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Thread: Wetherspoon's news of the day

  1. #1071
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    Quote Originally Posted by aleandhearty View Post
    It's funny how the 'spoons festivals seem to have fallen off the radar in recent years. It wasn't so long ago that they were eagerly anticipated by PuG users. (Remember when Roger Button used to slurp his way through the list, before most of us had even got started?) Anyway, I think this list sounds pretty good, with 13 out of the 40 I'd like to try. The Salopian Infinite Orbit and Ballistic Short Fuse have particularly piqued my curiosity. I might have to cross the threshold of the Six Chimneys, this weekend, which would be the first time in ages.
    I and my fellow scoopers used to look forward to the McSpoons fest but the disappointing flavour of the beers year after year has wore us down.Nobody gives a toss now about completing the list of new beers.There have been very few beers that have been brewed for the fest (1000 plus) that have been good enough to become regular beers from the brewers involved which tells its own story.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Aqualung View Post
    I don't know what the beer prices are like but the admission fee alone is a total rip off. There's also plenty of crap imbedded in that list. Why brews from London, Surrey and other Counties
    On the face of it I agree, what is not apparent unless you are in the know or read the FAQ's , Camra members get in free, prices are £4.00 a pint, agree with the regional aspect, when I go to a beer festival I like to see stuff from far afield, also agree there's a lot of crap in the list, but as I mentioned there is also some good stuff, I shall be busying myself with the likes of Vibrant Forest ,Siren, Elusive, Red Cat and Urban Island amongst others, I am unlikely to be calling into either of the spoons while passing through Basingstoke town.
    "Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer."
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    Quote Originally Posted by london calling View Post
    I and my fellow scoopers used to look forward to the McSpoons fest but the disappointing flavour of the beers year after year has wore us down.Nobody gives a toss now about completing the list of new beers.There have been very few beers that have been brewed for the fest (1000 plus) that have been good enough to become regular beers from the brewers involved which tells its own story.
    That just about sums it up and I think you've made a similar point to me. I've found the January London beer fest a lot better than the national ones, probably because it allows brewers the chance to sell off much better beers they have may brewed too much of for the Xmas period.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mobyduck View Post
    while passing through Basingstoke town.
    That's probably the best idea!
    Apart from the rail station I've only been there twice, once over 45 years ago and more recently to visit the two Spoons. It's now a rare example of a town with a Lloyds and a normal JDW.

  5. #1075
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    Default October Wetherspoon News.

    They've released an October issue and with (almost) no mention of the "B" word or VAT rates. It's to commemorate their 40th anniversary. I've got a small quiz l8ined up for this site to celebrate the event and at least three questions are answered by this publication.
    One important point they have overlooked is that VIZ magazine also started out in 1979 and gained national popularity much quicker than the pub chain!

    Edit: For anyone wanting to download it scroll to the bottom of the main web site page.
    Last edited by Aqualung; 12-10-2019 at 22:52.

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    Default JDW buy long closed Birmingham pub.

    Wetherspoon have bought the Navigation Inn and if planning goes through will open next Summer. Previous attempts to turn it into a supermarket or demolish it have failed.

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    Not exactly a news story but an interesting take on Spoons


    http://benviveur.blogspot.com/2019/1...beginning.html

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    Quote Originally Posted by oldboots View Post
    Not exactly a news story but an interesting take on Spoons


    http://benviveur.blogspot.com/2019/1...beginning.html
    I make him generally right ,particularly on the six bad things.
    "Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer."
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    Quote Originally Posted by oldboots View Post
    Not exactly a news story but an interesting take on Spoons


    http://benviveur.blogspot.com/2019/1...beginning.html
    He is right with many of the things he says. Certainly in the 1980s when they were just a small chain of London pubs you did find them run by beer enthusiasts.

    For me the biggest problem on the real ale front is that the national list (and the beer festival is just an alternative one) is dominated by dross. I haven't made a huge effort with the festival Bingo as I've been away but the choice in the Shrewsbury Hotel on Friday was dismal, in fact my second pint was Punk IPA.

    I think he's very harsh about the food. The vast majority of pubs with "home cooked" food make a huge batch of any given dish and then freeze it. This is also something I do myself at home. Is this really that different to the JDW operation where it's produced in a warehouse of some sort? With regard to chips the answer is yes as properly cooked fresh chips are excellent but are absent from virtually all the pubs and chippies I've been to. I remember when the "free" drink had to be Ruddles with the clubs but now I always go for the Punk IPA which does make them very good value as Punk is normally priced at £3.00-£3.50.

    I don't recognise his list of recent South London closures. Norwood?, Southfields?, Morden?, Sydenham?, Bellingham? and he also mentions Hook and Surbiton in the same breath where it was the Cap In Hand overlooking the Hook underpass on the A3 that they closed. Regarding closures, they closed a whole raft of outlets when they opted for a standardised food menu in the 1990s. More recent closures have generally been leasehold properties which they are trying to move away from or ones wher they have two very close in a town rather than city.

    I suspect that new openings have stalled as they are going all out to create new hotels from their outlets. It's dawned on them that running a hotel is money for old rope unless they get a total nightmare guest (moi?).

    JDWs can still spring good surprises, A few Glasgow JDWs seem to stock Oakham Green Devil IPA as a regular guest which is fine by me.
    I recently visited the Newtown (Powys) outlet which had a crap choice of beer but had a local cider at £2.45 that was 8.4% abv!!

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    Quote Originally Posted by oldboots View Post
    Not exactly a news story but an interesting take on Spoons


    http://benviveur.blogspot.com/2019/1...beginning.html
    I tend to agree with Aqualung except his closures are spot on, apart from listing Suburbiton as well as Hook (William Stanley/Grid/Lady St Helier/Windmill/Tigers Head were the ones you queried). A lot of closures stemmed from the rip-off leases set up by his (allegedly) crooked one-time associate, but they do seem to have been a bit too 'shut it down' recently, although could this be after dear Tim moved away from direct personal control? My local Spoons luckily switched to Stonegate without much difference apart from added music, but you have to wonder where the obligatory collection of morning drinkers went when they closed somewhere like Thornton Heath.

    One key objection to the article however is that, if the author is only 'a couple of years' older than 40 himself, how on earth can he remember what they were like in the 1980s? Which is possibly why he missed the important point that JDW set new standards in serving food all day (after the passing of the 1988 Act) and were frequently the only place you could find to eat at, especially in provincial towns.
    On leaving the bar, I felt a strong blow to the back of my head. Turning round, I discovered it was the pavement

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