BY NUMBERS
Rolling Restaurant
With limited space and uncompromising standards, the food and beverage service aboard Journey Beyond’s iconic trains isn’t just a remarkable experience for guests: it’s a masterclass in planning and preparation.
WORDS Shaney Hudson
Delivering a five-star dining experience in extreme temperatures, remote landscapes, and a rocking galley is no easy feat. While guests aboard one of Journey Beyond’s three iconic train routes – The Ghan, Indian Pacific or Great Southern – might savour grilled saltwater barramundi or duck breast with Kakadu plum glaze, the journey to delivering these meals begins months in advance when the team starts meticulously planning the menu. “The dishes are inspired greatly by the journey and by the place,” says Malcolm Bendrau, Head of Food and Beverage for Journey Beyond Rail.
“There are multiple native ingredients used, as well as proteins from the area passengers are experiencing in person.”
For example, on the Indian Pacific, you start with an appetiser of Cambinata Yabby from Western Australia, served with apple, cured cucumber and horseradish. On The Ghan, guests dine on an entrée of crocodile dumplings with beach succulents, Asian savoy cabbage salad, and a gochujang anise myrtle dressing.
After inspiration comes logistics – it’s not easy to provision a train for a fine-dining experience. It’s a meticulous process that begins with each menu item being discussed, trialled, selected and broken down by ingredient.
With all trains calling in at Adelaide (Tarntanya), the city remains at the heart of Journey Beyond’s food operation. With a two-week lead time for orders, produce is received in the warehouse, then ingredients are placed in individual storage containers under the correct temperature holding, and packed into sections for transport on carts. These are taken to the appropriate railway platform to provision their train. Of course, the biggest challenge is space – not just to store ingredients but also to prepare, cook, plate, and serve the dishes while operating in a dynamic, moving environment. The remedy is experience: Chefs new to the team undergo a rigorous three-day induction before being paired with a senior mentor and placed on a ‘buddy trip’. “This is a phenomenal experience for any chef joining our team as they have a senior and very experienced chef with them for seven days showing them everything they need to know and giving them a solid foundation in terms of what life looks like for a chef on train,” says Bendrau.
However, no matter how precise the planning or how good the training, sometimes things don’t go according to plan. For example, when a freight train derailment occurred further up the line, one of the trains was delayed for 48 hours. At this point, Journey Beyond Rail’s team of chefs swung into action. “Every contingency has been planned for,” says Bendrau. “Our Senior Chef on board Russell Seymour wasted no time in sourcing locally produced produce and proteins and created two full days of new menus from breakfast to dinner. “The chef team worked tirelessly to ensure the guests enjoyed their extra time on the train and were not impacted at all, regardless of the delay and disruption.” And in the ever-moving world of rail travel, that’s the secret: having the right people in the kitchen to put the right meal on the plate.
SEAMLESS SERVICE BY NUMBERS…
Plates of food served on-train each week,
Bottles of Champagne Bollinger popped each year.
Eggs cracked and cooked each year.
Kilograms of coffee beans grinded each year.
Different ingredients sourced each year.
Litres of ice cream served each year.