Should pub chairs have wooden legs?

[Slarti]

TBH Spoons - aside form maybe post 9pm, and Fri and sat night strikes me more of a cheap eat out option with cheap grog thrown in on top, rather than an out and out cheap place to get drunk.

I've had the misfortune to eat in 3 different Spoons and the food was consistent, and just as unpleasant in each.

I've seen it being delivered and the meals were all neatly labelled complete with microwave instructions and while I am happy to use a microwave to steam veg or spuds, I would draw the line at ready meals.

Slarti

[AleisterCrowley]

I've had some good steaks and burgers in 'Spoons, and their breakfasts are great. If I'm unfortunate enough to be stuck in a hotel for work (normally budget worker-drone hutches) I'll try to opt out of the breakfast and get one at a nearby 'spoons if available.

I used to have a problem with 'spoons until I realised they're not actually pubs in the traditional sense. They are themed bars, and the theme is 'British Pub'

[didds]

I'm with that. Spoons doesn;t pretend to be anything that it isn't. It has no pretensions - its a just a barn selling very cheap food and booze.

Its only "downside" is that for various reasons, as I experess above, ut becomes the de factop deifnition of a "pub" for some demographics particularly the young an so the more traditional and genuine versions of "pub" may end up sliding away as their customer base rejects them

didds

[Slarti]

I've had some good steaks and burgers in 'Spoons, and their breakfasts are great. If I'm unfortunate enough to be stuck in a hotel for work (normally budget worker-drone hutches) I'll try to opt out of the breakfast and get one at a nearby 'spoons if available. '

Work mostly has me in Premier Inns and I tend not to bother with the breakfasts, preferring to do without, unless there is a decent local Caffè, preferably Italian for the better coffee.

I've tried Spoons breakfasts and would rather do without.

Slarti

[redsturgeon]

I've never actually been in a Weatherspoons.

John

[kempiejon]

I used to use furniture as way of assessing pub quality, non matching furniture was winner, exposed walls, lots of wood were all positives; seems pub Cos are wise to me and I see some trendy establishments are now refitting with odd furniture, recycleds planks on walls, to create that look. Gits.

[AleisterCrowley]

Work mostly has me in Premier Inns [likewise-AC] and I tend not to bother with the breakfasts, preferring to do without, unless there is a decent local Caffè, preferably Italian for the better coffee.

I've tried Spoons breakfasts and would rather do without.

Slarti

Full English or 'continental' ? I go for the full English (minus egg) and a mug of tea.
Bostin!

[swill453]

Full English or 'continental' ? I go for the full English (minus egg) and a mug of tea.

I guess they don't all use the same suppliers (or do they?) but when I tried a Wetherspoons breakfast in Newcastle it was the thinnest bacon and nasty cheap sausages.

Probably worth the minimal price they were charging, but we came out wishing we'd gone elsewhere and paid more.

Scott.

[AleisterCrowley]

The last one I had (central Brum) was excellent. Certainly better than the last hotel breakfast I had, and half the price. Perhaps it's a bit variable

[Slarti]

Work mostly has me in Premier Inns [likewise-AC] and I tend not to bother with the breakfasts, preferring to do without, unless there is a decent local Caffè, preferably Italian for the better coffee.

I've tried Spoons breakfasts and would rather do without.

Slarti

Full English or 'continental' ? I go for the full English (minus egg) and a mug of tea.
Bostin!

If I'm having a hotel or caffè breakfast it is always full English (or Scots or Welsh depending where I am) as otherwise, why bother?

Slarti

[Slarti]

Full English or 'continental' ? I go for the full English (minus egg) and a mug of tea.

I guess they don't all use the same suppliers (or do they?) but when I tried a Wetherspoons breakfast in Newcastle it was the thinnest bacon and nasty cheap sausages.

Probably worth the minimal price they were charging, but we came out wishing we'd gone elsewhere and paid more.

Scott.

I thought that they got everything centrally as the meals I've had have had no variation.

The bacon and sausages agree with my experience.



If you are in Pickering, I would recommend the breakfast at the Forest and Vale hotel which was good quality ingredients well cooked and generous.

Slarti

[AleisterCrowley]

Perhaps my tastes are less refined - although my mum's friend actually seeks out 'spoons breakfasts in preference to any others so it's not just me.
Admittedly I haven't had one for >9 months, so perhaps the quality has slipped as the accountants shave the costs...
Best hotel breakfast I've had was at the Grand in Brighton... must be the sea air

[GrandOiseau]

Draft House Milton Keynes has been jointly won CAMRA MK's "Chairmans Award for Contribution to the local beer scene". Not sure whether this is a regular or adhoc reward? All seems a bit odd. I get the feeling this is a nod to the CAMRA is fuddy and duddy and not embracing the new beer culture complaints.

Ironically immediately before this announcement came one from CAMRA MK that Wetherspoons just down the road has won the Pub of the Year award!

Worlds collide.

[GrandOiseau]

There has been a development - Draft House have been taken over by Brewdog. Now, I openly admit I've never been in a Brewdog pub but from what I've read and heard it would explain why they will keep the Draft House name on all their pubs. I never did go back into the Milton Keynes Draft House or indeed any of the London ones. This despite having a 50% discount from 5pm to 8pm offered as a result of where I work. To be fair an after work pint isn't particularly convenient to me as a family man!

Anyway, it's closed at the moment, being converted to something, which seems odd given Draft House refurbed two years ago and they aren't changing the branding... but anyway, I am not expecting much.

On a more positive note (sort of), the other ex-Lloyds No 1 (have Wetherspoons ditched these totally?) in the Theatre District has become a Brewhouse and Kitchen. Which is another modern chain (about 20-odd pubs nationwide) and we had a do there a while back. Much pubbier feel and they do some brewing on premise. These were served in tall tankards, which were a bit different but likeable. Beer range of non-ales was pretty good. And the chairs definitely had wooden legs. Spoons is still the base port of call though!

[Rhyd6]

Our local looks as though it will be reopening in September (closed due to fire in kitchen which knocked out all electrics in pub). We're holding our breath because rumour has it that the landlord has decided to go for a full refurb. This is a traditional country pub with mismatched wooden furniture including some very old settles and benches which are very comfortable. Fingers crossed the refurb will not be too drastic! I'm glad that I'm not the only one who likes a proper dimpled glass for a pint. I loathe the narrow, slippy glasses but I'm the only one who uses a glass with a handle.
I too have never been inside a spoons though there is one in Mold along with one or two other trendy pubs which allow mothers with buggies and screaming brats in so I give those a wide berth. A couple of years ago The Ale House opened, a no nonsense pub which specialises in craft beers though it also sells Wrexham lager. The furniture is made of wood and scaffolding poles, not for any artistic or pretend trendy design but because the owner was skint and had laid his hands on supplies from a builder who was going our of business so I'm told.

R6

[GrandOiseau]

One good thing (or not depending on your pov) about spoons is that they have a very strict policy on children. And noise (of the non customer variety)

[Lanark]

Someone who works in the bar trade once told me the criterion for bar furniture was either:
make it so light that if a drunk person picks it up and smacks you over the head it won't do much damage
or
make it so heavy that a drunk person won't be able to pick it up in the first place.