Drinkers in Spoons

[TheDaringOliveNewt]

I'm away and at spoons having breakfast.

Every single table apart from mine has pints going, at 8.30.

Aibu thinking it's weird?

Considering you have loads of comments where you say they are all locals and not shift workers you must know everything about them.... so why don't you tell us why they were drinking at 8am alone?

Do you take issue with someone doing this?

Only if they're not drinking Champers or Pimms

Ah loved a Wetherspoons breakfast with beer. This used to be a favourite when a group of us met up from work for a social day out around town.

Socially it is frowned on to drink early but isn’t it better to be able to drink alcohol a bit at any time of the day than it is to have everyone out at night?

And yes I have been to very expensive hotels where Bellinis are acceptable at breakfast. I think people just like to look
down on anyone drinking a pint instead.

I think it’s extremely odd. But then again, I also think it’s odd going to Wetherspoons at this time in the morning for breakfast too.

I worked in spoons for many years, both in the busiest city centre pub, and then 1 of the quieter ones.

Found same as what others are saying that some are just finishing night shifts, they liked to tell us this as if they felt they had to justify their morning drinking.

Then there are the bread and butter customers. These would be the lonely elderly men. Many of which may be alcoholics. They come early while it is quiet, they can get served straight away, maybe have a bit of a chat with the regular bar staff. Maybe they will chat to others also day drinking. Some liked to just take their drink and sit in silence. They all had 1 thing in common though, I never saw 1 of them still around when the day turned to night and the night drinkers come in all dressed up and the bar getting busy. Also never saw 1 of the morning drinkers have to be turned away for being too drunk. They done their quiet low key socially acceptable drinking, then headed off.

I often wondered what lonely elderly women would do as an equivalent 🤔

What exactly is odd about going to a place that sells breakfast to eat breakfast?

@StripeHot why would it be odd at the time OP posted to be having breakfast

At the 8.30am AA meeting I’ve been to this morning, many people have shared over the years that they used to be in Wetherspoons at that time. It’s cheap, sociable and I suppose gets you out of the house.

Also not sure why people are confused about going to Wetherspoons for breakfast. You tend to know exactly what you are getting at a reasonable price. I have had really bad breakfasts at posh cafes costing double. And often those cafes don’t last and can’t say I am surprised.

Wetherspoons is just a pub to me. My disclaimer is that I have never been in one and do not wish to. I just know it is where my student kids used to get cheap beer.

I think people are confused why someone woild go to Spoons for breakfast then complain people are drinking there

You can have champagne with breakfast at 8am in the bar at St.Pancras. Is that acceptable?

I find drinking champagne at 8am really strange too.

It's also a pub that serves food, like loads of other pubs up and down the country.

So again, what's the issue with going to a pub for food?

The regular early drinkers rarely get pissed. They have high tolerance and dissappear before the night drinkers come.

You went during breakfast service when the staff are busy. Later on the lonely customers will be able to have a quick chat with the regular staff they know, also other regular customers will come in they recognise. Even if just for 10 mins, that is more contact than they will have sitting at home alone. As another poster said, even a 'here is your drink' from the staff could be the only human contact they get all day.

We had all sorts of early regulars, many would be full of laughter and the staff would enjoy their company. 1 use to really enjoy their chat with the staff and bring us all strawberries from the market. 1 was a miserable man who use to find any reason to shout at us. We used serving him as initiation for new staff, if they couldn't deal with it nicely, then a busy city center pub wasn't for them. He was harmless enough, just liked things perfect. They are not doing anyone harm. They are managing to get through the later lonely part of their lives in the way that works for them

I had Prosecco at 5am yesterday.. on my own at the airport, no driving or responsibilities for a few days so why not? I’d already been up 5hrs so it was practically lunchtime to my body.

Yep, just as cocktails with "bottomless brunches" or Bucks Fizz at 6am on Christmas Day are acceptable.

MN is hypocrisy at its' finest.

Our local Spoons is very much somewhere to go and eat, especially if on a budget but you want to eat out. But we are not a massive student town

Places with a large student population may have Spoons that are more frequented as a pub rather than a restaurant

It seems ok to go for lunch or dinner. I just find it a strange idea to go to a pub for breakfast. I appreciate that that’s just me though, and acknowledge the inconsistency.

Fair enough, at least you're honest about it!

Don’t knock it until you try it. My local one does an excellent breakfast.

OP stated they were away, so I assume had to find somewhere for breakfast. You know what you are getting at Spoons and is reasonably priced

Is it all ‘full English’-type food?

I used to go there for breakfast when I was pregnant because it was about three minutes walk from my flat. And actually the ones I've been in are quite nice (that particular one had women's loos that looked like the entrance to The Chamber of Secrets.)

@StripeHot they do a variety. I like their Eggs Benedict