When is something going to be done about the home pie stall, for a
club that has a managing director in the catering industry, the service
and facilities are poor and have been since Tam departed. Today the
Pies were cold, there was no sauce available and why is the milk, salt
pepper etc before the hatch, when any other cafes etc has them after you
have been served. Someone needs to have a look at the catering it is pretty
substandard IMO

I went to the pie stall at half time and didn't get back to my seat until 20 MINUTES into the second half!!!!!!!!!!! The service is a shambles.

Totally agree. Service and food are very poor. Even the bovril is shite and not mixed properly.
Pies are anemic and lukewarm.
Next game im bringing a sandwich!

Went for a pie and bovril after 25 minutes to avoid the half time queue and it took 21 minutes to be be served and they had no pies left. Had a sausage roll that was pretty poor by comparison.
People were coming back from pie stall after half tine with pies.
The Pie stall is a shambles.

Bigger crowd than normal but no excuse.
At the Brechin game I left the bar 20 minutes early to join the pie stall queue and still barely made kick off.
Didn't bother joining the queue today. Even at half past 3, dozens were still waiting and missing a good part of the match.
The people who ran the pie stall last couple of years had it down to a fine art. Think these kids need a wee bit of mentoring.

Personally I go to watch the football. I have never understood why anyone would queue for so long and miss part of the game? Pie hut at the old Bayview was superb, never missed a minute on the terracing. Pie shed like the good Bayview required (as featured in a photo at the Hampden museum). Alternatively you could have something to eat before you go.

All points noted.
Apologies for the problems.
It is a priority to improve the pie stall service.

Burger vans etc were available near the corner flags at the stand side for the Rangers game. Could the club not put in permanent extra pie stalls at the corner so fans don't miss any of the game and help to speed up the service with two outlets rather than one. Just a thought so the Club don't lose out on extra revenue. I am often put off buying anything because of the queues and I won't be the only one.

Reports of pie stall chaos were raised on here at pre season friendlies. Over halfway through the season and things are even worse. I haven't even bothered attempting to buy refreshments at the last two matches, having missed too much game time queuing and regularly there being no hot snacks to purchase long before half time.
As I commented at the time of the friendlies, the club should have been begging to get Tam Will back, as he had it running pretty much as sweet as you could given the facilities. It may seem trivial, but it is all about trying to create a professional impression, and maximising income.
If customers like myself and Bayviewboy are giving the pie stall a miss it is obviously opportunities missed.

Our apologies this will be looked at as a priority!

Glad this is going to get sorted. Pie stall service hasn't been especially good all season but today was a particular shambles, lukewarm pies (which were burnt today) and I missed the fash man's first goal due to queue taking ages, it wasn't even particularly long. Well done Lee for taking this seriously

I certainly waited in the queue a little longer than usual but I thought my scotch pie was delicious as always.

Must admit to not using pie stall much. Purely for weight loss/maintaining purposes. When I did use it through I found pies generally Luke warm rather than piping hot. This season I have used it a few times and ordered bovril and found it pretty much tasteless.

Do we need more efficiency or another cafe?? I noted that over 900 at the game , means over 800 home fans, minus corporate who were stuffed anyway. If 50 customers (6% of 750) went to the stall, at 30sec transactions, would take 25mins.

At Airdrie, I went down to the counters under the stand and bought a bovril and was back up sitting for the second half, even after staying down for a blether. Obviously there was not much of us using their catering.

The away counter at Bayview has never been mentioned by away fans, so no issues there.

Looking forward to the new Cafe/bar being built. Skip breakfast at home, early to the ground, full English with a few beers, wander round the sports/souvenir shop then into the game!! If its anything like the Stawnin stin driving range setup, then absolutely brill.

I must admit I very rarely use the pie stall. I don't see the point in missing part of the game just for a pie. When I go to toilet at ht I've always thought people are crazy waiting in that queue.

Arse licker.

I've never been and never will be Marco. If you see my comments in that way then you have a problem with low esteem ( or forehead) I think both.

What about opening a small hot drinks kiosk just at the smokers corner? Taking the hot drinks-only buyers away from the main queue would be a quick fix.

Similarly, the lady with the microphone could be decked out like an old-time cinema usherette selling sweets and crisps. As she already has the microphone, she could announce special offers, '2 packs of Opal Fruits for 70p'.

Outrageous wait time but must confess my pie was pretty damn tasty! Got early first half though!

Fifey, i'm sure as you can see from the amount of replies,it wasnt just
me who thought the pie stall was an issue. I brought it up on the forum
, maybe i could have brought it to the clubs attention in a different way
, however, by using the forum, in a non abusive way it has done its purpose
You must remember this is a source of income for the club so if people
Stop using it the income drops. Hopefully all will be resolved thanks for the
Prompt action Eugene and Lee

CB. No offence taken or meant. I did say I agreed with your post and did complain about the pies being cold and bovvie being tastlesss myself. I just disagreed with referring to the Chairman as part of the problem just because he is in the pub business.

The stall was well run up until the new people came in and this thread has been good in that something will be done.

Nostalgia is special, eh? I remember the pies at old Bayview in the top of the terracing corner. You had to bend double on the firstbite so the grease would pour on the steps rather than your shirt.

No offence taken Fifey, you couldnt beat a lightbodys pie at old bayview
best pie around then. Now in my opinion the best around are Starks in
Buckhaven, the best ones being his mince and onion

Thanks to everyone for sorting this to The top of The list for action by The club. The revene point is clear, The disgruntled pie eaters must also be happy and importantly as a kid getting my pie and bovril WAS a major attraction of going to The game. pies make supporters, just ask pieman. Btw he has been missing for some time

major design flaw at the ground . You should be able to watch the game whilst waiting on refreshments , basic error . Can we resolve this ? hope so .

Quite a few grounds have their pie stall in such a position that you cannot see the match while queuing but none are as inefficient as this year's lot at Bayview. The standard has really dropped from last year. Would be a good idea to have a hamburger van down inside the ground at the smokers' end so that we can see the match while waiting and to provide a choice for the fans and more income to East Fife.

If you are having a smoke then you are probably not eating a pie and are just polluting the atmosphere. The smokers can have a smoke outside the ground. Let's face it they are used to being on the outside looking in.

Oh aye,here we go.Once again it seems like smokers are going to be the ones who suffer.Why should we nicotine junkies have to make way for all you grease junkies.

The smokers have already given their money to Lambert & Butler etc before they enter the stadium. East Fife gain nothing from the smoking corner, unless they start selling cigarettes.

The grease junkies still have money to burn.

The smoker's corner is the ideal place for a small hot drinks kiosk. I would say if the queue had been smaller on Saturday, the group I travelled to the game with would have bought 5 hot drinks, as it was, we bought none. Should I bring a flask next time?

First and foremost, I work in the pie stall. Now that's established, I'd like to say the reason the queues are so long is because the crowds this season are bigger, as a counter argument to that I heard someone say that the crowds at the old Bayview were bigger. Now can someone tell me how many pie stalls were at old Bayview?

Answer: 4

There were more pie stalls at the old ground all of which were accessible to everyone, currently we have 1 for the entirety of the home support.
Next case in point, pies, or more specifically, cold pies. The reason the pies were cold last Thursday was because they were delivered cold and we don't have the facilities to cook them properly. All there is in the home stand is 2 plate warmers and in the away a tiny oven that only holds 20 - 30 pies, MAX! I don't know about you but I find it difficult to cook 400 pies in an oven that only holds 30, but that's just me.
Next, sauces. I don't even know why this a point but it is, so hey, but if you can show me where about the restaurant is, that would be great. The reason they are before the counter is because the wind was blowing everything over where they were sitting so they had to be moved, I might be expecting too much here, but couldn't you just take what you were needing and either hold it or put it in your pocket?

I personally find all these valid reasons, but if you don't, I would like to see how you cope in here during a normal match day, never mind a busy one like Arbroath was.

Fadi, these are all very defensive answers. We are not talking about old bayview
We are talking about the current ground.
Secondly when the previous caterer got complaints about cold pies, the supplier came to the ground and
All pies were sold hot
Thirdly the sugar, salt, pepper sauce etc blew away when they were put round the corner this season!!
They never blew away when at the end of the counter
Lastly, if you go into any eatery the condiments, are always the last thing you pick up, not the first
This allows you to select what you need for what you bought, not what you want for what
you think your going to buy, but changed you mind and got something different
There is an old saying if it aint broke dont fix it. The previous system worked the current system simply doesnt.
Please accept constructive feedback dont take it personally

anychance of getting macaroni pies back?

Still have fond memories of the Chicken Tikka pies!!!

Really should have come with a complementary bib, the were always a disaster waiting to happen!!!

Macaroni pies should be back for the next home game, chicken tikka on the other hand is something I don't think we'll be doing anytime soon.

Fenrir, firstly apologies for calling you Fadi, Fadi, no disrespect meant.
Good to hear that there are changes in the pipeline. Just a pity it has taken half the season for them to come about, even thought this was mentioned way back at the pre season friendlies, not your fault what so ever.
Just one word of caution throwing bodies at the pie stall, doesn't mean it will be a way to increase through put, just having a little bit more of a routine should be enough to get it back up to speed.
Hopefully the mentioned improvements will stop me and others grumbling.

There is also a serving hatch at the side that to my knowledge has never been opened since we moved to the ground,maybe if this was open for fans that only wanted hot drinks and sweets the Q might be a wee bit smaller for the pies and such.

Fenrir,
Scrap the system where 1 girl takes the order and the fat lad takes the cash. Dumb ass system if ever there was one.
Wee girl takes my order, goes and gets it and puts my cash in till. None of this 2-3 people dealing with 1 order nonsense. Slow and confusing and very annoying.
You wouldnt find a daft system like that in a bar !

Saying that, things can only get better as they can't get any worse mate.

Guys
I know some people enjoy slagging people off on the forum and I am cool with that, but please when I tell you I will sort I will.

Already been working on this issue all week I am sure by Forfar it Will be 100% better system in place.

Staff member who is writing on the the forum you are not helping! Please stay off or come and speak with me directly thank you.

Thanks for helping point out the issues and these are know in hand and will be fixed or at least improved.

Every issue within the club that you the fans bring up will be acted on as soon as possible and will not be ignored.

I hope that since taking over I have acted on most issues when they have been raised and I will continue to strive to make improvements at the club as I see them or they are pointed out.

Thanks for all your help and patenice but as I say everything is now being down with the clubs best of interests in mind.


All the best

Lee

Another positive emoticon when the chairman issues a generic comment...

Well the service was certainly faster,
but the pies were lukewarm, the bovril was stone cold,
the condiments were basically dumped round the corner,
no bin to disgard rubbish in as it was beside the counter
Thankfully the team performance on the field kept me

Thought the pie stall was much more efficient and my pie and bovril was fine. What I did find however, was the disgusting attitude of the man behind the reception after the game. The way he spoke to an old East Fife supporter was a disgrace. The old guy only asked him a question and to be answered like that was out of order.

In true AFTN tradition the quest to have the hottest pies and the shortest queues is managing to hold the banner position over comments,and heaven forbid,congratulations on a good win yesterday.

i thought the pie stall was as good as could be yesterday. Who wants a pie that you cant eat for 10 minutes because it scaulds yer mouth?!!

2-1 was a good result... oh sorry I've stumbled onto the bakers forum.

no Dubs i'm saying other people were but who would want that?

mmm.... never mind the fitba gies a pie

Didn't buy a pie yesterday as the queue was too long. After a short discussion with a couple of friends, came to the conclusion that it's problem is that the serving area is too small allowing only a couple of people to serve the pies. If it was twice the width (which looks possible) then 4 people could be serving and hey presto shorter waiting time. Not sure if the guy on the till could cope though!!!

It's chaos. Put the crowd funding money towards the pie stall!

As I've said before, sell sweets and crisps 'usher style' from trays and cash belts in the stand and place a drinks kiosk/vending machine at smoker's corner to segregate and streamline the main queue.

C'mon Dubs, Cowdenbeath fans complaining about OUR ground?????

To continue. That's our ground. Was it a mistake to move?, up for debate on that one. To talk bluntly, it's what we have, like it or not.

I think if we had been told the stadium was only going to have one stand I think there would have been a lot more outcry, however we were all told by the then board that we were going to get a Forthbank type stadium with a 2,000 stand on one side, and a 1,000 stand on the other side. I still have a copy of the design that was published.

I remember the picture in the Courier in the mid 1990'sshowing the design with 2 stands. Lets be honest something had to be done about the old ground. It was a shite heap, toilets ankle deep in pish. Only good thing I remember is it had a fairly good record for matches geting played in the Winter when others were called off for frozen pitches.

I find it hilarious that the chairman comes on here to address the pie issue but the crap quality of football can go unnoticed. priorities mate id take a cold pie to stay in the league however unlikely.

There is certainly no problem with anyone missing an East Fife goal if they go for a pie now!!