Wightlink has revealed that it transported 3.8million people across the Solent in 2023, serving up 174,000 slices of toast and going through 163,000 litres of milk! The cross-Solent operator has highlighted what a busy year it was across its 3 routes from Ryde, Fishbourne and Yarmouth. As well as transporting nearly 4million people across its 6 car ferries and 2 passenger catamarans, 894 horses crossed the Solent with Wightlink in 2023 too. The company hasn’t revealed exactly how many vehicles it transported but says that cars, vans, lorries and other vehicles measuring 7,044,830 metres in total were shipped over the course of the year. If parked bumper-to-bumper, they would reach further than the Arctic Circle in Lapland and back again. It’s not just vehicles and people that have to be moved across the Solent… 19.5 million letters, parcels and postcards were carried by the Royal Mail on Wightlink’s services in 2023. Whilst on board passengers consumed 163,598 litres of milk from Briddlesford Farm for teas and coffees, with 184,280 sandwiches and wraps, 88,725 toasties, 34,038 sausage rolls and 57,541 cakes/pasteries purchased from Grace’s Bakery. 174,512 slices of toast were eaten last year alongside 631,214 cups of coffee – using an espresso blend from Island Roasted. Another Island business to benefit from Wightlink’s custom is Wight Crystal, with 219,204 bottles of water sold.
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And to think a while ago we had to fight to keep toast on the menu at all. I think toast should be available on all crossings.
One figure is missing though, how many millions in profit they made, so they will continue to rip us all off. Nice.
You can view their end of fiscal year accounts at Companies House online – which will include their profit and loss account.
What a huge profit on bread alone, they are taking the biscuit.
I personally no longer use the onboard facilities, the day they stopped taking
cash was the day I stopped purchasing.
Too be honest the savings make the Ferry Crossings cheaper, use to spend over
£20 for 3 persons
Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner.
Paul you and me .. I know people who bring bowls of cereal and slices of toast and a flask .. better quality then a paper & cup .. feel sorry for them that are ripped off by the onboard services as well .. sorry .. but it is Wightlink
Absolutely fascinating NOT!!!
It fails to mention how many unhappy customers travelled with empty pockets after being ripped off by the car fares.?
P. S nice to be able to comment again on Island Echo stories after the Christmas break, Happy New Year to you all
Typical press release. Make it light hearted and appear ‘fun’, then like the other person already commented, the extortionate profits might go unnoticed.
Surprised anybody can afford toast after they have paid their fare
Cheaper and cleaner to take own food on board.
Bloody hell how sad …at least not my money one slice when i can get a whole loaf or more..
Whoopy do, one slice of toast per 218 passengers. Maybe if their prices were more reasonable they would sell much more, both for the crossings and the food.
I stopped using them when they stopped accepting cash.
That just sums Wightlink up .. fake customer surveys and poor service ..
Toast is ok(2 slices for cost of one loaf) but can keep cardboard coffee, I threw it away,was disgusting.
Why not include how much alcohol they sold to drivers? Seen so many people putting away can after can then driving off the ferries.
Maybe they can reveal how much of an incompetent bunch of management work at Wightlink and also why they still use Volvo engines despite the fact they suffer so many failures…
Do those numbers include the number of times that the toaster is broken or we have run out of bread
I wish Wightlink would offer the basics: scrub their toilets between crossings. I crossed on their flagship vessel at 07:00 on Christmas Eve, returning on the same vessel Wednesday, 27 Dec, at 16:00 hrs. One of the toilets still had the same skid mark four days later. Furthermore, the white toilets are black.
During both crossings, I reported it to staff and was told Wightlink doesn’t have enough staff to clean the toilets.
How can Wightlink get away with charging customers extortionate prices (up by 50% since 2020) and not offering a sanitised environment or excellent service?
I wonder how much more they would have sold if they didn’t keep cancelling half of their sailings due to ‘a missing staff member’ or whatever else they come up with when they don’t have enough profit on a sailing and cancel it.
174,512, that’s a cool quarter mil £.
You can buy cutlery, a toaster, a loaf, butter and cheese, ham, cokes and throw away whatever you don’t eat on the crossing, and you’d save money.