Harveys Beer Stations at the Amex

Captain Sensible · Sep 19, 2016

I remember the good times said:
Hear Hear.
East upper I went for a half time pint and was really happy to see that the beer station had no queue, until I realised it only had fizzy water. Bring back the Harveys.
I went without.

They had a Fosters stand in the ESU, with no que at all. Yet that's what is wrong, no one wants Fosters, if the stand sold Harveys, or even kronie there would be fans wanting to buy. It's perplexing after the years Sodexo have now had. It's almost as if they don't collect any data on what sells and what fans want. They can't even keep white wine or rose cold, they put milk for tea and coffee on the other side of the concourse, so I don't hold out any hope.
I did think that the end game was for the club to eventually provide its own catering, surely them running and keeping 100% of profits, would be better. They ARE able to do it but don't seem to want to.

Dirk Lehmann's Python · Sep 19, 2016

Captain Sensible said:
They had a Fosters stand in the ESU, with no que at all. Yet that's what is wrong, no one wants Fosters, if the stand sold Harveys, or even kronie there would be fans wanting to buy. It's perplexing after the years Sodexo have now had. It's almost as if they don't collect any data on what sells and what fans want. They can't even keep white wine or rose cold, they put milk for tea and coffee on the other side of the concourse, so I don't hold out any hope.
I did think that the end game was for the club to eventually provide its own catering, surely them running and keeping 100% of profits, would be better. They ARE able to do it but don't seem to want to.

They sell more Fosters than any other drink at The Amex.

Remarkable really as nobody admits to it!

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bhanutz · Sep 19, 2016

The Albion Roar said:
The decision - in this instance - on the beer station is the that of the caterers. They are simply fulfilling one of their obligations - to sell Harvey's. How they do it is, within reason, up to them.

It's just that you're blaming the club. Questioning the club - which of course you can do is you want - is a separate issue. So if you're unhappy, write to the club and the caterers and tell them what you think. One thing is for sure - they won't do anything if you only write about it on here.

What reason...The club have overall say and to insinuate they don't is incorrect.

Captain Sensible · Sep 19, 2016

Rohan Ince's Python said:
They sell more Fosters than any other drink at The Amex.

Remarkable really as nobody admits to it!

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1. Can you back that up with evidence?
2. If so, as there are mobile fosters outlets in favour of any other beer, do you not think that is a factor?

In my experience, there are no ques at the Fosters mobile outlets, yet when it was Harveys, a 20meter long que.
As I said, Sodexo obviously don't keep data on what sells, they just sell what's cheap and sod it.

The Albion Roar · Sep 19, 2016

bhanutz said:
What reason...

The reason that they serve enough to supply the demand, rather than, say, just serve a few pints merely to tick a box.

bhanutz said:
The club have overall say and to insinuate they don't is incorrect.

Gosh. Did anyone say they don't have a say? No.

Captain Sensible · Sep 20, 2016

The Albion Roar said:
The reason that they serve enough to supply the demand, rather than, say, just serve a few pints merely to tick a box.

Gosh. Did anyone say they don't have a say? No.

But they don't supply where the demand is do they? I appreciate that, as you say, Sodexo are contracted to sell the food and drink, and sell it how they see fit. But we are mostly disagreeing with how they sell it and what they sell and where. Running out of Harveys because they are only selling it at ....wait for it.... 'cash only' tills that state 'cards accepted', whilst the bloke at the fosters stall has nothing to do, is just a regular farce on match days. It's a very poor catering experience at the Amex these days. It's always been pretty poor, but I think we are getting more and more cheesed off as the prices of the catering go up (and it's awful) and the price of getting in has risen. The reasons that we in the first season stayed behind or got in early to have a pint and watch the match are no longer there. Martin Perry's idea has been lost somewhere along the way. The annoying thing is, that more than anything else, everyone can see the glaring mistakes, it wouldn't take much to work out what tweeks to make to immediately improve the catering and thus Matchday experience. Yet it never happens. I bet any manager of a weatherspoons could work it all out very quickly, but maybe they are paid 50p an hour more than a Sodexo manager and so... The concourse catering frustration continues.

Soulman · Sep 20, 2016

Rohan Ince's Python said:
They sell more Fosters than any other drink at The Amex.

Remarkable really as nobody admits to it!

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Really, then how come when the mobiles sold Harvey's and Krone the queues were very long in the NS, now no queues when the pish is on sale. A Harvey's mobile with a separate lager mobile would bring in more cash.

Blue Valkyrie · Sep 20, 2016

Small crowd tonight so no doubt only 1 till will be open in WSL, and 1 pie cooked which the lucky 1st customer will get.

Black Rod · Sep 20, 2016

Soulman said:
Really, then how come when the mobiles sold Harvey's and Krone the queues were very long in the NS, now no queues when the pish is on sale. A Harvey's mobile with a separate lager mobile would bring in more cash.

The North Stand equates for less than 10% of the attendance in the stadium. West Upper is the biggest section and from what I've seen up there, the majority of people go with Fosters owing partly to the fact that only the middle bar offers Kronenbourg and Guinness

Worried Man Blues · Sep 20, 2016

I would suggest younger people drink Fosters, so they'll put more Fosters in this areas. Fosters can be over ordered and be sold at the next game or another venue where as Harveys must be sold on that day. So they will be happy to run out of Harveys, hopefully near the end of the session and don't mind some Fosters being left over.

bhanutz · Sep 20, 2016

The Albion Roar said:
The reason that they serve enough to supply the demand, rather than, say, just serve a few pints merely to tick a box.

Gosh. Did anyone say they don't have a say? No.

You insinuated it was purely down to the caterers. I was merely pointing out, that is incorrect.

The Albion Roar · Sep 20, 2016

Captain Sensible said:
But they don't supply where the demand is do they? I appreciate that, as you say, Sodexo are contracted to sell the food and drink, and sell it how they see fit. But we are mostly disagreeing with how they sell it and what they sell and where. Running out of Harveys because they are only selling it at ....wait for it.... 'cash only' tills that state 'cards accepted', whilst the bloke at the fosters stall has nothing to do, is just a regular farce on match days. It's a very poor catering experience at the Amex these days. It's always been pretty poor, but I think we are getting more and more cheesed off as the prices of the catering go up (and it's awful) and the price of getting in has risen. The reasons that we in the first season stayed behind or got in early to have a pint and watch the match are no longer there. Martin Perry's idea has been lost somewhere along the way. The annoying thing is, that more than anything else, everyone can see the glaring mistakes, it wouldn't take much to work out what tweeks to make to immediately improve the catering and thus Matchday experience. Yet it never happens. I bet any manager of a weatherspoons could work it all out very quickly, but maybe they are paid 50p an hour more than a Sodexo manager and so... The concourse catering frustration continues.

All perfectly pertinent points - and I fully agree.

My original point was about the OP only blaming the club, and letting the caterers get away with any criticism scot-free.

There is a point to be made - and it must be made to the club AND to the caterers.

The Albion Roar · Sep 20, 2016

bhanutz said:
You insinuated it was purely down to the caterers. I was merely pointing out, that is incorrect.

You clearly didn't read the post properly then.

pishhead · Sep 20, 2016

The reason the caterers will be pushing fosters as opposed to Harveys will be down to two things Harveys is in effect a live product in the sense that if they don't sell it they are left with a product that they can't sell which means lost profit. Also I can pretty much guarantee that fosters will be the product where they receive the highest gross profit per unit sold.

Cowfold Seagull · Sep 20, 2016

bhanutz said:
What reason...The club have overall say and to insinuate they don't is incorrect.

The bottom line is, the previous two catering companies at the Amex were sacked by the club. Sodexo need to be careful, nothing to say that they couldn't go the same way.

bhanutz · Sep 20, 2016

The Albion Roar said:
You clearly didn't read the post properly then.

I admire your stance

Norman Potting · Sep 20, 2016

Anathema to many but Harvey's is now available in cans - bought some when in the Brewery Shop a few weeks back - possible solution?

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