News

SSP UK and railway catering arm Rail Gourmet have launched a new branded food pre-ordering service, LumoEats, for rail passengers. Developed by Servy, the enterprise self-service platform for hospitality, LumoEats will be available to travellers boarding services operated by new train company Lumo.

Passengers using Lumo services can browse and pre-order meals for their journey using the Lumo website. Users will be able to explore the LumoEats digital menu offer, which has a wide selection of food and beverage options from SSP’s popular own brands, such as The Pasty Shop and Upper Crust. Renowned high street F&B offerings will also be available, with more brands to be added in the coming months.

Hot meals ordered using the service will be freshly prepared on the concourse at London King’s Cross or Edinburgh Waverley. Shortly before departure, orders will be transported in hot-bags to Lumo trains, where the Lumo Customer Experience Ambassadors will deliver them directly to customers in the comfort of their seats. Other food options such as salads, snacks and drinks will also be available for pre-order and will be served to passengers from an on-board trolley during their journey.

Andy Webb, Managing Director at Rail Gourmet, said; “We’re delighted to be partnering with Lumo to provide this exciting new service. The new venture will combine the formidable strengths of SSP’s F&B brands with Rail Gourmet’s expertise in rail catering, supported by cutting-edge technology provided by our partner Servy. Offering the convenience of ordering freshly-prepared food that’s delivered quickly and directly to your seat; this new service is set to make a real difference to the F&B offer for rail passengers.”

Jeff Livney, Chief Experience Officer at Servy, said; “It’s great to be partnering with SSP, Rail Gourmet and Lumo to further revolutionise the rail experience in enabling rail passengers to benefit from our order and pay technology. The service will utilise Servy’s seamless technology to allow travellers to quickly and easily find and purchase the meals they love, without the hassle of waiting in line at the station.”

Matthew Lee, Commercial and Customer Experience Director at Lumo said, “We really want our passengers to enjoy the Lumo experience from start to finish. LumoEats will allow for a less stressful, smoother journey for customers, with no need to rush to find food before boarding the train as it will be brought to them in the comfort of their own seat.”

Lumo is an open access operator owned by FirstGroup that provides low-cost, 100% electric travel between London, north-east England and Scotland. It currently runs two return services per day between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley stations via Stevenage, Newcastle and Morpeth, which will increase to five daily returns by January 2022.