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www.modern To the Duchy for a few days’ break in late September to enjoy the last vestiges of summer. On my trip down from Paddington I’m accompanied by colleagues from MR, seeking lunch on Great Western Railway’s esteemed Pullman dining service.
Our plans suffer a slight setback – GWR’s friendly catering manager Alison advises us the 12.05 departure doesn’t have a full kitchen and so can’t offer the full three-course meal. So we up sticks to the Mad Bishop and Bear pub upstairs in the Lawn and instead await the 13.05, where crew leader Nelson and his team look after us superbly.
GWR has just ended its association with chef and restaurateur Mitch Tonks, with whom the operator has partnered for some five years. We were therefore among the first to try out one of the new menus introduced recently, and the spinach and gruyère tartlet and roast duck breast certainly lived up to the standards GWR has set. The Pullman is set to continue on the new Inter-city Express (IEP) trains now being introduced, and long may it do so.
These are historic times for the Western, with the massive investment in the route finally coming to fruition: the first IEP is now in passenger service, to be followed by electric…
