Rant about the catering

[Jefftoad76]

something needs ti be done regarding the catering situation,queing up 25mins just to get a coffee in the rain is ridicolous especially when you have 12 kids infront of ordering 12 hot choclates and there boiling the kettle to make them then when these kids eventually left after using all the milk i asked for a coffee only to be told theres no cups left!!but hang on 10mins wel go and get some more! I asked the lady last season if we were to get promoted would the catering be improved and she said yes,they really need to get another van on site even just to serve drinks surely this would cut the waiting times down as people are missing so much of the match due to this maybe a burger van down the stour rd end of ground

[MichaelGrove]

I agree, not just in terms of the waiting times but revenue for the club.

Just needs a more industrial way of making the chips / drinks etc. Someone to sit down and work out the ergonomics of it all. It’s not the staffs fault they are trying really hard to keep everyone happy and served as quickly as possible.

Like with the milk / cups thing, there has been games when chips have run out but nobody has the thought to quickly pop down a supermarket.

I’m not sure of the finances of these things, insurance etc etc but couldn’t the new Kali’s kitchen be inside the ground at the Stourbr*dge road end?

I really don’t want to be picky but even if we don’t need the capacity every game, it’s not hard to work out which fixtures will have bigger crowds a long way in advance. This weekend for example, international break, no Wolves, WBA or Villa playing = bigger crowd down The Grove. Telford on Boxing Day obviously will be big, Stourbr*dge the weekend after that. It’s not difficult.

Chasetown had a shipping container, that they had converted into a ‘can bar’ and I think was going to have draft beer too, but a can bar would be a start.

I love the curry sauce and chips but yesterday I probably spent half the game in a queue and couldn’t be bothered to queue up again for anything else afterwards. I’m sure lost feel the same so we are definitely making LOTS less than we could.

It’s not just Halesowen that has an issue, Telford had one person serving on the food counter, Kettering was really slow and Bromsgrove took more than 45 minutes to get a beer. I imagine it’s not usually a problem at their grounds though and takes them by surprise when we all rock up.

[MichaelGrove]

Is there a club at does it well? maybe someone from the club could get in touch with them (whoever does it well) and arrange to spend an afternoon watching how they do it?

It can’t be a pleasant working experience for the staff having a never ending queue in front of you for 90 minutes +

I get that the beer thing may become an issue if we were promoted but the food problem is well worth investing some time, money and effort into.

[fairweatherfan]

I've wondered for a while why we don't just sell a pitch for some overpriced street food which could go at the Stourbr*dge Road end (smashed avocado and Black Country faggot with a redcurrant jus for £11, anyone?). I'm sure there would be logistical reasons, but at the moment, the queues are prohibitive and so while we wouldn't necessarily make loads from it, some is surely better than none...

[MichaelGrove]

Spoons / Asda cafe collab would be brilliant.


I’ve got loads of ideas but you email the club and they never get back to you

[nathanr999]

The little caravan down the terracing on the rec side of the ground close to Stourbr*dge Road end was great for a tea in the 90s. Having something similar with maybe a few snacks or easy to serve prepared pies /sos rolls. Cans/choices etc.

Difficult to do but have a drinks only solution with maybe some type of fast dispense solution for things like hot chocolate to spread queues can't be bad but it does need willing volunteers and like many things that rely on goodwill when the push comes to shove everyone expects someone else to do it.

Is there a local business/altruistic person that can fund.a solution? As we grow we will need to become more business focused to capitalise in bigger crowds without losing our heart - missing a trick on the on ground sales might get some raised eyebrows around gouging fans

Seeing queues in the bars and catering shows there is demand and its frustrating not getting served and missing periods of the game and engaging in the prime reason to be there.

Any caterers/food service pros in the fan base that can design or train efficiency improvements/customer flow as a favour?

The pitch is top notch, a great squad, great manager, really great hardworking backroom and we have a 4 sided ground that isn't falling down, new floodlights and the best atmosphere in the.league just need a few more pieces to complete the jigsaw.

Any views on say a supporter subscription/pledge drive to fund these things?

[lutleyyeltz]

Fully prepared for the inevitable flak, but here goes.

From a personal viewpoint I have never been able to understand why people come to watch a football match and spend most of their time in a queue for food or beer!
What's wrong with having something to eat before leaving home and a drink BEFORE the game?
I know that there will be those that come straight from work, or shopping, but they would be in the minority, I would assume.
However, not wishing to appear "holier than thou," there is one queue that I join at HT - that for the toilet! Being of an age where my bladder controls my life I admit to, on occasion during a winter night game, having to answer the call of nature during the playing time.
The joys of old age, eh?

[RobYeltz]

Yes i'm speaking I suppose as a volunteer, but a few things that people may not have taken into consideration.

A number of the normal match day staff were away yesterday so we were a little light in number of staff.
When there are no games in the area for Villa, Albion, Wolves, Blues etc we can of course perhaps get a few more folk through the turnstile, but how many? There have been occasions where we might have expected 600 but 800 turn up. At 9.30 yesterday morning with the sun shining I was thinking, that despite Sudbury bringing little or no support, a crowd of 1100 would be a fair estimate. At midday, the heavens absolutely opened and I was thinking 1,000 would be a great crowd, especially with a few 'floaters' possibly looking at going to Stour or Kiddy who were also at home. I certainly didn't expect 1300 yesterday. Catering for a crowd isn't just about having enough people on duty but also about ensure you have an appropriate amount of stock. It isn't just a case of 'ordering too much just in case' it has to be collected/delivered, accounted for and stocked in the appropriate places. As you've all seen space is a premium. Remember also that much of the match day preparation is done not on match day, but the days leading up to it. Add to that some of the same people are at the club for youth games too as well as the tidy up after games.

Keith has commented before about improving the infrastructure of the club further, of course the club will want extra revenue from merchandise and food/drink sales, but this also costs money. I have no idea about the finances of the club, but you'll all know the club has taken over the Yeltz bar which has had a makeover, there have been new floodlights, and the more observant of you will have seen that there's been a movement of the old managers portacabin to near the Old Hawne Lane turnstiles which I'm sure is for a reason as well as a unit at the Stourbr*dge road end. All of this has been done whilst trying to get a quality team on the pitch, a pitch that is the envy of clubs higher up the pyramid.

Please don't think I'm having a go at people for raising what I feel are legitimate issues raised, i'm just trying to give a little balance in that it's obvious the club is growing really quickly, but is perhaps growing quicker than we can cope with at the moment, please be patient everyone is doing their best, often it may be that circumstances crop up that you're unaware of. Perhaps if you are able to help out at the club on the day before a game, a day after a game or in the run up before or after a game that could help.

[lutleyyeltz]

Our club would be nothing without its volunteers.
It is so easy to criticise without having an understanding of what it requires to get a game underway.

[RobYeltz]

Our club would be nothing without its volunteers.
It is so easy to criticise without having an understanding of what it requires to get a game underway.

It's important that people raise these issues, it's how we can improve as a club but it's also worth considering many of the people there on a match day are fans of the club and often miss bits of (or on some occasions all of) the game. I had one guy have a go at half time earlier in the season because he couldn't buy a programme when he came through the turnstiles a minute or two before kick off. He whinged that he should be able to buy a programme as he comes in. When I said to him "I've been here since the turnstiles open, but I like to watch the game too" he pulled a face - all because I stop selling 5 minutes before kick off so I can go to the loo and get to my favoured standing position all in time to see kick off.