To not want to eat in Wetherspoons?

[giveitarestplease]

Popped out with BIL and OH today, I absolutely despise Wetherspoons but they love a bargain and aren't too fussy.

I'm not a snob in anyway shape or form I just can't stand it. I eventually went with them and sat in there and waited until they finished.

I just hate the old dirty pubs and how fast the rancid food comes out 🤢 the alcoholics that have been sat there since the moment they opened the doors on the morning.

I'd much rather go to one of our local independent cafes and have a nice lunch and I know it's not coming out of the microwave. I know it's not the same price bracket but you know what I mean.

They always laugh and joke and call me a snob and say I think I'm better than everyone else. But I'm really not and I don't think that.

I'm boycotting them, but I agree with others that there is a huge range in terms of atmosphere among the locations. I'd go for a main dish salad or maybe a sandwich or wrap that won't be microwaved, and I'm pretty sure they do jackets as well.

If your OH and BIL like a drink with lunch and don't mind pub grub, it's likely the cheapest option. Can you take turns choosing a place when you go out? You shouldn't always have to go somewhere you don't like. Or are there other pubs around - independent or another chain? You might find a place with food and atmosphere you like better that still suits them well.

They don't allow dogs in their outside areas any more which is a shame as I miss their Jack Daniel's burgers. I love some of their buildings eg Exeter, Whitstable.

The Exeter one is beautiful with an enormous orangery and has peacocks back in the day.

To give them their due they do ‘rescue’ old landmarks and keep them from being turn down.

And just to feel like devils advocate, all those boycotting due to the owner’s political stance, do you know the leanings of all the local cafe owners?

YANBU

Not everyone has a Wetherspoons that is great. The one where my husband and I used to live was rank. I ordered a roast chicken dinner and the chicken was frozen on the inside. I politely told them this and watched as they took my plate and put it under a heat lamp in the kitchen. They brought it back to me and I told them it was still frozen so I ordered something else, fish and chips. You would think considering they could have given me food poisoning, they would make up for it. Nope, the batter was hard, could barely get my fork through it so broke it in half with my fingers and when I opened it there was barely a tablespoon of fish inside. I showed my husband and he was shocked. They fried it long enough that there was barely any fish left! My husband’s meal was fine, a steak and chips but they butchered mine twice and I brought it to their attention again and they said they would make me something else. By that point, I didn’t trust them to make me a sandwich so just ate the chips. They still tried to charge us for both meals and he told them point blank no. I refuse to go there again. Went to one in Newcastle and it was better but nothing to write home about. I’ll take my chances with independents with smaller menus and better service.

@CoronaPeroni

They don't allow dogs in their outside areas any more which is a shame as I miss their Jack Daniel's burgers. I love some of their buildings eg Exeter, Whitstable.

They do in our Wethers. 🙂

I’ve worked in three different spoons, one being a Lloyds. All three have had the same level of food hygiene rating (from 2 councils). I’ve also been employed by Mitchell and butler via Toby carvery, sizzling and miller and carter. I can confirm I’d be happily eating in spoons than a m&b establishment. You get what you pay for it’s cheap and cheerful brakes mass produced food.

@LalalalalalaLand123

Sorry but you sound like a snob who thinks you're better than everyone else.

It’s called standards. The food is cheap crap cooked off site and reheated by staff who don’t care because their knobhead of an employer doesn’t care about them. He’s in financial trouble and whilst I feel sorry for the staff, I’m glad he’s suffering.

My dh will not fund Tim Martin in any way shape or form due to his political stance.
Wetherspoons do attract alcoholics they open early doors for them all to pile into.
There was a programme on the other night about Wetherspoons and how they operate, quite interesting.
Anyway, can you not take it in turns deciding where you go op?

When I meet my old schoolfriends it's in a Weatherspoons. They pick the venue and I go along with it- some of them are less well-off than the rest of us and it's a convenient place large enough to house us all. What I absolutely wouldn't do is make out it's so disgusting that I couldn't possibly eat there because that might make the people who are eating there feel like I'm judging them negatively for it. So I have a vegetarian sausage and mash and enjoy the natter.

No, it's not particularly nice food but it is edible.

I'm another one who now boycotts Wetherspoons due to Tim Martin being a giant bellend.

Shame though as the food was great for kids, and being not a posh place was ideal as my DS in particular struggles with cutlery, sitting still etc (additional needs). You couldn't pay me to set foot in there now.

@Ohshitiveturnedintomymother - it's a good point you raise about not knowing other people's personal ethics because you're right. I could very well be supporting someone else who is a massive tool. If I became aware that someone was a vile person, I would stop supporting their establishments too but I don't hunt them down in advance to check them out. I think the point is that Twatty Tim brought it on himself by shouting his mouth off constantly in the press, making us all aware that he's a nob - and as a consequence he can make do without my £40 once a month. I'm sure he's gutted to lose me as a customer. Probably cries into his crap beer at night hoping I'll come back. Sorry Tim lad, not happening.

no, i agree with you, shocking that people are drinking lager at 7.30 in the morning

I have never set foot in a Weathersppns. Mainly because I prefer a coffee shop when out

I admit to being a food snob and regularly lunch or dine out in places such as Le Gavroche, The Wolseley etc

Wetherspoons is in a different category but, in my view, provides excellent value for money. On the rare occasions I go, I order the gourmet steak meal, which comprises a large sirloin, which is cooked fresh and to my liking (rare), and comes with a peppercorn sauce on the side, baked potato or chips, salad, peas, mushroom, onion rings and tomato, with a glass of wine - for about £12!!! The quality of the steak is fine and, on the one occasion they overcooked it, they happily replaced it with no argument. I have eaten in much more expensive restaurants where they have overcooked steak and been less accommodating about replacing it.

It provides a wide range of choices for people on a budget (or not on a budget) and, especially during weekends and school holidays is often full of families and students rather than the clientele you describe. During the week, it provides a base for work colleagues to mix, at a price that everyone can afford, no matter what their position in the company etc. I don't think that the quality is any less than that provided by other chain restaurants where most of the food is prepared centrally and reheated such as eg Cafe Rouge etc. There is also something comforting in knowing that, wherever, you are, the menu is the same. They also helpfully publish allergens, calories etc on the menu.

Also, some of the pub buildings are beautiful, especially in London, often based in historic buildings, such as Crosse Keys and Knights Templar, or the one in Ramsgate, which is the former Royal Pavilion and is literally on the beach. However, I can accept that other branches may be different, are based in scruffy buildings and have a different clientele, which presumably reflects the locality.

But you wouldn't catch me in Tescos or Morrisons cafes, even if you paid me, utterly depressing places. In fact, I have avoided Tesco altogether since they were found to have included horse meat in one of their own products, arguably even a worse transgression than supporting Brexit.....!

@YellowandGreenToBeSeen

Plus… Tim Martin is a Brexiter.

Good enough reason to never give him a shilling again.

Oh is that his crime? I couldn't figure out how he'd pissed so many people off.

Nothing wrong with an opinion on where you like/don't like to eat, OP. You should not feel obliged to go to Wetherspoons if you don't like it! You sound very nice and who cares if that means you're a bit snobby, but I agree with you 1000000%

Because they’re such a massive chain there will be good and bad. One in London we went to before a gig at Ally Pally was particularly awful, tables were sticky, carpet was sticky, the building was beautiful but just not clean. The food was awful, cold, undercooked and missing bits. We didn’t have time to get it sorted as it took a fucking age to come.
However when I go to visit friends she usually only wants to go to spoons as she is a fussy eater and the menu is fairly basic and easy for fussy people who only really want processed junk. It’s always pretty clean but that is one where the old guys are waiting for a pint at opening at stay there all day, people can scoff at this and pretend it doesn’t happen but it does, they’re cheap booze and open early, of course in some areas this is going to attracts people like that sadly. I’ve never had food from that one that’s been “bad” in the sense of cold etc, but have had food that hasn’t been very nice. Was really disappointed in the eggs benedict. Because Tim Martin is such a bellend I only go now when I visit her as I’m loathed to give such a twat my money.

They’re good for DP when he works away as they serve food until late so by the time they’ve finished for the day they know they can get food and a pint at 9pm and not have to worry about changing out of work clothes.

But let’s not pretend the food is nice, it’s food in the sense it will fill you up and fuel your body but it’s really not great. The chips are particularly awful.

@TimeForTeaAndG

I'm with you. Though I also now don't frequent Wethersoons because Tim whatshisname is a dickhead who doesn't deserve my hard earned cash.

Same here.

A group of friends and I did a breakfast at spoons every 5-6 weeks. Perfectly ok for cheap and cheerful and unlimited coffee 🤣

But wouldn't be my first choice and I won't go there at all now!

Gosh. I'm usually really into healthy food from good ingredients, but even I would order something and eat if everyone else I was with wanted to. Just for the sake of not being really rude, difficult and awkward!

Oh is that his crime? I couldn't figure out how he'd pissed so many people off.
I don’t think it’s just because he’s a brexiter it’s because he’s such a hypocritical crybaby about it. He’s been very very vocal about the leave campaign however then called for rules to be relaxed to hire eu workers as there was a shortage. He also the cried to the papers that the price of importing beer and larger was eating into his millions of profits, while telling his staff at the start of lockdown to “go get a job in Tesco” if they weren’t happy about not being paid through covid (until he was forced to). He’s not a nice oerson.

I won't eat in Spoons for this exact reason and I'm the least snobby person you will meet but I'm also a chef and have standards!! I would much prefer spending an extra couple of quid and going to one of the nice cafes in my area and getting something that is freshly made.

I have eaten there in the past and the last time I did, I was 32 weeks pregnant and ended up with food poisoning!!

Gosh. I'm usually really into healthy food from good ingredients, but even I would order something and eat if everyone else I was with wanted to. Just for the sake of not being really rude, difficult and awkward!

Why is it rude not to eat somewhere you don’t genuinely like? Why does that make someone difficult? It’s not like she was going to a party, at an event, or with strangers. They know she doesn’t like it but still choose to go and make fun of her for not liking it, how is that not rude? Why not choose something that everyone can enjoy?

Everyone's right about the varying standards of Wetherspoons, two of the three in my town are awful, dark sticky places but there's one which is an absolute beauty.

But if OP thinks Greggs or her independent cafes aren't ordering in pre prepared food and reheating or using microwaves on site, she's very much mistaken. There isn't an artisanal baker round the back in Greggs seasoning pork mince all day.....

You would rather somewhere with a posher microwave? My friends daughter worked in s posh establishment and the food came from Iceland and Aldi. It's true.

@BurscoughBooths

I refuse to set foot inside Wetherspoons. I don’t care if that makes me a snob, that brexit supporting hypocritical tosser is not getting a penny from me.

This...

while telling his staff at the start of lockdown to “go get a job in Tesco” if they weren’t happy about not being paid through covid (until he was forced to)

I can't believe people are still spouting this bullshit