Boycoutt Weatherspoons, people of Middlesborough

Konrad_the_Barbarian said:
You can not be serious about the drink products, although I'll give you the wine selection is not good.
The ones I use have a huge range of top spirits, lagers and real ales. The Ruddles is particularly good. Probably because of the price, it turns over so quickly.


Not all Weatherspoons are the same btw.
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Yes, you get the odd place with a seriously decent pint, but the majority of it is tat. Gin selection isn't great in any that I've been in, wines awful, and the food is rank
 
You have to watch the beers they are sometimes close to their sell by date - hence they got them cheaply and can sell them cheaply. They use the old Tesco model , soulesss places buying cheap selling cheap, stack it high and sell in big quantities. I would not aviod them as such, but I don't jump to use them.
 
atomicloonybin aka ALB said:
The problem such as it is locally is that here in Billingham, it effectively is the only pub in the town centre - I don't know whether the Astronaut is still open, and frankly I don't want to know. Before lockdown obviously, if I wanted a pint with my mate who works in the offices above, there was nowhere else to go without driving. A few years ago I was a member of CAMRA and they gave you 50p off vouchers to spend in Spoons.

Unfortunately last time I was in I was sat waiting and two blokes about my age were at the next table forensically discussing that days Daily Heil and those inhouse magazines urging Brexit and how right it all was about the state of the country. This would be pre-last years election. I moved seats.
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CAMRA still give you the vouchers but they can also be used in a number of (albeit smaller) chains. I actually don't have big issues with Wetherspoons as a business, and it's not that long since, if you found yourself in a strange town, the local Wetherspoons was the best bet. I boycott them because of the owner's politics.
 
I quite liked going in Swatter's Carr, but that's probably partly because it's quite small and cosy for a Wetherspoons.
 
I use lldl regular, used to go in swatters mainly because some of the lads liked it, won't go in at the moment due to the dreadful treatment of his staff in relation to the lock down.
Not saying I would never go in, not easy if your out with people who want to , but so far gone from one a week to never.
The cask beers are at best average at worst on on the turn .
As I get older idrink less and prefer 3- 4 good quality pints to gallon of out of date otherwise bland beers.

To be fair when they first came out I thought they were great and some of the only places selling cask beer , but the quality isn't there these days
 
It great that places like Wetherspoon's and Sam smiths exists. A lot of pubs down here are charging north of a fiver a pint. The one near me is frequented mainly by young people and old people. The sort of folk who have no disposable income due to the housing crisis. More power to them.
 
atypical_boro said:
It rejuvenated Norton high street. People were genuinely excited about it opening. Can't say I understood it but I think there is a tendency for some folk to want the 'McDonald's model' when it comes to pubs.
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Plenty of other, better places on Norton High Street (and surrounds).
 
Sheriff_John_Bunnell_ret said:
The type of people who boycott Wetherspoon's are the types of people who would never set foot in them in the first place.
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Wrong. Used them frequently as they had what at the time were decent food and drink deals. Then around 12 years ago worked for a business that ended up on the receiving end of a JDW price “negotiation” where they knew they were in breach of existing conditions.
I think that opened my eyes regarding their overall ethos. They have lived down to it on many occasions since. Never set foot in any of them again to this day even in one pub towns.
 
Konrad_the_Barbarian said:
A bit like those snobs who claim they wouldn't set foot in Aldi or Liddle.
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It's not snobbery to expect staff to be treated right. Companies to not drive indpeendt pubs out of business, for companies to make a screw up of running their business but get billed out by the government because they support government policy.

It's not snobbery it's common decency
 
I've been in a few decent Wetherspoons.

A lot of misinformation out there, particularly about how the staff are treat. I mean, no zero hour contracts, paid above minimum wage, proper training, paid holidays and sick pay. A lot of people are outraged on behalf of staff whereas the few people I know love working there.

Oh, and as for a comment above about won't go because the owner funds the Tories, well, one certain S Gibson also funds the Tories. But hey.

When you try to take the moral boycott high ground, you really need to be consistent.
 
My son regularly pops in the Highland Laddie at Norton and chats with a few of the staff and they come across as being fairly happy with their jobs.
Boycotting will only put more out of work and deprive those whose who use Weatherspoons of an affordable establishment .
 
Sheriff_John_Bunnell_ret said:
It great that places like Wetherspoon's and Sam smiths exists. A lot of pubs down here are charging north of a fiver a pint. The one near me is frequented mainly by young people and old people. The sort of folk who have no disposable income due to the housing crisis. More power to them.
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You're happy to eschew morals and decent working practices for staff for the sake of a few pennies off a pint.

That's utterly shameful.
 
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