What a glorious way to travel. Sit back, enjoy good food, fine service, and watch the breathtaking countryside pass by. I have always loved travelling by rail, and have been lucky enough to take trips on such iconic trains as the Danube Express and India's Palace on Wheels - yes, I know all about luxury travel. So when First Great Western asked me to experience its First Class service from London Paddington to Exeter and back, I was intrigued; the main reason being that I was asked to tell the truth: this, possibly the most famous name in British railway history, wasn't interested in ‘advertorials', instead it wanted an honest report of what I thought.

It was a little after 10.00am when I stepped onto the train. I was taking the journey with my colleague, Laura, a well-travelled lady who knows a thing or two about quality travel herself; we were not an easy ‘audience'! First impressions, though, were good: the train was spotlessly clean, with comfortable seating and extremely pleasant and attentive staff.

Of course, of particular interest was the food and drink, and on the outward journey to Exeter we were to sample ‘Travelling Chef', which, available on selected high speed trains, offered a range of baguettes, breakfast platters, light meals and deli sandwiches. Moreover, orders were taken and meals delivered by customer hosts, who immediately impressed us with their friendly and knowledgeable approach.

Both Laura and I went for a breakfast platter; one traditional and one vegetarian. When they arrived around 15 minutes after ordering we were shocked ... and delighted! We were both very hungry and the meals placed in front of us would fill up even the most famished traveller: two eggs, halloumi cheese, mushroom, tomato, baked beans and a slice of toast made up the vegetarian breakfast platter, and there was lots of it. I mention the vegetarian option first because, for me, it clearly illustrated how much thought had been put into the offering by the First Great Western chefs. All vegetarians out there will be all too aware that ‘veggie sausages' are the default ingredient on most breakfasts. However, here we had halloumi cheese, which worked wonderfully and was genuinely vegetarian, not simply ‘fake' meat.

For carnivores, the traditional breakfast, consisting of bacon, sausage, egg, tomato, mushroom, baked beans and a slice of toast, was equally as impressive, and by the time we had finished we both felt fully satiated. In fact, our only concern was that once we reached Exeter we had only a 40-minute wait before returning to London Paddington on First Great Western's Pullman service ... where we would enjoy lunch! Did they have a gym at Exeter Station, we wondered?

Before we reached Exeter, an intimate city brimming with character and steeped in more than 2000 years of history, I decided to take a stroll through the train in order to find Express Café, which is now available on most of First Great Western's high speed services. Ideal for customers who just want a snack or drink, I found the menu to be quite comprehensive, including everything from sandwiches to cakes, tea and coffee to beer: in fact, something for everyone.

I returned to my seat and informed Laura that Express Café seemed to be as good as First Great Western claim, which brought a wry smile, as she is more than aware of my propensity for finding fault with large companies! Still, credit where credit's due, I thought; my day had started in Staffordshire at 5.00am and took in a train journey from Birmingham to London Euston, before crossing via underground to catch the First Great Western train bound for the West Country. I could well have felt a little frazzled by the time I arrived at Exeter, and the biggest compliment I can pay First Great Western is that I wasn't - I felt relaxed and refreshed ... and well fed.

Luxury, Comfort and Glamour
Rail travel is safe, reliable, comfortable, and environmentally friendly. However, where was the glamour I was told once existed? My grandfather was a train driver and had worked on some pretty famous engines, including the Flying Scotsman, so I knew a fair bit about the ‘old days' and how modern travel ‘just wasn't the same'. I must admit, I tend to agree, having lived through and experienced an era where aircraft, cruise ships and, yes, trains, have all become rather bland. Yet I had enjoyed my journey down to Exeter, and the thought of travelling back to London enjoying First Great Western's Pullman Dining experience had me rather excited.

As I boarded the train at Exeter, I was ready to step back in time to an age of luxury, comfort and glamour - at least that was the dream, but what would I really find?

The answer shocked me to the core: it really was like stepping back into an age of luxury, comfort and glamour ... it wasn't just marketing hype, this was the real thing. I was genuinely thrilled!

Pullman Dining, of course, is synonymous with traditional on-board restaurant dining and impeccable service. Everything has to be right, and from the moment Laura and I were shown to our table the whole experience just couldn't be faulted. Okay, I know this is now beginning to sound like an advertorial, so let me explain.

First of all, I have to mention the service, which is the finest I have experienced on any train anywhere in the world. The staff, or ‘customer hosts' as First Great Western call them, were exceptional; they were professional, knowledgeable, and extremely friendly. And the friendliness hadn't been taught in a classroom - when I eventually got off the train I felt I genuinely knew and liked these people. It wasn't just me that felt this way either; Laura felt the same way, as did our two dining companions.

Indeed, we were lucky enough to find ourselves sitting opposite two regular users of this service. For the sake of this story, we shall call them Mrs. Jones and Mr. Smith, who, both travelling separately, had fascinating stories to tell about their experiences on First Great Western.

Mrs. Jones had joined the train in Penzance, a journey she had been taking for over 30 years. "This is a wonderful way to travel," she explained, "the food is always of a high standard and the wine selection is far better than perhaps one should expect on a train." It turns out that Mrs. Jones occasionally lectures on wine and her knowledge of the subject was comprehensive - I could have talked to her for hours!

Mr. Smith had also been travelling from the West Country to London on the Pullman service for many years, and had an excellent relationship with the customer hosts. In fact, for lunch, he was originally going for the fish pie (large chunks of haddock and salmon in a white sauce, covered with a smooth herby mashed potato and baked till golden), but eventually went for the fillet steak because he suffered from a nut allergy and the chef could not guarantee there were no traces of nuts in his first choice. What really impressed me, though, is that the customer hosts already seemed to know about this gentleman's allergy and were advising other options.

When the steak came, Mr. Smith commented: "This is excellent, it really is. Cooked exactly the way I requested and so tender. It really is beautiful." He went on to explain how First Great Western tends to use local producers (and only fresh GM-free ingredients) wherever possible, and he knew of the butcher who supplied the meat - it was almost superb.

With two very entertaining dining companions and wonderful service, this was turning into an extremely enjoyable trip: what would my lunch be like? Being a vegetarian, I ordered the gorgonzola and walnut tortellini and, also being something of an Italiophile, was ready with my critic's hat on. But, and I hope I'm not becoming too repetitive, it was excellent, as was Laura's fillet steak, although after the amazing breakfasts we had with Travelling Chef on the way down, both of us were worried that buttons might soon begin to pop!

This explains why neither of us felt we could tackle a starter (carrot & coriander soup or fresh sardine on beetroot julienne) or a dessert (chocolate brioche bread & butter pudding or cheese & biscuits), although Mrs. Jones put in a particularly glowing report concerning the cheese & biscuits, which, she was delighted say, included cheese from Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.

Following the meal, the chef appeared to ask if we had enjoyed our lunch. The answer was a resounding ‘yes'!

I feel I must make one more comment as regards the customer hosts. There is, as they say, always one, and on this train there was a very unpleasant customer. The way he was handled, though, was very, very impressive, with charm, wit and professionalism. You can't stay unpleasant for long with charisma like that: and that's what it was, charisma.

I did suggest that was the last comment about the customer hosts, but there is just one more thing. Upon leaving the train at London Paddington the entire team was on the platform thanking us for travelling with First Great Western and wishing us a pleasant day. I'd certainly never experienced that on a British train before.

Experience truly panoramic views, super attentive service and exquisite gourmet meals prepared from regional produce by highly skilled chefs. It's no exaggeration to say that travelling as a First Great Western customer is as good as it gets!