FGW and Mitch Tonks launch Pullman menu

First Great Western and award-winning seafood chef and restauranteur, Mitch Tonks, have today launched an all new lunch and dinner menu for the UK’s only daily fine dining rail service, the Pullman - available on ten services daily.

Mitch has created the menu using locally sourced produce, building on First Great Western’s 50:15 pledge to source products from near the railway line.

This includes fish from Mitch’s local Brixham market, burrata from Laverstoke Farms, fillet steak from Somerset, scallops from Devon, Westcountry cheese and Somerset quince jelly. The wines – including Cornish wine, Knightor Trevannion – have also been personally chosen by Mitch from his own restaurant’s wine list, in order to complement each dish.

Pullman Dining is a must-do fine dining experience which has gained popularity since First Great Western began working with Mitch two years ago. First Great Western is now set to introduce two new Pullman services between London Paddington and Plymouth in March, taking the total number of services to 12 daily - three times as many than 2013.

Now, passengers work their way through over a tonne of potatoes, 180 kg of cheese, almost 5,500 steaks, more than 140kg of salmon and more than 6,000 bottles of wine each year. All meals are freshly prepared on board by First Great Western’s highly skilled chefs on services to Penzance, Plymouth, Bristol Parkway, Cardiff and Swansea.

Speaking about the new menu, chef Mitch Tonks said: “The south west is home to some of the best food in the world and with this new Pullman menu, people have the chance to experience top-class meals on the railway. I’ve selected a variety of fresh seafood, meats, vegetables and wine which are already favourites in my own restaurants.

“The Pullman Dining car has been providing passengers with a quality dining experience for years and it’s great to be working with First Great Western again to continue this tradition and create a menu which showcases the best the region has to offer.”

First Great Western’s Head of Customer Engagement, Jo Elliott added: “We’re thrilled to be continuing our partnership with Mitch to showcase some of the best produce the region has to offer.

“We are both committed to supporting the communities that we serve, and what better way to enjoy the view from the train than to eat expertly prepared food, produced from the very landscape you travel through.”

Since making its 50:15 pledge in November 2013 First Great Western now sources over 90 items from local suppliers, helping to enhance local economies and champion produce from the region.