Travellers Fare

Travellers Fare (normally rendered officially as Travellers-Fare) was a company owned by British Rail that provided catering services on the rail network in Great Britain.

Previous to 1973, hotels and railway catering came under British Transport Hotels Ltd, formed in 1962. In the late 1970s, BR's Shipping and International Services Division became Sealink UK Ltd from January 1979. In 1982 Travellers-Fare formally left BTH, having been the Travellers-Fare Division of BTH since 1 October 1973. It had been known as British Rail Catering until then. The peak of British rail catering had come in 1973 when 3.5 million meals were served. Quicker journey times meant less time to consume a full meal. In 1979 it celebrated a centenary of railway catering.

In the mid-1970s they were selling around two and a quarter million sandwiches a year. In 1977 its offerings were reprimanded by the Central Transport Consultative Committee. In February 1978 they introduced the Gold Star Menu for businessmen on Inter-City services, which featured poached haddock and grilled salmon maître d'hôtel. It offered a fixed four-course meal for around £5, and replaced the former table d'hôte service. The Great British Breakfast in the morning sold for £2.70 in 1978, and by 1984 it cost £7.30.

In the early 1980s, under improved management, the standard of food became more diverse. New brands were introduced such as Quicksnack. Turnover at stations increased 61% from £46m in 1982 to £74m in 1987. Before 1985 operating losses at stations were averaging around £4m a year, which from 1985 became surpluses. Although the station catering was turning a profit, the catering on board the trains was not, and operating losses for these were around £6m a year in the mid-1980s. In May 1986, catering on-board trains became the responsibility of InterCity and not Travellers-Fare, which had a wider range of food from the buffet car.

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