Virgin Trains brings in airline-style food

Airline-style meals have been introduced by Virgin Trains on its hi-tech services between London and Manchester.

The meals will be served to first-class passengers on the company's new tilting Pendolino trains.

There will be five different meals depending on time of day: breakfast, brunch, lunch, a light dinner and a late night supper box for those travelling after 8.30pm.

The new menu will be gradually introduced on all Virgin's west coast services and will continue its policy of serving complimentary meals to all first-class passengers at their seats, rather than operating a separate, charging dining car. Traditional railway dining cars have been kept by several other companies, including Great North Eastern, Anglia and First Great Western.

Virgin's new meals will keep the traditional English breakfast and give a choice of wine for dinner. The entire menu, which includes a vegetarian option at each meal, will be changed every two weeks.

Source: Caterer and Hotelkeeper magazine, 20-26 February 2003