Brit Rail pass - meals and drinks

It very much depends on the operator. GWR for example is free drinks & snacks only irrespective of distance (they have an excellent paid-for Pullman dining and a good 1st class lounge at Paddington though). The more commuter routes might not have anything.

The majority of trains in the UK don't have any catering at all available - they are mostly short distance commuter trains. Even on the longer distance routes food service varies depending on the operating company. Foe example Northern Trains have a number of longer distance routes across Northern England but have no catering on any trains.
Overseas visitors are more likely to go on longer distance routes, where catering is more likely to be offered. But, even then, often what is offered at weekends is much less than during the week.
If you were to tell us which trains you will be using we can probably give you a reasonable idea of what to expect.

The one exception to catering on Northern Rail, is the Settle-Carlisle line.
The catering there isn't provided by Northern Rail, but by a local company who promote the line in many different ways. So there is a trolley service between Appleby and either Settle or Skipton on most trains, which sells as much local produce as they can, and super friendly staff.
Very worthy of support. Your money helps to maintain station buildings, which Northern and Network Rail, could not do on a purely commercial basis.
There is no first class on those trains, so it is paid for, but worth supporting them.

LNER offers free food & drink in first class on their trains. We're not talking three course meal. Light entree and dessert as well as hot and cold beverages.

If you're on one long enough, and where they change meal offerings between breakfasyt and all day, you could actually get fed twice as they change crews.

My 2 longest journeys will be Bristol/Darlington on Cross Country - approx 4.5 hours
Wigan/London Avanti West Coast approx 2.5 hours

Thank you all for your help and input.

Cross Country no longer have food cars- it is now served at your seat- this is their web page about their food service- https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/on-board-with-crosscountry/first-class-food-and-drink

On Avanti it is also served at seat on a Wigan to London journey, as that will be a pendolino-
this is their current offering- https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/travel-information/onboard/first-class/first-class-menus

Thank you so much. Very helpful.

Just be aware on busy services where there is supposed to be a food offer, if the trolly can't make it down through the train it will be suspended. Also it is often suspended as a matter of course between busy stations during peak travel times too. For instance TPE will routinely have no trolley service between Huddersfield <> Leeds and sometimes as far as Stalybridge and back. Likewise I have known Cross Country to suspend the the trolly between Leeds and Brum, which is a significant part of the journey of a lot of thier services. LNER and Grand Central have a buffet carriage where in 2nd class one has go get the food, there is a larger range F&B than those with a trolly service, but it is far from unusual for them to run out of items. In all reality it is best to stock up before one gets on the train and will certianly be cheaper too.

I wouldn’t dream of getting on a train in the UK - whatever class I’m travelling in - without a bag of snacks and drinks. Big stations will often have an M&S Simply Food or similar, and the quality, range and price will beat anything you find onboard a train.

never count on train food. Back in the day it was available but the butt of many jokes. As were station canteens.

Virgin used to put out some decent food but alas are no more.

Cross Country have such a small first class area on those tiny noisy trains that you might not get in there even with a first class pass, and what passes for food might not excite you.

Wow, sounds like the food/drink service has gone down since the last time we were over there 4 years ago. I’m a little concerned now with getting a seat in 1st class on Cross Country from Bristol to Darlington. I don’t know the time of the train I’ll be taking yet so don’t know how to go about making a seat reservation with the Brit Rail pass.
Any help appreciated.

There was a food trolley on a recent GWR excursion to Bath, if that matters

Thank you for that information. I will be taking the train from Paddington to Chippenham ( the station just before Bath) on GWR. I think the journey is just over an hour, so not sure what kind of meal service, if any, that I will get.

Yes it has. Apart from maybe the GWR Pullman services, no operator now does a 3 course meal. It is all airline style food now.

When you decide on which train you are taking just visit any railway station and make a reservation for free, rather than paying for one through the Britrail system.

'Normally' you can book a seat by text up to 10 minutes before departure- https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/tickets/ten-minute-reservations .

If I had a choice I would go via London- it is only about 30 minutes slower.

Paddington to Chippenham will be drinks and snacks at seat, at least weekdays.