Weatherspoons evil empire malts, which would you choose?

[Caledonia]

I am not a weatherspoons customer and never will be, ill pay a little more for a better pint rather than there dirty pints. For non-british customers Weatherspoons is a very large chain of pubs with some real ales and the usual suspects. They are reknowned for undercutting other pubs prices, in Edinburgh a pint od Deuchars at Weatherspoons is £ 1.29 normally its hard to find this under £2.00...thats what they do.

Anyway the reason for this poll was brought to me by Clubsmedas Penderyn is Weatherspoons best selling whisky (malt).

I cant justify this as I would not pay for that in a bar , so how can they successfully sell this above other malts.

Which would you choose ?

[Ganga]

Not really the best of choices for me. But given those choices, Glenfiddich.

[ClubSmed]

I actually like Wetherspoons in principle. Excellent real ales at great prices in well restored iconic buildings! The issue for me is that the cheap price of alcohol will always attract idiots who do not go out to appreciate decent drinks, but go out to get drunk and end up causing trouble.Luckily though most end up with this clientèle, not all do.

[cathach]

Why are the pints there dirty? Plus what kind of pub has only four whiskies?

[Caledonia]

Why are the pints there dirty? Plus what kind of pub has only four whiskies?

Glasses were dirty and clearly didnt clean the pipes well, we got an ale to begin with and a guiness to test this theory while we were there (hoping the ale id be better ) neither were great....guiness was almost undrinkable...worst i have ever had.

I understand the cheap prices they do but its the logic behind it, laphroaig did the same thing a few years back.

You sell to us at a smaller margin than everyone else, we sell more of your beer than anyone else and make lots more money than anyone else. Makes sense... but it ruins it all for other pubs, unless your like minded to me and ignore weatherspoons (Except for the nachos).


PS - i said glenlivet as its a great session whisky
Laph did this to smaller retailers a few years ago, while selling at a much lower cost to supermarkets, remember QC being about £17-18?

[Shrek]

Wetherspoons in Leith is fine, you get a good pint and at the price, like you say, of £1.29 for a pint of Deuchars IPA (as well as £1.55 for guest ales, normally 4-6 available) is simply great value - why go elsewhere and pay double, or indeed treble, the price?

Admittedly, the one up town on George St, probably the one you're talking about, serves a poorer pint in not so-clean glasses, at peak times, but being the busiest pub in Edinburgh (and probably the busiest in Scotland) it's all about margins. Consumer value is key to the brand.

Anyway, I think that Penderyn is a pretty good dram these days and the reason why it's the no 1 selling malt in the Wetherspoons chain just now is that it is being heavily pushed/promoted at the expense of the regular Glenlivets/fiddichs, which every whisky-drinker knows (and remember the vast majority of Wetherspoons are in England/Wales).

Try it, I was very pleasantly surprised, much less feinty than when I tried it a few years back and at £2, or whatever, a dram, well .....

[Caledonia]

Wetherspoons in Leith is fine, you get a good pint and at the price, like you say, of £1.29 for a pint of Deuchars IPA (as well as £1.55 for guest ales, normally 4-6 available) is simply great value - why go elsewhere and pay double, or indeed treble, the price?

Admittedly, the one up town on George St, probably the one you're talking about, serves a poorer pint in not so-clean glasses, at peak times, but being the busiest pub in Edinburgh (and probably the busiest in Scotland) it's all about margins. Consumer value is key to the brand.

Anyway, I think that Penderyn is a pretty good dram these days and the reason why it's the no 1 selling malt in the Wetherspoons chain just now is that it is being heavily pushed/promoted at the expense of the regular Glenlivets/fiddichs, which every whisky-drinker knows (and remember the vast majority of Wetherspoons are in England/Wales).

Try it, I was very pleasantly surprised, much less feinty than when I tried it a few years back and at £2, or whatever, a dram, well .....

Yeah Standing Order was the one i was talking about, its not wether or not its good value its at the cost to other pubs. IM just glad some breweries refuse to sell them their beers and hope they keep doing that.

I can get a much better choice of ales at a number of other pubs having to spend £1 more a pint maybe isnt so bad for a better choice, a better atmosphere and actually a good pint

I shall have to try Penderyn again, it seems .

[ClubSmed]

I can get a much better choice of ales at a number of other pubs having to spend £1 more a pint maybe isnt so bad for a better choice, a better atmosphere and actually a good pint

You are speaking from the point of view of someone in a large city though. There are a few places where Wetherspoons exist and are the only real ale pub in the town. Given a choice of a Wetherspoons with real ale or a pub/ club/ bar with nothing but keg beers I would pick JD's every time.

Though as you say, if you have the opportunity of a real ale pub with a good range within a short distance then it would win over JD's

I also like the fact that you can go into a Wetherspoons and be able to talk as there is not load music played.

[Deactivated Member]

I've been in a number of Wetherspoon's, and have found them to be all over the map (figuratively speaking, that is). Some are pretty nice, and one or two have been filthy holes. In fairness, it can depend as much on the time of day or day of week visited, and the location of the pub, as on the local management. I'd agree it's not my first choice, but there are times and places when it's the only choice. At least you can usually get a passable pint.

I've no complaints with the Standing Order, other than the fact that if I'm in there, I should probably have been in bed for at least an hour. Under the circumstances, my powers of perception are probably not at their best.

[Caledonia]

I can get a much better choice of ales at a number of other pubs having to spend £1 more a pint maybe isnt so bad for a better choice, a better atmosphere and actually a good pint

You are speaking from the point of view of someone in a large city though. There are a few places where Wetherspoons exist and are the only real ale pub in the town. Given a choice of a Wetherspoons with real ale or a pub/ club/ bar with nothing but keg beers I would pick JD's every time.

Though as you say, if you have the opportunity of a real ale pub with a good range within a short distance then it would win over JD's

I also like the fact that you can go into a Wetherspoons and be able to talk as there is not load music played.

Are u sure u cant find a better pub that doesnt play load music than weatherspoons? Let alone offer more whiskies and better quality beers?

Im from Dumfries area and the weatherspoons there was a common place for me at a younger age, still the same as up here (same bar virtually in every location)..until i went out my way to find a better one.

Really when u buy a pint of deuchars at £1 now £1.29 you may as well be buying a pint of tennants at that price.

[Reggaeblues]

Wetherspoons sell Penderyn??

Respect!

[lincoln imp]

Its right to say that Weatherspoons do affect other pubs and i take the point about the quality of beer sometimes. I had heard and maybe someone hear can put me straight that the barrels they get are almost past there best and that is why they get them cheap etc so can sell for the price they do? ( It was one of their employees)
The Weatherspoons in my small town is very good in the main but some of the beer is flat as a fart, particularly the Pedigree. I believe its £1.55. I was in last week and got a pint of something for £1.29 and the wife a drink and it came to a little over £3. The same drinks in the pub up the road cost double that.
Caledonia its fine if you want to pay extra, i often go to the pubs with a better pint but the issue of price v quality is blown away by Weatherspoons. They show that you can get reasonable beer at a reasonable price. I am sick of paying almost £3 a pint and lining greedy brewers pockets. The reason some of these pubs are loosing business is beacause their prices are far too high for the product they serve.
The price of a double whisky is £2.69 again half the price anywhere else.
Whats the pubs excuse for charging double what weatherspoons charge i wonder.
Ther are many brewery chains with buying power so the argument about Weatherspoons being a large chain, buying power etc, does not wash here does it?
Anyway i`ve had my 4penneth her

[ClubSmed]

I am also under the impression (please correct me) that Wetherspoons with its business model lead a revival in the real ale consumption. It is my understanding that real ale sales had been decreasing year on year for a long time with many micro breweries collapsing and that the emergence of Wetherspoons kick started (or at least had a hand in) a real ale revival.