Man your pumps, Wetherspoons are coming

seanmacc · 01-09-2013 7:57am

Wetherspoons are the pub/restraunt equivilent of Ryanair (Although I'm not sure if they treat their staff crappy). They will basically buy their product from the cheapest suppliers around and will actively low ball suppliers which is a good thing. Believe it or not the main reason the price of a pint is through the roof in many pubs in Ireland is because of the likes of Diageo and Co. They will also shop around for their meat and other foodstuffs too. If you get a fantastic steak one week and a crap one the next thats why.

I used to manage an off licence attached to a pub a few years ago and we were able to scource Coke, 7up ect from an unamed supplier in the North for half the price Diageo and C&C (full legit). Granted they didn't take the returns of the glass bottles but the local bottle bank did well off us. They used to offer us cans of Guinness 25% cheaper than Diageo and Heineken and Budwieser about 30% cheaper than the other suppliers (Although it was the 5% stuff). I'd imagine Wetherspoons will start getting kegs of Blackthorn, Carling and Tennents from the North and probably be able to charge under 3 euro a pint for it. If a few Weatherspoons pubs pop up it might spur Diageo and Co to stop being so hungry.

That being said I've been to the Weatherspoons in Derry a few times, it is cheap and cheerful but its not the sort of pub you'd sit in for a prolonged period of time. The atmosphere is not great, no racing during the day and no music at night. It is probably designed that way so as to discourage the all day drinkers.

Surveyor11 · 01-09-2013 8:21am

Be interesting to see how it pans out, I lived in the UK for 5 years and was in the odd JDW - mostly SE England, a few up North as well. Can be a mix of experiences. Some are fine, you'd stay there for a few and move on. Probably rare I'd spent a night there. Some are thoroughly miserable, dodgy and would stay clear. So it'll be interesting to see what 'atmosphere' this creates. Will also be interesting to see how the pricing structure translates here - when I was in the UK, they used to pints for 99p (a few year back, mind you). For cheap beer and a decent selection, it's decent enough from that point of view.

ciaran76 · 01-09-2013 8:26am

I think the big question really is will they follow the UK model.
With wages and insurance being higher here I can't see it being as cheap.
We will wait and see I suppose and any new competitor to the market can only be a good thing.
I hope!

Banjoxed · 01-09-2013 8:32am

£2.05 for a very well kept pint of Abbot Ale in the Diamond in Derry during the Fleadh. If that's the future then the spin merchants for Diageo, VFI and other self-interested groups can go play on their own flutes for that

adamski8 · 01-09-2013 12:33pm

I think its good news anyway. if its not your thing then dont go, at worst it will take a lot of knob heads out of the pubs you do go to

stehyl15 · 01-09-2013 2:09pm

An english pub in ireland is not right if you've been a pub in england you've been in them all they're all kips whether a chain or independent. I dont mind english shop chain like poundland that produce competition but not pubs which we have a tradition in this could change pubs in ireland forever.

mfceiling · 01-09-2013 2:23pm

stehyl15 wrote: »

An english pub in ireland is not right if you've been a pub in england you've been in them all they're all kips whether a chain or independent. I dont mind english shop chain like poundland that produce competition but not pubs which we have a tradition in this could pubs in ireland forever.

I take it you've been in every pub in england:rolleyes:

Have you been to any of the small country pubs in cornwall - near fowey perhaps? Little pubs beside lovely rivers that serve great food and a brilliant selection of beers, with clean toilets and immaculate garden areas.

Probably not - have you been in the cuckoos nest or the dolphin house? Traditional irish pubs alright.

stehyl15 · 01-09-2013 2:32pm

mfceiling wrote: »

I take it you've been in every pub in england:rolleyes:

Have you been to any of the small country pubs in cornwall - near fowey perhaps? Little pubs beside lovely rivers that serve great food and a brilliant selection of beers, with clean toilets and immaculate garden areas.

Probably not - have you been in the cuckoos nest or the dolphin house? Traditional irish pubs alright.

yea but you cant get tayto in them also the guiness in england tastes like piss

Geuze · 01-09-2013 2:35pm

seanmacc wrote: »

I used to manage an off licence attached to a pub a few years ago and we were able to scource Coke, 7up ect from an unamed supplier in the North for half the price Diageo and C&C (full legit). Granted they didn't take the returns of the glass bottles but the local bottle bank did well off us. They used to offer us cans of Guinness 25% cheaper than Diageo and Heineken and Budwieser about 30% cheaper than the other suppliers (Although it was the 5% stuff). I'd imagine Wetherspoons will start getting kegs of Blackthorn, Carling and Tennents from the North and probably be able to charge under 3 euro a pint for it. If a few Weatherspoons pubs pop up it might spur Diageo and Co to stop being so hungry.

Thanks, can you clarify:

a NI-based wholesaler was able to sell cans of Guinness, delivered to an RoI shop, 25% cheaper than the shop paid their local RoI wholesaler?

Off-licences buy cans/bottles from wholesalers, not direct from Diageo, isn't that right?

Geuze · 01-09-2013 2:39pm

stehyl15 wrote: »

An english pub in ireland is not right if you've been a pub in england you've been in them all they're all kips whether a chain or independent. I dont mind english shop chain like poundland that produce competition but not pubs which we have a tradition in this could change pubs in ireland forever.

A sweeping generalisation.

I've been to plenty of good pubs in Liverpool, London and Edinburgh.

OK, the JDW chain can be clinical, formulaeic, yes, with little or no character. But there are plenty of good pubs in Britain.

Technocentral · 01-09-2013 5:41pm

mfceiling wrote: »

I take it you've been in every pub in england:rolleyes:

Have you been to any of the small country pubs in cornwall - near fowey perhaps? Little pubs beside lovely rivers that serve great food and a brilliant selection of beers, with clean toilets and immaculate garden areas.

Probably not - have you been in the cuckoos nest or the dolphin house? Traditional irish pubs alright.

Most of the people complaining on here aren't interested in a good choice of beers, thats the ironic thing, thats why they are concentrating on food, pubs above all else should have a HUGE RANGE OF BEERS, food is an afterthought, this isn't the restaurant thread.

Technocentral · 01-09-2013 5:43pm

Geuze wrote: »

A sweeping generalisation.

I've been to plenty of good pubs in Liverpool, London and Edinburgh.

OK, the JDW chain can be clinical, formulaeic, yes, with little or no character. But there are plenty of good pubs in Britain.

Give me a formulaic pub with 50 beer choices over a Irish pub with "character" and a choice of 4 beers any day!

Technocentral · 01-09-2013 5:45pm

stehyl15 wrote: »

yea but you cant get tayto in them also the guiness in england tastes like piss

:rolleyes:
Well than drink one of the hundreds of great english ales, porters or stouts then ffs! Try expanding your tastes instead of expecting all countries to sell Tayto and bloody Guinness (a mediocre drink)!

Ravelleman · 01-09-2013 8:10pm

Will there be an assortment of real ales available?

stehyl15 · 01-09-2013 9:51pm

If i had sky sports i would no reason ever too go into a pub again if you like having a peaceful drink at drink at home it cheeper anyway

seanmacc · 01-09-2013 10:03pm

Geuze wrote: »

Thanks, can you clarify:

a NI-based wholesaler was able to sell cans of Guinness, delivered to an RoI shop, 25% cheaper than the shop paid their local RoI wholesaler?

Off-licences buy cans/bottles from wholesalers, not direct from Diageo, isn't that right?

It was a strange one and i didn't believe it myself until i saw the invoices. The stuff they supplied was for the UK market 3.8% Carlsberg and 5% Budweiser and Heineken. Some things were labelled differently but in off sales where your margins are low and people shop for price nearly everyone didn't notice or didn't mind.

For bottles and cans you generally don't go near Diageo unless you needed to cross order (order off diageo to make sure your wholesaler has a certain among of stock available for you).

keith16 · 01-09-2013 10:04pm

Great news! The two in Manchester I have been to serve great food and the value is incredible.

I also reckon they will do great business in Blackrock. Tonic and many more in the village may like to think they appeal to a certain segment of the market, a segment which many on this thread feel is beneath Weatherspoons, but I guarantee they will do a roaring trade and all other boozers in Blackrock will need to take a long hard look at themselves.

In fact, 90% of the pubs in this country should re-evaluate their business models. But they won't. Not unless a weatherspoons parks itself next door.

bnt · 01-09-2013 11:46pm

It's been years since I've been in a Wetherspoon's (Manchester 2004), and then it was for one pint - but that one was an excellent pint of Courage Directors' Bitter for the princely sum of £1.20. I only had an hour to kill before a concert, which was probably a good thing ...

That's the kind of beer I'd like to see in Ireland - no CO₂ whatsoever.

oblivious · 03-09-2013 8:00am

Surveyor11 wrote: »

Can be a mix of experiences. Some are fine, you'd stay there for a few and move on. Probably rare I'd spent a night there. Some are thoroughly miserable, dodgy and would stay clear.

Sounds very similar to the general cross section of Irish pubs

Heroditas · 03-09-2013 8:32am

mfceiling wrote: »

Have you been to any of the small country pubs in cornwall - near fowey perhaps? Little pubs beside lovely rivers that serve great food and a brilliant selection of beers, with clean toilets and immaculate garden areas.

I had the pleasure of drinking in a couple of pubs near Falmouth & Truro in Cornwall last month - great places and it was some of the nicest pub grub I've ever had in either the UK or Ireland.
Check out the Pandora Inn if you're ever in that neck of the woods or the Royal Oak in Perranwell Station ner Truro - better food than you'd get in the vast majority of pubs here.

Heroditas · 03-09-2013 8:33am

Technocentral wrote: »

Give me a formulaic pub with 50 beer choices over a Irish pub with "character" and a choice of 4 beers any day!

Anyone else interested in starting a Yard House franchise in Ireland?

GLaDOS · 03-09-2013 2:02pm

Been to Wetherspoons twice, once in Glasgow, the other in Belfast. Went mid day in Glasgow, got a burger, chips and a pint for £5, was very happy with that. Was dead when I went in Belfast, but it was a Sunday night. Still, was happy to get a decent pint.

irish_goat · 03-09-2013 2:04pm

Just back from Wetherspoons in Derry, had an 8oz sirloin, baked potato, peas, mushroom and tomato plus a pint of 4.8% dark ale for £6.50. Can't beat it!

ciaran76 · 03-09-2013 2:12pm

irish_goat wrote: »

Just back from Wetherspoons in Derry, had an 8oz sirloin, baked potato, peas, mushroom and tomato plus a pint of 4.8% dark ale for £6.50. Can't beat it!

When that comes to Dublin it will be €25 :eek::pac:

Davidth88 · 03-09-2013 2:14pm

JDW..... We used to call them ' The Woolworth''s of Pubs' , they took over all the old Woolies sites around where I lived in NW London and they all became the ' The Moon XXXXXXXX'

Cheap beer , sometimes good often not , cheap food usually good value

That saying they had promotions like Curry and a pint for a fiver on a Thursday , which you can't beat TBH

If it does serve a selection of decent beer , great , but real ale needs throughput , I can't see them being able to offer 4-5 cask ales.

Didn't they try to open a pub in D7 during ' The Tiger Years ' and basically got blocked by the VHI or whatever the cartel call themselves ?

Tube · 03-09-2013 2:34pm

stehyl15 wrote: »

An english pub in ireland is not right if you've been a pub in england you've been in them all they're all kips whether a chain or independent.

That's not true. There are some epic pubs in England, and in general they have a greater variety. Have you ever been to the Marble Arch in Manchester (and had the food never mind the beer), one of my favourite pubs of all time.

BeardySi · 03-09-2013 5:56pm

Technocentral wrote: »

:rolleyes:
Well than drink one of the hundreds of great english ales, porters or stouts then ffs! Try expanding your tastes instead of expecting all countries to sell Tayto and bloody Guinness (a mediocre drink)!

It was exactly that that got me drinking ales and later crafter beers in the first place... moved to england where guinness tases like crap (then i realised that "good" guinness has bugger all taste, but that's another argument!

)..

Spoons is always a love/hate thing.... love the great selection of beers (they're well known for supporting small local breweries) and the way you can get local beers from the other end of the country, hate the genrally bland and soulless interiors and atmosphere.

They're very much bring your own craic pubs...

As for the food, well you get what you pay for. If you're expecting fine dining for a fiver you'll be disappointed, if you're after a bit of cheap munch to keep you going you're sorted!
A mate of mine who used to work for them told me that it was the only kitchen he'd worked in where they didn't use a knife! Practically everything came out of a bag and into a microwave...

Big Nasty · 03-09-2013 6:21pm

Davidth88 wrote: »

Didn't they try to open a pub in D7 during ' The Tiger Years ' and basically got blocked by the VHI or whatever the cartel call themselves ?

AFAIK they looked at the Irish market about 8 years back but the price of property made it a non-runner. Obviously that's a very different story now.

P.S. - it's the VFI / LVA. Although I'm sure the VHI would like to put up the price of drink too!

Technocentral · 03-09-2013 6:46pm

irish_goat wrote: »

Just back from Wetherspoons in Derry, had an 8oz sirloin, baked potato, peas, mushroom and tomato plus a pint of 4.8% dark ale for £6.50. Can't beat it!

:rolleyes:
Listen to Mr. Snobby there, pubs down here with watery chicken curry n chips and a choice of only Heineken, Bud, Carlsberg or Guinness for 16 euro not good enough for ya?

jack presley · 03-09-2013 7:51pm

The reputation of Weatherspoon's is that they've no atmosphere etc. and they probably aren't the most lively places to spend a Friday night but when I lived in England I used to love heading into town to look around the shops and stop in for a pint and a bit of grub before heading home.

Technocentral · 03-09-2013 8:25pm

jack presley wrote: »

The reputation of Weatherspoon's is that they've no atmosphere etc. and they probably aren't the most lively places to spend a Friday night but when I lived in England I used to love heading into town to look around the shops and stop in for a pint and a bit of grub before heading home.

Can someone explain what exactly the hell they mean by "atmosphere" and how a pub thats probably opening in Blackrock will have any more or less "atmosphere" with presumably the same catchment area as any of the others there, I don't know about you people but me and my friends make our own "atmosphere" in pubs, I've had great times in empty and full pubs alike with friends, I think you are all falling for the Bord Failte BS of Sally O Brien and all that ****e.

BeardySi · 03-09-2013 8:36pm

Spoons have no music - ever, TV's constantly showing sky news or football with no sound. Fruit machines clanging away.

Interiors tend to be wide open with minimal decoration, maximum use of space to cram tables in.

Like I say, bring your own craic! They're good for what they do a place to drink cheap and often good (if you avoid carling/heineken etc) beer. Just don't expect the best pub experience ever....

oblivious · 04-09-2013 7:50am

Treadhead wrote: »

Spoons have no music - ever, TV's constantly showing sky news or football with no sound. Fruit machines clanging away.

Interiors tend to be wide open with minimal decoration, maximum use of space to cram tables in.

Like I say, bring your own craic! .

Reminds me of some Dublin super pubs without the range off beers the spoons will offer

Joe10000 · 04-09-2013 8:05am

Cheap beer means trouble.

Colonel Sanders · 04-09-2013 9:21am

Joe10000 wrote: »

Cheap beer means trouble.

No irresponsible idiots mean trouble

Heroditas · 04-09-2013 10:35am

Joe10000 wrote: »

Cheap beer means trouble.

Temple Bar suggests otherwise.

Ravelleman · 04-09-2013 11:09am

Are Wetherspoons actually going to offer a wide range of beer here though? What if it's just the usual? Is that just me being negative?

irish_goat · 04-09-2013 11:16am

Ravelleman wrote: »

Are Wetherspoons actually going to offer a wide range of beer here though? What if it's just the usual? Is that just me being negative?

I'd be surprised if they didn't, their owner is a massive fan of craft beer.

Geuze · 04-09-2013 11:56am

irish_goat wrote: »

Just back from Wetherspoons in Derry, had an 8oz sirloin, baked potato, peas, mushroom and tomato plus a pint of 4.8% dark ale for £6.50. Can't beat it!

Is that a 2013 price?

Seems too cheap, even for JDW??

6.50 stg, unreal price.

The steak night menu that I posted earlier was 8 stg.

irish_goat · 04-09-2013 12:00pm

Geuze wrote: »

Is that a 2013 price?

Seems too cheap, even for JDW??

6.50 stg, unreal price.

The steak night menu that I posted earlier was 8 stg.

It was yesterday. I think you probably posted the British prices.

Geuze · 04-09-2013 12:36pm

irish_goat wrote: »

It was yesterday. I think you probably posted the British prices.

OK, I know that prices vary across pubs, the suggestion here is that NI prices are < British prices.

So you paid 6.50 sterling for a steak plus pint in 2013 - that is simply an unreal price.

I can't understand how JDW can do it, even with their scale.

I mean, how much are steaks wholesale? Sirloin are 15-20 per kg retail??

It's 13 per kg here: http://roastbeef.ie/products/beef/sirloin-steak/

8 oz = 227g, so that's approx 3.25 retail at the link.

Of course, JDW buy thousands, so obviously way cheaper.

Harry Angstrom · 04-09-2013 1:22pm

I wouldn't mind it if we could avail of the higher strength beers that you can get in an English pub, like Kronenberg and Stella Artois. Even Heineken is a higher strength in the UK. Lagers served in Irish pubs are nothing more than gassy slop, by comparison.

alkymalky · 04-09-2013 1:22pm

I think Wetherspoons have steak club nights or curry club nights where prices will be cheaper that night only. That might explain the difference in prices.

Wile E. Coyote · 04-09-2013 1:27pm

I could never understand why any other half decent publican hasn't used the JDW business model before now. When times were good everyone was obviously looking to make as much cash as possible with sky high prices but since the downturn with people avoiding pubs like the plague a decent pub with good food and drink prices would have cleaned up. Especially in Dublin.

jack presley · 04-09-2013 1:38pm

Wile E. Coyote wrote: »

I could never understand why any other half decent publican hasn't used the JDW business model before now. When times were good everyone was obviously looking to make as much cash as possible with sky high prices but since the downturn with people avoiding pubs like the plague a decent pub with good food and drink prices would have cleaned up. Especially in Dublin.

I'm surprised the soft drinks machines they use in Weatherspoons and places like McDonalds hasn't caught on in pubs. I know they make a killing on charging extortionate prices for bottles but the syrup for the machines costs next to nothing so in sure if they charged around a euro a glass they'd still make a killing and the punters would live the cheaper price

Morf · 04-09-2013 2:44pm

jack presley wrote: »

I'm surprised the soft drinks machines they use in Weatherspoons and places like McDonalds hasn't caught on in pubs. I know they make a killing on charging extortionate prices for bottles but the syrup for the machines costs next to nothing so in sure if they charged around a euro a glass they'd still make a killing and the punters would live the cheaper price

It really depends on the place. I've paid similar or higher prices than bottles in Dublin for coke/pepsi from a gun in London/Bologna.

It doesn't seem to matter how much it costs, it's how much they can get away with charging.

dd972 · 04-09-2013 7:06pm

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

I wouldn't mind it if we could avail of the higher strength beers that you can get in an English pub, like Kronenberg and Stella Artois. Even Heineken is a higher strength in the UK. Lagers served in Irish pubs are nothing more than gassy slop, by comparison.

Those 'beers' you refer to are the same Brewed under Licence pish as Irish Heineken, try the Stella in Belgium or the Kronenbourg in France and taste and feel the difference.

Harry Angstrom · 04-09-2013 7:35pm

dd972 wrote: »

Those 'beers' you refer to are the same Brewed under Licence pish as Irish Heineken, try the Stella in Belgium or the Kronenbourg in France and taste and feel the difference.

I'd settle for the English-based brew. It's a lot better than what's served in Ireland.

irish_goat · 04-09-2013 7:50pm

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

I'd settle for the English-based brew. It's a lot better than what's served in Ireland.

There's a very good chance that they serve the English stuff as they'll be getting a good price on it with their purchasing power over there and they'll not have any purchasing power over here.

poitinstill · 04-09-2013 8:41pm

would they carry a lash of real-ale like they do in UK? or just cheap lagers

Man your pumps, Wetherspoons are coming

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