East Lancashire Railway: Lancastrian Lunch Review: September 2018
East Lancashire Railway has a rich historic industrial past, with story’s telling of the heart-warming heroic struggles, both past and present, to keep a dying part of Britain’s railway heritage alive.
Due to innovations and advancements in technology, this has resulted in a drastic decline of the traditional railways, and why the East Lancashire Railway along with their budding team of enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers, strive to keep Britain’s Railway legacy living on for future generations to experience.
Step on the platform and enter a bygone era of transportation and travel, feel like you have stepped back in time, to experience Britain’s booming rail era empire.
Dine with distinction and sophistication, by opting for one of their on board dining services such as the Red Rose Dinner or as we did the lovely Lancastrian Lunch.
Roll out the red carpet, step on board their traditional Orient Express Pullman style carriages, as the team prepare for your arrival, with the dining manager and your personal waiter making their introductions, to provide you with the ultimate first-class elegant experience.
Feel the 1920s glamour and grandeur, within vintage dining trains, with opulent upholstery, fully complete with the bells and whistles, including clean and crisp fresh white table linen along with the best in bespoke dinnerware’s.
Prepare for departure, waive bye to the people on the platform, as the staff salute, and the steam engine begins motions to get you away on your exciting and exquisite journey back to the Golden Age of Steam.
Beginnings start with a classy champagne toast or for the non-drinkers amongst us, a fabulous flute of fresh orange juice. Steam engines all go, soak up the sounds, atmosphere and enjoy the picturesque and lovely Lancashire countryside and beautiful Irwell Valley.
Silver service, four course gorgeous gastronomic dining with their sensational signature service, style and flare, the lovely Lancastrian lunch was a lovely way to spend a few hours of our day.
Food is seasonal, quality and where possible locally sourced. Sensational starters included the Smoked Salmon Beetroot Gradvadlax Terrine with a crisp summer salad and the vegetarian offering of the tasty Three Bean Salad with Seeds and a Balsamic Glaze.
Sit back and enjoy the fantastic food, as you look on at what railway life has to offer, see signals and many a happy worker waiving, as you head off on your journey.
Mouth-watering marvellous mains included the Honey Roasted Duck Breast with sauce l’orange and the Vegetarian choice a brilliant Beetroot, Butternut Squash and Brie Pativier on a Bed of Rocket with Spiced Beetroot Puree all served with fresh vegetables and potatoes.
Steam through stations, and you will witness many rail enthusiasts, taking their moment to snap a pic or two of the sensational steam giants.
The beautiful Baked Wild Blueberry Cheesecake desert with fresh cream was just stunning and how the team manage to produce this first-class high-quality nosh on board a moving train is beyond me. It’s no wonder why they have received TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence for outstanding customer reviews and the prestigious Taste Lancashire award.
All washed down with complimentary tea, coffee and a delicious dining with distinction chocolate.
Rawtenstall was the end of the line, so the super steam train makes that all important pitstop and provides passengers on board the chance to stretch their legs and also watch the exciting and entertaining action, as the train prepares to be pulled onward back to Bury.
The noise and sounds of the railway are all part of the trains movements and safety, but for me are an immersive, unique moment to saviour and a special part of being aboard such a magnificent train.
Arrival back at Bury, the train slowing down to a stop, allows a moment to reflect on an outstanding, opulent, elegant and sophisticated dining experience.
Prior to departure, the train showcases one last all mighty puff of super steam and one thing that you can guarantee is that taking part in this experience your money has not gone up in smoke, as the experience provides memories that will last a lifetime.
Thank you for reading 😊
Melanie xx
Contact:
http://www.diningwithdistinction.co.uk/experiences/lancastrian-lunch.aspx
Oh wow this looks beautiful and the food looks like a real treat! The perfect surroundings for a special occasion 🙂
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It was amazing and a lovely treat. Perfect for a special occasion 🙂 x
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What a lovely experience I have always wanted to have lunch on a dining carriage on a train like this!
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Ooo sounds like this is one for you! You should deffo treat yourself x
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Wow this looks realy fun, and the food looks yummie… Maybe something to put on my bucketlist. Thank you
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Deffo pop on the bucketlist, but make sure you get to tick this off 🙂 x
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I love the nostalgia of the railway. What a treasure. Prior to reading this I never knew this existed. Looks like it’s really well taken care of as well.
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Me too, super important part of our history. Glad you now know, as well worth a visit x
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This looks like great fun and the food looks yummy! I love going on heritage railways, particularly if they have steam trains!
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The steam is an amazing part of the experience and the food was fab!! 🙂 x
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This sounds like such a lovely and luxurious lunch! I would love an experience like this!
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You should deffo make a booking, it was super special and I highly recommend x
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What a wonderful way to preserve the rich history of the railroads. My son would love to see all of these trains!
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I totally agree with you. Aw this would make the perfect mother and son day out x
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This looks like an amazing place to go and visit! How amazing to get to go and visit and take a meal – I would love to do something like this myself.
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I can see why you would, it was a very unique and special activity x
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This looks amazing – what an absolute treat to visit here. The food looks delicious too! Kaz
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The food was well tasty and yes you are spot on it was amazing 🙂 x
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That sure looked like an awesome experience! You get to enjoy good food, good wine and enjoy the scenery too – while riding a train!
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I could not have put it better myself – it was awesome x
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Oh I SO want to do this!! What an amazing experience and so much fun!
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I can see WHY!!! We had a fab fun filled time and created brilliant memories x
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This looks great, I’m jealous. We went last year for one of the Thomas the Tank Engine events and we both commented how we would love to come for our lunch just the two of us. Lucas would love the Golden Arrow
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Ooo I have seen Thomas the Tank too – childhood dream lol. Aw I am sure you and Lucus would love this, as a day out – you should treat yourself and Lucas for sure x
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What an amazing experience. The food looks amazing! This is such a great way to preserve our rail history and make it appeal to new people.
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It was just wonderful and a very amazing adventure x
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This looks like so much fun! My boys both love trains, they would have a blast on something like this!
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Aw this would make for a great family steam train adventure out and about x
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Your photos are always so pretty! And this looks like such a fun way to dine. And yum – cheesecake!!
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Thank you so much, glad that you love my piccys! Very fab fun way to dine. The cheesecake was pure heaven x
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Wow! I have always loved concept restaurants and this one is particularly so cool! I would love to experience something like this one day.
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You should deffo give this a whirl hun, well worth it 🙂 x
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I work on the railways so this is right up my street. Pullman dining cars are so luxurious! I highly recommend travelling on the Business Class service from Cardiff to North Wales – you get a three course meal cooked by a chef on the train. It’s just a regular train and you pay about £20 for the meal upgrade.
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Ooo how exciting – lucky you Gemma! They are indeed and this one was first class. that sounds like a great experience too, I will have to check that out – thanks for the tip x
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What a wonderful experience! How awesome to step back in time and enjoy a delicious lunch while riding trough beautiful scenery. The cheesecake must have been very good!
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You are spot on and yes it was truly wonderful – A perfect day out x
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What a lovely review. The food looks yummy.
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Thank you so much, we had a fab day out x
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This looks like such a fun experience! What’s not to like with good food paired with good scenery? The potatoes served alongside the main look especially delicious!
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Haha deffo hear you on that one! OMG the potatoes were lush!! 🙂 x
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Wow I don’tknow What looks better, food or the view. I would love to try this place out!
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I can see what you mean, best bit about this, you don’t need top choose, you can have both x
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This sounds like an incredible experience and a unique way to enjoy lunch. The food looks delicious and it’s so green!
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The food was on point and the green scenery just added to the amazing atmosphere x
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What an awesome experience! I’ve always seen this stuff in movies. Your review makes me wanna book at East Lancashire Railway!
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It is very movie focused, a very special trip. Aw so glad my review has inspired you to book – have fun x
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Thanks for sharing that beautiful experience with us. The pictures look amazing.
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My pleasure and so glad that you like the piccys x
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The food sounds amazing! And what a way to eat it – lovely experience 🙂
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It was the perfect way to eat – first class all the way x
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Wow, what an awesome treat, I would love to do something like this – looks dead posh! The duck main sounds to die for!
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Haha it was posh, but not pretentious, which was great. My plus one loved the duck x
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Wow this look lovely, really glamorous. I love the idea of eating on a train and the food looks stunning
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It was a very gorgeous and glam experience and makes for a lovely day out x
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It feels so magical, almost like your off to hog warts and the dinner is the take on the trolley but much more sophisticated. The duck breast sounds divine and finishing off with blueberry in the beautiful countryside sounds idyllic
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Deffo yes, I totally agree with you, very Hogwarts. My plus one loved the duck breast and the cheesecake and countryside were both beautiful x
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OMG, this would be a dream for me! I love historic railways! How gorgeous do those stations look.
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I know me too, I feel very lucky to have taken part in the experience. You should deffo treat yourself to a trip x
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It’s almost like traveling back in time when the railway was a typical method of transportation! SO COOL! Your photos are awesome. It’s like I’m sitting there looking at all the cool things myself! Well done! Thanks for sharing.
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Totally cool and yes very true. Thank you so much, really great feedback for my piccys! My pleasure and you should deffo visit, as I am sure you will love the East Lancashire Railway x
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This looks so beautiful. It looks like an all around fun experience with history, food, and a ride. The pictures look like something out of a movie.
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THANK YOU so much!! Really glad that you love my piccys. Yes, it was beautiful and well worth checking out x
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What an amazing experience it would have been. The pics are amazing. What an amazing way to get the nostalgia of trains. Thanks for sharing.!!
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It was unforgettable, we had an amazing time and memories for life x
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Looks like an amazing experience! Lots of nostalgia and learning. The tea and cake look fabulous
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I completely agree with you Melissa, it was very nostalgic x
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We are huge steam trains fans so I’d love to arrange for us to have a dining experience: the food looks amazing!
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Yay, we are massive fans too, I am sure you would love this and yes you should deffo treat yourself to a dining experience – have fun x
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I loved reading this and now I also want to dine in a vintage train!! What a lovely and especial experience!
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Thank you so much, really glad this was a good read, as the experience was super special x
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This looks like it would be such an amazing experience. There looks like there was so much good food to enjoy.
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It was and yes the food was just mouthwatering – so so good x
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This looks like an amazing day out. We can have fine dining on a train at Swanage but it stays in the station. Would love to watch the scenery go by as i eat
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That sounds fab, but yes a moving train is fab too. Well worth a trip to Bury for 🙂 x
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Love the vintage dining trains! It is definitely something I’d love to do in my lifetime, to eat on a dining train and enjoy the scenery! I enjoyed your pictures.
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Same here and you should deffo do this, as I am sure you will have a lovely time. a treat from you to you perhaps. Thank you so much for the fab photo feedback too – much appreciated x
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This looks amazing, we have something similar in Yorkshire travelling up to Haworth on the steam trains. The dining experience sounds incredibke
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Oh wow that sounds great. It was incredible and well worth the trip to Bury for x
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That sounds like wonderful journey would love to experience it
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It was and is well worth a whirl – we had a fab day out x
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What a wonderful place for lunch! I love the look of that wild blueberry cheesecake in particular, yum!
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It was a lovely lunch – very unique and just outstanding x
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This looks like such a fun day out! And tasty too 😉
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Haha it was deffo a very tasty day out lol x
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What a fun idea! The train, the food, and the scenery along the way all look amazing. This would be a neat and different idea for a special occasion, too.
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Very fun, fabulous and unique. Yes the scenery along with the food was brilliant x
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I’m so glad I stumbled on this post. My father is a big train fan and with his birthday upcoming this seems like a great idea. Love the idea of food too! Yum 🙂
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Aw I am glad you found it too Hannah, your father will love this and the food too of course!! What a lovely experience to gift him, I am sure he will appreciate it x
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I Love the vintage dining trains! It is definitely something I’d love to try., Watching the scenery from a dining train would be wonderful!
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Me too, a big fan right here! You should deffo treat yourself Dennis, as it was wonderful x
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What an adorable place for a lunch date! Even the wee red carpet onto the train – super fun!
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OMG yes – lunch date of the year haha x
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That sounds like a different, yet fascinating way to dine. I love old steam engines so I’m sure I’d enjoy this experience!
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It was amazing and a very special experience x
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