Pumpkin Cafe - Maldon

If you want a drinkable coffee go to platform 3 to Costa Pumpkin cafe possibly the worst tasting coffee I've had the misfortune to taste!!

I had a bad experience this morning when I tried to use a coffee card which I had saved the stamps on and claim my free coffee. The women made me feel really uncomfortable using it, told me I couldn’t use it because it’s as the old style card, even though I had saved all the stamp.. I just hadn’t been to this coffee shop for a while. She kept frowning at me and the whole situation made me feel like I was doing something wrong, quite upsetting. With a lot of sighing she gave me the coffee but I won’t be going back.

Welcome drink and snacks on a Sunday morning waiting for a train, this was the only refreshment place open at the station. The coffees were ok, service quite quick, and muffins a little on the dry side but still very eatable.

Visited for the first time on Wednesday 7th June at around 3:15pm and from working in a high standard cafe I know most of what is expected regarding customer care etc. However the man serving us clearly didn 't. We chose our food and a snack for the train journey and could see him picking up drinks and putting them on the side so he 'd surely be able to hear us talking and maybe actually ask if we needed anything. Instead he ignored us for five mins, came to the till, no hello how are you today or sorry for the wait , and just said that 'll be (for example) £5.50. Without even asking us if we would like anything else so I mentioned that I would like a coffee. (The main reason I entered the cafe) In my place of work one basic rule is up selling and apart from hello, how are you the first question is can we get you any coffee, tea or hot chocolate. So you 'd surely of thought he would ask if we would like something as simple as a coffee (keeping in mind this is colchester train station). After grudgingly making a coffee from left over milk from the last customer (there was no one there before we walked in so who knows how long that was sitting there for) he grunted the amount and moved on to the next customer. All this and he never once made eye contact with a single customer. Also on the way in we noticed a help wanted sign on the door. Should probably be changed to Help needed SOS . This man needs to be taught basic customer care and manners. 1. Make eye contact and smile 2. Say Hello, how are you today ? 3. Offer a hot drink. I.e. Coffee. 4. Up sell items such as muffins 5. Say Can I get anything else for you today? If yes then do that next. 6. Explain where the sugar etc is. I had no idea. Turns out it 's on the other side of the room. 7. If that 'sall then politely say the amount and let them pay. If I could score it lower I would. My suggestion to customers there 's a smaller, Grab 'n ' Go, version of this cafe half way up near platform 3. Go there instead. They actually smile.

A good spot to watch TV in the warm on a comfy seat while waiting for your delayed train. Prices are high but it is worth taking your hot drink from Pumpkin onto the train rather than paying the even steeper on board price for the same item.