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Fans Bar

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  • Chippycafc
    Chippycafc Posts: 14,172
    I once said to one of the guys clearing glasses from our table, "is it free beer today". He gazed at me with blinkered eyes and replied, " I don't know i will have to ask my manager"
  • tallboy
    tallboy Posts: 116
    Chippycafc said:
    LargeAddick said:
    Perhaps for one game everybody should vote with their feet and blank the catering outlets.
    They wont though.
    But many are. After a number of issues like extremely crap beer I now refuse to pay for anything drink or food related at the ground. 
  • Stig
    Stig Posts: 29,136
    guinnessaddick said:
    carly burn said:
    Bar service at the O2 is much the same. Slow, disinterested staff.Don't believe they are run by Gather and Gather?
    I've seen people on here comment we need to get a better standard of bar staff candidate, but dare I say the O2 are shopping in the same market as Charlton.
    When it comes to agency staff, it’s more about numbers rather than quality. If the club were to bring it back in-house, they could cherry pick the best & train them.
    I like the spirit of your post and I agree that it would be better to bring all catering in-house. I suspect the bit about cherry picking the best is probably a little over-optimistic though. I don't think many of 'the best' are going to want a job that averages one payday a week, especially when that day is somewhat of a moveable feast*.

    *Apologies up front for using the word 'feast' for anything relating to club catering.
  • Stewart
    Stewart Posts: 2,452
    edited August 14
    Curb_It said:
    Erm… just out of interest, What stand was it that you got poured a pint of wine? 
    Asking for a friend. Right
  • Plaaayer
    Plaaayer Posts: 9,002
    edited August 14
    AFKABartram said:
    Big William said:
    carly burn said:
    Isn't it a joy to be moaning about beer pumps and cloth eared bar staff as opposed to our football club going down the sh**ter!
    My thoughts entirely - Personally I think the fans bar is wonderful, I asked for a pint and a half on saturday, they were running short of glasses and I think the guy got confused by the odd shaped flagon he picked up so I got two pints for the price of 1 1/2. Do that every game for 5 years I'd have enough to pay for my season ticket.
    Last season i ordered a Peroni, they’d clearly run out of the tall thin Peroni glasses so the bemused kid not knowing what to do picked up two shorter pint glasses and said ‘we are out of the big glasses so ill do you two of these smaller ones instead’. Dread to think how many people got 2 for 1 pints 


     They say they pick the pint glasses based on the customer…….
  • Henry Irving
    Henry Irving Posts: 85,322
    Had to pay £4.10 for a pint of Guinness on Tuesday.

    Shocking but the usual riff raff weren't in the Rad.
  • AlexCarter23_
    AlexCarter23_ Posts: 18
    Redandwhiteinmyviens said:
    AlexCarter23_ said:
    Redandwhiteinmyviens said:
    The catering management seem to go through managers quicker than a Roland manager, the bar staff have no desire or no clue on how to work in a bar.

    Thats why when my missus buys a hot chocolate from the coffee bike and my daughter sees Larry we get a proper heartfelt conversation, they know what we like and who we are, and are actual Charlton fans! 

    BRING THEM BACK !
    Perkalicious owner of the coffee bike Alex here. Im still awaiting an answer from Gather and Gather to trade for the Leicester game (havent replied to my previous two emails as of yet 😪).

     This is a beautiful comment. Thank you. 
    All I want to do is continue trading at Charlton. I have no idea where I stand still. Its heartbreaking for me. 

    I also know Larrys cocktail bar owner Scott wants to continue trading at Charlton too for sure. 

    We both deserve answers asap!

     

     
    So it was gather and gather that took you both out? What changed from last season to this? 
    Neither of us know.  We haven't been told anything as of yet either way
  • Chunes
    Chunes Posts: 17,422
    edited August 14
    AlexCarter23_ said:
    Redandwhiteinmyviens said:
    AlexCarter23_ said:
    Redandwhiteinmyviens said:
    The catering management seem to go through managers quicker than a Roland manager, the bar staff have no desire or no clue on how to work in a bar.

    Thats why when my missus buys a hot chocolate from the coffee bike and my daughter sees Larry we get a proper heartfelt conversation, they know what we like and who we are, and are actual Charlton fans! 

    BRING THEM BACK !
    Perkalicious owner of the coffee bike Alex here. Im still awaiting an answer from Gather and Gather to trade for the Leicester game (havent replied to my previous two emails as of yet 😪).

     This is a beautiful comment. Thank you. 
    All I want to do is continue trading at Charlton. I have no idea where I stand still. Its heartbreaking for me. 

    I also know Larrys cocktail bar owner Scott wants to continue trading at Charlton too for sure. 

    We both deserve answers asap!

     

     
    So it was gather and gather that took you both out? What changed from last season to this? 
    Neither of us know.  We haven't been told anything as of yet either way
    That is bonkers.

    It's obviously Gather & Gather, they practically own the fan's bar. Someone was saying on here, with how the contract was written, the club has to ask G&G permission if they want to use the room for a function, even on a non-match day. 
  • BrentfordAddick
    BrentfordAddick Posts: 1,466
    https://gatherandgather.com/ just looking at this, they look totally unsuitable for the job of knocking out as much beer and as many burgers as possible once a fortnight or so. But it's the language that our previous owners and SLT would have loved, so it's easy to imagine how they got the job. 

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  • thecat
    thecat Posts: 356
    Got a free pint on Saturday, bloke served me then ambled off to serve someone else, completely forgot to charge me.
  • Chunes
    Chunes Posts: 17,422

    Can I urge everyone who's had an issue with the catering at The Valley to tune in tonight and submit their questions to website@cafc.co.uk or whatsapp (07384 517580). 

    This issue deserves more than vague promises of improvement, and I'm hopeful some serious time will be spent on it. 
  • blackpool72
    blackpool72 Posts: 23,743
    Henry Irving said:
    Had to pay £4.10 for a pint of Guinness on Tuesday.

    Shocking but the usual riff raff weren't in the Rad.
    Next home game they will be 😁
  • Henry Irving
    Henry Irving Posts: 85,322
    blackpool72 said:
    Henry Irving said:
    Had to pay £4.10 for a pint of Guinness on Tuesday.

    Shocking but the usual riff raff weren't in the Rad.
    Next home game they will be 😁
     :'( 
  • CharltonE18
    CharltonE18 Posts: 28
    I've emailed sales@cafc.co.uk regarding my experience on Saturday in the Fans' Bar and enquiring about the 'perkalicious' situation @AlexCarter23,,,,,,Lets see if I hear back!
  • CAFCsayer
    CAFCsayer Posts: 10,253
    Covered End said:
    BalladMan said:
    JohnnyH2 said:
    Lewis Coaches said:
    guinnessaddick said:
    carly burn said:
    Bar service at the O2 is much the same. Slow, disinterested staff.Don't believe they are run by Gather and Gather?
    I've seen people on here comment we need to get a better standard of bar staff candidate, but dare I say the O2 are shopping in the same market as Charlton.
    When it comes to agency staff, it’s more about numbers rather than quality. If the club were to bring it back in-house, they could cherry pick the best & train them.
    Then why the 🤬 don’t Charlton do that. 
    Would make more sense, more profit and 
    MORE HAPPY FANS.

    Everyone would win.
    We are never going to find quality staff in London on minimum wage to do a job for a few hours 25 times in a year.

    You have to strip the serving of food and drink insides down to the very simple. Plastic bottles of drinks and food in packets. This is what the current set up of staff should be doing, not serving pints and making up food

    It's outside in the fans zone you bring in quality independent traders whose livelihood depends on repeat business
    I don’t buy the ability to get staff.  10+ other clubs in London do it, many at a much larger scale (London stadium, Tottenham, Arsenal).  They do it by automating and simplifying and having core management ensuring quality.  We are getting short changed.  
    Everywhere I go in London (and everywhere) is better than Charlton catering, you couldn't possibly be worse.

    Every pub, every club, Lord's, The Oval, Ally Pally, The O2, Brixton Academy, The Roundhouse, The Forum, Crayford Dogs (before it closed), Wembley Arena, Wembley Stadium etc etc

    I've never in my life been anywhere in the entire world,  that doesn't know what lager is, don't know what a napkin is, mix lagers and cider in the same pint by mistake, forget who they are serving, pour pints of wine, pints of neat cordial, charge you incorrectly, can't serve you because they are under age, stand staring into space, basically are totally and utterly clueless.
    Pints of Snake bite at the valley sounds a great idea, well done Charlton
  • Lewis Coaches
    Lewis Coaches Posts: 5,413
    tallboy said:
    Chippycafc said:
    LargeAddick said:
    Perhaps for one game everybody should vote with their feet and blank the catering outlets.
    They wont though.
    But many are. After a number of issues like extremely crap beer I now refuse to pay for anything drink or food related at the ground. 
    Been doing that since 2016 and have no intention buying anymore at the ground.
  • FremlinsFellow
    FremlinsFellow Posts: 42
    The club needs to address this issue. With more regular 12.30pm kick offs it isn’t so easy to go without some food and drink particularly if you have young children with you. It does not reflect well on the club some of the stories being told on here. 
  • Henry Irving
    Henry Irving Posts: 85,322
    I had a couple of drinks in Bartrams last season before the EFL Trophy game v Orient. Not too busy but nothing other than lager.

    Otherwise, never bother with food or drink in the ground.
     Just not part of my "fan experience" (sic) but I get that for others it is.

    I suspect that other venues can do better because they offer more than minimum wage and have a steadier workforce ie those who have had some training and experience.

    Gather & Gather make their money at one end or the other ie they contract at a low price with the venue owners but make profits by offering low wages or they contract at a high price with venue owners so can afford to pay slightly better wages to attract and retain better staff while still making money.

    As I understand it, the deal with G&G has just been renewed so we're stuck with them for another five? years.


  • Chunes
    Chunes Posts: 17,422
    Henry Irving said:

    As I understand it, the deal with G&G has just been renewed so we're stuck with them for another five? years.
    I'm not sure, can anyone confirm? When it was first announced, the contract was was to 2027. I'm not sure why they would they renew it before then.

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  • carly burn
    carly burn Posts: 19,507
    Chunes said:
    Henry Irving said:

    As I understand it, the deal with G&G has just been renewed so we're stuck with them for another five? years.
    I'm not sure, can anyone confirm? When it was first announced, the contract was was to 2027. I'm not sure why they would they renew it before then.
    https://www.charltonafc.com/news/charlton-extend-partnership-gather-gather
  • Chunes
    Chunes Posts: 17,422
    carly burn said:
    Chunes said:
    Henry Irving said:

    As I understand it, the deal with G&G has just been renewed so we're stuck with them for another five? years.
    I'm not sure, can anyone confirm? When it was first announced, the contract was was to 2027. I'm not sure why they would they renew it before then.
    https://www.charltonafc.com/news/charlton-extend-partnership-gather-gather
    Yeah that's the one to 2027.
  • tallboy
    tallboy Posts: 116
    Lewis Coaches said:
    tallboy said:
    Chippycafc said:
    LargeAddick said:
    Perhaps for one game everybody should vote with their feet and blank the catering outlets.
    They wont though.
    But many are. After a number of issues like extremely crap beer I now refuse to pay for anything drink or food related at the ground. 
    Been doing that since 2016 and have no intention buying anymore at the ground.
    My particular moment when I thought "enough is enough" was the middle of last season in Bartrams after a game when having bought 3 pints of Meantime something or the other for about £20 my mates commented how gassy the beer was. Then I noticed a lot of people standing around the bar were burping very loudly. I didnt know whether to laugh or belch!
  • _uptheaddicks
    _uptheaddicks Posts: 158
    For those looking for a response to the catering calamity, you'll probably hear the same words as 1:23 from January:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVbpZ32Bsdc&t=2880s
  • Brighton Addick
    Brighton Addick Posts: 207
    edited August 14
    Curb_It said:
    Erm… just out of interest, What stand was it that you got poured a pint of wine? 
    That's nothing. I've been poured a pint of Jack Daniels before in Crossbars after asking for a large whisky.  I wish I was joking.
  • LarrysMobileBar
    LarrysMobileBar Posts: 81
    I’m awaiting official in writing confirmation but tonight meeting was great news. Thank you everybody !
  • ElfsborgAddick
    ElfsborgAddick Posts: 29,237
    Brighton Addick said:
    Curb_It said:
    Erm… just out of interest, What stand was it that you got poured a pint of wine? 
    That's nothing. I've been poured a pint of Jack Daniels before in Crossbars after asking for a large whisky.  I wish I was joking.
    A long way back to Brighton.
  • Er_Be_Ab_Pl_Wo_Wo_Ch
    Er_Be_Ab_Pl_Wo_Wo_Ch Posts: 1,816
    Nice one, @LarrysMobileBar
  • ArmchairAddick
    ArmchairAddick Posts: 425
    Brighton Addick said:
    Curb_It said:
    Erm… just out of interest, What stand was it that you got poured a pint of wine? 
    That's nothing. I've been poured a pint of Jack Daniels before in Crossbars after asking for a large whisky.  I wish I was joking.
    I am definitely going to ask for one of these drinks just to try it out ... If I'm ever unfortunate enough to have to go back.
  • usetobunkin
    usetobunkin Posts: 2,203
    When I have tried to buy a pint ( North Lower)
    Server 1, takes the order, looks at Server 2. Server 2 wanders off to fulfill order. Server 1 offers card machine to take payment, Server 2 now wanders back to ask Server 1 what did she ask her to get. Server 1 looks at me, I reply pint of Perroni. Server 1 tells Server 2, Server 2 dutifully wanders off. Short interlude Server 2 returns with a pint. Server 3 then hands me a pie I didn’t order. Server 1 then looks at the customer to her left who is looking for ketchup. 

    That is why I don’t get beer in the ground.

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