Yayy! That's call for champagne!Originally Posted by Conrad
Kidding Conrad.. I know JDW is like Marmite, either you love it or hate it..
Yayy! That's call for champagne!
Kidding Conrad.. I know JDW is like Marmite, either you love it or hate it..
J.D Wetherspoon =Home of Hoppy: The Silk Kite, Tamworth.. http://www.tamworthblog.co.uk/2009/0...-blogs-review/
I don't actually mind JDW.
Early warning, I am about to have a rant. These forums are for your use though, so don't let this reflect on how you all use them, there is certainly no policy to stop JDW chatter!
Reason JDW gets on my nerves though is how much publicity we give them. Our users have very kindly gone through and added JD Wetherspoons to most of their pub listings and added site links to their site, all of which reinforces their brand. We of course get paid nothing for all this (as indeed neither do any of you doing the fine work you do). It does however make our site more accurate which I do like.
On top of that we have the congratulations on here about how little they charge for their drinks, when they can charge that little purely based on their buying power, the smaller independents with single figure pubs will never be able to buy it as cheap, and thus always have to charge more.
It all just grinds against my feeling of fairness, of all the pubs we should be promoting, I don't feel JDW need the help. I would rather we promoted those smaller unique pubs with more personality than a corporate brand.
Anyway, rant over. As I say, that is nothing against anyone, and I know the JDW stuff is mostly in jest. And of all the pubcos, I do enjoy a drink in a JDW, I am also glad that there are other pubs though.
I take back all i said on Bristol City
Conrad, you are no longer a
up the local
MILD:
As Hopwas said JD's is like marmite.That is why I mention the name if I review one,I would hate some one who can't stand the brand to go out of their way for a visit.
Personally I dont mind a good one but they are not everyones pint of beer.
Well as far as the pubco that dare not speak its name goes I can take 'em or leave 'em, when they're good they can be excellent but when they're bad they're bludy awful, I find them a bit variable depending on which shift is working. I usually put their name in a review just for the sake of completeness, I do with it Market Town Taverns in Yorkshire as well - I might start doing it with the terrible twosome (Punch and Enterprise) just to warn people.
I take your point, but I think you are being somewhat unfair. JDW were small once, and, as I understand it, a policy-decision was made early on which has been stuck to down the years. It seems the rewards for that original decision are now being reaped. Consistantly lower than average prices mean that at least we are being allowed some small share in the profits. Anyway, that's how I see it.
To be honest I don't care a lot as to who runs the pub, or where it is, how unique it is or what size, if it don't sell good beer, I don't want to know..........
Pubs are a hobby, real ale is a passion. Oh, and like me dogs, fear no evil..........
Too be honest i am not a big spoons fan, it's just fun to rib hoppy. My personal anathema are Ember Inns - as embers is all that should be left of them - hellish interiors etc - but it comes down to personal taste, that is why it is good to have different opinions on here!
MILD:
JDW's, things that stand out for me:
- having a policy of selling Real Ales
- not being too greedy during the good years
- naming, they put some effort into their names, which can be a little fun to work out sometimes
With my business hat on, I have to be impressed at how well they are getting their branding out there. As an observer of this site however it makes me a little sad that we have edited most of the JDW pubs on the site to either say "Lloyd's No 1" or "JD Wetherspoon". As I am changing them I am generally wondering what has JDW done to deserve this special effort why aren't we changing the Kilvert's listing to Kilverts Hotel (Right Rev Brewery) [sorry to pick on you again Ed, but you are a recognisable example].
Really though, that information improves the site, and I would rather we do anything that improves the site, I do hope one day though we can adjust the site to show the brewers/pubco as a part of the pub rather than just chucking it in brackets after the name for nice big pub chains.
Soup's comment is the most important one though, it is a personal taste thing, and I want there to be room for all opinions on this site.
I think part of it is how much do pubs go into promoting themselves? For example websites - even a simple home-page with opening hours, food served y/n (+ serving times if yes), range of drinks, contact details. Mentioning your pool table, or dartboard. A quick check over tripadvisor, BITE, here, CAMRA as well - offering that website listing, replying to criticism (none of those sites charge you to join).
There's a bloke on the Camra forum that could be seen to 'bang on' about pubs displaying their opening times. Personally I think he's right - if it's 5 to 6pm and the pub infront of you is closed, with no sign of life and no opening hours, what do you do in this weather? Hang around - it might open and half 6, or 7pm.
We're lucky in that we have a good afternoon trade - we're open 8am - at least 10pm (winter hours). But pubs that shut for an afternoon could at least stick a handwritten note in the door saying 'Open 11-3, 6 - 11'
JDW have become successful by not falling into the trap of thinking 'thats so obvious we don't need to promote it'. Breakfast & Coffee to Steaks & Ale, the widest selection of drinks (including lagers) on draught, some weird and wonderful spirits, a huge selection of pubs in the GBG, a regular rag in which the MD (I presume that's what Tim is) personally answers letters written in, including criticism, wifi, AWPs, a regular re-vamp program, award-winning training, clear & easy to use website...
I know this sounds as though I'm in love with them, but I'm actually in the other camp. I can't stand them. The bad experiences out-weigh the good for me personally. But I still respect what he's done, and nicked a fair few ideas from them. The biggest praise is consistency - and we all know what we expect from a JDW.
If small independents aren't going all out to promote their business when times are hard like now, what hope have they got against the propaganda such as the Daily Wail, Sir Liam Boring Idiot Who Believes We Should All Just Play Nicely At Home, the labour government etc
For the record, the brewery is now looking likely to become 'Hay Brewery', allowing me a range of beers along the line of :
Hay on Wye
Hay on Sky
Hay on Fire
Hay at Christmas
etc etc ad nauseam
That feels better - if you've just skipped to the bottom, it was a detailed and in-depth analysis of the pub situation in 2009, including heavily researched facts and stats.
If you actually read it, cheers, sorry about the rant, I'll go lie down now
hi Ed
Surely a pun on 'Hay Brewery - always good valuev' - or punch drunk for the winter warmer
how did brum visit go?
MILD:
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