Wetherspoon's news of the day

[Aqualung]

I wish he'd stop banging on about supermarkets not paying VAT, Some larger supermarkets have a Cafe included within them and I'm sure they must have to pay the full 20% on the cooked meals provided.

The low VAT day Spoons are doing later in the month will give a saving of just over £1 on a £7 meal. This would be significant for someone who eats every day week in week out in a Spoons.

I appreciate there is some sort of argument for reducing VAT but I don't buy into it as the people who would benefit the most are the "fine dining" brigade who spend fortunes on a few scraps of food served on a plate that's large enough to accomodate a whole leg of pork. Eating out is a luxury!

[Quinno]

"total estate of 886 pubs at the end of the financial year"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24076385

http://www.theguardian.com/business/...fits-open-pubs

[Alesonly]

I don't know if its just me or not but I've really gone off spoons lately especially the newer refurbished ones as they seem too be more and more food led. The latest one The Railway Bell in New Barnet has been refurbished so it resembles an Ikea canteen with all light wood tables and a stainless steel food serving counter. If that's not enough the only ales on were Abbots and Ruddles.

[Aqualung]

I don't know if its just me or not but I've really gone off spoons lately especially the newer refurbished ones as they seem too be more and more food led. The latest one The Railway Bell in New Barnet has been refurbished so it resembles an Ikea canteen with all light wood tables and a stainless steel food serving counter. If that's not enough the only ales on were Abbots and Ruddles.

I was going to have another look at this place some weeks ago, but it was closed for the refurbishment. I will be returning, hopefully before the end of the year, but judging from your review it's either now a complete disaster or something had gone seriously wrong when you went there.

[Real Ale Ray]

Spoons on the way to Ireland


http://www.valuewalk.com/2013/09/j-d...storm-ireland/

[london calling]

Spoons on the way to Ireland


http://www.valuewalk.com/2013/09/j-d...storm-ireland/

It is good news for the drinkers but bad news for the publicans.Its also good news for the micro brewers of Ireland who have struggled to get beer into pubs although they will have to match Wetherspoons low prices paid to brewers.

[rpadam]

It is good news for the drinkers but bad news for the publicans.Its also good news for the micro brewers of Ireland who have struggled to get beer into pubs although they will have to match Wetherspoons low prices paid to brewers.

Bearing in mind that about 8 out of the 10 best real ale pubs in Northern Ireland are 'spoons, and that there may be perhaps a dozen real ale pubs of note in the republic, this has to be (almost) unmitigated good news in my opinion...

[Aqualung]

Bearing in mind that about 8 out of the 10 best real ale pubs in Northern Ireland are 'spoons, and that there may be perhaps a dozen real ale pubs of note in the republic, this has to be (almost) unmitigated good news in my opinion...

I've only been to Eire once and never Northern Ireland. It seems to me that Guinness have a monopoly stranglehold over the Irish on trade. Do they actually own any of the pubs over which they have this appalling monopoly? I seem to recall a spat between Spoons and Guinness many years ago where they thought that Spoons were selling their rubbish beer at too cheap a price. This says everything about them. It would take a huge effort to persuade the average Irish drinker that there is more to beer than an overpriced mediocre keg stout, but it can be done as I've known Guinness drinkers in the past who have with a little cajouling gone over to real ale.

[oldboots]

It would take a huge effort to persuade the average Irish drinker that there is more to beer than an overpriced mediocre keg stout,

As in Britain lager rules, last year in the south west I didn't see a lot of Guinness or Murphys drinkers, Heinekin seeming to be the drink of choice. In Dublin it was almost the same but the variety in places like the Porterhouse chain and Messrs Maguires doesn't limit things like it does in the countryside.

[london calling]

As in Britain lager rules, last year in the south west I didn't see a lot of Guinness or Murphys drinkers, Heinekin seeming to be the drink of choice. In Dublin it was almost the same but the variety in places like the Porterhouse chain and Messrs Maguires doesn't limit things like it does in the countryside.

I noticed the lager boom as well when I was there 15 years ago.In the village I stayed in there were 6 pubs and lager seemed to outsell the black stuff about 5 pints to 1.No Guiness didn't own pubs why bother when every pub sold the stuff anyway.