A bit council (Vol 4)

[GOATever]

SpeckledJim said:

I love Spoons. The food is excellent for the money, and the bar offering puts 95% of 'proper' pubs to shame.

They offer something for everyone except snobs and epicures, and to be honest, that makes them even better.

An ordinary Spoons in an ordinary town is as close to classless as Lidl and a Volvo V70.

Quite right. I’ve been saved by many a good ‘spoons, when doing long distance day rides on my bike. There aren’t too many places I can sit with all my kit, order from my table on an app, and get a decent sirloin and all the trimmings, a perfectly adequate peppercorn sauce, and a pint of shipyard, for less than a tenner, at ten o’ clock at night. I’ve seen a lot of council-ness in them, but, given the prices, and quality ( for the price ), I fully understand it.

[dudleybloke]

It used to be a decent area with good pubs, curryhouses and lots of independent shops of all kinds but it has been in decline for a while.
Its main problem seems to be that a lot of the properties round there have been converted to bedsits or HMO's with landlords who are aiming for the absolute bottom end of the market so when any scumbags get out of prison for the umpteenth time they will get stuck there by the council.
Won't be long before it's a ghost town.

[Dog Star]

I’m just having lunch - this is my excellent naga vindaloo and 1664. Less than a tenner. It’s full of win!

[Dog Star]

Sideways. It’s full of sideways win.

[otolith]

SpeckledJim said:

I love Spoons. The food is excellent for the money, and the bar offering puts 95% of 'proper' pubs to shame.

They offer something for everyone except snobs and epicures, and to be honest, that makes them even better.

An ordinary Spoons in an ordinary town is as close to classless as Lidl and a Volvo V70.

Come on, the chain's dedication to being council even extends to the chairman's outspoken views on Brexit!

[Rod200SX]

Parsnip said:

Rod200SX said:

Parsnip said:

moanthebairns said:

No one in Scotland goes to a roll van and asks for Lorne sasuage. It's square.

I have heard it called "Lorne" or "Square Slice" by idiots. As you say, its a square sausage (even if it is a bit trapezium-ey)

Square sausage, in a crispy roll (not one of the stupid flour abomination "softie" rolls you get here in Aberdeen), with a load of far too red cheapo ketchup - food of the gods.

Quality of said roll is inversely proportional to salubriousness of area. If it comes from a burger van that looks like its held together by bacteria and the "chef" looks like they have done a stretch in Barlinnie for headbutting brick walls then you are onto a winner.

Just seen this, can't be having an insult to our softies! I was down in Fife the other week for a race and got a burger at rhe track, the roll would have been as well made from dry sponge!

See, Fife might have been part of the problem, it would be a lovely place were it not for the locals. I don't think there is a worse accent that exists anywhere in the universe.

Softies are terrible. Not the roll bit, but the inch thick layer of flour on top is the problem. If you breathe at all while eating them you either get some 14th century lung disease or you fill the air with enough flour to make it look like Beijing during rush hour.

Don't even get me started on that molested croissant that is the buttery/rowie...

Fife accents can be hilarious, myself and my friends are down quite a lot going to Driftland and we still have a running joke about overhearing one of the canteen staff shouting to her colleague something along the lines of "Don't loss they rolls!!" which we found hilarious, even as folk with strong Aberdonian accents.

I'll agree with the flour, tend to avoid that but a nice plain softie with some ham & mustard or burger, magic.

I had 2 rowies this morning, preparing for a heart attack later this afternoon, they are a wee slice of perfection.

[NoVetec]

Dog Star said:

I’m just having lunch - this is my excellent naga vindaloo and 1664. Less than a tenner. It’s full of win!

Heard good things about the naga. Been sold out last couple times I tried to order.

Still, the madras isn't half bad, plus 'spoons is the only place I live where I can get a beef madras.

[Steamer]

Dog Star said:

I’m just having lunch - this is my excellent naga vindaloo and 1664. Less than a tenner. It’s full of win!

Is that a decorative plate off the wall - or do you take your own?

[SpeckledJim]

otolith said:

SpeckledJim said:

I love Spoons. The food is excellent for the money, and the bar offering puts 95% of 'proper' pubs to shame.

They offer something for everyone except snobs and epicures, and to be honest, that makes them even better.

An ordinary Spoons in an ordinary town is as close to classless as Lidl and a Volvo V70.

Come on, the chain's dedication to being council even extends to the chairman's outspoken views on Brexit!

They take on interesting and historic buildings, and do a great job of restoring them.
Commissioning a unique, high-quality carpet for every single different pub.
They offer a superb range of proper beers, and keep them well
They do a good menu of competent, straight-forward food, and charge very fair prices for it.
They don't play music
They serve excellent coffee
There are very few (or none) fruit machines?
They keep very high food preparation standards, and toilet cleanliness

Not seeing the 'councilness', if I'm honest. Cheap: yes. Not posh: true enough. Unpretentious: absolutely.

[Dog Star]

SpeckledJim said:

They take on interesting and historic buildings, and do a great job of restoring them.
Commissioning a unique, high-quality carpet for every single different pub.
They offer a superb range of proper beers, and keep them well
They do a good menu of competent, straight-forward food, and charge very fair prices for it.
They don't play music
They serve excellent coffee
There are very few (or none) fruit machines?
They keep very high food preparation standards, and toilet cleanliness

Not seeing the 'councilness', if I'm honest. Cheap: yes. Not posh: true enough. Unpretentious: absolutely.

The no music and no fruit machines wins them about a million not-council points. And a lot of the buildsings they do up would certainly no be in such a restored state.

[Rawwr]

All pubs are council.

[Centurion07]

There's a fruit machine in our one.

[Mafffew]

Rawwr said:

All pubs are council.

[paulguitar]

SpeckledJim said:

otolith said:

SpeckledJim said:

I love Spoons. The food is excellent for the money, and the bar offering puts 95% of 'proper' pubs to shame.

They offer something for everyone except snobs and epicures, and to be honest, that makes them even better.

An ordinary Spoons in an ordinary town is as close to classless as Lidl and a Volvo V70.

Come on, the chain's dedication to being council even extends to the chairman's outspoken views on Brexit!

They take on interesting and historic buildings, and do a great job of restoring them.
Commissioning a unique, high-quality carpet for every single different pub.
They offer a superb range of proper beers, and keep them well
They do a good menu of competent, straight-forward food, and charge very fair prices for it.
They don't play music
They serve excellent coffee
There are very few (or none) fruit machines?
They keep very high food preparation standards, and toilet cleanliness

Not seeing the 'councilness', if I'm honest. Cheap: yes. Not posh: true enough. Unpretentious: absolutely.

There is some good stuff about them, but they are uber council. Food microwaved from a bag, the local alcoholics waiting to come in at opening time every day. Mrs Guitar was barkeep in one whilst studying and the locals were completely baffled by her American accent and generally acted very council.

[SpeckledJim]

In my earnest defense of Spoons, I'd like to direct the jury's attention to:

Sizzling Pubs
Brewer's Fayre
TGI Fridays
Harvester
Frankie & Bennies

All of them soulless, by-the-numbers pits of despair. Each extruded from an amorphous blob of 100% de-charactered primordial restaurant/pub goo and plopped into our world by horrible, black-hearted bds.

Whereas Spoons is just a very successful pub chain who got very big by doing the right things right.

[Frank7]

paulguitar said:

There is some good stuff about them, but they are uber council. Food microwaved from a bag, the local alcoholics waiting to come in at opening time every day. Mrs Guitar was barkeep in one whilst studying and the locals were completely baffled by her American accent and generally acted very council.

Careful Paul, I was hauled over the coals by our soi-disant betters on here, for having the temerity to use the word truck.
Apparently I should have used lorry, so I hope that you won’t get castigated for barkeep.

[hutchst]

Dog Star said:

The spoons app is really very, very good, especially if you are going in on your own. Order it on the app, Apple pay, two minutes later my pint arrives and not long after my tasty food. I'll be ordering my nice curry in <checks watch> 53 minutes on it.

I don't get the abuse for Spoons on here - excellent establishments.

You southern softies - what do you pay in a normal pub for a pint of (eg) 1664 in That London?

Not sure I agree with that. I had the pleasure of staying in a Spoons hotel on my own on a recent short trip to East Anglia.

Ordered a nice meal and drink, had a couple of bites then went for a quick pee. When I came back they had cleared my drink and meal away. Pretty much a full plate and glass, and there was no way they were going to replace them.

So even if you do go on your own, you still get to buy dinner and drinks for 2.

[paulguitar]

Frank7 said:

paulguitar said:

There is some good stuff about them, but they are uber council. Food microwaved from a bag, the local alcoholics waiting to come in at opening time every day. Mrs Guitar was barkeep in one whilst studying and the locals were completely baffled by her American accent and generally acted very council.

Careful Paul, I was hauled over the coals by our soi-disant betters on here, for having the temerity to use the word truck.
Apparently I should have used lorry, so I hope that you won’t get castigated for barkeep.

All part of the PH fun, Frank, waiting to see if anyone is upset.

[Dermot O'Logical]

There's a 'Spoons in Lymington, a place which is most definitely un-council, and it's usually busy.

At around 10.30 every morning, you'll find at least three or four mobility scooters parked outside.

[Driver101]

Centurion07 said:

There's a fruit machine in our one.

There's fruit machines in most of the ones I can remember.