Not allowed to cut up pizza in Wetherspoons?

[Calvinsmam]

We were in Wetherspoons at the weekend having a cheap and cheerful lunch and my DN had a pizza.
We asked them if they could cut up her pizza for her because the last time it wasn’t and the waitress told us they weren’t allowed to anymore and don’t even have pizza cutters in the kitchen. We laughed as we assumed it was a joke but no when the pizza arrived it wasn’t cut up and the waitress said again that for health and safety reasons they weren’t allowed to use a pizza cutter, we asked if they could have used a knife and she said no. We were a bit
Then she came over with a very sharp steak knife and said we could cut it up ourselves with that if we wanted.

Is this a nationwide rule or is our local Wetherspoons a bit odd?

Also isn’t the owner of Wetherspoons desperate to get us out of the EU because of silly little rules like this?

It's not an EU rule😂😂😂 but it will be company policy. It'll be to save time rather than any h&s issue

Obviously we need a referendum!

But seriously, I hope that the no-deal preparations are taking account of the need to stock-pile pizza's (and, if necessary, pizza-cutters) so that we avoid civil unrest on 30th April.

Rtft

As a current Wetherspoons kitchen employee..

We do have and are allowed pizza cutters as it is policy to cut children's pizzas and takeaway pizzas. We do however send the normal sized pizzas out whole and a knife and fork are provided. If someone requested the pizza cut I don't think there is any rule that says we can't do it. I wouldn't have problem pre-slicing one on request but things can definitely vary pub to pub.

We are not allowed to send wheels out however. I've never really got a proper answer, just rumors (someone cut their finger off/a child cut their hand off/someone tried to kill someone...) The most likely one is that people kept stealing them and the company aren't willing to keep replacing them.

We also have and are allowed to use sharp knives

I’ve eaten a lot of pizzas in my life, in many different establishments, in different cities. I have never ever been served a pizza that wasn’t already pre-sliced. If I was ever served a pizza which wasn’t sliced I’d presume it was a mistake!

The cross contamination theory sounds quite valid. I will brace myself in preparation of receiving non-sliced pizzas in the future, and will take a slicer with me in preparation.

There's a review of another Wetherspoons restaurant here, complaining about the pizza not being pre-sliced:

www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g186377-d2516217-r616740220-The_Butler_s_Bell-Stafford_Staffordshire_England.html

The manager replied:

"Hiya Amanda, thanks for the review we are sorry you don't agree with head office decision to remove pizza cutters, but unfortunately its something we can not control.
we will pass your comments onto head office.
we are glad you enjoy our pizzas and hope to see you soon."

Separately, I've had pizza at two Italian restaurants in the past couple of weeks and both came pre-sliced, so I'm not in agreement with the universal rules of pizza slicing that came up earlier in the thread.

But the moral of the story, as with any story, is don't go to Wetherspoons.

I bet you it isn’t company policy at your local Wetherspoons Calvinsmam, and instead a case of lazy can’t be arsed waiter who lied to you and has inadvertently caused a minor earthquake in the land of mumsnet, the butterfly effect!

I came to see how many posters made the WetherSPOONS joke. Can’t believe only one other poster gave in.

I’ve seen pizza served uncut and pre-sliced so I must be some kind of pizza glutton. New York pizzas are giant and served by the slice. When we used to get a whole pie I had to tilt it through the door frame, as it was too wide to go in flat. No knives and forks there - they judge that very harshly.

Lots of ‘health and safety’ is nothing to do with it, or it’s a bizarre interpretation that may have made sense at one point but has bypassed common sense. You can either find these things infuriating, or have a bit of a laugh, like @Calvinsmam tried to do.

Been reading more Tripadviser while I procrastinate.

Looks like until 2017/2018 they gave customers their own pizza cutters, but that was stopped following an 'unfortunate incident'

"Court L, Manager at The Court Leet, responded to this review
15 Nov 2018
Hi Emma -

Thanks for your feedback.

We have stopped doing the pizza cutters due to an unfortunate incident with a pizza cutter in another pub.

I will definitely review the staffing levels as the APP is a great success."

Sounds like Wetherspoons reaction has either been to ban pizza cutters altogether, which some bars flout, or that the ban was only intended to be on giving customers their own pizza cutters and some bars have misunderstood. My guess is the former.

We find it far safer to get 3rd degree burns when we try and tear the pizza apart.
Or to hack it apart full force with a blunt steak knife.
Fabulous.
But.....we love their pizzas.

This issue should never come up as I don't see why anyone would want to go to a Wetherspoons for any reason. It's similar to Greggs for me- bang average at best food and an awful overall experience. They also manage to present an image of being 'great value' when you can actually get much better, cheaper food and drink elsewhere.

My local 'spoons serves their pizzas with a pizza cutter.

Greggs is far more reasonably priced than Wetherspoons; wouldn't put them in the same category.

I didn't used to mind going to Wetherspoons when I lived in a small town, with limited options, and wanted to go for a drinks with friends somewhere quiet enough to chat. The food is usually serviceable (even though cheaper and better food can often be found).

It's all the Brexit propaganda there that's put me right off. Wouldnt go to one now.

I haven't read the whole thread, but surely you get a knife and fork when you have pizza in Wetherspoons, I wouldn't expect a pizza-cutter but I would expect cutlery. It's not a burger bar.

DS15 always grabs his unsliced pizza and folds first into half, then quarters followed by a sharp thump of the fist to knock out any air gaps / make it slimmer. Said pizza / flattened calzone can then be easily eaten with a single hand. Genius! 😁

I run a group of value end pizza restaurants, we cut the pizzas before sending out with a wheel. Had to stop sending the wheel out to the guests because of how many got stolen, 10 or 20 a day. Basically any profit made on the pizza after cost of food and staff was lost in the cost of theft. You'd be amazed at how many salt, peppers, knives, forks, milk jugs go in people handbags. It's almost like they think it's not stealing because it's not a shop. I'm with the Wetherspoons employee above, most likely reason not enough budget to keep replacing them.

Giggling at those who are acting completely incredulous as if you asked for them to cut up a steak and chips into bite sized pieces or something. It's a pizza, it's not totally abnormal to want it sliced! Some places do, some don't, but I'd be shocked too if they refused to do it for me. Bizarre.

I always ask for my pizza to be sliced in restaurants because the odd time it’s come uncut it makes the whole experience much less enjoyable as it’s not all that easy to cut a pizza with a steak knife. You end up having to just hack away at it.

I have just asked ds2 who works for 'spoons' as does ds1. He said it is 'bollocks' and that he is more than able to cut up both adult and children's pizzas and that they have cutters.

Wow have just read through the thread!
Ds1 is university educated and is a shift leader in a 'spoons' in the next university town.
Ds2 works in the biggest one in the uk which has been open a year.
It's not a la carte but both have substantial kitchens and take their training sessions seriously. There are certain things I wouldn't eat.... poached eggs come in a bag ready prepared.
They both really like it and take customer service seriously! I feel quite defensive about it lol!

I bet it is company policy to try and avoid serving pizzas that look as if they are for sharing, and therefore sell everyone a pizza each.

A pre-sliced pizza looks more as if it is for sharing slice by slice.

I don't think you can complain about buying a pizza each when it's £7.49 for a pizza and a pint or glass of wine.

You can always take leftovers home if there are any.

I might share a pizza with you if you catch me just after I’ve had my tea but there’s no way I’m sharing my free pint!

Wetherspoons is beloved of impoverished students and men on basic state pensions who have spent much of it in the bookies (or is that just my local ‘Spoons?). If they can share a pizza between 3 I am sure they will

YABU not to go to a proper restaurant to eat.