Fans' Liaison Committee Meeting 20/12/07

Last updated : 29 December 2007 By Andy Beill

Catering
South Stand - Need to get more pies (specifically) prepared pre-game. They also run out. Why don't we have mobile food sellers at the front of the stand like in the East Stand?
The mobile sellers sell only confectionery and are intended for use by youngsters. The mobile drink vendors are able to dispense 20 cups of hot drinks before needing to go back and recharge their containers - so are only able to do one trip at half time. There are issues concerning the safety of the product and cash if they plied their trade on the concourses. Most concourse areas are too narrow to accommodate this kind of vending.

Staff often get orders wrong, and get confused between sausage rolls and hot dogs.
Most of the staff used are casual and between 200 and 250 are employed on a matchday. On Boxing Day the club will be employing about 80 staff from an agency but the bulk of the staff are recruited by the club. They hold regular recruitment evenings when each applicant is given a brief 5 minute interview to check on their language skills.
A Spanish girl, who is a student at Hull University and speaks perfect English, gave up after one match because she couldn't understand the local accent!

To reduce the queues for beer, could there be sellers with the beer backpacks on? And/or beer only stands (separate from food kiosks)? At the 'beer only service point', there are 2 tills but only 1 being used.
No (see 1st answer above). A suggestion was made to have pre-payment scheme like the ones that operate in theatres which would speed up sales. The lager can be dispensed quickly as 12 pints can be poured simultaneously in 18 seconds. Pints of beer are slower because they have to be poured individually. However, 4 times as much lager is sold in the stadium as beer. Most time is used up giving change.

Why is the temperature of the beer so cold?
The answer is that both beer and lager use the same cooling system.

Has the hot chocolate supplier changed? The quality was poor on Saturday.
No, still selling Cadbury's drinking chocolate. (Coffee- Nescafé Gold Blend and Tea - Typhoo)

Could we have plain burgers that are not smothered in rubber or an excuse for cheese. Not everyone likes cheese and the stadium burger is covered in the stuff.
Three different variety of hamburger are available - plain, cheese and Stadium burger (the one with the works on it)

Sausage rolls have to be opened and left for 30 minutes until they are cool enough to eat. Not everyone has asbestos mouth linings!
The cooked food temperature is checked regularly. It has to be at a safe temperature for health reasons.

Any chance of serving chips? Even if microwaved?
No, there is a safety risk in having fryers in the kiosks and the stadium does not have microwaves in the kiosks.

Fan got a burger on Saturday, packaging was hot but the food inside was cold. Same happened when he got a replacement, and he couldn't be bothered to go back for another.
The caterers did not know why this should have happened.

Further points on catering in the KC
Hope to launch the availability of cider in the KC in June/July 2008 - it will be Magners in plastic bottles.

Soup is now only available in chicken flavour but it is available at all kiosks

Vegetarian alternatives - cheese and onion pies are on offer as are the new Pizza Pods. These have been very popular elsewhere in the country. Hope to introduce filled jacket potatoes - cheese/baked beans/coleslaw - in the New Year.

Kebabs - no chance!

The financial relationship between the club and the caterers is that the club receive a commission on sales. The catering company provide their services to all stadium functions and match day activities make up half of what they do at the KC. The Event Managing Catering Company took over activities just over 2 years ago.

Prices - in a comparison table of 12 different grounds the KC came up as cheaper than some with the beer at £2.60 being the cheapest. Four clubs charge £2.90 and Stoke charge away fans £3.00 per bottle beer.

No immediate plans to introduce food franchises in the KC.

Wine is available but there is no demand and will be withdrawn when stock runs out or goes past date.

Hope to introduce blackboards to advertise the extras that are not on the illuminated kiosk displays.

Each stand concourse has a manager who is responsible for moving stock between kiosks should anything be running out. Customers should ask if more stock can be brought across.

Any leftover stock is either destroyed or given to the staff.

Non-catering issues
Replica balls are available but they are not the same quality as match balls - these would cost over £50 each. Replicas look the same as match balls.

No acceptable local alternative ground to North Ferriby is available for evening matches. The nearest is Winterton. Hall Road Rangers' ground is not up to standard.

No additional incentives are being considered to encourage season pass sales.

Next meeting: Wednesday 16th January 2008. Please leave questions etc. on the message board.