“Better than average” Wetherspoons

[Russel]

Are safety critical railway staff allowed in licensed premises whilst on duty then? Would have thought that was frowned upon to say the least, especially in uniform.

Do places like Tesco Express, Sainsburys Local or any of the other small supermarkets found on stations that sell alcohol not need a licence then?

As long as train crew aren't downing pints with their breakfast, I really don't see the issue.

 

[12LDA28C]

Do places like Tesco Express, Sainsburys Local or any of the other small supermarkets found on stations that sell alcohol not need a licence then?

As long as train crew aren't downing pints with their breakfast, I really don't see the issue.

I think the issue is more what it would look like to members of the public to see railway staff coming out of a pub in uniform and then getting in the cab of a train. It's certainly expressly forbidden at some TOCs.

 

[dk1]

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Sep 2024 ==



Are safety critical railway staff allowed in licensed premises whilst on duty then? Would have thought that was frowned upon to say the least, especially in uniform.

No not at all. Spoons are more like cafe bars anyway in many places. You’ll see several staff members and managers in our local ones most days.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Sep 2024 ==

Do places like Tesco Express, Sainsburys Local or any of the other small supermarkets found on stations that sell alcohol not need a licence then?

As long as train crew aren't downing pints with their breakfast, I really don't see the issue.

Exactly. It’s not an issue at all.

 

[davews]

The ones at Victoria and St Pancras have a limited menu, not sure if the Waterloo one will be the same. Tried to download the menu from their website but it came up '404 not found'. Looks like a trip via Waterloo later this week to find out.

 

[dangie]

So you dont give your money to that absolute tool of an owner.

Quite an abrupt statement with no content. I’d like to see why you think he’s an absolute tool?

Note: What you’ve written, was it a fact or a question?

 

[12LDA28C]

No not at all. Spoons are more like cafe bars anyway in many places. You’ll see several staff members and managers in our local ones most days.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Sep 2024 ==



Exactly. It’s not an issue at all.

That's surprising. I suggest that attitude does not prevail at the majority of TOCs.

 

[D6130]

That's surprising. I suggest that attitude does not prevail at the majority of TOCs.

Absolutely verboten at Northern....or at least it was when I retired nearly twelve years ago.

 

[dk1]

That's surprising. I suggest that attitude does not prevail at the majority of TOCs.

What a shame.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Sep 2024 ==

I'm typing this in one now before work with my £1.56 refillable coffee so I can take one with me too. Why go anywhere else?

 

[DelW]

So you dont give your money to that absolute tool of an owner.

I disagree with his political views, but at least his company seems to pay taxes, comply with UK laws, and offer reasonable conditions to its employees. For those reasons, among others, I'm more willing to do business with 'spoons than I am with the likes of Amazon or Tesla. Musk and Bezos and their like have left Tim Martin way, way behind in the absolute tool stakes .

 

[12LDA28C]

I disagree with his political views, but at least his company seems to pay taxes, comply with UK laws, and offer reasonable conditions to its employees. For those reasons, among others, I'm more willing to do business with 'spoons than I am with the likes of Amazon or Tesla. Musk and Bezos and their like have left Tim Martin way, way behind in the absolute tool stakes .

Indeed. 'Spoons employees I know often extol the virtues of their Ts and Cs, not to mention the opportunities for development. This of course is at odds with some of the nonsense printed in the gutter press about how staff were allegedly treated during Covid, but if you believe what you read in those 'newspapers' then that might adversely affect your opinions of the company and its owner.

 

[IanD]

The ones at Victoria and St Pancras have a limited menu, not sure if the Waterloo one will be the same. Tried to download the menu from their website but it came up '404 not found'. Looks like a trip via Waterloo later this week to find out.

At least with Victoria, you have the option of The Willow Walk just outside on Wilton Road. Turn right after using the Wilton Road exit near Platform 1. It used to be cheaper too but I don't think there is any difference now.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Sep 2024 ==

So you dont give your money to that absolute tool of an owner.

I generally have no idea of the political beliefs and general opinions of the owner of most pubs/cafes/fast food joints I frequent so they could be just as big a tool as Sir Tim who freely gives his opinion on everything. For that reason, I can easily ignore his drivel and save myself some money.

 

[jon81uk]

At least with Victoria, you have the option of The Willow Walk just outside on Wilton Road. Turn right after using the Wilton Road exit near Platform 1. It used to be cheaper too but I don't think there is any difference now.

The Willow Walk also only offers the limited food menu.

 

[12LDA28C]

I visited The Lion & The Unicorn at Waterloo on Saturday. It was very busy and seemed to have the full menu of food on offer.

 

[davews]

I visited The Lion & The Unicorn at Waterloo on Saturday. It was very busy and seemed to have the full menu of food on offer.

When I looked at their online menu last week it seemed they didn't do steaks and grills and limited chicken.

At least with Victoria, you have the option of The Willow Walk just outside on Wilton Road.

The one inside Victoria station has an even more restricted menu, they don't even do fish and chips. I think you are right about the Willow Walk, it omits the steaks and grills as does the one at St Pancras.

 

[1D54]

I wonder if there is a particular reason for the omission is fish and chips at Victoria outlet, really easy to prepare and a very popular dish.

 

[12LDA28C]

When I looked at their online menu last week it seemed they didn't do steaks and grills and limited chicken.

Ah yes you could be right there. It seems several of the Central London 'Spoons don't have the kitchen facilities to grill food any more.

 

[jon81uk]

The one inside Victoria station has an even more restricted menu, they don't even do fish and chips. I think you are right about the Willow Walk, it omits the steaks and grills as does the one at St Pancras.

I wonder if there is a particular reason for the omission is fish and chips at Victoria outlet, really easy to prepare and a very popular dish.

Willow Walk and Wetherspoons Victoria have the same menu, neither have fish and chips, I assume due to limited deep fat fryer space. They also don't have onion rings available.

Victoria station menu https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/wp-content/uploads/menus/currentmenus/MENU_64.pdf
Willow Walk menu https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/wp-content/uploads/menus/currentmenus/MENU_1169.pdf

For comparison here is the Shakespeares Head in Holborn with the much larger menu (and slightly cheaper) with more fried food options like fish and chips and fried chicken burgers https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/wp-content/uploads/menus/currentmenus/MENU_239.pdf

Ah yes you could be right there. It seems several of the Central London 'Spoons don't have the kitchen facilities to grill food any more.

They serve burgers though so they must have some limited grill space?

 

[Cross City]

This of course is at odds with some of the nonsense printed in the gutter press about how staff were allegedly treated during Covid, but if you believe what you read in those 'newspapers' then that might adversely affect your opinions of the company and its owner.

It wasn't nonsense though. The way 'Spoons staff were treated during covid was reprehensible. The fact that it was in tabloids doesn't make it any less so.

 

[ChrisC]

Is it just me who doesn‘t like the chips in Wetherspoons? I’m not very keen on frozen chips generally, but I do find their chips very poor quality. I agree that the fried fish is very good but I never have it because I end up leaving the chips. Whenever I eat in Wetherspoons I always end up having something like pizza and salad or a curry because I can’t find much else which doesn’t come with the chips.

 

[12LDA28C]

It wasn't nonsense though. The way 'Spoons staff were treated during covid was reprehensible. The fact that it was in tabloids doesn't make it any less so.

Really? How was the way they were treated 'reprehensible'? Do you or did you work for Wetherspoon yourself?

 

[Vinnym]

It wasn't nonsense though. The way 'Spoons staff were treated during covid was reprehensible. The fact that it was in tabloids doesn't make it any less so.

I believe that one of the tabloids printed an apology for some of the false reports that they had printed about Wetherspoons dating the pandemic.

 

[AndrewE]

Is it just me who doesn‘t like the chips in Wetherspoons? I’m not very keen on frozen chips generally, but I do find their chips very poor quality. I agree that the fried fish is very good but I never have it because I end up leaving the chips. Whenever I eat in Wetherspoons I always end up having something like pizza and salad or a curry because I can’t find much else which doesn’t come with the chips.

I have found 'Spoons chips to be quite good recently.
As opposed to several Cheshire pubs where a friend insisted he would only have a dish if he could have fries with it... I soon found out why: the fashion for chunky chips means they are often badly underdone (I suspect deliberately to suit some current fashion,) whereas [French] fries are consistently properly cooked through.

 

[jon81uk]

It wasn't nonsense though. The way 'Spoons staff were treated during covid was reprehensible. The fact that it was in tabloids doesn't make it any less so.

Were they? Or was the owner just being honest that he would not be able to employ staff while pubs had to shut. The government then created the furlough scheme which solved the issue anyway.

 

[12LDA28C]

Were they? Or was the owner just being honest that he would not be able to employ staff while pubs had to shut. The government then created the furlough scheme which solved the issue anyway.

Indeed. At the start of the pandemic when pubs were forced to close, (and before the furlough scheme was announced) it was explained to staff that those on zero-hour contracts would not be paid but if they wanted to get other jobs in the meantime, such as working at a supermarket then they would have their jobs at Wetherspoon held open for them if they wanted to return to the pubs when the hospitality industry re-opened.

This was reported in the gutter press as staff being 'told to f*ck off and work in Tescos' which was simply not true but some people seem to have used this libellous story as an excuse to slag off the owner and boycott his premises.

 

[IanD]

Indeed. At the start of the pandemic when pubs were forced to close, (and before the furlough scheme was announced) it was explained to staff that those on zero-hour contracts would not be paid but if they wanted to get other jobs in the meantime, such as working at a supermarket then they would have their jobs at Wetherspoon held open for them if they wanted to return to the pubs when the hospitality industry re-opened.

This was reported in the gutter press as staff being 'told to f*ck off and work in Tescos' which was simply not true but some people seem to have used this libellous story as an excuse to slag off the owner and boycott his premises.

It will take as long to quash this nonsense rumour as it did to quash the rumour about 'Spoons only selling beer that is about to go off. People will still be regurgitating it well in to the next century.

 

[dk1]

It will take as long to quash this nonsense rumour as it did to quash the rumour about 'Spoons only selling beer that is about to go off. People will still be regurgitating it well in to the next century.

No need to worry as these deluded folk are the same that would never go into a Spoon or probably any other public house anyway. Pure keyboard warriors if ever there was one.

 

[dangie]

Just so we know what a “Better than Average” Wetherspoons is, what would we consider the average Wetherspoons standard is? Are we judging by the building, or the decor, or the food & drink, or service…?? Or maybe the clientele who frequent it?

My local ‘Spoons could certainly do with a facelift & spruce up. Compared to some others I’ve been in it looks a bit tired & worn. Maybe it’s because it’s in a smallish town with little competition. A captive audience so to speak.

 

[jon81uk]

Just so we know what a “Better than Average” Wetherspoons is, what would we consider the average Wetherspoons standard is? Are we judging by the building, or the decor, or the food & drink, or service…?? Or maybe the clientele who frequent it?

My local ‘Spoons could certainly do with a facelift & spruce up. Compared to some others I’ve been in it looks a bit tired & worn. Maybe it’s because it’s in a smallish town with little competition. A captive audience so to speak.

For me the better than average are usually in a historic building, with the full food menu and a good selection of drinks and reliable food service. The average are generic modern buildings amd the bad have the limited food menu

 

[dangie]

For me the better than average are usually in a historic building, with the full food menu and a good selection of drinks and reliable food service. The average are generic modern buildings amd the bad have the limited food menu

My local Wetherspoons is in an old cinema, which in fairness to Wetherspoons, without them would probably have been demolished or turned into flats.

I actually thought all Wetherspoons had basically the same food menu and a good drink selection. Mine certainly does.

However it still doesn’t prevent it from looking a bit old and worn out. It’s definitely in need of a bit of sprucing up a bit. Carpets are getting worn and furniture scruffy. Like I said in my earlier post, my local Wetherspoons hasn’t much competition, so they probably don’t feel the need to spend money on it.

 

[DJ_K666]

The one in Rugby does a decent brunch and fairly reasonably priced beers. They sometimes have a guest ale that's usually pretty good.