174 British Pub Grub: Wetherspoons vs Whitbread Pub

[jno]

In the UK, if you want budget pub grub, there are basically two places you can go to:

1. Wetherspoons (aka 'Spoons')



2. Whitbread Pub Restaurant

Table Table, Brewers Fayre, Cookhouse & Pub, Thyme, Beefeater etc.

---

So if these two establishments were right in front of you, which would you choose to eat in and why?

[ontheslate]

Not a regular eater in any of them but would say Wetherspoons are fairly open on what you are getting, you know it’s mainly instant food but don’t charge much for it, where as the others are similar offerings but higher prices with only a slight increase in quality.

[jno]

I agree with all that ontheslate. I'm feeling the urge to click Spoons mainly because they don't dress it up so much. 

I've been in several of both of these over the years. Spoons in particular has some very dodgy clientele. On occasions I do wonder if Spoons is one step up from The Salvation Army Christmas soup kitchen, homeless tramps sitting in the corner warming up over a 7 hour cuppa tea, Captain Bird's Eye sitting all day supping cider in the other, foreign staff who don't know the menu at all and of course, ample parking for mobility scooters:



Would it be fair to even suggest that customer service is slightly better in Whitbread Pubs? I would say that is true.

[ontheslate]

Wetherspoons are very divisive with drinkers some are very snobby about them where as some won’t hear a word against them, I’ve been in some spoons that have been great pubs and not the stereotypical customers I’ve also been in some where every stereotype of customer was in.
Whitbread tend to be more food led so service is usually better and more akin to a restaurant, Spoons do have a much better drink selection in my opinion as a real ale drinker.

[AlanH]

I won't step inside a Wetherspoons for purely political reasons, so my answer would be Whitbread. Or anything other than a Wetherspoons.

[jno]

Jul 22, 2024 19:16:14 GMT AlanH said:

I won't step inside a Wetherspoons for purely political reasons, so my answer would be Whitbread. Or anything other than a Wetherspoons.

Well, without wanting to go down the political route (which I totally understand btw), I was in a Spoons this evening and all the bar staff were neither British nor first language English speakers. My guess they were Portuguese or from Eastern EUrope, as they didn't know what Ginger beer was and one didn't know what a 'G and T' was. The fact I had to explain what both were as they were foreign workers I personally found quite ironic and pretty bloody hilarious.

Would I have to do that in a Whitbread Pub? Probably not as having worked for Whitbread for a month in the 90s I know they do train their staff, expecting 'em to come in unpaid at weekends for training, which is why I told them to stuff it.

I really want to click Wetherspoons but I just can't do it because I can't stick Tim Martin. I do feel the quality is marginally better at Whitbread, but as ontheslate sort of mentions, it really can depend on the Spoons itself.

Consistency of brand, I'd say Whitbread are better. Overall cleanliness and quality of service, I'd also say Whitbread are slightly better, reflected in their slightly higher prices. Spoons if it's a decent one probably would get my vote for value for money but sadly I've been in too many Spoons that have been a right dump, including seeing a fight. That's not to say Whitbread pubs are always better as I've been in some mucky Whitbread pubs too.

Therefore by a nose I'd have to vote for Whitbread. Spoons definitely has more booze on offer though. 

[yoyopickles]

The first spoons opened in Maidstone,just before Xmas 1995. We had never heard of the brand before ( I was just turned 20 and the internet was something only computer geeks or rich people had) it was the first "super pub " in Maidstone,as it occupied an old bank building in the high street. This place does attract quite a lot of odd characters,to say the least,and even my mate skanky Jeff finds it "very skanky" and one of his passtimes is to complain to the duty manager that the disabled toilet is in need of cleaning!

There is a rather shifty geezer who goes around trying to flog knocked off snout,who is always being chased out! I ordered a breakfast in there about a year ago and was still waiting almost half an hour later! I asked where it was and was told "oh, I wondered why there was a full English on the side in the kitchen fir ages!"

The joke is "you go there when you don't want to microwave something yourself!"

Around seven years later, another one opened up at the other end of the town centre opposite the railway station. Ten years later, maidstone football stadium opened very nearby, so the newer of the two gets very packed on match days. As a general rule, a slightly "better class" of punter frequents the newer one of a weekday lunchtime,as it has offices nearby.

I think when spoons really comes into its own,is at mainline railway stations and airports,as it's a lot cheaper then the other eateries available,only trouble is,it's always packed!

There is a joke about a bloke running into an old friend and saying "I've got a new job, working in a kitchen, feeding homeless, long term unemployed,alcoholics and drug addicts" his mate asks if he is working in a shelter and his reply is "no,im a cook in Wetherspoon's "

Another gripe I have about spoons is, the guest ales, although cheap,always seem to taste the same, I.e dishwater!

I think I preferred Whitbread's

[Arch Stanton]

Jul 22, 2024 18:47:54 GMT jno said:

I agree with all that ontheslate. I'm feeling the urge to click Spoons mainly because they don't dress it up so much. 

I've been in several of both of these over the years. Spoons in particular has some very dodgy clientele. On occasions I do wonder if Spoons is one step up from The Salvation Army Christmas soup kitchen, homeless tramps sitting in the corner warming up over a 7 hour cuppa tea, Captain Bird's Eye sitting all day supping cider in the other, foreign staff who don't know the menu at all and of course, ample parking for mobility scooters:



Would it be fair to even suggest that customer service is slightly better in Whitbread Pubs? I would say that is true.

I didn’t know you had a mobility scooter jno. Good for you.

[jno]

Jul 22, 2024 20:27:17 GMT Arch Stanton said:

Jul 22, 2024 18:47:54 GMT jno said:

I agree with all that ontheslate. I'm feeling the urge to click Spoons mainly because they don't dress it up so much. 

I've been in several of both of these over the years. Spoons in particular has some very dodgy clientele. On occasions I do wonder if Spoons is one step up from The Salvation Army Christmas soup kitchen, homeless tramps sitting in the corner warming up over a 7 hour cuppa tea, Captain Bird's Eye sitting all day supping cider in the other, foreign staff who don't know the menu at all and of course, ample parking for mobility scooters:

Would it be fair to even suggest that customer service is slightly better in Whitbread Pubs? I would say that is true.

I didn’t know you had a mobility scooter jno. Good for you.

..and the older folk say youngsters are lazy because they use technology too much!



P.S. Please vote and stop trolling.

[Arch Stanton]

Wow! The sky’s the limit with this particular Death Match isn’t it.
Hmm 🤔… decisions, decisions.

I think Table Table is marginally better than Wetherspoons, one or two less peasants, not by much though.

Wetherspoons is cheaper though and also has more choice.

Oh dear what a dilemma..

I’ll see if anyone can add anything to sway my opinion before voting I think.

[jno]

Jul 22, 2024 20:36:56 GMT Arch Stanton said:

Wow! The sky’s the limit with this particular Death Match isn’t it.
Hmm 🤔… decisions, decisions.

I think Table Table is marginally better than Wetherspoons, one or two less peasants, not by much though.

Wetherspoons is cheaper though and also has more choice.

Oh dear what a dilemma..

I’ll see if anyone can add anything to sway my opinion before voting I think.

Which one have you been in with me?

[Arch Stanton]

Jul 22, 2024 21:10:13 GMT jno said:

Jul 22, 2024 20:36:56 GMT Arch Stanton said:

Wow! The sky’s the limit with this particular Death Match isn’t it.
Hmm 🤔… decisions, decisions.

I think Table Table is marginally better than Wetherspoons, one or two less peasants, not by much though.

Wetherspoons is cheaper though and also has more choice.

Oh dear what a dilemma..

I’ll see if anyone can add anything to sway my opinion before voting I think.

Which one have you been in with me?

Beefeater and Brewer’s Fayre possibly.
Beefeater in Newton Abbott defo.

Don’t think we’ve been in a Spoons but might have been.

[bodiesstuntdouble]

Spoons for me - i think the down market tag is overplayed by their detractors - certainly the ones I've frequented have always been clean and the staff usually polite and friendly. No complaints about the food and the choice and price of drinks is unbeatable

[ltd]

I've gone for Spoons. As others have said you know what you're getting. Some of their grub is surprisingly decent e.g. the curry. Couldn't really care less about Martin's politics. In contrast to yoyopickles I've had some really good guest ales in Spoons pubs including Exmoor Panther and an excellent bitter from the Jurassic brewery. I've a longstanding dislke Whitbread on account of the dismal beer they used to serve up when I were a lad back in the 80s. As a mate of mine once remarked "they never made a decent pint in their lives." I suppose it's a bit perverse using drink as a criteria when voting on food offerings but there you go.

[kusumkangguru]

I've plumped for Spoons too. I get a fry-up breakfast in there occasionally (last time about three weeks ago in Reading - it was cheap and certainly better quality than the low standard of what I'd muster up myself at home).

But I also expect that Whitbread might just be a little bit better quality. I'll give them a go next time the opportunity arises.

[Arch Stanton]

Jul 23, 2024 13:11:18 GMT ltd said:

I've gone for Spoons. As others have said you know what you're getting. Some of their grub is surprisingly decent e.g. the curry. Couldn't really care less about Martin's politics. In contrast to yoyopickles I've had some really good guest ales in Spoons pubs including Exmoor Panther and an excellent bitter from the Jurassic brewery. I've a longstanding dislke Whitbread on account of the dismal beer they used to serve up when I were a lad back in the 80s. As a mate of mine once remarked "they never made a decent pint in their lives." I suppose it's a bit perverse using drink as a criteria when voting on food offerings but there you go.

I was going to vote Spoons solely because of Martin.
He’s great!

Nowadays he looks like a weird hybrid of Doc from back to the future, Hendrick from Children of the Stones and Robert Llewelyn when he was presenting Scrapheap Challenge.

Look at the him in this picture from back in the day (2011?) though, look at his face..




jno should get that printed as a life size cardboard cut out for his bar.

Cut a hole where the face is then Tim’s face can be taken out and replaced by your own for purpose of comedy photo memories.

[ontheslate]

Jul 23, 2024 13:11:18 GMT ltd said:

I've gone for Spoons. As others have said you know what you're getting. Some of their grub is surprisingly decent e.g. the curry. Couldn't really care less about Martin's politics. In contrast to yoyopickles I've had some really good guest ales in Spoons pubs including Exmoor Panther and an excellent bitter from the Jurassic brewery. I've a longstanding dislke Whitbread on account of the dismal beer they used to serve up when I were a lad back in the 80s. As a mate of mine once remarked "they never made a decent pint in their lives." I suppose it's a bit perverse using drink as a criteria when voting on food offerings but there you go.

Never had a bad pint from Spoons, Whitbred no longer brew beer but their restaurants always have same drink choices which is limited compared to Wetherspoons.

[jno]

Martin's mullet is shocking in that picture. Looks like he had his hair done by Pat Sharp's gypsy hairdresser on cocaine.

He also looks like he's holding his tie with his right hand and is other hand is like summat off The Invaders. All very scary. He looks like a dodgy car salesman.

[yoyopickles]

I've just realised,I've been into a spoons in four UK countries ( not sure if that is a good or bad thing) several in England In various towns and railway stations and airports, as well as two in Wales , Newport and Cwmbran ( with nick from the forum for the latter) Edinburgh railway station and Londonderry,as the spoons breakfast was from £2 at the time,and the travel lodge I was staying at nextdoor charged £8 for bacon and eggs!

[coyote]

Gone for Wetherspoons because as others have said you can't beat the price and you go there with the expectation it will be cheap and nasty/cheerful depending on your perspective. Their pubs really vary in style and quality, perhaps unsurprising as they've either taken on failing pubs or converted banks and shops. I've had nice food served by nice people and absolute cr*p served lukewarm and almost thrown at me by someone who looks like they've just got out of prison.

Places like Beefeater and Harvester are similar money to eating in a proper restaurant where they actually prepare food from scratch. When I was young I worked in a Tetley's "Big Steak" pub restaurant and they trained everybody thoroughly, branded it all correctly but pretty much everything that wasn't steak was pre-prepared and heated straight out of the freezer.

The other one that could be included here is Toby Carvery. Cheap, loads of food (thus loads of fat people with their fat kids) and depending on the level of mush of the vegetables can be quite edible. And has overtones of Alan Partridge which is never a bad thing 

[ltd]

Not in the poll but I've had some decent pub grub type lunches at Brewers Fayre pubs. Greene King beer is bloody awful though.

[ontheslate]

Aug 4, 2024 21:42:56 GMT ltd said:

Not in the poll but I've had some decent pub grub type lunches at Brewers Fayre pubs. Greene King beer is bloody awful though.

A local Greene king pub was often where I would take my mum for a meal occasionally beer choice was limited but I would normally have soft drink, food was always good last time I went menu was a lot smaller and the food awful never went back.

[ontheslate]

Aug 5, 2024 5:23:51 GMT ontheslate said:

Aug 4, 2024 21:42:56 GMT ltd said:

Not in the poll but I've had some decent pub grub type lunches at Brewers Fayre pubs. Greene King beer is bloody awful though.

A local Greene king pub was often where I would take my mum for a meal occasionally beer choice was limited but I would normally have soft drink, food was always good last time I went menu was a lot smaller and the food awful never went back.

Greene king despite the advertising and introducing new beers their beer is awful as you say.

[Arch Stanton]

Aug 3, 2024 22:41:47 GMT coyote said:

Gone for Wetherspoons because as others have said you can't beat the price and you go there with the expectation it will be cheap and nasty/cheerful depending on your perspective. Their pubs really vary in style and quality, perhaps unsurprising as they've either taken on failing pubs or converted banks and shops. I've had nice food served by nice people and absolute cr*p served lukewarm and almost thrown at me by someone who looks like they've just got out of prison.

Places like Beefeater and Harvester are similar money to eating in a proper restaurant where they actually prepare food from scratch. When I was young I worked in a Tetley's "Big Steak" pub restaurant and they trained everybody thoroughly, branded it all correctly but pretty much everything that wasn't steak was pre-prepared and heated straight out of the freezer.

The other one that could be included here is Toby Carvery. Cheap, loads of food (thus loads of fat people with their fat kids) and depending on the level of mush of the vegetables can be quite edible. And has overtones of Alan Partridge which is never a bad thing 

Not heard of Toby Carvery.

[Arch Stanton]

I’ve eventually gone for Wetherspoon's. It was a tough choice but Spoons won it on the changing variety of ales you get.

[bodiesstuntdouble]

Aug 3, 2024 22:41:47 GMT coyote said:

Gone for Wetherspoons because as others have said you can't beat the price and you go there with the expectation it will be cheap and nasty/cheerful depending on your perspective. Their pubs really vary in style and quality, perhaps unsurprising as they've either taken on failing pubs or converted banks and shops. I've had nice food served by nice people and absolute cr*p served lukewarm and almost thrown at me by someone who looks like they've just got out of prison.

Places like Beefeater and Harvester are similar money to eating in a proper restaurant where they actually prepare food from scratch. When I was young I worked in a Tetley's "Big Steak" pub restaurant and they trained everybody thoroughly, branded it all correctly but pretty much everything that wasn't steak was pre-prepared and heated straight out of the freezer.

The other one that could be included here is Toby Carvery. Cheap, loads of food (thus loads of fat people with their fat kids) and depending on the level of mush of the vegetables can be quite edible. And has overtones of Alan Partridge which is never a bad thing 

Do you take your "big plate" coyote? 😉
Yeah i don't mind a Toby Carvery either👍🏻

[daz]

Neither is my answer.

If faced with a choice, I'd go thirsty and hungry.

Each to their own though.