Pubs, and the demise of.

Fiiish said:

MrLargo said:

like a pub every business has staff to pay etc, the mark up on alcohol is small, unfortunately chains like wetherspoons seem to make everyone think that there prices should be the norm

Their prices should be the norm; the poor man's 'treats', beer; a fag; football are now beyond his pocket. Countries like France and Spain regard these things - along with a decent meal - as a right, not a privilege.

wetherspoons make there money by buying up beer with v little shelf life left and threw the vast amount of pubs can network it out.

Worked for 'spoons for 5 years when I was younger. This myth about buying beer with a short shelf life is absolute nonsense and always has been. They are able to sell more cheaply than their competitors for the same reason that's Sainsburys and Tesco can sell more cheaply than the local off licence - you buy more, you pay less. In the early 2000s, when I worked there, Guinness tried to increase the price that Wetherspoons were paying - 'spoons said "no" and started stocking Murphys instead. A few months later, Guinness came back and agreed to stick with the old price if they started stocking it again. Nothing to do with use by dates. Their Irish pubs currently serve Beamish because they're in dispute with Diageo (Guinness) and Murphys. Again, that's over price, it's not because only Beamish has got loads of nearly out of date stout knocking around. Not a massive fan of Wetherspoons, but used to get the right hump with ill-informed locals telling me why our beer was so cheap when I was working behind the bar.

Wetherspoons draught/pump beer consistently tastes worse than any other pub (and I'm far from the only person who has noticed this fact), which is probably why the 'out of date' myth gained traction. Also the only place I've had a beer that's given me gut rot. So is it out of date, are the lines filthy, or are the suppliers purposefully flogging a lesser, cheaper product to Spoons to make up for the low prices?

Poor line maintenance I suspect, as is the case in most places where the beer goes through you like a Porsche 

ShootersHillGuru said:

Soulless places in the main. I’d rather drink in a proper pub and pay a few bob more. 

I think this is the problem though.

Wetherspoons is somewhere to go to get drunk as cheaply as possible, usually on very low quality beer.

Old fashioned pubs cannot compete on price and lose the barflies to Spoons and have to raise prices accordingly to make up for lower footfall (as well as rising rents and taxes). 

Then those pub goers whose sole objective isn't to get pissed go to the pub less frequently as it becomes a pricier habit.

With less regulars, pubs lose their atmosphere and start doing less such as cutting back on entertainment or having a variety of draught beers.

Then the cycle repeats until the pubs eventually close, leaving Spoons and the supermarkets to corner the market share.

When I started going to the pub, anything above 2 quid a pint was seen as extortionate. Even in London £2.50 tended to be the ceiling in pubs (ignoring trendy bars). Now anything less than a fiver outside London is seen as cheap and pints are generally a fiver upwards in London. Wages certainly haven't kept up to that rate of inflation.

wetherspoons you know what you are getting, most away days involve a trip to one, was surprised to even be in one at cheltenham festival, huge places could get served quickly more than anything. 

Fiiish said:

MrLargo said:

like a pub every business has staff to pay etc, the mark up on alcohol is small, unfortunately chains like wetherspoons seem to make everyone think that there prices should be the norm

Their prices should be the norm; the poor man's 'treats', beer; a fag; football are now beyond his pocket. Countries like France and Spain regard these things - along with a decent meal - as a right, not a privilege.

wetherspoons make there money by buying up beer with v little shelf life left and threw the vast amount of pubs can network it out.

Worked for 'spoons for 5 years when I was younger. This myth about buying beer with a short shelf life is absolute nonsense and always has been. They are able to sell more cheaply than their competitors for the same reason that's Sainsburys and Tesco can sell more cheaply than the local off licence - you buy more, you pay less. In the early 2000s, when I worked there, Guinness tried to increase the price that Wetherspoons were paying - 'spoons said "no" and started stocking Murphys instead. A few months later, Guinness came back and agreed to stick with the old price if they started stocking it again. Nothing to do with use by dates. Their Irish pubs currently serve Beamish because they're in dispute with Diageo (Guinness) and Murphys. Again, that's over price, it's not because only Beamish has got loads of nearly out of date stout knocking around. Not a massive fan of Wetherspoons, but used to get the right hump with ill-informed locals telling me why our beer was so cheap when I was working behind the bar.

Wetherspoons draught/pump beer consistently tastes worse than any other pub (and I'm far from the only person who has noticed this fact), which is probably why the 'out of date' myth gained traction. Also the only place I've had a beer that's given me gut rot. So is it out of date, are the lines filthy, or are the suppliers purposefully flogging a lesser, cheaper product to Spoons to make up for the low prices?

The reality is its not out of date (the brand owners wouldn't allow it, nor would Spoons stock rotation enable it), nor do they get cheaper versions of the product (the brand owners wouldn't do that - why would they sell a lower quality version of a brand they spend significant amounts promoting, notwithstanding the fact that it would foul of the law (trading standards ethics)), so that comes down to hygiene. I'd suggest that there are better line cleaning standards and procedures in Wetherspoons than some (not many) freehold / leasehold pubs. Wetherspoons will have a documented and well checked set of standards - in independent pubs its down to the process of the owner, tenant or licensee - ie its self regulated.

So outside of poor management standards which, of course, will happen, it seems that you may be unlucky (or consistently unlucky...)

ElfsborgAddick said:

SuedeAdidas said:

ElfsborgAddick said:

SoundAsa£ said:

Went to Dambusters Inn in Scampton yesterday......great pub full to the brim with Dambusters and Red Arrows memorabilia as well as a host of Lancaster Bomber parts......including a massive tyre and a propeller!
There’s even a black Labrador in attendance.
The landlord Greg Algar (a very genial chap), has something of a SE London accent and was originally from Canterbury. Used to drink in The Greyhound in Bromley back in the day.
Rather strangely, he fervently supports Coventry City.....though I didn’t ask him why.
He holds all sorts of events throughout the year which involve the ever diminishing WW2 bomber command veterans, with special reverence being paid to 617 Squadron (The Dambusters).
Has won The Camara award for best pub in Lincolnshire and has a micro brewery on site.
Well worth a visit if you’re ever in that neck of the woods.

Could you ask him if he knows the current landlord of The Greyhound.  If he does, could you get him to have a word about lifting my ban from there.

Why did you get banned?

The shame of being bounced out of a Wetherspoons

SuedeAdidas said:

ElfsborgAddick said:

SoundAsa£ said:

Went to Dambusters Inn in Scampton yesterday......great pub full to the brim with Dambusters and Red Arrows memorabilia as well as a host of Lancaster Bomber parts......including a massive tyre and a propeller!
There’s even a black Labrador in attendance.
The landlord Greg Algar (a very genial chap), has something of a SE London accent and was originally from Canterbury. Used to drink in The Greyhound in Bromley back in the day.
Rather strangely, he fervently supports Coventry City.....though I didn’t ask him why.
He holds all sorts of events throughout the year which involve the ever diminishing WW2 bomber command veterans, with special reverence being paid to 617 Squadron (The Dambusters).
Has won The Camara award for best pub in Lincolnshire and has a micro brewery on site.
Well worth a visit if you’re ever in that neck of the woods.

Could you ask him if he knows the current landlord of The Greyhound.  If he does, could you get him to have a word about lifting my ban from there.

Why did you get banned?

The shame of being bounced out of a Wetherspoons

After Orient away pre-season I was in The Greyhound having a drink whilst waiting for my wife to finish work.

The barman short changed me, gave me the money without an apology.  I said it would have been nice to have had an apology.

30 minutes later I go back to buy another beer, the manager refused to serve me as he said that I had called the barman a w***** earlier!  I told them that was not correct but they were not having it and I was given a LIFE BAN!  Anyway, I was really concerned that my wife would not be best pleased so I kept this quiet.

Many weeks later my wife wanted to go for a quick drink and I had to say we could not go in there.  Once I told her what had happened she laughed and said she never liked the place anyway!

Fortunately my custom is appreciated in the Bromley South Wetherspoons.

Two things spring to mind from you story:

1) Turnover of Wetherspoon staff is very high and you and your incident probably won't be remembered.
2) Why did it take you half an hour to drink your beer?

ElfsborgAddick said:

Riviera said:

ElfsborgAddick said:

SuedeAdidas said:

ElfsborgAddick said:

SoundAsa£ said:

Went to Dambusters Inn in Scampton yesterday......great pub full to the brim with Dambusters and Red Arrows memorabilia as well as a host of Lancaster Bomber parts......including a massive tyre and a propeller!
There’s even a black Labrador in attendance.
The landlord Greg Algar (a very genial chap), has something of a SE London accent and was originally from Canterbury. Used to drink in The Greyhound in Bromley back in the day.
Rather strangely, he fervently supports Coventry City.....though I didn’t ask him why.
He holds all sorts of events throughout the year which involve the ever diminishing WW2 bomber command veterans, with special reverence being paid to 617 Squadron (The Dambusters).
Has won The Camara award for best pub in Lincolnshire and has a micro brewery on site.
Well worth a visit if you’re ever in that neck of the woods.

Could you ask him if he knows the current landlord of The Greyhound.  If he does, could you get him to have a word about lifting my ban from there.

Why did you get banned?

The shame of being bounced out of a Wetherspoons

SuedeAdidas said:

ElfsborgAddick said:

SoundAsa£ said:

Went to Dambusters Inn in Scampton yesterday......great pub full to the brim with Dambusters and Red Arrows memorabilia as well as a host of Lancaster Bomber parts......including a massive tyre and a propeller!
There’s even a black Labrador in attendance.
The landlord Greg Algar (a very genial chap), has something of a SE London accent and was originally from Canterbury. Used to drink in The Greyhound in Bromley back in the day.
Rather strangely, he fervently supports Coventry City.....though I didn’t ask him why.
He holds all sorts of events throughout the year which involve the ever diminishing WW2 bomber command veterans, with special reverence being paid to 617 Squadron (The Dambusters).
Has won The Camara award for best pub in Lincolnshire and has a micro brewery on site.
Well worth a visit if you’re ever in that neck of the woods.

Could you ask him if he knows the current landlord of The Greyhound.  If he does, could you get him to have a word about lifting my ban from there.

Why did you get banned?

The shame of being bounced out of a Wetherspoons

After Orient away pre-season I was in The Greyhound having a drink whilst waiting for my wife to finish work.

The barman short changed me, gave me the money without an apology.  I said it would have been nice to have had an apology.

30 minutes later I go back to buy another beer, the manager refused to serve me as he said that I had called the barman a w***** earlier!  I told them that was not correct but they were not having it and I was given a LIFE BAN!  Anyway, I was really concerned that my wife would not be best pleased so I kept this quiet.

Many weeks later my wife wanted to go for a quick drink and I had to say we could not go in there.  Once I told her what had happened she laughed and said she never liked the place anyway!

Fortunately my custom is appreciated in the Bromley South Wetherspoons.

Two things spring to mind from you story:

1) Turnover of Wetherspoon staff is very high and you and your incident probably won't be remembered.
2) Why did it take you half an hour to drink your beer?

I'm not going back into a boozer that booted me out, besides, I believe it is still the same landlord so why should I give the cock more money.

I took 30 minutes to finish my drink as I only had enough dough for two!

not what you were saying earlier mate

"Could you ask him if he knows the current landlord of The Greyhound.  If he does, could you get him to have a word about lifting my ban from there."

SheffieldRed said:

ElfsborgAddick said:

SuedeAdidas said:

ElfsborgAddick said:

SoundAsa£ said:

Went to Dambusters Inn in Scampton yesterday......great pub full to the brim with Dambusters and Red Arrows memorabilia as well as a host of Lancaster Bomber parts......including a massive tyre and a propeller!
There’s even a black Labrador in attendance.
The landlord Greg Algar (a very genial chap), has something of a SE London accent and was originally from Canterbury. Used to drink in The Greyhound in Bromley back in the day.
Rather strangely, he fervently supports Coventry City.....though I didn’t ask him why.
He holds all sorts of events throughout the year which involve the ever diminishing WW2 bomber command veterans, with special reverence being paid to 617 Squadron (The Dambusters).
Has won The Camara award for best pub in Lincolnshire and has a micro brewery on site.
Well worth a visit if you’re ever in that neck of the woods.

Could you ask him if he knows the current landlord of The Greyhound.  If he does, could you get him to have a word about lifting my ban from there.

Why did you get banned?

The shame of being bounced out of a Wetherspoons

SuedeAdidas said:

ElfsborgAddick said:

SoundAsa£ said:

Went to Dambusters Inn in Scampton yesterday......great pub full to the brim with Dambusters and Red Arrows memorabilia as well as a host of Lancaster Bomber parts......including a massive tyre and a propeller!
There’s even a black Labrador in attendance.
The landlord Greg Algar (a very genial chap), has something of a SE London accent and was originally from Canterbury. Used to drink in The Greyhound in Bromley back in the day.
Rather strangely, he fervently supports Coventry City.....though I didn’t ask him why.
He holds all sorts of events throughout the year which involve the ever diminishing WW2 bomber command veterans, with special reverence being paid to 617 Squadron (The Dambusters).
Has won The Camara award for best pub in Lincolnshire and has a micro brewery on site.
Well worth a visit if you’re ever in that neck of the woods.

Could you ask him if he knows the current landlord of The Greyhound.  If he does, could you get him to have a word about lifting my ban from there.

Why did you get banned?

The shame of being bounced out of a Wetherspoons

After Orient away pre-season I was in The Greyhound having a drink whilst waiting for my wife to finish work.

The barman short changed me, gave me the money without an apology.  I said it would have been nice to have had an apology.

30 minutes later I go back to buy another beer, the manager refused to serve me as he said that I had called the barman a w***** earlier!  I told them that was not correct, I had in fact called the gentleman concerned a c*** but they were not having it and I was given a LIFE BAN!  Anyway, I was really concerned that my wife would not be best pleased so I kept this quiet.

Many weeks later my wife wanted to go for a quick drink and I had to say we could not go in there.  Once I told her what had happened she laughed and said she never liked the place anyway!

Fortunately my custom is appreciated in the Bromley South Wetherspoons.

Hmmm

Somebody has tampered with my post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Does anyone know what’s happening with the Abbey Arms. Heard rumours it’s being gentrified by dirty liquor. Would be good as Abbey Wood needs a decent pub.

gazzaddick said:

Does anyone know what’s happening with the Abbey Arms. Heard rumours it’s being gentrified by dirty liquor. Would be good as Abbey Wood needs a decent pub.

Yes Dirty Liqour have taken it on. They’ve done a fairly decent job at The Star.  It definitely is better then it was anyway.  But Is Abbey Wood ready for 16 quid roasts? 

Viewfinder said:

Cardinal Sin said:

Charlton is dieing for another decent pub (to add to the White Horse) and a proper restaurant. I wouldn't even mind a good wine bar. There are 15,000 locals and we have had to travel for years to Blackheath or Greenwich for any choice.

D'you mean the White Swan?  I take your point.  Didn't a new Italian restaurant open in Charlton 'village' recently?  Certainly the other pubs are pathetic; poor barmaid in Bugle Horn had apparently never used a handpump before.

Oops, yes, Freudian Slip. Haven't seen kr heard of any Italian restaurant? Five takeaways and a sit-down Indian.....

Seems something going wrong with Hopstuff Brewery.  This would be a great shame.