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Strongers
04-03-2010, 23:55
Imagine the scenario, the lease on your local pub that you have been using for years is up for grabs and the landlord tells you that Samuel Smiths and Wetherspoons are both trying to buy it – Which would you prefer?

Not likely I know but I’d plump for a Sam Smiths, so that is one vote each preempting Hopwas’ vote!:whistle:

Alesonly
05-03-2010, 02:18
I would Say Wetherspoons If theres not already one locally as they usually have a much better selection of Guest beers & Bottled Beers. But if there is already a wethers in the area it would be nice too have a choice of both. :drinkup:

arwkrite
05-03-2010, 05:50
I have never visited a Sam Smiths pub to my knowledge. Its nothing personal just that there don't seem to be any in my area or those I visit. It makes any choice difficult as I do not know what Sam Smiths have to offer.
I will go with Ales on this one as I believe in as much variety as possible.

oldboots
05-03-2010, 07:54
I do not know what Sam Smiths have to offer.

What Sam Smith offer is one cask beer - no guests - plus their own keg offerings. On the other hand the pubs are usually well run, no chavs, no messy tables, adequete staff and the beer is cheap, OBB is usually under £1.50 a pint in Yorkshire. They don't usually do much food and if they take credit cards they will charge you 1.5% for the privilege. They normally are a bit shy of putting their name outside the pub. In London they seem to have bought up some historic pubs, Princess Louise, Old Cheshire Cheese and Cittie of York amongst them. Personally it would be a 'Spoons rather than a Sams on the basis of choice only.

ROBCamra
05-03-2010, 08:18
Imagine the scenario, the lease on your local pub that you have been using for years is up for grabs and the landlord tells you that Samuel Smiths and Wetherspoons are both trying to buy it – Which would you prefer?

Not likely I know but I’d plump for a Sam Smiths, so that is one vote each preempting Hopwas’ vote!:whistle:

JDW every time. We're surrounded by Sams pubs where we live and of the 5 nearby pubs only one of them serves cask OBB. :mad:

Even close to it's homeland Sams is turning into a keg brewery. There's no excuse for it when cask is the only area of the beer market to be holding it's own. :muppet:

hopwas
05-03-2010, 09:04
Not likely I know but I’d plump for a Sam Smiths, so that is one vote each preempting Hopwas’ vote!:whistle:

I can safely say I will go for good old faithful JDW because I never set foot in Sam Smiths pub chain... :D

Strongers
05-03-2010, 09:33
Ah, but Wetherspoons don’t have dartboards!

Is it only London SS pubs that are restored to their former glory or is it a country wide thing?

ROBCamra
05-03-2010, 09:37
Ah, but Wetherspoons don’t have dartboards!

Is it only London SS pubs that are restored to their former glory or is it a country wide thing?

Sams do keep their pub estate in good condition all over the country, it's just a shame about the beer.

Strongers
05-03-2010, 09:42
I don’t mind the OBB, but as has been mentioned it is becoming less prevalent.

trainman
05-03-2010, 09:48
Is it only London SS pubs that are restored to their former glory or is it a country wide thing?

Outside London I've only been to Queen's Head, Stockport, & Wortley Almshouses, Peterborough, and both of those indicate that, yes, Sams preserve their pubs well, and all the better for it! Great pricing policy too but, as to the question Sams or Spoons? - I'd ideally like a hybrid of the two for good beer choice in excellent surroundings. Ho hummm...

arwkrite
05-03-2010, 09:57
[QUOTE=trainman;8886] I'd ideally like a hybrid of the two for good beer choice in excellent surroundings. Ho hummm...[/QUOTE

I think you want what we are all searching for but never quite find. Oh Well , keep looking.

RogerB
05-03-2010, 09:57
We already have 2 'Spoons so Sam Smiths for me.

hopwas
05-03-2010, 10:20
Hmmm.. I wonder if Sams do have pubs in Midlands especially Birmingham area?

ROBCamra
05-03-2010, 10:44
Hmmm.. I wonder if Sams do have pubs in Midlands especially Birmingham area?

http://samsmiths.info/forum/index.php?board=5.0

All listed here.

hopwas
05-03-2010, 10:48
http://samsmiths.info/forum/index.php?board=5.0

All listed here.

Thanks.

Blimey most are in up North!

RogerB
05-03-2010, 10:58
Thanks.

Blimey most are in up North!

That's because 'e was a noorvener! (Leeds to be precise).

arwkrite
05-03-2010, 11:02
Found to have visited the two in Gloucester but a long time ago. Both housed in interesting old buildings but its been so long my memory cannot find the relevant file.

NickDavies
05-03-2010, 11:13
JDW. Some of Sam's London pubs are classics but I can't get on with their beer.

trainman
05-03-2010, 11:24
JDW. Some of Sam's London pubs are classics but I can't get on with their beer.
Yep, gotta agree, I struggle with my first pint of OBB but there's usually at least a 2nd (so someone else can get a cheap round) and that tends to be much easier to drink. Acquired taste then, but I refuse to acquire a taste at any of their establishments which don't have it on HP. Though I did once try the cider at Anerley Arms and found it to be pretty good, surprisingly appley for a keg,

Farway
05-03-2010, 13:24
Never been in a Sam Smiff's so no idea if good or not, and as most round here since Gales succumbed are Fuller's then a JDW would be nice for wider choice

aleandhearty
05-03-2010, 13:26
What Sam Smith offer is one cask beer - no guests - plus their own keg offerings. On the other hand the pubs are usually well run, no chavs, no messy tables, adequete staff and the beer is cheap, OBB is usually under £1.50 a pint in Yorkshire. They don't usually do much food and if they take credit cards they will charge you 1.5% for the privilege. They normally are a bit shy of putting their name outside the pub. In London they seem to have bought up some historic pubs, Princess Louise, Old Cheshire Cheese and Cittie of York amongst them. Personally it would be a 'Spoons rather than a Sams on the basis of choice only.

Very little to add to 'ob's' summary, apart from one key point. In every Sam Smith's pub I've been in the OBB has been absolutely freezing. That in itself is enough for me to say Hoppyspoons every time.

Oggwyn Trench
05-03-2010, 13:50
I would prefer a spoons as long as its got a decent choice of ale , unlike the one we have got now (Thomas Bottfield).
I dont mind Sam Smiths pubs , its just the lack of choice .

oldboots
05-03-2010, 19:14
That's because 'e was a noorvener! (Leeds to be precise).

Tadcaster surely? There was some sort of family feud and he fell out with his uncle John and bought the old brewery when John Smiths built their new brewery in 1884, hence Old Brewery Bitter. I also discovered they owned The Rochdale & Manor Brewery, which would explain the glut of pubs in ROBcamra's area. The third brewery in Tadcaster is the old Bass Tower Brewery, now Molson Coors and future home of Tetleys Smooth.

ROBCamra
05-03-2010, 19:37
Tadcaster surely? There was some sort of family feud and he fell out with his uncle John and bought the old brewery when John Smiths built their new brewery in 1884, hence Old Brewery Bitter. I also discovered they owned The Rochdale & Manor Brewery, which would explain the glut of pubs in ROBcamra's area. The third brewery in Tadcaster is the old Bass Tower Brewery, now Molson Coors and future home of Tetleys Smooth.

They did indeed buy Rochdale & Manor Brewery. The brewery buildings were still in use, although not for brewing, with all the signage still painted on them until about 5 years ago.

Rex_Rattus
05-03-2010, 21:12
For me it would depend on the pub. If it was a modern pub with little or no character then it would be JDW every time, because the beer quality is much superior to Sam Smith's offerings, and at a similar price. If the pub was one whose interior was worth preserving, or is worthy of restoration, then it would be sam Smith's because their record in this respect, in London at least, is second to none - Princess Louise, Champion, Angel (St Giles), Cittie of yorke, etc, etc. In many ways both have been a great plus to the pub trade.

Oggwyn Trench
06-03-2010, 13:06
Black Country Brewery have taken over a few local pubs latley and seem to be making a decent go of things , the Bulls Head in Wrockwardine Wood has a fantastic tiled bar and stainded glass windows but a sucsession of landlords have kept it closed (the bar) on advice from the brewery because of repair costs if anything got damaged , now BCB have got hold of it , the bar is now the pubs focal point at last .

an_ecumenical_matter
07-03-2010, 11:33
The Sam Smiths pub in Bristol "The King William alehouse" doesn't do real ale,I'd have one pint of stout and move on. The Newport one "The Old Murenger" is always dead by my experience,mogadon put in the barrels I think. And at least you can complain in Mc Spoons. Your complaint sometimes might get ignored or get you barred but at least you can make it!!!! Unlike Smiths where its made seem as you're offending,"it's always been like that here,now no complaining".....:whistle:

Soup Dragon
07-03-2010, 14:50
Sam Smiths without any doubt - yes, it is cold keg stuff, but the MILD and the Stout are always worthy. I never know what i will get at a Spoons.

oldboots
07-03-2010, 19:01
Sam Smiths without any doubt - yes, it is cold keg stuff,

OBB is a fine real ale bitter when it's on tune otherwise pi55 and always 3 degrees too cold, there's always the "tw4t in the hat" Alpine Lager for those who do, Sovereign Bitter is a keg bitter of the old school and actually drinkable (in small doses) but I don't know about the MILD :notworthy:. Their bottled beers are expensive but worth trying.

rpadam
07-03-2010, 19:10
OBB is a fine real ale bitter when it's on tune otherwise pi55 and always 3 degrees too cold, there's always the "tw4t in the hat" Alpine Lager for those who do, Sovereign Bitter is a keg bitter of the old school and actually drinkable (in small doses) but I don't know about the MILD :notworthy:. Their bottled beers are expensive but worth trying.
I usually opt for the stout if they don't have the 'real' OBB.

Regarding the bottled beers, "expensive" is an understatement - they seem to operate a completely different pricing policy for these (at the upper end of gastro-pub prices at some of the London outlets which are still selling draught products at under £2.00 per pint). Very odd.

runningdog
07-03-2010, 19:18
I never know what i will get at a Spoons.

That's what I like about them. Too many pubs round here serve the same beers year in and year out, which is great provided you like what they offer and it's well kept. Anyway there's only so much Badger or Ringwood ale I can drink, to say nothing of Greedy King's everyday muck. Which, without JDW, is what I'm stuck with..........:drinkup::cheers::drinkup:

oldboots
07-03-2010, 19:24
Regarding the bottled beers, "expensive" is an understatement .

I'll check tomorrow when I pick up this weeks bottles but I think they charge £7.50 a pop for one of their 500ml bottles in the off-trade.....ouch

Soup Dragon
07-03-2010, 19:29
I don't know about the MILD :notworthy:.

That's why i have taken you under my wing, dear boy and am educating you in the ways of the Black Country!:D

oldboots
07-03-2010, 19:47
That's why i have taken you under my wing, dear boy and am educating you in the ways of the Black Country!:D

however long our life is we never stop learning... and when one has the chance to learn at the feet of a master one must be humble, lead me unto to the path of MILD :notworthy: oh wise one, :whistle:

Soup Dragon
08-03-2010, 08:21
I think, therefore i drink!

HTM69
08-03-2010, 12:10
I really cannot recall the Sam Smiths pubs I have visited. I have only been in those in central London and it has always been after work and heaving within.

It’s ‘Spoons all the way for me.

hopwas
08-03-2010, 12:30
It's Spoons all the way for me.

Good on ya! :cheers::cheers::cheers:

Farway
08-03-2010, 13:24
I think, therefore i drink!

I drink, therefore I can't think :nishelypished: