How was the "new normal" pub/cafe experience for you?

[LowLevel]

I went to two pubs yesterday. Both worked in a similar way. Greeted at the door by the usual staff, one set wearing surgical masks, the other wearing a visor thing. Gave a name and phone number in one, the other asked for an address as well (not a million miles from Leicester). Had a temperature check with a handheld device in one but not the other. We sat outdoors in one pub and indoors in the other, where we were the only customers.

Shown to a table, regular checks by the staff, beer up to it's usual high standards. Not very busy at all though.

Overall perfectly happy. There was plenty of effort going into making the atmosphere friendly and feel safe. Having spent weeks wearing a mask at work myself and friends/colleagues doing the same the staff looking a bit different didn't bother me - they were their usual obliging selves.

I'll be out again I am sure.

 

[SuspectUsual]

If that was your weekend experience, I'm looking forward to frequenting Spoons in other cities on weekdays during the coming weeks! Will only frequent independents in my city as they need locals' custom.

That’s a curious logic - you won’t use Spoons where you live because you want to support independents, but you will when you travel

 

[Mojo]

Just been to Pret’s, they have QR codes on each table for people to scan, or a short link and a 4 digit location code, on which they can fill in a form to leave their details. Wonder if there’s an app for this that someone can quickly scan to record their visit and save having to type the details on each visit.

Have to say I was a little uncomfortable about the last question; asking if I wanted to receive marketing messages from them. Personally I find that makes me less likely to engage with them, or at least makes me question their real motives. If they want to collect data for tracing then this shouldn’t even be a consideration.

 

[Howardh]

Just been to Pret’s, they have QR codes on each table for people to scan, or a short link and a 4 digit location code, on which they can fill in a form to leave their details. Wonder if there’s an app for this that someone can quickly scan to record their visit and save having to type the details on each visit.

Have to say I was a little uncomfortable about the last question; asking if I wanted to receive marketing messages from them. Personally I find that makes me less likely to engage with them, or at least makes me question their real motives. If they want to collect data for tracing then this shouldn’t even be a consideration.

Agree with the latter point, the pub you are in, time you are in and what you are likely to drink reveals a lot of useful information to marketers, which as you say should be no consideration whatsoever to track and trace. And the information given to pubs is supposed to be destroyed after, what, 14 days, so should info on the apps.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Have to say I was a little uncomfortable about the last question; asking if I wanted to receive marketing messages from them. Personally I find that makes me less likely to engage with them, or at least makes me question their real motives. If they want to collect data for tracing then this shouldn’t even be a consideration.

That's out of order in my view.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Second time in my local (first was Sunday), quite quiet, but not really much different from usual otherwise. The main reason it's quiet is that the nearby offices are closed

 

[Jamesrob637]

That’s a curious logic - you won’t use Spoons where you live because you want to support independents, but you will when you travel

Yes because local pubs especially in smaller towns are a bit "local" if you get my drift.

Whereas in Manchester I know the etiquette.

 

[_toommm_]

Went to Spoons in Leeds today. It was pretty quiet to be fair; unlike most pubs Spoons are doing first-come-first-served, which works well for now, but may struggle in September once the next lot of first-year students come over.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Went to Spoons in Leeds today. It was pretty quiet to be fair; unlike most pubs Spoons are doing first-come-first-served, which works well for now, but may struggle in September once the next lot of first-year students come over.

I doubt the students will "come over" unless distancing is abolished, as why bother if you can neither be educated in person nor properly go out with your mates?

 

[_toommm_]

I doubt the students will "come over" unless distancing is abolished, as why bother if you can neither be educated in person nor properly go out with your mates?

Fair point - there's been a lot of people trying to flog their tenancy for halls on Facebook, because they've decided to defer for a year.

 

[mmh]

Yes because local pubs especially in smaller towns are a bit "local" if you get my drift.

Whereas in Manchester I know the etiquette.

Wetherspoons also have the benefit that you know they'll be reasonably priced wherever you are (although they do vary considerably even in the same area - what is the cheap lager in one may be premium priced in another branch.)

Unless you know a town and its pubs it's impossible to tell with almost every pub - and it doesn't hold that the scruffy pubs are always cheap and the presentable ones expensive.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Unless you know a town and its pubs it's impossible to tell with almost every pub

That’s where https://neverspoons.app/ will come in useful once they have an iPhone app

 

[mmh]

That’s where https://neverspoons.app/ will come in useful once they have an iPhone app

I'll be taking no notice of an app called that or anybody attempting to organise boycotts of Wetherspoons when the unionised staff of Wetherspoons themselves have stated they don't agree and consider them unhelpful. I think it'd be polite if people listened to them before getting upset on their behalf.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'll be taking no notice of an app called that or anybody attempting to organise boycotts of Wetherspoons when the unionised staff of Wetherspoons themselves have stated they don't agree and consider them unhelpful. I think it'd be polite if people listened to them before getting upset on their behalf.

I know someone whose son works for 'Spoons, and he told me last week that the media reports regarding laying people off were not quite right. He's on a zero hours contract, and all 'Spoons did was exercise their right not to offer work, which he finds is perfectly reasonable because he also doesn't have to take any work that's offered. As he's a student, this arrangement works just fine for him, and is a perfectly legitimate use of a zero hours contract.

It'd be valid to boycott because of Tim Martin's Brexiteer leanings and the use of his pubs to disseminate that (not least because it's grossly annoying), but the rest of it may not quite be what meets the eye.

 

[SuspectUsual]

I'll be taking no notice of an app called that or anybody attempting to organise boycotts of Wetherspoons when the unionised staff of Wetherspoons themselves have stated they don't agree and consider them unhelpful. I think it'd be polite if people listened to them before getting upset on their behalf.

It’s not trying to organise a boycott, it’s helping people who are in unfamiliar territory to find decent pubs. What’s the issue with that?

 

[Tracked]

Decided to give Saturday a miss for two reasons:

1) Most of the pubs I would usually go in weren't opening
2) I saw the headlines of some of the papers when it was announced and thought it would be chaos.

Went on Sunday to the restaurant I used to go to pre-lockdown for dinner and a couple of beers, I'd get there as they were opening and there'd be a couple of people in at most. They opened slightly later on Sunday, and there were 3 other people/groups in, it's only a small place anyway and the size would probably help them ensure distancing. Went in, sat down, texted my details to the mobile number and ordered from the table, easy.

Heard it wasn't too busy in town, quite a lot of places didn't open and there wasn't the expected crowds heading to the pubs, all quiet by about half five. Had gone into town in the morning, there's a cafe that had been serving from their door for the last couple of Saturdays, it's just near a Spoons - I thought queues would be down the street when I went in for 09:30, but the big queues in town were for the barbers. Don't need them, my Lockdown haircut was pretty much the same as the pre-Lockdown one, shave what's left off

 

[scotrail158713]

Reading through this thread fills me with confidence for when things are reopened up here soon. Yes it’s not quite the same as “normal”, but changes seem to be fairly reasonable and not too over-the-top.

 

[Huntergreed]

Reading through this thread fills me with confidence for when things are reopened up here soon. Yes it’s not quite the same as “normal”, but changes seem to be fairly reasonable and not too over-the-top.

The masks in shops situation leads me to think things may be far more “over-the-top” up here than they are south of the border.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The masks in shops situation leads me to think things may be far more “over-the-top” up here than they our south of the border.

I've found it varies down here. I just went to the Co-op and nobody, neither staff nor customer, had a mask on.

 

[Tom B]

The example given of a student who has a zero hours contract at Spoons is perhaps a good example of when they are useful. A person who has wildly varying availability can pick up, say, a weekend shift and a couple of evenings per week in term time, but not work at all in exam season, and sign up for all the overtime going during the holidays. Presupposing that there's a genuine ability to be flexible both sides, great. Useful too for the retired/semi-retired, moonlighters, etc. Not good for the person of working age who needs a full time income to pay their rent.

I digress.

I've been to two establishments. On Saturday, I visited a local cafe which had hitherto been operating on a takeaway-only basis. Alternate tables had been removed, creating an increased space. Yesterday I went to the carvery which was different from usual in so far as that the chef handled ladles and dished up according to your preference. Not the true experience but as good as for the moment. The only thing that was a bit "for show" was the waitress asking everyone to use the hand sanitiser before entering; the hand sanitiser being in a 2l bottle sitting on a table, with an open top, therefore requiring handling to use!

 

[yorksrob]

The example given of a student who has a zero hours contract at Spoons is perhaps a good example of when they are useful. A person who has wildly varying availability can pick up, say, a weekend shift and a couple of evenings per week in term time, but not work at all in exam season, and sign up for all the overtime going during the holidays. Presupposing that there's a genuine ability to be flexible both sides, great. Useful too for the retired/semi-retired, moonlighters, etc. Not good for the person of working age who needs a full time income to pay their rent.

I digress.

I've been to two establishments. On Saturday, I visited a local cafe which had hitherto been operating on a takeaway-only basis. Alternate tables had been removed, creating an increased space. Yesterday I went to the carvery which was different from usual in so far as that the chef handled ladles and dished up according to your preference. Not the true experience but as good as for the moment. The only thing that was a bit "for show" was the waitress asking everyone to use the hand sanitiser before entering; the hand sanitiser being in a 2l bottle sitting on a table, with an open top, therefore requiring handling to use!

I've rather missed carveries and had rather assumed that they wouldn't be coming back for a while. How were they for piling up the vegetables ?

 

[scotrail158713]

The masks in shops situation leads me to think things may be far more “over-the-top” up here than they are south of the border.

True. It hadn’t really crossed my mind but you may be right.

I've found it varies down here. I just went to the Co-op and nobody, neither staff nor customer, had a mask on.

Are masks in shops compulsory though? As they are up here, from Friday.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Are masks in shops compulsory though? As they are up here, from Friday.

Not in England, no.

 

[adc82140]

Popped in to a west London pub today whilst out walking (we are doing the Thames path in segments). No name or address taken, the pub was very quiet. Sat outside. Friendly service. One of the reasons we went in was because there were absolutely no public bogs open anywhere. They got a round of drinks out of us because we're were getting a little uncomfortable, and they had clean facilities. Well done them.

 

[talldave]

Just done the local Harvester and they are doing a brilliant job of making everything feel normal. The only visible differences were adjacent tables out of use and waitress serving you at the salad bar (not such a bad idea when you think of all those unwashed hands that normally touch all the serving spoons!). Out of sight the menus were being sanitised, as were tables and seats between customers.

Not a mask or visor in sight and staff happy to be back at work. Full marks from me.

 

[Jamesrob637]

I have just been briefly in the final two Wetherspoons I needed in Greater Manchester. From now on it's independents all the way here. I had only half a pint in each (driving) and although I took my face mask with me into both, few patrons were wearing a mask. Hand sanitizer was available at the door. Both branches were pretty empty so finding a table wasn't an issue. I didn't have to wait much if any longer than under normal circumstances to be served.

Overall a pleasant experience but this is a quiet Tuesday evening we're talking about! The message from the bar staff in the first branch was that weekends get busy - the second branch a little less so as it's away from residential buildings (Trafford Centre Chill Factor).

 

[Howardh]

Popped in to a west London pub today whilst out walking (we are doing the Thames path in segments). No name or address taken, the pub was very quiet. Sat outside. Friendly service. One of the reasons we went in was because there were absolutely no public bogs open anywhere. They got a round of drinks out of us because we're were getting a little uncomfortable, and they had clean facilities. Well done them.

They really should be now, especially the disabled/radar ones.

 

[yorksrob]

Talking of cafes, does anyone know if Huddersfield station buffet's open yet ?

 

[johnnychips]

I have just been briefly in the final two Wetherspoons I needed in Greater Manchester.

If you have done all the Wetherspoons in Greater Manchester since 0600 on Saturday, and had a pint in each, you are a better man than me

Went in ‘The Museum‘ in Sheffield tonight. They asked I text my name to a telephone number, which I didn’t mind doing. It was a Greene King pub: they said ‘there are two ways of serving you - have you got the app?’ I said ‘yes’ - they said ‘oh you are the first one!’ So I never found the other way. It was easy to order, staff were smashing, and I can do this in any Greene King pub now. Apologies to ale buffs, but my drink is Stella, and GK always do it well.

Somebody mentioned toilets, and slightly OT, the toilets at Sheffield and Doncaster stations, and Doncaster Interchange are now all open and free.

 

[Jamesrob637]

If you have done all the Wetherspoons in Greater Manchester since 0600 on Saturday, and had a pint in each, you are a better man than me

Haha! no it took me years along with frequent visits to the same ones over and over plus lots of independents.