Virgin Trains East Coast launches new first class menu

Virgin Trains East Coast has launched a new first class menu, following the appointment of former TV chef James Martin as its new executive chef. The first class lunch and evening menu is refreshed weekly, and available online for customers to see a week in advance. Options from the new breakfast menu are as follows:

• Bakery basket with croissants, cinnamon swirl or banana and maple syrup muffin with raspberry and gin and apricot and orange preserves from Yorkshire-based The Fruity Kitchen
• Great British breakfast grill
• Yorkshire rare-breed sausage & back bacon, Laverstoke Farm black pudding, flat field mushroom, grilled tomato and a fried free-range egg
• Mushroom rarebit – granary toast topped with a sliced flat field mushroom, tomato chutney and mature cheddar
• Bacon roll - Yorkshire rare-breed back bacon, on a buttered roll
• Greek yogurt, toasted muesli and rhubarb & ginger compote
• Porridge with banana and maple syrup

Commenting on the improved menu, James Martin said: “Customers told us what they like and what they don’t like, lack of options, quality of food, and sorting out breakfast was a priority. There’s lots of things to consider when it comes to catering to volumes of people, and we’ve tried to ensure that the quality of the food doesn’t drop when it’s stored over long periods.” “Business travellers have told us that they want something substantial in the mornings, so we’ve introduced sausage rolls with locally sourced dipping jams, black pudding from Laverstoke Farm and muffins that have been steam-injected with syrup to avoid dryness.” A new James Martin menu is being rolled out to standard class customers in autumn as part of Virgin Trains’ ongoing £40m investment in its fleet. virgintrainseastcoast.com Marisa Cannon