Inside: Butlin’s Premium Dining Plan Overview & Review. Press visit.
When you go on holiday you want to be able to completely switch off from normal life and relax, don’t you? This means not having to run errands, do housework or make meals for the family, right?
We recently had a long weekend at Butlin’s Minehead and had an amazing time.
The Premium Dining plan from Butlin’s is one of 3 plans available and gives you access to two of their restaurants. Each day you can head to either The Deck or The Yacht Club for breakfast and for your evening meal.
There is so much choice and everything is delicious – definitely worth paying extra so you don’t have to worry about cooking!
The Premium Dining plan is available at all 3 Butlin’s resorts but for the purpose of this review I will be talking about our experience at Minehead.
What is a Dining plan?
Butlin’s has lots of options available when it comes to eating on site and it is entirely up to you what you do – choosing what suits your budget and your needs.
Many accommodation options include a kitchen area and so you may wish to bring your own food and cook your own meals.
Or, you may wish to take advantage of their various restaurants on site to be treated to table service each evening.
The Beachcomber Inn offers you breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or you can treat yourself to some Fish n Chips and go sit by the beach.
Take a look at the different restaurants and options here.
If you want to have more flexibility, with something on offer to please different tastes, then a dining plan is a great option. Butlin’s offers a Dinearound, Premium Dining, and Food Court Dining plans.
You can find out more about their dining packages on their website but essentially…
Dinearound offers you breakfast and then a choice of a 2 course meal for lunch or dinner each day.
You also get a complimentary alcoholic drink or soft drink with your meal.
Premium Dining offers you an all-you-can-eat breakfast and dinner each day.
Lots of different options at both meals times as well as unlimited refills on soft drinks and hot drinks.
Food court Dining is the same as Premium dining with a little less choice on offer (no themed nights or live cooking stations).
The Premium Dining plan
If you add the Premium Dining plan on to your booking then you will get breakfast and dinner included throughout your stay.
You can choose to eat in either The Deck restaurant or The Yacht Club restaurant – both buffet style restaurants and similar in offerings.
We found that The Deck had more choice on the whole but as a result was much busier. If you want comfier seats and a more chilled vibe, then The Yacht Club would be a better choice.
Your plan is linked to your booking and so when you head to the restaurants you need to have your room key with you for them to scan and log your visit for the day.
You don’t need to eat all together, simply tell them how many are in your party at the time and they will only log those meals as being taken.
The remainder of your party can then claim theirs at a later time if needs be. We always ate together so they simply logged the 5 of us in at once.
As you enter the restaurant you will notice various stations. It is well worth having a wander around on the first time you visit so you can get your bearings as often the themes are similar over the course of your stay.
Once you know what is on offer, take a tray and head to a station to help yourself to whatever you fancy.
Some of the stations will have a chef who will prepare something there in front of you – these live stations vary day to day.
Once you have your food you can head to a table. Drinks are a help yourself system too, with unlimited tea and coffee and cold drinks available.
What is included for breakfast?
Breakfast tends to follow the same pattern for each day, with most stations being used to offer the various items for a cooked breakfast (Pork and vegetarian sausages, bacon, hash browns, scambled eggs, fried eggs, baked beans, mushrooms, black pudding).
We never have cooked breakfasts at home so I went for this option every day and each time it was delicious.
If you prefer a lighter option then there is fresh fruit on offer each day as well as porridge, cereals, yoghurts and a selection of Danish pastries.
You’ll also find a live cooking station with a chef ready to prepare fresh pancakes for you. Drizzle them with syrup and you’re ready to go!
What is included for dinner?
There is lots of choice every evening and you can have as much or as little as you’d like with it being self-service.
The only choice that seems to remain the same each evening is pizza, with everything else changing from day to day.
So if you have someone in the family that prefers to have the same thing each day then that is a steady constant.
There are family favourites such as lasagne, shepherd’s pie and roast dinners on a Sunday.
But if you like to try new things then you’ll also find influences from around the world such as noodles or Tex-Mex wings.
There is always a vegetarian option for your main meal such as spinach and ricotta cannelloni as well as plenty of pasta dishes at the pasta station for the whole family to enjoy.
As well as the hot food, there is a salad bar with everything you need to get your 5 a day.
Of course, dinner wouldn’t be complete without dessert and Butlin’s has you covered.
With cold desserts such as cheesecake and gateauxs, not to mention their ice cream machine, and hot desserts such as their delicious apple pie and custard, there is plenty to get stuck into.
You can take a look at sample menus on their website to get an idea of what to expect.
Is it suitable for kids?
If you have kids then you’ll be glad to know that they have plenty on offer for them too.
Of course they can have anything that is set out in the restaurant, but if they don’t fancy spaghetti bolognaise or a roast dinner then there is always a selection of chicken nuggets, fish fingers or sausages.
On certain days they have low-fat versions of the adult meals too so keep an eye out for those.
They can choose from any dessert they like but more often than not you can see them at the ice cream factory pouring their own swirls of fun and adding sprinkles and sauce on top.
One thing I will say is they need to have a sign saying “Kids Station” as I saw so many adults taking food from that station as they’d assumed that was the first station they had to head to (despite it being child-height).
As well as the children’s menu, there are lots of Ella’s Kitchen pouches on offer for those at the weaning stage.
And if you have a bottle-fed baby they have warming stations for you to prepare the bottles as needed.
Do they have an allergen menu?
Butlin’s have got one of the best allergen menus I have seen, with every single item laid out according to whether it is breakfast or dinner and which counter you will find it on.
You can see at a glance which foods are suitable for vegans or vegetarians and you can click the red ‘i’ icon to bring up the full allergen information for that meal.
They even break down certain elements further so you know which part of a meal to avoid if needed.
Take a look at their allergen menu on their website for more information.
What are the opening times?
There is no need to rush around trying to get to the restaurants at a certain time as you are given a window in which you can turn up.
Breakfast is every day from 8.00am until 10.30am
Evening meals are served between 4.30pm and 7.00pm.
They also place a board outside the restaurant entrance to show you when the busiest times of the day are and when is best to go for a quieter meal.
What is the cost?
As of 2022 the cost of a Premium Dining plan is as follows:
Adult – £29.95
Child 6-14 years – £17.95
Child 2-5 years – £7.50
Under 2s go free
How do I book a dining plan?
At the point of booking your Butlin’s break you will be offered the opportunity to add a dining plan onto your booking.
If you have already booked your break, you can log into your account and click ‘add dining’ to choose your plan.
If you want to have your meals taken care of, without having to worry about cooking at the end of a busy day, then a Dining Plan is a great option.
The Premium Dining package gives you flexibility, lots of options and works out at great value if you compare it to eating out each day.
I never like to cook when I am on holiday and so would definitely recommend a dining plan for your next trip.