Club hospitality and food.

seth plum

People sometimes suggest a fan emails the club to get answers before moaning on Charlton Life.
I have a series of emails going back about five years that I have sent the club.
Every single one ignored.
My enquiry has been about the actual menu at club hospitality, and about the range of choice for Vegans and Vegetarians.
It looks like those who are asked to book any hospitality package, whether a meat eater or not, simply have to take pot luck.
A three course bit of catering from the club might just as well be a glass of water, a Smartie, and a packet of crisps. All for silly money (plus VAT).
It mystifies me why they don’t publish the food offering when pushing general hospitality, if it is a ‘special event’ like an ‘Italian Event’ then they mention the food, otherwise they don’t.

MuttleyCAFC

I suspect this is dictated by economics. If you watch the Great British Menu, it ends with a banquet with little choice. 

seth plum

Well well. Just got a call from an extremely nice person working at Charlton following my email (which didn’t contain my phone number) to discuss food.
The person who phoned me is a credit to the club and did their best to talk through the issue.
One thing I got was that the new website will be more comprehensive about matters of concern like catering (and before I get dug out personally, how many words have been typed about 14 chips?).
So even if we have forgotten a little bit about the coming website change, club employees are conscious it will be happening.
Anyway clearly Charlton Life is an influencer, because today was my first response after four years of trying.

shirty5

The letter to Watchdog can go in the bin now 

Chunes

I've always wondered why they don't publish the prices.

letthegoodtimesroll

seth plum said:

Well well. Just got a call from an extremely nice person working at Charlton following my email (which didn’t contain my phone number) to discuss food.
The person who phoned me is a credit to the club and did their best to talk through the issue.
One thing I got was that the new website will be more comprehensive about matters of concern like catering (and before I get dug out personally, how many words have been typed about 14 chips?).
So even if we have forgotten a little bit about the coming website change, club employees are conscious it will be happening.
Anyway clearly Charlton Life is an influencer, because today was my first response after four years of trying.

Is this the cue for the next post where it’s revealed Crew Alexandra Football Club has been trying to find out why one of their fans has been giving them grief for the past 5 years about their award winning vegan and vegetarian inclusive menu and then realised it was meant for Charlton…?

ME14addick

Chunes said:

I've always wondered why they don't publish the prices.

When they did announce prices, it was always before VAT was added.

shine166

Chunes said:

I've always wondered why they don't publish the prices.

So they can raise/drop depending on demand and think people don't realise that's what's happening. 

Chunes

shine166 said:

Chunes said:

I've always wondered why they don't publish the prices.

So they can raise/drop depending on demand and think people don't realise that's what's happening. 

Yeah, I'm naturally very suspicious of pricing structures when they're not made public. It's put me off ever buying a box, to be honest, so it's really their loss. 

Arsenetatters

It would be really nice to have vegan food (even just a couple of choices) on the menu. On the couple of occasions I've been to anything at the Valley I've always had to ask (which I hate doing as it draws attention to your choice to be a vegan and then you get questioned to death by meat eaters when you'd rather just chat about football) and they have produced some good meals but you have to have what they give you - no choice.

shine166

Chunes said:

shine166 said:

Chunes said:

I've always wondered why they don't publish the prices.

So they can raise/drop depending on demand and think people don't realise that's what's happening. 

Yeah, I'm naturally very suspicious of pricing structures when they're not made public. It's put me off ever buying a box, to be honest, so it's really their loss. 

Yep 100% agree. I've emailed in the past, in the off season and by the time I've chased up 3 times and got a response 6 weeks later... the impulse to purchase is long gone !. 

charlton4ever

I must say I too have complained this season on a few occasions  - mainly about the awful beer in the Lower Covered End and at £5.50 a pint not amused. The chips are also often nuked ! Did get one reply from Ravi @ CAFC who to be fair did explain the catering set up and promised improvement ..... we shall see. 

iaitch

Is the improvement getting rid of Keohane?

T_C_E

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

SporadicAddick

Arsenetatters said:

It would be really nice to have vegan food (even just a couple of choices) on the menu. On the couple of occasions I've been to anything at the Valley I've always had to ask (which I hate doing as it draws attention to your choice to be a vegan and then you get questioned to death by meat eaters when you'd rather just chat about football) and they have produced some good meals but you have to have what they give you - no choice.

But surely you've already told everyone?

SporadicAddick

Joke BTW 

The reality is that more and more people are choosing non meat options even if they aren't vegetarian or choosing plant options even if they aren't vegan, and therefore it makes good business sense if nothing else to have the option.

I know plenty of meat eaters that opt for the vegetarian or vegan option at mass catering events as they are often a better choice than dry chicken.