Top Marks, Wetherspoons

[Paddy Galore!]

Weatherspoon's have a formula that works very well, yes they can feel very formulaic, but it works for a reason and it largely works in every town and city throughout the country.

 

They offer really good value for money, sell a decent range of beers and spirits, the food is reasonable quality for very reasonable prices.

 

If real ale type pubs with a vast selection of lovingly tended ales pulled in the cash by the bucket load every high street would have one; likewise if high quality chef prepared food on premise was a real money earner then every pub would have a chef in the kitchen.

they also serve my favourite beer, and as far as I know, are the only pub chain in the county to continually stock brew dog, they had their pilsner as a guest beer.

[rimfire4969]

You're lucky to have local freehouses - not the case everywhere I'm afraid.

I hear in the news loads of pubs closing, most of the bigger ones are then bought by pub companies with many pubs and make them all the same. Give me a non chain pub any day of the week. I would rather pay more for better quality beer and food, you can keep your £7 for scampi and a pint.

[Les*1066]

I'm not a drinker, but I do enjoy the Weatherspoons meals. No matter where in the country you are, you know exactly what you're going to get, and for sheer value for money it can't be beaten.

Edited March 15, 2016 by Les*1066

[rimfire4969]

I'm not a drinker, but I do enjoy the Weatherspoons meals. No matter where in the country you are, you know exactly what you're going to get, and for sheer value for money it can't be beaten.

That is my point exactly the same menu, exactly the same food. It's all bought from the same wholesaler frozen, defrost it and chuck it on a plate full of salt and other ****. Support your local pub not a chain where the owners earn millions not pounds.

[Winston72]

Me too mate

 

But it seems some are hard to please some on here would whinge about winning the lottery BB

+1 lol

[Vince Green]

A wetherspoons is opening shortly in my town and i know all the other various pubs are poo'ing themselves.

 

As for Wimpy-i didnt know they were still trading???

There are still Wimpeys round here

[Danger-Mouse]

There`s a Wetherspoons in my town. I`ve been in there two or three times, always for a pub lunch. The food is always ok, nothing outstanding but decent for the price. I understand what their model offers and what I can expect and it satisfies my expectations.

 

However it`s not a place I`d go for a night out.

 

My local has it`s own micro brewery that produces some excellent beers and stouts and there are usually some very good guest beers on too. Plus the usual mass produced draught beers, that for some strange reason many people seem to prefer.

 

The local doesn`t open every day and is only really busy at the weekend when there is live music on. Wetherspoons opens every day and I presume has a decent turnover most nights.

 

I don`t really get it but it seems that`s what the majority want and it`s what Wetherspoons is very successful at doing.

[zipdog]

A weather spoons has just opened up in my local town, much to some negativity. However it is full nearly ever night and pulls in people who wouldn't of otherwise come to the area. Yes some of the other pubs have suffered but equally a new indian has opened and a new taxi company which is largely supported by weatherspoon customers.

 

More often then not a few of us meet in weather spoons after work on a Friday night, have a couple of pint and then decide to go for an indian down the street, then back to weather spoons for a couple more and get a taxi. We took our money elsewhere before Wspoons came.

Edited March 15, 2016 by zipdog

[Zapp]

I hear in the news loads of pubs closing, most of the bigger ones are then bought by pub companies with many pubs and make them all the same. Give me a non chain pub any day of the week. I would rather pay more for better quality beer and food, you can keep your £7 for scampi and a pint.

Yep, me too, but the point I am making is that in some small towns like mine there is no nicer place where you can pay a bit more, and in those circumstances Wetherspoons isn't something to sneer at.

 

We are talking about a place where WSpoons IS the nearest thing to the "nice" pub.

 

I have no love for them a's a company. I used to run a microbrewery and have experienced their nasty tactics first hand.

[Les*1066]

That is my point exactly the same menu, exactly the same food. It's all bought from the same wholesaler frozen, defrost it and chuck it on a plate full of salt and other ****. Support your local pub not a chain where the owners earn millions not pounds.

 

Looking at some of the clientelle of the local pubs around here, I'd rather stick to Weatherspoons. They stand outside smoking, spitting and swearing and comparing tattoos ..... and the blokes are even worse.

[Dekers]

Which is a surprise as from my one and only experience 80% of the staff and 70% of the clientele were Eastern European.

 

 

And a lot of their stock is European, but he has no concerns about getting lstaff or stock if we leave the EU

[Muddy Funker]

Maybe it's just fashionable to slag of spoons but the beer selection would put many pubs to shame.

Funnily enough I'm out on the **** with the workmates this afternoon in Guildford, first stop Spoons.

[AVB]

So what people are saying is that they are fairly grim places but not as grim as the other places in the town. I think I'll take my chances and stay at home.

[KFC]

Trying to attract hipster clients to

http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Business/JD-Wetherspoon-defends-decision-to-scrap-Sunday-Roasts

 

My only gripe about Wetherspoons, and some other establishments, is when I'm halfway through my meal then some sprog comes along and asks if my meal is ok?

"Yes, my meal is fine thanks now leave me to get on with it in peace. If anything was wrong with it I would take it back".

 

Oh well, musn't grumble

[Chris Bb]

Our local shopping centre was actually built with a pub, something of a rarity these days.

 

Unfortunately it might just as well be a late night chemist for the amount of drugs it shifts. Also, it doesn't appear to have heard of the words "real ale", serving only alcopops and the gassy pee that passes for beer for the under 18's which is apparently, the maximum age of admission, not the minimum.

 

So, if it was to be taken over by Weatherspoons, I, for one, wouldn't complain. Fortunately we do have other pubs in the area although none worth writing home about.

[Thunderbird]

If I was in Zapp's position I would use it too.

 

Where I am in the Cotswolds we are very lucky to have a huge number of free houses which sell both decent food and a decent beer, but you don't half pay for it.

 

I was in Ludlow recently and I experienced the relatively new (and I realise slightly hipster-ish) 'Parlour Pub' concept whereby it seems someone basically gets a license to open up their living room as a bar for limited hours in the week. It was rather nice, but only to pop in for a pint or two as a bit of a novelty.

[shaun4860]

Trying to attract hipster clients to

http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Business/JD-Wetherspoon-defends-decision-to-scrap-Sunday-Roasts

 

My only gripe about Wetherspoons, and some other establishments, is when I'm halfway through my meal then some sprog comes along and asks if my meal is ok?

"Yes, my meal is fine thanks now leave me to get on with it in peace. If anything was wrong with it I would take it back".

 

Oh well, musn't grumble

That is called customer service......

 

[bruno22rf]

Surely their success proves that their Business strategy works?.IF they are selling Nasty beers and Iceland style foods then that's obviously what people are happy to pay for? Given that most people are happy to pay thru the nose for Ditch Water if you put a fancy label on the bottle and give the stuff a Stupid name(Boon Doggle?)then might I suggest that quality is no longer king - rather value for money and convenience. I'm all for quaint little village pubs where the Land Lord sleeps with his Ales but I don't see why I should be held to ransom when I walk in the door - the prices are grossly inflated (I think to make you think you are getting a better quality product) and I'm sure that most sell Ales bought at Tesco's (other Supermarkets are available) along with food bought from the likes of Brakes. Good Luck to Wetherspoons, I say.

[PhilR]

I live in a village and the only pub has an eclectic mix of customers, from the tattooed man (head and face) and lady to the lady vicar.

The real ale is disappointing, purely I think because the regulars are lager or Guinness drinkers. They don't do food either which is probably a bonus, but I use it because it's local, 5 mins away and they accept dogs inside. However, I think if a Wetherspoons opened for drinking pleasure I'd be inclined to frequent it if the ale was well kept.

 

PS Standing in the queue to pay in Aldi, Towcester the lady in front had at least 15 packets of breaded Camembert. She mentioned she was the landlady of a town pub and buying them there was better value than the wholesaler!

Edited March 16, 2016 by PhilR

[Dunkield]

Reading through this makes me appreciate how lucky we are round our way, yes we have seen our share of pubs go under but by and large they were useless anyway.

With the exception of one, which just keeps on hanging in there what we have been left with is all decent pubs.

 

I have nothing against 'spoons I have been to one or two but only when town centre drinking which isn't something I do very often.

They used to do a decent curry on Thursday evenings, not sure if they still do.

[Danger-Mouse]

Surely their success proves that their Business strategy works?.IF they are selling Nasty beers and Iceland style foods then that's obviously what people are happy to pay for? Given that most people are happy to pay thru the nose for Ditch Water if you put a fancy label on the bottle and give the stuff a Stupid name(Boon Doggle?)then might I suggest that quality is no longer king - rather value for money and convenience. I'm all for quaint little village pubs where the Land Lord sleeps with his Ales but I don't see why I should be held to ransom when I walk in the door - the prices are grossly inflated (I think to make you think you are getting a better quality product) and I'm sure that most sell Ales bought at Tesco's (other Supermarkets are available) along with food bought from the likes of Brakes. Good Luck to Wetherspoons, I say.

 

Stood outside my local (with it`s micro brewery) I heard one of the regulars complaining about the beer (John Smith`s) and saying he`d rather drink across the road.

 

I asked him why he didn`t drink any of the real ales.

 

"Wouldn`t drink that muck if you paid me" was his response.

 

I gave up at that point.

[Mentalmac]

Conversely, the big thing down South at the moment is in the micropub boom - Bundles of little boozers opening up in empty shops offering three or four local ales, generally very local and a small selection of soft drinks and wine (for the ladies). There's no music and very little space so you have to chat, except on your mobile where there's a fine for use, and generally be good, polite company. They are flippin' marvellous for a quick 12 thirsty or a pint of a weekend. They don't open too late, don't sell food (aside from pickled eggs and a generous selection of maize and potato based snacks) and don't tolerate bad behaviour.

 

Intersting point about the mobiles.

There's a pub about a minute walk from mine called 'The Odd One Out' which has been around for a long time, old school pub - often wins awards for having all the best selections of beers... no mobile phones to be used and no swearing - violate either rule and get warned and then second time asked to leave.

A great atmosphere in there however, and it's actually much nicer. Decor is like a living room from the 70's that never got renovated, with a grumpy old eccentric barman/owner :-)