Wetherspoons

[Spamcan81]

I use the app to order to my table. Rather unsociable, but it's great to find a place to sit and then have staff come to you.

I'm sure staff would prefer not to do it, but they're always friendly and usually pretty quick. No doubt I'm queue jumping and making people at the bar wait longer - sorry!

The trouble with using the app is that the cask ale choice is limited to the regular beers. That usually means it’s the dishwasher they call Ruddles or The equally unpleasant doom bar. That’s why I happily wait at the bar to be served with the beer of my choice.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The trouble with using the app is that the cask ale choice is limited to the regular beers. That usually means it’s the dishwasher they call Ruddles or The equally unpleasant doom bar. That’s why I happily wait at the bar to be served with the beer of my choice.

Really the app is more intended for ordering food and things with food, so a common use-case is to go to the bar, choose your pint, then sit down and order food from the app rather than going back up once you've picked.

I suspect if it ended up getting to the point where everyone was having drinks table service they'd require a food item to be added as well, because it'd be too costly on staff.

 

[IanD]

Really the app is more intended for ordering food and things with food, so a common use-case is to go to the bar, choose your pint, then sit down and order food from the app rather than going back up once you've picked.

Not much use when the food comes with a drink included - which covers all guest ales that aren't listed on the app. As Spamcan81 stated, this makes it useless if you like decent real ale and not fizzy keg/soft drinks/rubbish real ale. It needs a "Guest Ale" option and then a text box to specify which or they could just upload the ale list and make them all available via the app. Neither should be that difficult to achieve.

 

[jon0844]

Not much use when the food comes with a drink included - which covers all guest ales that aren't listed on the app. As Spamcan81 stated, this makes it useless if you like decent real ale and not fizzy keg/soft drinks/rubbish real ale. It needs a "Guest Ale" option and then a text box to specify which or they could just upload the ale list and make them all available via the app. Neither should be that difficult to achieve.

Maybe all these new features are unavailable because we're still in the EU. Only when we leave can Wetherspoons take back control.

 

[Clip]

I'm actually quite surprised people play them these days, even when drunk. Since the jackpots increased, the hit ratio is quite appalling and they suck a fortune before giving a board, let alone a half decent win. The profile is so flat, and the only way to speed up play is to stake £1 a go and that's insane for a pub environment. People used to put the change from a tenner in for fun. Now you'll probably not get change from a tenner, and if you do it may be enough for just 1 or 2 spins!

Always good to go on a sunday if youve a football team playing that weekend as they quite happily pay out and ive had a few jackpots of late. Was down South Norwood the other year before it closed and got the jackpot out 3 of the 4 machines. Was a good end to a weekend

 

[SteveP29]

There’s two ‘spoons in Aberdeen

There's 4 within a walk along Princes Street in Edinburgh and another not far off it.
Picture House on Lothian Road, former cinema and live venue.
Alexander Graham Bell on George Street (round the corner from where he was born), no idea what it was before it was a Wetherspoon
Standing Order on George Street, former bank and yes, take a map to go to the toilets
The Booking Office, at the top of the ramp at Waverley (former all you can eat Chinese restaurant, no idea what it was before then)
The Playfair in the Omni complex, probably their only purpose built place

 

[Bletchleyite]

The Booking Office, at the top of the ramp at Waverley (former all you can eat Chinese restaurant, no idea what it was before then)

I suspect it probably was, in some form, what the name says it was

 

[IanD]

I suspect it probably was, in some form, what the name says it was

According to WhatPub, it used to be the parcels office until c1988.

It's a bit more expensive than the other Edinburgh 'Spoons particularly on drinks but you can still get the burger and pint for less than £8.

 

[Groningen]

Hmm my post about the post of 11 hours was removed. So save my energy about WS.

 

[DanDaDriver]

To be fair, you could have just experienced one exploitative manager who runs their business unethically. I work for a company that gets a lot of awards for looking after its staff, but I still have to hear grievances put in against a specific manager where I think 'WTF.'

I get your point, but I didn’t.

Management don’t set the pay and conditions. They were and presumably still are very heavily managed from above.

 

[Iskra]

I get your point, but I didn’t.

Management don’t set the pay and conditions. They were and presumably still are very heavily managed from above.

Fair enough. Disappointing to hear that.

 

[HLE]

The wetherspoons where I live (Ashby De La Zouch) was, allegedly the most expensive one in the country. Apparently even Mr Witherspoon himself turned up to see what his money was being spent on.
The Shoulder of Mutton in its old disguise wasn’t a bad pub but since it changed to an outfit that sells cheap beer & cheap food I tend to stay away from it. When it was rebuilt it was clean & tidy but know it’s gone downhill & the family only use it as a last resort.
Defo not a place to enjoy a nice beer in on a Friday night

Went in there for a breakfast last month. Interior has been done out well and the food was good. Weird set up with the gents toilets!

I only eat the breakfasts in my local spoons. And finish it off with a few coffees. Tip - get there for opening time and leave before 9am as they don't serve alcohol til then. Just regulars for breakfast and coffee before then, the bagheads all turn up after 9.

Still better than a lot of greasy spoon style cafes I've ate in , usually pay double for a ****e plate of food. Now I just find a nearby wetherspoons and head there.

Worst one I've been in is the Bell? Hotel in Norwich city centre. Small and just awful , heard the one near the station is better

 

[Cowley]

Just been into the Wetherspoons near us (The Imperial), it's my youngest's 16th birthday today.
Five meals, five drinks - £35.
There's nowhere else in Exeter that comes anywhere near that price wise.
OK it's a bit school dinners, but sometimes it's cheaper for us to get a bite to eat there, than go to the shop and buy the ingredients to make dinner and cook it (time is money etc ).
Maybe we're just lucky having this one up the road though. Some of the ones mentioned upthread don't sound so good to be fair.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

It's the whole ethos of creating large drinking barns / feeding stations. Martin isn't interested in creating pubs or atmosphere only on size, capacity and throughput. A neighbour suggested the local defunct Woolworth store as a potential site but 'it just wasn't big enough'. The cost has been the loss of a lot of decent local friendly alehouses being driven out of the market to be replaced by the vast turnover drinking barns that Martin and the other pubcos are inflicting on us. The only glimmer of hope that is stemming this trend is the current vogue for micropubs - from a garden shed in Pewsey to the old coal office on Wellingborough platform they are a beacon of individuality opposing the corporate blandness.

 

[Cowley]

It's the whole ethos of creating large drinking barns / feeding stations. Martin isn't interested in creating pubs or atmosphere only on size, capacity and throughput. A neighbour suggested the local defunct Woolworth store as a potential site but 'it just wasn't big enough'. The cost has been the loss of a lot of decent local friendly alehouses being driven out of the market to be replaced by the vast turnover drinking barns that Martin and the other pubcos are inflicting on us. The only glimmer of hope that is stemming this trend is the current vogue for micropubs - from a garden shed in Pewsey to the old coal office on Wellingborough platform they are a beacon of individuality opposing the corporate blandness.

You do have a valid point here.
My brother in law is a brewer (based in Nottingham) and I do support the local breweries when I can.
If just the two of us (Mrs C and I) go out for dinner then we'll go to The Beer Engine in Newton st Cyres - Quality ales brewed in the basement, fantastic home cooked food, and a wonderful atmosphere.
If we took the whole family though we'd be lucky to get out of there without spending a days wages (and being self employed that's quite hard to justify).
The Beer Engine survives quite happily however by ploughing a completely different furrow to the nearest Wetherspoons. And there's clearly room for both approaches from what I can see.

 

[Basher]

Just been into the Wetherspoons near us (The Imperial), it's my youngest's 16th birthday today.
Five meals, five drinks - £35.
There's nowhere else in Exeter that comes anywhere near that price wise.
OK it's a bit school dinners, but sometimes it's cheaper for us to get a bite to eat there, than go to the shop and buy the ingredients to make dinner and cook it (time is money etc ).
Maybe we're just lucky having this one up the road though. Some of the ones mentioned upthread don't sound so good to be fair.

A great place, if you want a pub little more like a drinking pub try the other Exeter Wetherspoons George's Meeting House.

 

[Basher]

Been to two Wetherspoons today, had coffee in one then latter in the day a steak including a pint of beer for £6.95.
Well presented, cooked great and a fair helping.
The atmosphere was great too.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The cost has been the loss of a lot of decent local friendly alehouses being driven out of the market to be replaced by the vast turnover drinking barns that Martin and the other pubcos are inflicting on us.

Truthfully I don't think you can blame Spoons for this. You can blame the pubcos who rinse- absolutely shamelessly rinse- their landlords in tied pubs. It's no wonder they can't compete.

That and a lot of suburban pubs are crap. The good ones are generally still going.

Non-tied pubs that serve something different will, and do, thrive. Not just micropubs but proper pubs too.

 

[185143]

Just been into the Wetherspoons near us (The Imperial), it's my youngest's 16th birthday today.
Five meals, five drinks - £35.
There's nowhere else in Exeter that comes anywhere near that price wise.
OK it's a bit school dinners, but sometimes it's cheaper for us to get a bite to eat there, than go to the shop and buy the ingredients to make dinner and cook it (time is money etc ).
Maybe we're just lucky having this one up the road though. Some of the ones mentioned upthread don't sound so good to be fair.

The Imperial is probably my favourite 'Spoons, enjoyed a vindaloo in there a couple of months back-£3.99 Manager's Special, on a Saturday night too.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Truthfully I don't think you can blame Spoons for this. You can blame the pubcos who rinse- absolutely shamelessly rinse- their landlords in tied pubs. It's no wonder they can't compete.

Quite. Could really do with some legislation to control that. Mind you, it's hardly a new controversy.

That and a lot of suburban pubs are crap. The good ones are generally still going.

Very true.

Non-tied pubs that serve something different will, and do, thrive. Not just micropubs but proper pubs too.

Not always - the Wolverton Biergarten opened a branch (a poshed up bottle shop type thing) in Stony Stratford which didn't survive largely because of too much competition from other decent pubs, too high rent and Stony probably just not being hipster enough.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Truthfully I don't think you can blame Spoons for this. You can blame the pubcos who rinse- absolutely shamelessly rinse- their landlords in tied pubs. It's no wonder they can't compete.

That and a lot of suburban pubs are crap. The good ones are generally still going.

Non-tied pubs that serve something different will, and do, thrive. Not just micropubs but proper pubs too.

They are part of the problem with their (and admittedly other pubcos) trend for vast drinking halls over smaller more convivial establishments. It's the economics of scale I suppose similar to supermarkets killing off smaller shops. Yes the greedy pubcos with extortionate rents also don't help but it's the whole ethos of cheap large scale drinking establishments that actually alter the demographics of drinking. Lots of bad pubs have closed but so have a lot of decent pubs that are just unable to compete pricewise.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Yes the greedy pubcos with extortionate rents also don't help but it's the whole ethos of cheap large scale drinking establishments that actually alter the demographics of drinking. Lots of bad pubs have closed but so have a lot of decent pubs that are just unable to compete pricewise.

I think Spoons do have an impact, as price sensitive drinkers will move if Spoons are undercutting the other local pubs. Especially when Spoons open up in suburban locations. Spoons are able to compete on price because they have the throughput, meaning they can negotiate cheap prices for barrels/kegs that are about to go out of date, for instance.

But I'm not sure how much impact there is, as the good craft beer pubs (generally) attract a different clientele. An example in Newcastle being CAMRA's pub of the year thriving despite being literally 20 yards from the enormous Spoons.

The pubco issue goes far beyond rent. In tied pubs the landlord has to buy supplies from the pubco and prices are high. Landlords have said that it'd be cheaper to buy supplies from Tesco, never mind a wholesaler, but they're not allowed to. And pubcos have evicted landlords who defy them, even landlords who have just tried to put a guest beer or two on.

It's these tied pubs that are closing down. They can't remain financially viable with the high wholesale prices and, even if they could, the Pubcos would rather turn them into flats anyway.

I still can't stand Tim Martin though!

 

[Tetchytyke]

too much competition from other decent pubs

If there's loads of good pubs then another good pub may struggle as they offer nothing new or different.

These sorts of places are thriving up here where the pubs used to be crap. You can't get near the pub on Monkseaton metro station for instance, but the rubbish pubs down the road in Whitley Bay are going under.

 

[IanD]

Not always - the Wolverton Biergarten opened a branch (a poshed up bottle shop type thing) in Stony Stratford which didn't survive largely because of too much competition from decent pubs...

Fixed that for you. Surprised the Biergarten's still going to be honest, although the competition in the area lacks imagination in their choice of beers.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Fixed that for you. Surprised the Biergarten's still going to be honest, although the competition in the area lacks imagination in their choice of beers.

Wolverton is rather lacking in pubs that aren't either (a) more of a music venue (i.e. the Craufurd, which is great but not a place for a quiet pint), or (b) stuck in about 1976. As it's gentrifying a bit and gaining a bit of a hipster-esque population in places (probably driven by new housing developments - the rest of it is mostly traditional Victorian terraces and family semis) I can see how it's done OK there.

Stony is quite different - there are pubs that fit (b) above, plus the one by the garage at the south end which isn't a Spoons but might as well be. However there is also an excellent range of both modern and less modern as well as many restaurants of all kinds - as a result it's very much the "pub destination" of MK.

 

[Aictos]

Just a note on the app, Spoons as a company are very much aware of the limitations that it currently has as it affects both customers as well as staff and are currently working to resolve them but no timescales, sorry guys.

 

[AlterEgo]

Wolverton is rather lacking in pubs that aren't either (a) more of a music venue (i.e. the Craufurd, which is great but not a place for a quiet pint), or (b) stuck in about 1976. As it's gentrifying a bit and gaining a bit of a hipster-esque population in places (probably driven by new housing developments - the rest of it is mostly traditional Victorian terraces and family semis) I can see how it's done OK there.

Stony is quite different - there are pubs that fit (b) above, plus the one by the garage at the south end which isn't a Spoons but might as well be. However there is also an excellent range of both modern and less modern as well as many restaurants of all kinds - as a result it's very much the "pub destination" of MK.

Wolverton is gentrifying a bit but it’s important to remember the key demographic in the old terraces is one which doesn’t drink alcohol or go to pubs. So there isn’t a good “local” scene.

As you say Stony is excellent. Also has some fine curry houses.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Tim Martin seemed okay until Brexit, where he now comes over as totally unwilling to hear any opposing views - to the point that he was barring people who turned up to his Brexit 'roadshow' and clearly only wanted to preach to the converted, like some giant echo chamber with beer.

However, while people have suggested boycotting the pubs, I still use them because it benefits me to do so. Plus his ranting seems to actually help remainers anyway!

Agree with this. He even made Owen Jones seem reasonable by comparison!

Funnily enough I'm sat in a spoons right now, with a pint of ale (5.2%abv) that cost me £1.49 and isn't bad. If the gents' loos had any tp in any of the cubicles I'd be giving then a thumbs up!

 

[IanD]

If the gents' loos had any tp in any of the cubicles I'd be giving then a thumbs up!

Have a word with the staff, they'll sort it for you.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Have a word with the staff, they'll sort it for you.

I'm just glad I checked before "dropping anchor"!

One thing about Spoons is that if you're in an unfamiliar place you know what you'll get there. For example if you were doing the Trans-Pennine ale trail and reached Batley, there's the Cellar Bar by the station (good beer but a bit of a hostile atmosphere) and a 6-7min walk into Batley proper. Once there, there's a half-decent Wetherspoon's and two other pubs within spitting distance. One is the Tap Room, a fine establishment with plenty of nice local real ales on. The other is The Wellington, a pub where you should wipe your feet as you leave, which serves Carling or John Smith's or Guinness. If you didn't know the place, the Wetherspoon's is the safe bet!