To not understand snobbery against Wetherspoons?

[CatsArePeople]

They're really ok. Certainly not worse than McDonalds or your local greasy spoon.

Because Tim Martin is a conceited, arrogant, narrow-minded piece of shit and I don't want to give any money to projects he's involved in.

It's that simple. And tbh, missing out on a trip to Spoons is hardly a sacrifice. There are much nicer independent pubs in and around my area and I'd rather give them my money.

The fact that some people like working for Spoons is irrelevant. Tim Martin is involved in the franchise, so I'd rather not support it in any way.

Also - it's possible to dislike Tim Martin without needing to reference the allegations about how he acted to staff around the first lockdown. You can ignore all of that as being untrue and still come to the conclusion that he's a horrible person due to the way he's acted on multiple other occasions.

I was given the Wetherspoons carpet book - something I knew nothing about and which was actually amazing and what a brilliant thing. Very shortly after the ceo became newsworthy as an absolute tosser sexist little en glander etc. plans to get over snobbery to visit some to look at carpet design were dashed. Could not pay me to go to one.

Why tf does it bother any of you that there may be people drinking at any time of the day? If the people aren’t bothering you, don’t be so quick to judge. I’m teetotal but was a barmaid and people have all sorts of reasons. We live a 24 hour lifestyle in uk cities now. There are so many people on night shift or backshift so they come in at different times. You tend to get a lot of older men. Quite often lonely widowers just wanting to be less alone. Retired etc. Unless they are causing an actual reason for complaint, don’t be a judgmental arsehole!

Mixed feelings here - I worked behind the bar in a busy town centre one as a student in the early 2000s - the training, pay, bonuses and flexibility were all great. Ours started opening an hour earlier for breakfast while I was there but wasn't licensed to serve alcohol until 11am - so all the regular old men would just come in early, not order breakfast, and sit at the bar watching the clock and argue about who got there first once they could order their pints!
Also it's not cleaners who clean up the puke - it's the bar staff. We had special kits - you pour some stuff onto the puke that solidifies it and scrape it up into sealable plastic clinical waste containers. Not my favourite part of the job. I wouldn't have drank in that one if not working as there as it was a bit of a rough one were nicer pubs in the area.

One opened in another town where I lived and although it was nice enough in there I hated the effect it had on the other pubs in the town - they all tried to compete by doing major refurbishment and modernisation work, only problem was they couldn't compete with the prices, and it just seemed to strip all the character out of everywhere.

Currently we have a Spoons in walking distance - it tends to be full of families for meals in the daytime and fairly quiet in the evenings as most people go to surrounding towns for the clubs. The staff are friendly and the atmosphere is relaxing so we pop in every now and again.

The toilets are a massive trek in all three of them, either up or down several flights of stairs

You would need to walk through a wall of smokers to even enter the one where I live.

I refuse to give my money to the CEO.

My local wetherspoons is lovely. Its a small town. Wetherspoons acts more like a cafe\community hub than rough drinking hole. I am a woman and have no problem going on my own. I can sit by a real fire, browse the internet, order from my phone and read my kindle for hours undisturbed. The other day I was doing just that. The man on another other table had his laptop. He made the odd work call but otherwise was very quiet. An older woman on a table to the side of me sat reading and drinking red wine. It was very quiet and is always a lovely place to just escape with a book. The foods ok, I don't expect rosette quality food.

@Halfabag

Why tf does it bother any of you that there may be people drinking at any time of the day? If the people aren’t bothering you, don’t be so quick to judge. I’m teetotal but was a barmaid and people have all sorts of reasons. We live a 24 hour lifestyle in uk cities now. There are so many people on night shift or backshift so they come in at different times. You tend to get a lot of older men. Quite often lonely widowers just wanting to be less alone. Retired etc. Unless they are causing an actual reason for complaint, don’t be a judgmental arsehole!

Licensing laws are complicated and vary depending where in the U.K. you live. If someone doesn’t agree with 24/7 alcohol culture it doesn’t automatically make them an arsehole. Maybe they too have their reasons.

There are 3 in my town, two are absolute holes but one is GORGEOUS, the building, the atmosphere, the way it's been looked after.....

I have to say, as a lone woman, I'd feel much happier sitting quietly in a corner of Wetherspoons on my own with a book than I would in many other places.

The old boys at the bar, they're not interested in anything else but their pint and the latest pigeon racing news. Good for them, out there living their best lives.

The 'no music' policy. Inspired by Orwells's description of his favourite (fictional) pub The Moon over water.

The spoons in Manchester is The Moon Under Water (Orwell’s is ‘under’ not ‘over’ too). I don’t mind the no music policy.

For me, it's more that the owner's a prick.

I think they're good for providing a cheap place to go for lonely people or people without much money. It's somewhere warm and bright and lots of them are more like a community centre than a pub.

I wouldn't choose to go in one due to politics, sticky floors, crap frozen food, depressing 9am drinker vibe. Some are better than others and I do sometimes go in to use the loo.

@Halfabag

Why tf does it bother any of you that there may be people drinking at any time of the day? If the people aren’t bothering you, don’t be so quick to judge. I’m teetotal but was a barmaid and people have all sorts of reasons. We live a 24 hour lifestyle in uk cities now. There are so many people on night shift or backshift so they come in at different times. You tend to get a lot of older men. Quite often lonely widowers just wanting to be less alone. Retired etc. Unless they are causing an actual reason for complaint, don’t be a judgmental arsehole!

Shift workers I can understand. Sad older widowers shouldn't be starting drinking first thing in the morning.

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

You generally know what to expect. Doesn't matter if its Aberdeen, Southampton, Blackpool, Norwich... they are the same.

Not necessarily - they do go local to an extent. When DD was at a Welsh university I have fond memories of sampling their Welst lamb sausages and mint gravy.

@BiscuitLover3678

The food taste ok but a bit grim how it’s all just reheated. Not the best quality. The clientele are a bit rough. Pretty buildings though.

Some is reheated, but things like steaks and breakfasts aren't.

@Stellaris22

I don't go to Wetherspoons because I'm a snob, I don't go because I don't have a short memory.

CEO is vile and treated his staff atrociously when pubs were closed. I won't support a business that doesn't value its employees.

As pointed out, the stuff about treating his staff badly is untrue. DSis worked there at the time and was properly furloughed. She also said the hygiene standards are very tough, considerably better than she's encountered elsewhere - they have regular kitchen audits with good bonuses for passing.

The one near my work is pretty quiet during the week so after work I often go for a coffee with some of my work mates. We work in a school as support staff so money tends to be tight for most of us so unlimited coffee for £1.20 is great and tastes better than the terrible Costa in the town.

I go to them and don't consider myself 'a bit rough.'

I like the free hot drinks refills, far prefer that than paying for an overpriced Starbucks,costa etc.

Veg pizza and breakfasts nice, wouldn't go there for a luxury trip out but as a meet friends for coffee or a quick drink /snack they are fine.

Our local one is in a very posh suburb and is not frequented by alcoholics. It has a lovely outdoor area. Those of you who think they are all rough probably need to venture to the ones in the better parts of your city.

I worked in a wetherspoons for 3 years. We only had one all day drinker who sat in his favourite spot in a corner and very much kept himself to himself.

Otherwise it was predominantly families or people attending events in the local town or tourists. In 3 years we had trouble maybe twice but the pub managers for mine were very zero tolerance. They also enforced the rule that often hits the news that if you have kids and aren't eating its 2 rounds of drinks only, a third if you do eat.

I probably wouldn't choose to eat there and Tim Martin is an absolute arsehole but the pubs themselves there is nothing to be snobby about. Many of the buildings themselves are also lovely.

There was a rougher one in a rougher nearby town and wetherspoons closed it as they generally don't do agro, if a pub becomes more of a nuscience than its worth they get rid.

I mean, he didn’t tell them to go work in Tesco but he did u turn (only after public outcry and pressure from unions) on paying employees. You could forgive small businesses for not having the money to pay staff until furlough money was in the business bank account, but not a someone worth nearly half a billion.

Again, not true. It was made clear to DSis and her colleagues from the outset that their jobs and pay were safe.

I'm with @saraclara - I think Martin's views on Brexit are utterly stupid, but I'm tired of the way that lie keeps getting trotted out when it just wasn't true.

@DynamiteFilledRadish

He did not treat his staff badly. This is such nonsense. A great many newspapers had to publish retractions when it was explicitly proven that he did not say or even insinuate what was plastered all over their pages.

I was just about to post similar. He didn't say or do what was reported in the press.

They treat their staff awfully so for that reason I do not choose to go there.

And just to add ds actually worked there for several months and was treated very badly!