Review of Cafetorium at WWW Vic.

Just spent a few days at the Working With Wood Show in Victoria and I have numerous opinions about the food that I ate.

I've never wanted to be a food critic before.......but now I do. :D

Thursday: Purchased Mrs Mac's meat pie from cafetorium for 'round $4.00. Looks like has been stored in Bain Marie for far too long and has a burnt crust.

Friday: Very busy. No time for lunch. Retired starving at 1700hrs. Retired from life at 0200hrs...completely unwell. Must've been the last beer I had....:rolleyes:

Saturday: "Supreme Pizza". I guess they called it 'Supreme' as it was as black as Diana Ross... (no - I'm not a racist). Made a fantastic replacement when the ute tyre packed it in. $5.20.

Sunday: C'mon Brendan....go for something healthier! Ham and salad on pita bread. Looks delicious! Costs $6.20 and tastes exorbitant! Yeah - it was OK. But $6???? Puh-lease. :mad:


OK. So I will now stick to selling machines instead of food reviews....:D


BTW - If Wongo ever opens a restaurant - GO! That guy is a great cook! :D

Back to machinery sales now.......:D

Hey Brendan............Next time byo:D

Cheers

Over the years that Jeff's shed's been going one thing you learn is that the Kiosk food is b&%%dy expensive and rubbish. Fortunately being Melbourne based, my good lady cut our lunches but coffees were a major expense, and of course a necessary, very necessary, imperitavely necessary, evil.

There has to be a better way???

The Woodworker.

I've only bought there once, any show since it has been bring your own, or stroll across to the food court at Crown. The shed food is real rubbish, and I have no intention of eating something that is on a par with dog droppings.

John.

Back to my idea of a Ubeaut Forum stand, with a beer fridge and a pancake machine :)
(and Gumby's addition of a stuffed monkey and a big stick!)

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Originally Posted by Stuart.

Back to my idea of a Ubeaut Forum stand, with a beer fridge and a pancake machine :)
(and Gumby's addition of a stuffed monkey and a big stick!)

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I would think Neil and Pauline would really go for the Beer fridge, pancake machine thing provided you guys paid for it and manned it.
As far as a stuffed monkey, we had one! It was named Zed, it had a glazed look all show and it had the personality of a stuffed toy for some reason...... :rolleyes:
As for the big stick, dint need one, there was a big log there already, Christufferer!:o

The Cafetorium is for the brave of heart only, the only use for the "food" is to replace the soles of your shoes you wear out from walking around Jeffs Shed.

I had a nice coffee after I waited in line for 30 minutes, expensive though.

I grabbed KFC on the way home.

Al :)

As John said, a stroll across to Crown reveals a more rewarding menu at more realistic prices, even jump on a tram and go for a pub lunch in the city, cheaper again and probably quieter too.
For those who come in from the country, a Zone 1 ticket ($4.40 for memory) will also get you to Lygon St or Sydney Rd and there are some magnificent cheap eateries along there.

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Originally Posted by Iain

For those who come in from the country, a Zone 1 ticket ($4.40 for memory) will also get you to Lygon St or Sydney Rd and there are some magnificent cheap eateries along there.

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But did the country folk come to the city for the wood show or the culinary delites. Rule 1 of a wood show attendee, don't leave until you have run out of money or can't carry anymore. You can eat anytime:D but can't go to a wood show every day.

If yer lugging a heap of heavy and/or costly goodies around with you its even difficult to go across the road to all the good eateries.

I thought they had a secure pick up service.

In Sinney they have Quite a bit of competition from the food vendore at Fox Studios, and the staff will stamp you with a 'passout' if you ask. I'm guessing that someone in Melbourne needs to give the organisers & venue people a bit of a poke - maybe appeal to their pride as Melbournians.

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Originally Posted by bsrlee

In Sinney they have Quite a bit of competition from the food vendore at Fox Studios, and the staff will stamp you with a 'passout' if you ask. I'm guessing that someone in Melbourne needs to give the organisers & venue people a bit of a poke - maybe appeal to their pride as Melbournians.

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Melbourne also offer passouts and if you are parked underneath it is pretty easy to toss your purchases into the boot, head off for lunch if you wish or just go back to the show. I've usually gone to the wood show alone but go to something else most years with three mates, and for years we would toss in the thermos and a few sanga's and head down for a bite at lunchtime. First year at Jeffs shed we tried the food and after that it was a case of never again. The shed runs OK and I have attended seminars in the conference areas at which the food is a reasonable standard, it is only within the exhibition space that you get provided with expensive rubbish.

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Originally Posted by johnc

Melbourne also offer passouts and if you are parked underneath it is pretty easy to toss your purchases into the boot, head off for lunch if you wish or just go back to the show. I've usually gone to the wood show alone but go to something else most years with three mates, and for years we would toss in the thermos and a few sanga's and head down for a bite at lunchtime. First year at Jeffs shed we tried the food and after that it was a case of never again. The shed runs OK and I have attended seminars in the conference areas at which the food is a reasonable standard, it is only within the exhibition space that you get provided with expensive rubbish.

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I won't leave my goodies in a carpark on the back of a ute.

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Originally Posted by Iain

I thought they had a secure pick up service.

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Do they?

Haven't seen that mentioned before.

Bob parcel pick up is usually in the back right hand corner of the exhibition.
To pick up just drive around the back.

Went to The Woodworking Show today in Costa Mesa, California.


As expected, there were less vendors this year than the last Costa Mesa show. Some of the vendors (Battles Hardware) had a smaller booth. The Jet Tools display was between the two buildings. Some how, it seemed that all of their display items had been watered. (???)




SawStop was there and was going to do the hot dog demo. The impression I got was that the guy doing the demo was one of the owners, but... The demo was to be at 11 AM but after walking around for 20-30 minutes after the start of the demo, the guy was still doing his hard sell and still the hot dog was un-nicked. I wanted to use a friend's line about using a finger and not a hot dog but I had my shirt with a vendor logo on so I kept quiet. It was almost noon when I left and still the hot dog was whole.


While I was walking around there were a couple of things that I noticed.
First was a lifting mechanism for sheet goods. (I know, yawn.) This one was unique as it worked on the top of the sheet. It is placed on the top of the sheet, then you stoop down with your fist next to your sholder and elbow pointing at the floor, bend your knees and lift. Actually a new and unique device but I think that it will only do one sheet at a time.


Second was a realization that the show circuit is a really tough market. There were so many items that I noticed that we sell (in the store) for less than the show pricing, every day. Not a lot less, but less. There were other things that were priced a bit lower than in the store but you would have to buy a lot to make up for the entrance fee. (Parking was free.)


Yeah, I did buy. (Sanding belts at 10 for $9.50.) There were some bargans on power tools. (Matabo drill at $50 less, a Delta disk sander at about $20 less than our store prices.) I don't know if the pricing was the Sunday syndrome or not.


I heard that a lady doing a jewelry demo left the booth on Saturday and someone walked off with many of her tools.


I didn't see anything really exciting or new for woodworking. There were 5 woodworking schools represented, two for profit and three government supported public schools. (Free booth space for 3 out of the 5. Kelley(?), Willaim Ng, Palomar CC (Community College), Cerritos CC and one of the California State Universities.) Cerritos CC had the chair on display that won first place at IWF. The ladder guy was there as was a home loan broker.

It seems that the show is becoming more of a manufacturer supported show by using the local distributors. (Might be a tactic to get the distributor to drop the competetion.) The goodies that you didn't know that you needed until you see them are far and few between. Peachree had a slightly smaller than usual booth. Rockler has a usual size booth with the emphasis on getting people to go to the store by using coupons.

In summary, disapointing but not unexpected. The internet has really changed the way business is done.

BTW - I had already posted this on another forum. Is re-posting it here cheating?

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Originally Posted by rrich

BTW - I had already posted this on another forum. Is re-posting it here cheating?

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Not really......but how was the food, rrich?? :p

Expensive?
Edible?

C'mon mate, we need the details......menu, prices, etc

I bet that hot dog at the saw stop 'demonstration' was looking good..:rolleyes:

The only thing worth buying at the Melbourne show was the coffee.

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Originally Posted by Spindleshanks

The only thing worth buying at the Melbourne show was the coffee.

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:eek:
I really don't know where to start with this....

1. Are you talking about the 'Instant' crap that they sold inside the hall, or the better stuff outside?

2. You obviously didn't visit the UBeaut or Felder stand.

Actually, there was quite a few stands that were selling good stuff, personal barrow-pushing and sucking-up-to-admins aside.

Care to embellish your post?

I bought a very nice capuccino at a cafe-like spot at the rear of the hall.

And that was the only thing worth buying..... :confused:

I'm referring to the cafetorium of course. The coffee was ok. Didn't like the look of the food on offer.

Ahhhh.....I understand.

And concur. ;)

Yes coffee was reasonable, had to be really hungry to sample the food (and have access to a handybank to get the necessary folding stuff.)