I've just had lunch in Wetherspoons
Discussion
Carbon Sasquatch said:
It's a broad market - and we are all different - but it's been a long time since I actually wanted to interact with the staff.
That's fair enough, our pub probably isn't for you. 
With regards to queue jumping, if you're getting served before people who are already waiting, then of course it is.
We discourage people from drinking at the bar on busy nights for obvious reasons, some you mention, but we do have tables very near to the bar that are frequented by regulars. Of course, when they order a round they appreciate that that puts them in the queue behind anyone who is already waiting at the bar, but then we do benefit from having very well behaved and good mannered clientele.
A more civilized bunch of pissheads you will struggle to find!
Lord Marylebone said:
To many people there is a clear difference between a Wetherspoons and a 'normal pub'.
I happily go in normal, old fashioned, traditional, bog standard pubs (as long as they serve decent real ale) but I wouldn't go in a Wetherspoons out of choice. So no, I don't feel that a pub is beneath me at all, but I do feel that a Wetherspoons is 'beneath me' to use your own phrase.
There isn't anything wrong with liking Wetherspoons, and it all comes down to personal choice, but in your example I cannot understand why you would habitually seek out Wetherspoons in new places when you could be enjoying local independent pubs, bars and restaurants. It seems to be the equivalent of going to a McDonalds every time you go on holiday and ordering from the same menu.
Just because we habitually seek out a Wetherspoons doesn't mean we spend our entire stay there. It's a known quantity when we arrive, usually late on an evening before we have sussed somewhere out. Like a comfort blanket. It's somewhere that we know, at any point up to 11pm, we can get food and a few drinks after what has usually been a long drive after work. We can then spend the next day exploring and finding somewhere else. It's convenient amd generally a welcoming place. Not all, but most are friendly. I happily go in normal, old fashioned, traditional, bog standard pubs (as long as they serve decent real ale) but I wouldn't go in a Wetherspoons out of choice. So no, I don't feel that a pub is beneath me at all, but I do feel that a Wetherspoons is 'beneath me' to use your own phrase.
There isn't anything wrong with liking Wetherspoons, and it all comes down to personal choice, but in your example I cannot understand why you would habitually seek out Wetherspoons in new places when you could be enjoying local independent pubs, bars and restaurants. It seems to be the equivalent of going to a McDonalds every time you go on holiday and ordering from the same menu.
To feel that anything in life is beneath you really is sad in my opinion. But that is just my opinion.
focusxr5 said:
Lord Marylebone said:
To many people there is a clear difference between a Wetherspoons and a 'normal pub'.
I happily go in normal, old fashioned, traditional, bog standard pubs (as long as they serve decent real ale) but I wouldn't go in a Wetherspoons out of choice. So no, I don't feel that a pub is beneath me at all, but I do feel that a Wetherspoons is 'beneath me' to use your own phrase.
There isn't anything wrong with liking Wetherspoons, and it all comes down to personal choice, but in your example I cannot understand why you would habitually seek out Wetherspoons in new places when you could be enjoying local independent pubs, bars and restaurants. It seems to be the equivalent of going to a McDonalds every time you go on holiday and ordering from the same menu.
Just because we habitually seek out a Wetherspoons doesn't mean we spend our entire stay there. It's a known quantity when we arrive, usually late on an evening before we have sussed somewhere out. Like a comfort blanket. It's somewhere that we know, at any point up to 11pm, we can get food and a few drinks after what has usually been a long drive after work. We can then spend the next day exploring and finding somewhere else. It's convenient amd generally a welcoming place. Not all, but most are friendly. I happily go in normal, old fashioned, traditional, bog standard pubs (as long as they serve decent real ale) but I wouldn't go in a Wetherspoons out of choice. So no, I don't feel that a pub is beneath me at all, but I do feel that a Wetherspoons is 'beneath me' to use your own phrase.
There isn't anything wrong with liking Wetherspoons, and it all comes down to personal choice, but in your example I cannot understand why you would habitually seek out Wetherspoons in new places when you could be enjoying local independent pubs, bars and restaurants. It seems to be the equivalent of going to a McDonalds every time you go on holiday and ordering from the same menu.
To feel that anything in life is beneath you really is sad in my opinion. But that is just my opinion.
There are a load of snobs on here, most of whom have probably never been in a 'good' Wetherspoons (we all know there are many 'poor' ones). Unfortunately, these other pubs/restaurants so often mentioned are also just as 'snobby' as their typical customer base - many aren't open, or don't serve food, in the afternoons (crazy), or stop food orders at 9pm. Out in provincial towns there can be a limited number of alternatives - usally very quiet, little atmosphere, high prices, snobs etc etc.
Personally, it's nothing to do with the money, I can afford to go anywhere I like, but it's very much the case of convenience - location, time of day etc
Well this thread really does prove that people on PH can argue, and get quite personal in doing so, about absolutely anything.
Okgo - you don't like Wetherspoons. We get it. You don't need to reiterate the point on every page of the bloody thread.
It's a budget pub. Cheap beer and cheap food. It achieves what it sets out to achieve very well. You know what you're getting. Nothing wrong with that.
And then we have someone opnely admitting that they feel that a Wetherspoons is "beneath them."
Cringe.
Okgo - you don't like Wetherspoons. We get it. You don't need to reiterate the point on every page of the bloody thread.
It's a budget pub. Cheap beer and cheap food. It achieves what it sets out to achieve very well. You know what you're getting. Nothing wrong with that.
And then we have someone opnely admitting that they feel that a Wetherspoons is "beneath them."
Cringe.
I'm more of a pisshead than a snob.
From what I've seen Spoon's food seems ok for the price, but I'm a food lover and would rather pay more for better quality.
What I don't get is the comments about their well kept beer.
If you like lager at two pound a pop, then fair enough, but the Guinness is always served too cold. It thins out the pint and makes it watery.
Likewise their ales are always too cold, not just the temperature at dispense but the barrels are kept at too low a temperature to allow secondary fermentation to take place.
Cask Marque won't tell you that.
That's before they get into the practise of taking kegs off midway to encourage sales of less popular ales then putting them back on days later (at St. Ives, Cambs, I don't know if it is widespread).
With a zero wastage policy make sure you don't get the first pint of the day; they have no mechanism for pouring off beer that has been sat in the lines all night.
Neither do Greene King managed houses, but they have a button on the till for a taster of ale (I kid you not!) so the prudent barkeep can get around it.
From what I've seen Spoon's food seems ok for the price, but I'm a food lover and would rather pay more for better quality.
What I don't get is the comments about their well kept beer.
If you like lager at two pound a pop, then fair enough, but the Guinness is always served too cold. It thins out the pint and makes it watery.
Likewise their ales are always too cold, not just the temperature at dispense but the barrels are kept at too low a temperature to allow secondary fermentation to take place.
Cask Marque won't tell you that.
That's before they get into the practise of taking kegs off midway to encourage sales of less popular ales then putting them back on days later (at St. Ives, Cambs, I don't know if it is widespread).
With a zero wastage policy make sure you don't get the first pint of the day; they have no mechanism for pouring off beer that has been sat in the lines all night.
Neither do Greene King managed houses, but they have a button on the till for a taster of ale (I kid you not!) so the prudent barkeep can get around it.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Agreed.I was also fairly anti until I used them.
To answer another query above, I can be travelling around hundreds of towns, sometimes at short notice, and I simply don't know the details of every single one at every hour of the day. I gather that some other people don't really travel far from their local area/comfort zone.
okgo said:
Claptonian said:
He hasn't suggested that though. You made it up.
Two people have suggested it. Xr5 whatever and him.It's pathetic. And obviously not true.
Edited by Claptonian on Wednesday 17th November 12:09
Edited by Claptonian on Wednesday 17th November 12:10
Claptonian said:
I don't know who 'him' is but I found focusxr5's post on the precious page and he absolutely didn't say that anything above a budget pub is for snobs.
"Maybe it's because we're happier in the company of grounded people over those who brag about how expensive their last meal was"Implying anyone that thinks Whetherspoons is s
te is the above is hilarious. Going to the Canton Arms tomorrow, wonder if there will be any grounded people there, or whether they'll all be pompous snobs that didn't grow up on council estates so can't mix with the proletariat. Hilarious.
Vasco said:
focusxr5 said:
Lord Marylebone said:
To many people there is a clear difference between a Wetherspoons and a 'normal pub'.
I happily go in normal, old fashioned, traditional, bog standard pubs (as long as they serve decent real ale) but I wouldn't go in a Wetherspoons out of choice. So no, I don't feel that a pub is beneath me at all, but I do feel that a Wetherspoons is 'beneath me' to use your own phrase.
There isn't anything wrong with liking Wetherspoons, and it all comes down to personal choice, but in your example I cannot understand why you would habitually seek out Wetherspoons in new places when you could be enjoying local independent pubs, bars and restaurants. It seems to be the equivalent of going to a McDonalds every time you go on holiday and ordering from the same menu.
Just because we habitually seek out a Wetherspoons doesn't mean we spend our entire stay there. It's a known quantity when we arrive, usually late on an evening before we have sussed somewhere out. Like a comfort blanket. It's somewhere that we know, at any point up to 11pm, we can get food and a few drinks after what has usually been a long drive after work. We can then spend the next day exploring and finding somewhere else. It's convenient amd generally a welcoming place. Not all, but most are friendly. I happily go in normal, old fashioned, traditional, bog standard pubs (as long as they serve decent real ale) but I wouldn't go in a Wetherspoons out of choice. So no, I don't feel that a pub is beneath me at all, but I do feel that a Wetherspoons is 'beneath me' to use your own phrase.
There isn't anything wrong with liking Wetherspoons, and it all comes down to personal choice, but in your example I cannot understand why you would habitually seek out Wetherspoons in new places when you could be enjoying local independent pubs, bars and restaurants. It seems to be the equivalent of going to a McDonalds every time you go on holiday and ordering from the same menu.
To feel that anything in life is beneath you really is sad in my opinion. But that is just my opinion.
There are a load of snobs on here, most of whom have probably never been in a 'good' Wetherspoons (we all know there are a good many 'poor' ones). Unfortunately, these other places so often mentioned are also just as 'snobby' as their typical customer base - m
If it is less inflammatory, you can swap 'beneath me' for any of these other reasons as to why I try not to go in Wetherspoons:
1) Having eaten there on serval occasions, I genuinely think the food is cheap rubbish, and far better can be found in ordinary independent pubs for only a few quid more.
2) I find them to be large and soulless 'drinking warehouses' that feel utterly devoid of character or tradition despite their efforts to restore old buildings and suchlike.
3) I find the sort of people that are attracted by the 99p pints and dirt cheap food are sometimes the sort of people who I don't wish to spend my free time around.
4) They aggressively undercut and squeeze out other local pubs when they arrive in town. They are responsible for the closures of actual traditional pubs in many places.
5) In some towns they open several branches close tougher and are effectively creating a cut price monopoly.
6) They present their pubs as friends of independent brewing, real ale, and so on in all their promotional material, but they very aggressively shaft their suppliers.
7) I dislike Tim Martin and would rather not give him my money.
Those are my personal reasons for avoiding Wetherspoons, but as I have said repeatedly, if you like eating in Wetherspoons then crack on, nothing wrong with having a different opinion or different tastes. The food they serve is 'fine' for what they charge, and no one can deny that Tim Martin has been highly successful at serving dirt cheap food and drink. It is clear that many people are very satisfied with this type of establishment.
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 17th November 12:15
I usually go to Wetherspoons nearer the end of the night the clientele is younger than most so the atmosphere is better, the average price of a pint around where I live is £6 so lots of pubs are full of the retired as younger people simply can't afford the prices.
I see the appeal of the smaller independent pubs but not the larger chains such as Oneils, Slug and Lettuce etc.. which seem to feature a similar clientele but the prices are double.
Allow me to get my phone out, bang in an order and carry on with the people I am socialising with vs queueing at a bar is a no brainer IMHO. Particularly as my wife seems to have a habit of finishing her drink just as the food arrives.
I also don't see it as queue jumping - quite the reverse - it is an enforced queue with no preference for regulars, or the cheeky chap who is just good at getting served. There's no standing in the wrong place at the bar etc etc.The pandemic has meant that if there's no app for ordering food then it won't even be contemplated.
I see the appeal of the smaller independent pubs but not the larger chains such as Oneils, Slug and Lettuce etc.. which seem to feature a similar clientele but the prices are double.
Carbon Sasquatch said:
Bacon Is Proof said:
As staff we would much rather have interaction with our customers, and our customers would much rather have interaction with us.
But then we're an actual pub, not warehouse clearance for piss and chips with glitter and stools.
It's a broad market - and we are all different - but it's been a long time since I actually wanted to interact with the staff.But then we're an actual pub, not warehouse clearance for piss and chips with glitter and stools.
Allow me to get my phone out, bang in an order and carry on with the people I am socialising with vs queueing at a bar is a no brainer IMHO. Particularly as my wife seems to have a habit of finishing her drink just as the food arrives.
I also don't see it as queue jumping - quite the reverse - it is an enforced queue with no preference for regulars, or the cheeky chap who is just good at getting served. There's no standing in the wrong place at the bar etc etc.
okgo said:
"Maybe it's because we're happier in the company of grounded people over those who brag about how expensive their last meal was"
Implying anyone that thinks Whetherspoons is ste is the above is hilarious.
Going to the Canton Arms tomorrow, wonder if there will be any grounded people there, or whether they'll all be pompous snobs that didn't grow up on council estates so can't mix with the proletariat. Hilarious.
Xr5's post was about the fact that some of the people posting here are snobs - he started his post with that very line. Implying anyone that thinks Whetherspoons is s
te is the above is hilarious. Going to the Canton Arms tomorrow, wonder if there will be any grounded people there, or whether they'll all be pompous snobs that didn't grow up on council estates so can't mix with the proletariat. Hilarious.
And when you, yourself have made a comment in this thread saying that the people there are awful and CCTV shows what kind of clientele they have (back on page 1 in plain English), then yes, you really do come across as a snob.
And saying that Wetherspoons contains, in your words, "awful people" is every bit as much of a ludicrous generalisation as anything that xr5 made. And I would suggest, also far more offensive.
Claptonian said:
Xr5's post was about the fact that some of the people posting here are snobs - he started his post with that very line.
And when you, yourself have made a comment in this thread saying that the people there are awful and CCTV shows what kind of clientele they have (back on page 1 in plain English), then yes, you really do come across as a snob.
And saying that Wetherspoons contains, in your words, "awful people" is every bit as much of a ludicrous generalisation as anything that xr5 made. And I would suggest, also far more offensive.
It's definitely more accurate though.And when you, yourself have made a comment in this thread saying that the people there are awful and CCTV shows what kind of clientele they have (back on page 1 in plain English), then yes, you really do come across as a snob.
And saying that Wetherspoons contains, in your words, "awful people" is every bit as much of a ludicrous generalisation as anything that xr5 made. And I would suggest, also far more offensive.
okgo said:
Claptonian said:
Xr5's post was about the fact that some of the people posting here are snobs - he started his post with that very line.
And when you, yourself have made a comment in this thread saying that the people there are awful and CCTV shows what kind of clientele they have (back on page 1 in plain English), then yes, you really do come across as a snob.
And saying that Wetherspoons contains, in your words, "awful people" is every bit as much of a ludicrous generalisation as anything that xr5 made. And I would suggest, also far more offensive.
It's definitely more accurate though.And when you, yourself have made a comment in this thread saying that the people there are awful and CCTV shows what kind of clientele they have (back on page 1 in plain English), then yes, you really do come across as a snob.
And saying that Wetherspoons contains, in your words, "awful people" is every bit as much of a ludicrous generalisation as anything that xr5 made. And I would suggest, also far more offensive.
And it's your opinion, nothing more. Both generalisations are nonsense, though I'd imagine you probably know that already.
Edit - I've got an hour and a half before I go off to start my guitar lessons for the evening, and so many people have mentioned chicken wings that I might go and get some before work. But I'm just a scummy musician so I should fit right in there.
Vasco said:
Truckosaurus said:
Bacon Is Proof]...[he said:
had made such a bad business decision that it led to a widespread campaign to completely boycott his bars.....
These boycotts would be much more effective if the people boycotting where customers previously which they normally aren't.The one thing you can definitely hold against Wetherspoons is they alway seem to be short staffed with long waits to be served.
I've never had a meal delivered to my table quicker, anywhere.
okgo said:
All they have going for them is price, remove the need to shop on price and they offer nothing.
Apart from the best pizzas in my locality, better than Pizza Express, and better than my two local "high end" Pizzerias. The fact that the pizza is less than half the price of Pizza Express, and a third of the price of the pizzerias is a bonus, but I'd be having the spoon's pizza if they tripled the price. Also, the chicken wings, the best I've had. Orange Buffalo offer more variety in options of heat, but the spoons wings are far bigger, you get 10 wings instead of 8, and crispier, which I prefer. Again, the fact that they are just over a fiver instead of a tenner is a bonus.
Just had some delivered to my table - you're right! They are good chicken wings. I'll try a pizza some time.
It's really busy here. Lots of older gents, a few on their own (like me) but mostly small groups around a table. It has a nice atmosphere.
Whereas Okgo described these people as "awful", I'd go with "working class". Though, let's be honest - that is the same thing here, and he's showing his true colours......
In fact, the attitude reminds me of my newly ex girlfriend. She used to stick her nose up at places like this as well.
Not a snob though, of course.
It's really busy here. Lots of older gents, a few on their own (like me) but mostly small groups around a table. It has a nice atmosphere.
Whereas Okgo described these people as "awful", I'd go with "working class". Though, let's be honest - that is the same thing here, and he's showing his true colours......
In fact, the attitude reminds me of my newly ex girlfriend. She used to stick her nose up at places like this as well.
Not a snob though, of course.
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