A well-known journalist and blogger was shocked by the cost of a disposable fork on an Intercity train.
25 February 11:03
During a trip to Poltava, well-known journalist and food show host Kostyantyn Hrubych noticed the high cost of disposable tableware in the Intercity train buffet. He was asked to pay 20 hryvnia for a plastic fork, writes "Komersant Ukrainian".
“20 hryvnia!” the journalist commented on his Facebook page, emphasizing that such an increase in price is not only unpredictable but also “open robbery” by the Ray company, which won the tender for catering on high-speed electric trains.
The journalist could not resist commenting on the menu in the buffet.
According to him, the food in the buffet does not meet quality standards, and the prices are inflated.
When asked for official documents confirming the legality of the pricing, the journalist received a buffet price list without a stamp.
As is known, ray AB cafe began feeding Ukrzaliznytsia passengers on June 1, 2024, replacing WOG Cafe.
As reported by the carrier’s press service, this was supposed to be a “new page” in onboard catering on Ukrzaliznytsia’s high-speed trains.
“Welcome aboard ray AB cafe – the winner of a transparent competition held by the railway company, which is ready to treat you to delicacies on the go starting June 1!” the statement said.
As a number of Ukrainian business publications wrote at the time, in April 2024, Ukrzaliznytsia selected a company at auction to organize catering for passengers on Intercity trains.
The winner of the tender for the provision of services in the SmartTender system was Pontem.UA LLC. The agreement is valid for 5 years, until 2029 inclusive.
It is also known that Pontem.UA is an international company that has been operating in the Ukrainian market for the last decade and has experience in organizing children’s catering and airline catering.
According to YouControl, the founder of Pontem.UA LLC is the Lithuanian company Baltijos paslaugų grupė, and its beneficiary is Irmantas Norkus. The company provides catering services in schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and public and private enterprises.
