don't recall anything positive being said about the previous caterers when they were still around!

That's possibly one reason why the club ditched them, along with the fact that they couldn't be arsed turning up when they had a more lucrative opportunity one match day.

Hopefully Lindleys will listen to feedback and learn from their mistakes.

[Kirishima]

Does anyone remember what the prices were before and after the new takeover?

From the Press release it stated "Last season (08/09) the Lindley Group increased revenue returned to clubs by an average of 12.5%, with some clubs achieving increases as high as 21% and 22%."

So I think we can now see how that was achieved: sell less, charge more. Still, a bit galling for season ticket holders, especially familes with hungry kids.

[SMEE]

So I think we can now see how that was achieved: sell less, charge more. Still, a bit galling for season ticket holders, especially familes with hungry kids.

Hmmmm?? Why just season tickets holders?

[us2]

I don't understand why they got rid of the old caterers and these new ones don't sell mars bars or twix bars and i was looking at the price list when i went past and i agree the prices have got ridiculous. from now on i will be buying my snack for half-time in town, at least i will get what i want. :D :D

[Kirishima]

So I think we can now see how that was achieved: sell less, charge more. Still, a bit galling for season ticket holders, especially familes with hungry kids.

Hmmmm?? Why just season tickets holders?

Of course, for everyone, true. I am not a season ticket holder, but I think people who buy season tickets are entitled to know if prices are going to be increased in advance. Any price hike should be done beforehand.

I don't want to get all heavy on the club, but I think it is unfair to have increased prices without notifying anyone. Obviously this was part of the negotations in signing the five-year deal - so what do fans get out of this? They are now being forced to spend even more money, and that is the bottom line.

I just think that everything seems to be moving further and further away from the fans. It doesn't feel like being part of anything anymore, and that's sad.

[Flower]

Still a two tier service as far as I can see, hospitality gets a different product.

Back to McDougal and Hastie for me.

I wish to keep my business in the Highlands, not give it to some company whose only interest is profit.

Why can't the club do this themselves, its not difficult.

Why is the other tea room not open.

In any business first impressions tend to be the most important.

If, as previously stated, staff were taken up from Edinburgh because there was no time to train up local staff then gawd help us.

Keep it local.

[TopSix]

I assume that the burger van outside will be gone for the foreseeable future?

[tm4tj]

I think it burgered off.

[stevico1]

I think they need to be given some time to sort things out although it does sound like the prices were excessive. I wonder if over the 5 year contract whether the club have any say over what their fans are charged for product inside the stadium.

What I can't get my head round was the need to give somebody that you have never done business before a 5 year contract, if that was a stipulation of theirs they should have been told to ram it.

My preference if it had been possible would have been to take in 3-4 different companies over a number of weeks and see who could provide the best service and products and then award contracts.

[Reliably_Informed]

There's termination clauses written in to the contract. So whilst this is a "5 year deal", one or other party are able to terminate the agreement if certain things do (or don't) happen, or within set periods of time throughout the 5 years.

[PullMyFinger]

It's not really the remit of CTO to be taking on these discussions with the club

Are you having delusions of grandeur? Or are you just pie-eyed?

[CaleyD]

I'm afraid you lost me on that one.

[tokelyisvictorious]

@ Caleyd, I thought we had the same pies as Clach, and they were recently voted as the best in Scottish football, taking over from Kilmarnock. They were good.

[RowdyBey]

I think all this pie business is getting a wee bit OTT! Its ridiculous when we hand a catering company a 5 year contract and we dont even offer that to star players like Hayes! :D

[CaleyD]

@ Caleyd, I thought we had the same pies as Clach, and they were recently voted as the best in Scottish football, taking over from Kilmarnock. They were good.

Nope.....certainly not available from the kiosks, although they have been available in the Kingsmills Club, who are still using the MacDougall and Hastie pies, of which the Steak and Gravy Pie was voted best in the UK.

[tokelyisvictorious]

My mistake, looks like i've been ousted by a pie aficionado. The other ones were good though, they had decent meat in em.

[TtotheOtotheM]

The girl serving in the main stand was fit, made not getting a pie less of a blow.

[TopSix]

@ Caleyd, I thought we had the same pies as Clach, and they were recently voted as the best in Scottish football, taking over from Kilmarnock. They were good.

Nope.....certainly not available from the kiosks, although they have been available in the Kingsmills Club, who are still using the MacDougall and Hastie pies, of which the Steak and Gravy Pie was voted best in the UK.

Why didn't they sell them all round the ground?

[CaleyD]

@ Caleyd, I thought we had the same pies as Clach, and they were recently voted as the best in Scottish football, taking over from Kilmarnock. They were good.

Nope.....certainly not available from the kiosks, although they have been available in the Kingsmills Club, who are still using the MacDougall and Hastie pies, of which the Steak and Gravy Pie was voted best in the UK.

Why didn't they sell them all round the ground?

Because the catering contracts for the Kingsmills Club and Kiosks were (and still are) separate and done by different companies.

Why? Because the demands and requirements for each are different.

[TopSix]

@ Caleyd, I thought we had the same pies as Clach, and they were recently voted as the best in Scottish football, taking over from Kilmarnock. They were good.

Nope.....certainly not available from the kiosks, although they have been available in the Kingsmills Club, who are still using the MacDougall and Hastie pies, of which the Steak and Gravy Pie was voted best in the UK.

Why didn't they sell them all round the ground?

Because the catering contracts for the Kingsmills Club and Kiosks were (and still are) separate and done by different companies.

Why? Because the demands and requirements for each are different.

Ah. So regular punters no likey good peeeehs...

[CaleyD]

Those who are members of the Kingsmills Club are as "regular" as the rest, but they pay extra for what they get.....all you have to do is pay to join and you will get the same.

I'm not defending any poor service/standards that may exists at the Kiosks, that is something which needs to be addressed and whilst you'll never get true "value for money" when it comes to food at ANY stadium, it does have to be kept within the realms of reality. But to try and spin a case that perpetuates a myth that there's a group of people getting more than everyone else simply by virtue of status or class is off of the mark. Such a situation may have existed at one point in time, but it doesn't exist today.