Brockwell Lido Breakfast Club 2010

[DJWrongspeed]

Went to the cafe to investigate breakfast afterwards. In the end I just had a tea cos it was £3 for toast and marmite! Posh sourdough toast, but seriously 3 fucking pounds

I managed to get a coffee on saturday, by sunday the cafe was closed off from the pool , they had a sign apologising that their outside hut wasn't quite there yet. Bit dumb there must be a way for the pool users and cafe to share things surely.

 

[Ms T]

I managed to get a coffee on saturday, by sunday the cafe was closed off from the pool , they had a sign apologising that their outside hut wasn't quite there yet. Bit dumb there must be a way for the pool users and cafe to share things surely.

It's presumably so that people can't get into the Lido for free by nipping through the cafe. They need to work on getting the outside hut open though, pronto.

 

[Biddlybee]

I hope the hut does cheap toast

 

[RubyToogood]

It's also a bit mean if swimmers can't use the veranda-ish bit with the tables and chairs. I really hope they let people in from the pool side, I would resent it a lot if they wouldn't let you be both a swimmer and a cafe user. Plus it'd be stupid and lose them a lot of sales. If you have to go out and round to use the cafe you've left the building and you may as well go home and have something cheaper. I want access to both pool and full range of cafe options, otherwise it's not a Lido cafe, it's a cafe for people to eat at while they gawp at me swimming.

I'd always wondered what they were going to do about people trying to sneak into the pool through the cafe, but they seemed to manage ok last year and really people would only do that on hot, crowded days I think.

 

[Choc]

i agree -with everything. i want to have use of the cafe and veranda whilst at the lido -and some cheap toast too.

still haven't been yet

(only to check the cafe out sometime last week and glance at the lido)

 

[daniel1975]

The Lido Cafe

Hello everyone, we appreciate your feedback here at the cafe. I have read your comments and thought I should post a reply.

Firstly, on the price of toast. We are going to take the price of toast down to £2.25 for a couple of slices with a topping of your choice. Yes, it is made with sourdough bread, which is baked in London and tastes good, but for those reasons it costs us more to buy in than a loaf of horrible mothers pride.

The hut is due to open to serve pool users from next Saturday. We are kitting it out with high grade equipment which will allow us to serve everyone good quality, freshly made food, juices and coffees quickly and effeciently. The BBQ will be back, and better, and we will also be serving our chips which are fried in rapeseed oil. Cheaper options such as toasted sandwiches and panini type items will also be availbale alongside our other staples.

The hut will be open from 10am each day, and swimmers are able to come into the cafe from the poolside from 7am until 10am to warm up and help themselves to our self serve brekfast. At the moment the gate is open to allow access to the cafe from 7am until the pool closes at 10am.

Sadly, in the hotter summer months we wont be able to have swimmers come and go between the pool and hut after 10am due to a number of reasons. Firstly we have a glass issue. We can't allow any glass to go poolside for obvious reasons, if the gate were to be open people would simply wander out to look at the pool, or come in to try and buy beer or a juice and glass would get out. Second is the issue of people getting in to the pool for free, that clearly shouldn't be allowed to happen, third is a numbers issue. Fusion have a capacity of swimmers they can have in at any one time, if people could come and go as they pleased then they cant keep a realistic head count and would be breaching their health and safety guidelines, which puts all the other swimmers at risk. Small childrens safety is another reason, you may argue that it is the parents duty to make sure that their kids dont wander out and drown in the pool, but we have to do everything we can at the cafe to minimise the potential risk to people, and this means blocking off entry to customers and their kids.

We would love to be able to allow pool users to come and go as they please, but the hut will have everything you need to enjoy a day out at the lido or just a warming snack. Until we can work with Fusion on some kind of readmittance scheme the above issues remain. Sorry, and apologies for the length of the reply! hope it clears a few things up

Daniel and Duncan

 

[Biddlybee]

Firstly, on the price of toast. We are going to take the price of toast down to £2.25 for a couple of slices with a topping of your choice. Yes, it is made with sourdough bread, which is baked in London and tastes good, but for those reasons it costs us more to buy in than a loaf of horrible mothers pride.

 

[DJWrongspeed]

Hello everyone, we appreciate your feedback here at the cafe. I have read your comments and thought I should post a reply.

Thanks for the informative update.

Hope the hut gets running soon then.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

Hello everyone, we appreciate your feedback here at the cafe. I have read your comments and thought I should post a reply.

Firstly, on the price of toast. We are going to take the price of toast down to £2.25 for a couple of slices with a topping of your choice. Yes, it is made with sourdough bread, which is baked in London and tastes good, but for those reasons it costs us more to buy in than a loaf of horrible mothers pride.

The hut is due to open to serve pool users from next Saturday. We are kitting it out with high grade equipment which will allow us to serve everyone good quality, freshly made food, juices and coffees quickly and effeciently. The BBQ will be back, and better, and we will also be serving our chips which are fried in rapeseed oil. Cheaper options such as toasted sandwiches and panini type items will also be availbale alongside our other staples.

The hut will be open from 10am each day, and swimmers are able to come into the cafe from the poolside from 7am until 10am to warm up and help themselves to our self serve brekfast. At the moment the gate is open to allow access to the cafe from 7am until the pool closes at 10am.

Sadly, in the hotter summer months we wont be able to have swimmers come and go between the pool and hut after 10am due to a number of reasons. Firstly we have a glass issue. We can't allow any glass to go poolside for obvious reasons, if the gate were to be open people would simply wander out to look at the pool, or come in to try and buy beer or a juice and glass would get out. Second is the issue of people getting in to the pool for free, that clearly shouldn't be allowed to happen, third is a numbers issue. Fusion have a capacity of swimmers they can have in at any one time, if people could come and go as they pleased then they cant keep a realistic head count and would be breaching their health and safety guidelines, which puts all the other swimmers at risk. Small childrens safety is another reason, you may argue that it is the parents duty to make sure that their kids dont wander out and drown in the pool, but we have to do everything we can at the cafe to minimise the potential risk to people, and this means blocking off entry to customers and their kids.

We would love to be able to allow pool users to come and go as they please, but the hut will have everything you need to enjoy a day out at the lido or just a warming snack. Until we can work with Fusion on some kind of readmittance scheme the above issues remain. Sorry, and apologies for the length of the reply! hope it clears a few things up

Daniel and Duncan

This reads as a list of logistical issues for which you have implemented solutions that require the minimum amount of effort and with the least consideration for your customers wants and needs.

Why do you have to serve anything in glass? Good risk management is about the removal or reduction of the risk. Why can you not serve drinks and food on plastic. There are plenty of good plastic re-useable plates and glasses available on the market. I operate a catering facility within a busy enviroment and our focus is delivering to our user not suiting ourselves. Good customer service is about the customers and the challenge is to overcome every challenge which stops us providing to them what they want. A satisfied customer never complains about the price of toast.

If you have a people flow issue then it might be useful to try and segregate the cafe to enable pool users/non pool user, and to engage one of the security guards to manage a door for pool access/egress? It seems daft having a poolside cafe that is not accessible to pool users. The hut is a throwaway solution and a waste of time and money imo. Some sensible space planning and a bit of common sense should ensure a solution that meets everyone's needs.

I went down to the Lido at 10am today. There was already a long queue. The staff on the door were incredibly slow and there were actually more people outside than poolside. The £5.20 entrance fee was causing a problem because there was not enough change and they were also short of notes

This is a really easy problem to solve - £5 entry fee is the answer.

While I was stood there a security guard appeared and suddenly changed the direction of the queue (from standing away from the door to standing alongside the wall), he also set up a table and started to search bags. What will people entering after 10am be bringing in that poses more of a threat than those entering beforehand?

The counter staff were really uninterested in the queue, in moving people through quickly, or seeking any solution to the cash flow issues. This was made worse by the continous need to change the till reel. The security guards were generally quite oppresive and sullen and lacking any communicative skills outide of pointing and grunting. To be frank, they could chill out a bit and stop trying to be so foreboding in their presence. It's a swimming pool not a night club.

It's a great resource and people are very passionate about it and care about their experience there, and much like the Ritzy, it appears that the experience is not as fulfilling as it once was.

 

[Tricky Skills]

I tend to agree with a great deal of the above, although I feel it is worth pointing out the difference between the Lido Cafe and the Lido pool. They are two separate businesses, which perversely, is precisely what is under discussion here.

I love the food of the cafe. It is beyond recognition from the Wagon Wheels and Coke that we had two years ago. Clearly a lot of thought and cost has gone into the new cafe.

But...

Yep, this is controversial, but we don't have a Lido Cafe anymore. We have a cafe that is attached to the side of the pool. The non-pool users get to sit and enjoy the view of people swimming and sun bathing, but the people swimming and sun bathing don't get to enjoy the cafe.

Of course this works both ways. The times that I have visited the cafe for an evening meal, I have thoroughly enjoyed the food and the view. I'm not sure what the solution is. The current gated feel is certainly annoying a number of lido regulars that I speak with each morning. It is a business of course, and it's not my money that was risked at the outset. I really do wish the lido could have a cafe once again though.

As for the queuing for the pool... yep, it' 'aint great. I'm smug in that I walk past with my season ticket and gain instant entry. Queues have historically been a reality for the lido, even during the Paddy & Casey golden days.

It's no fun turning up hot and bothered, longing for a dip, only to find a half hour queue. Fusion has reduced the capacity significantly since taking over the management. When I arrived at 10:15 this morning, there was already a lengthy queue of frustrated customers. If I didn't have my season ticket then I wouldn't attend during those heatwave days. It's no fun.

The staffing issue is also relevant. The tills do always appear incredibly slow. Bag searches just don't sit in with the lido ethos that I have come to love over the past fifteen years. Booze seems to be the main concern, but yeah, at 10 in the morning?

It's hard to take away my love for the lido, but slowly, slowly, that glorious ambience that was somehow put in place in an anarchic fashion some fifteen summers ago, is starting to disappear.

 

[netbob]

The lido is still totally fab, but it seems to be slipping out of the hands of the wider community a tiny bit. Sadly this seems to be part of a wider pattern in the country at the mo: people campaign for something they care about > thing eventually gets attention > the 'only way to save it' is to bring in a private company > people who originally campaigned loose any control.

 

[Miss-Shelf]

The lido is still totally fab, but it seems to be slipping out of the hands of the wider community a tiny bit. Sadly this seems to be part of a wider pattern in the country at the mo: people campaign for something they care about > thing eventually gets attention > the 'only way to save it' is to bring in a private company > people who originally campaigned loose any control.

indeed
seemed a lot less mixed clientèle than years back

 

[reubeness]

Reminds me of the Fusion take over of Ferndale Sports Centre - the community used it free when it was falling down, once Fusion came in and the place was rebuilt with lottery funding the community lost out on reasonably priced access - a conflict over the times it could be used to make more money and when the community could use it.
I used to go to the lido with my children - they are all grown now - it was a great space, the last time I went it was packed like a sardine can on a hot day, and we queued for a long time.
£2.25 is a lot for a couple of bits of bread, even if it is a fashionable home-made loaf - 8 slices per loaf = £7.85 even allowing for rent, fuel and staff that seems steep.
Swimming should be accessible to all and used to be a cheap day out for low-income families - at these rates it patently isn't anymore.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

Wasn't sourdough bread eaten by poor miners during the california gold rush.

It cracks me up when peasent food gets sold to the middle classes for stupid ££££££s!

I mentioned this to a lady in a deli last week and she refused to speak to me.

What next on the trendy menu? Free Range Beef skirt in a lard and mixed herb jus....£14.99....

Why not add some hand cut rustic chips for only £2.50 extra....lordy lordy!

 

[Biddlybee]

I had a nice swim this morning

 

[Dan U]

ha ha welcome to urban Dan

 

[DJWrongspeed]

This reads as a list of logistical issues for which you have implemented solutions that require the minimum amount of effort and with the least consideration for your customers wants and needs.

I agree really, on reflection, it does seem odd that you can't just have the cafe for Lido users only on busy summer days ? surely it would be busy enough anyway. You don't need to have glass during a hot sunny day.

The queues are awful. Even if there's 3-4 people in front of you on a less busy day it still takes ages to get in. they only had 2 people on the till on a busy sat. morning.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

I agree really, on reflection, it does seem odd that you can't just have the cafe for Lido users only on busy summer days ? surely it would be busy enough anyway. You don't need to have glass during a hot sunny day.

The queues are awful. Even if there's 3-4 people in front of you on a less busy day it still takes ages to get in. they only had 2 people on the till on a busy sat. morning.

..and only one was ever paying any real attention at any given time (what seemed like a manager was present, but his ability to manage his people, the queue and his beady eyed hangover seemed to overwhelm him!)

There will be ways to serve both lido and non-lido users in the cafe.....some sensible space planning, re-deployment of security (i.e - why have a security guard at the door and at the turnstile, if you've passed one succesfully why pass another? lose the doorman and just have the turnstile man. Door man can work cafe and keep check on access/egress of swimmer/cafe users??? I'll explain further if anyone's interested!)

I would like to add, however, that the lifeguards are really well mannered and show a lot of confidence in the face of large numbers and a lot of activity. They helped a blind man have a swim on Saturday and they did a fantastic job of managing him, other swimmers and themselves - good job!

 

[gaijingirl]

Hoping for my first lido swim this week! First year in ages I haven't been from the first day but just back from "foreign" where we got some lovely sea swims in the Adriatic and also visited a "lido" in Baden Baden which was just AMAZING - I love our lido but this place was just in a different league - more like a water theme park with a HUGE spring water pool and a diving pool, various other pools for different ages.

Very sad to hear about the cafe and a bit pissed off too really. But I guess I'll save some money by bringing picnics instead.

 

[RubyToogood]

I'm still really confused about what the situation actually is with pool users using the cafe. Because there's a sign on the main door of the lido saying that it will be shut from the poolside on busy days, which implies it will be open at other times. Yet it looks firmly blocked off and there is nothing to invite pool users in eg a board saying what's available. I've seen the hut open once only so far.

I've bought nothing from the cafe this year so far except one full evening meal, when in previous years I was getting lots of cups of tea, salads, bits of cake etc, because I could potter in and out with them, without committing to ending my swim.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

I'm still really confused about what the situation actually is with pool users using the cafe. Because there's a sign on the main door of the lido saying that it will be shut from the poolside on busy days, which implies it will be open at other times. Yet it looks firmly blocked off and there is nothing to invite pool users in eg a board saying what's available. I've seen the hut open once only so far.

I've bought nothing from the cafe this year so far except one full evening meal, when in previous years I was getting lots of cups of tea, salads, bits of cake etc, because I could potter in and out with them, without committing to ending my swim.

I saw that sign. Says closed to pool users 'from 10am on busy days' and as you say this suggests that it may be open outside of those 'restrictions'.

I would still recommend a rethink to meet to the need of customers wanting both a decent place to eat and wanted to eat and swim.

...perhaps non swimmers offer up enough profit for the owners, therefore it's not in their interest to extend their efforts to meet pool user's wants/needs.

 

[RubyToogood]

The problem I think partly is that they only really got set up at the end of the summer last year, and they've had the whole winter with no swimming customers to get into a routine (and find a business model that worked while the pool was shut). Now the swimmers have arrived and they don't know what to do with them.

Why the lido management should support this model I'm not sure.

 

[Tricky Skills]

The problem I think partly is that they only really got set up at the end of the summer last year, and they've had the whole winter with no swimming customers to get into a routine (and find a business model that worked while the pool was shut). Now the swimmers have arrived and they don't know what to do with them.

I think Ruby has summed up the situation perfectly. I wished Daniel and Duncan well after my final swim last October, and was hopeful that they could find a business model to see them through those lean, harsh winter months. They have hit the ground running, and after a highly successful winter, from a business point of view, you can see why they are sticking with what works.

I really do miss being able to wander in and out of the cafe during the day, buying endless cups of tea. I really hope a workable solution can be found. There is a strong feeling within the lido community of one step forward, two steps back.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

Good swim this morning in my wet suit (training for thames swim) - well done brave people who just go it in a swim suit!

 

[hendo]

I think Ruby has summed up the situation perfectly. I wished Daniel and Duncan well after my final swim last October, and was hopeful that they could find a business model to see them through those lean, harsh winter months. They have hit the ground running, and after a highly successful winter, from a business point of view, you can see why they are sticking with what works.

I really do miss being able to wander in and out of the cafe during the day, buying endless cups of tea. I really hope a workable solution can be found. There is a strong feeling within the lido community of one step forward, two steps back.

I hate posters who say 'this' but I'm one of them now. 'This'.

 

[gaijingirl]

Finally got my first swim in due to being away up until now. It was a positively balmy 19.8 degrees....... lovely. Not great weather today but at one point the sun broke through and created that lovely dappled effect on the floor of the pool. Wonderful.

I did feel a bit pissed off about the cafe though.... could see people eating/drinking there and my in-laws were in there looking after my daughter. It felt very weird to have that there but not be able to just wander over/in.

 

[RubyToogood]

I tried to go for a swim this evening and the pool was closed for maintenance. I recommend phoning ahead if going tomorrow.

 

[Tricky Skills]

Mmm - I wonder if this is anything to do with the water? In an attempt to try and stave off the algae (and subsequent midge) attack of last summer, extra chemicals have been pumped into the pool over the past few days. The water is incredibly cloudy, and rather irritable to the skin.

It's a delicate balancing act - having a fresh water, clear blue pool that is subject to algae, or a chlorine heavy swim.

 

[gaijingirl]

I noticed that the floor was still a bit murky green in some places. Didn't find it too heavily chlorinated though...

 

[Nanker Phelge]

I tried to go for a swim this evening and the pool was closed for maintenance. I recommend phoning ahead if going tomorrow.

Probably infected with smug from all the smug-a-lugs using the cafe....

We popped in this morning for a quick drink, waited in the queue for ages behind one customer giving her order to some slowcoach thicko, as she finised delivering her list of meals some yummy mummy jumped in from behind us with 'Patrick, patrick, I had to pass my free Rose over to someone else, could you fix me another please.....' only for the cunt serving to start making a free drink for his knobby posh twat friend....

....we left. They can fuck off.

Luckily, Miss-Shelf is a good leveller of my mood because I was on the edge of eating his head!

Dunno if he was called Patrick, but he was a skinny little pale bloke with a weirdy wispy beard and he looked a bit patricky about the gills.

Anyway.

I will be heading for a swim tomorrow AM and I will cast a fart towards the cafe...