THE Caledonian Sleeper service has apologised to Prue Leith after she told of her “disaster” journey on the train from London to Edinburgh.
Writing in The Telegraph, the cookery writer described the various hardships she endured alongside her husband while travelling on the service.
The 83-year-old Great British Bake Off judge complained of “narrow bunks” whose ladders were “too painful” to climb in bare feet, which resulted in the “disaster” of her falling and being caught by her husband John.
She took aim at the train’s culinary offerings, describing the “soulless dining car” as “bereft of linen, silver, nice lighting” and “friendly staff” as well as claiming the food “in its plastic tub” bore no relation to what was offered on the menu.
Leith also claimed the process of booking the £800 double cabin was “a nightmare” and described the room’s private shower and toilet as “laughable”. However, a spokesperson for Caledonian Sleeper said that while they were “sorry” she had a bad experience, they would be happy to welcome the pair back.
“We are very happy to receive feedback from all of our guests,” they said.
“We strive to offer our guests a restful and enjoyable travel experience and we carry thousands of happy guests every week.
“The booking facility on our website has recently been updated, the launch of which took place early June 2023.
“However, from our point of view the current, and previous, booking facility are very clear on the makeup of each room type.
“In this case we delivered the room type that the guests had booked.
“We are sorry Prue and John had a bad experience on this occasion, but we’d welcome them both back any time.”
The company also added that food in the dining area is not served on paper or plastic dishes but that it is believed Leith ordered granola, which is served in a pot.
