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Thread: Why we love JDW

  1. #11
    This Space For Hire arwkrite's Avatar
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    I don't think the village pub fits in with JDWs business plans. Even small rural towns cannot provide the throughput of customers that would make a 'Spoons profitable . I cannot think of one that is not in a busy place.Bromyard on a weekday afternoon just would not make the grade. I have found certain other pub/food outlets worse than 'Spoons for superchilling their beer.You have the choice of drinking it ice cold and no taste or wait for ever.
    I think that there are more plusses for JDW than minuses.
    P.S I did see a manager refuse to serve a drunken customer in one of the Reading 'Spoons. However the customer had fallen into a hrizontal position and it would have been impossible to get anymore into him.

  2. #12
    Former Pubs Galore Coder
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    Quote Originally Posted by an_ecumenical_matter View Post
    The Commercial Rooms in Bristol was absolutely magic about 2 years ago.
    I have been trying to remember The Commercial Rooms in a fair light. About 10+ years ago in my lager days it used to be a regular, but it was one of those places you met at because it was inoffensive and cheap, then you could work out where you were going next, a kind of first date pub really. And then about 4 years ago it was one of the pubs that Wetherspoons introduced the smoking ban into early. At that point we started using it for lunches a lot as it was one of the most pleasant locations in the area to have a smoke free lunch. Went in a couple of times at the start of last year, and I could easily have believed that ob's story happened there, it felt like whoever was there was willing to just let the place go to rot.

    Of the others in Bristol I know, the Berkeley is very meh, nothing against it, but equally nothing for it. Only thing I would say is that on busy nights it is fun to go into the back area and listen to conversations clear as day from the other side of the room, whilst not hearing the person next to you. It has a domed ceiling that produces the most amusing acoustics.

    And the Knights Templar is a fine pub, but it is a little like going out with Barbie, the place is all facelift and nothing original.

    Quote Originally Posted by ETA View Post
    ..., often at reasonable prices.

    But I'm not complacent - I would hate every pub to be a spoons, especially those that are still independent village institutions.
    Truthfully though, any moans I have about Wetherspoons boil down to these 2 aspects, they do do cheap beer (and fair play to them), but I suspect that they do it by leveraging their buying power. How are competitors supposed to offer other options when Wetherspoons can just undercut them. Ed would probably know better how serious this really is.

    Whilst I am sure it wont come to that, there is always the niggling fear that we stop going to pubs and just end up going to Wetherspoons. Sadly also on that day PG becomes redundant and we should all go and chat on the Wetherspoons site.

  3. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bucking Fastard View Post
    Just why so many JDW's are in the Good Beer Guide does escape me although I am sure someone can educate me.
    Should probably point out this blog post mentioned by oldboots over in the blog tracker forum. (Don't expect any answers in it)

  4. #14

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    They have a maximum price they'll pay for a firkin of beer, dependent on abv . They work on quantity ~ i'll buy 6-10 18s of Butty a week in summer ~ They do that with guest ales! From a brewers point of view, if you've got a few firks left of a batch of ale with 10days life left you can do worse.

    Im in Bristol this evening so Ill pop in 1 or 2 pubs and report...

  5. #15
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    Damn you Ed, I am already booked, but Dave is just PM'ing you if you want to catch up.

  6. #16
    Official JDW Tester hopwas's Avatar
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    I know JDW is like marmite.. either you love or hate it. But I have to defend JDW, they sell excellent choice of Real Ales and very affordable. They also support mircobreweries and are very eager to help them. I know it is cheap beers which pulls in "almost-skint" people and drink themself to death but it's their own choice really.

    Now.. myself huge fan of JDW cos of real ales they are selling, not food. Their food quailty is the not the greatest but they are quite "eatable" Funny thing is I "rarely" eat food at JDWs cos most of time I spend time in JDW drinking. I much prefer eat in Ember Inn THAN JDW cos of quality thing. On Weekend nights, I avoid JDWS like plague unless I have to (i.e reunions, warm up drinks before night club)

    I have to remind you it is the JDWs in busy Town centre or City centre is the worst offenders (Like Birmingham, London, Manchester etc etc) due to huge population.

    I'll stop rambling.. sorry!

    Hoppy
    J.D Wetherspoon = Home of Hoppy: The Silk Kite, Tamworth.. http://www.tamworthblog.co.uk/2009/0...-blogs-review/

  7. #17

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    Well I managed to balls that up tonight.

    Dinner took for ever to complete, meaning 8:15 train missed so decided a quick pint with dave was in order. Mrs checked train times, one just after half past. Mentioned this to dave in the pub Id chosen. Turned out to be a dirty scream bar.

    'Half past?' asked dave. 'You may want to leave now then to get to Temple station. Therefore no time for a drink with him, apologies for that mate. Taxi to station, can't see our train so asked lady behind screen.

    'No trains leave bristol to aber at 8:40'

    Balls. Next train 9pm gets in an hour + behind our schedule.

    Phone thetrainline.com to complain.


    'Sorry sir, the express train your talking about is from the other station.



    Garrrrrr!!!!

  8. #18
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    Sorry I missed you Ed, that food place is terminally slow, but I have always had nice food there and at least they don't make you feel like they need the table back.

    Last time I went into the White Hart it was actually called Scream and appeared to be full of 15 year olds. Was a nice enough pub, but not somewhere I would have ever gone back to (and indeed haven't yet).

    Ah the joys of train station confusion, if you had known it was Parkway you would never have got there in time, probably about a 30 min journey from where you were.

    Anyway, hopefully catch you later in the year either in Hay or Bristol.

  9. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Conrad View Post
    Sorry I missed you Ed, that food place is terminally slow, but I have always had nice food there and at least they don't make you feel like they need the table back.

    Last time I went into the White Hart it was actually called Scream and appeared to be full of 15 year olds. Was a nice enough pub, but not somewhere I would have ever gone back to (and indeed haven't yet).

    Ah the joys of train station confusion, if you had known it was Parkway you would never have got there in time, probably about a 30 min journey from where you were.

    Anyway, hopefully catch you later in the year either in Hay or Bristol.

    It's still a scream


    :'(

    Sorry to have missed you - next time though...

  10. #20
    I'll stay on me own runningdog's Avatar
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    By and large I'm with Hoppy on the JDW thing. For a start, I know that, without the one local to me, my drinking experience it would be a pretty barren affair. Now I realise that I'm in a different situation from most of you, good luck to you on that. I can't go gallivanting about the countryside, nor can I roll from one pub to the next. Anyways it would be a waste of effort round here.
    For me, the Nightjar is a godsend, easy to get to, inexpensive, but usually good beer, with plenty of variation and choice. Given it's price and the volume produced, the food is excellent.
    'ob's experience was both funny and disgusting at the same time but it and behaviour like it, aren't exclusive to JDW's. It can and does happen in pubs of all sizes and every kind. Two from my catalogue of pub tales. Expensive gastro. iddle aged 'lady' throws up over the party at the next table, doesn't even apologise, simply tries to get another drink. Small so-called' community pub. Lad walks away from the bar, tries to get into the, occupied, disabled toilet. On failing he just stands there and pisses. Again, no apology.
    It happens everywhere, don't blame the pub, blame the folk who do it.........
    Bluidy hell, seems like my night for little rants. Here's to the sneckliftin peculiar beast
    Last edited by runningdog; 18-02-2010 at 23:31.
    Pubs are a hobby, real ale is a passion. Oh, and like me dogs, fear no evil..........

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