Man your pumps, Wetherspoons are coming

BenEadir · 14-11-2013 04:37PM

listermint wrote: »

Really doesnt mean people have to like it does it now ?

Couldn't agree with you more there Listermint. People like us discuss these issues and inform ourselves about what represents true value and what doesn't so that we can make informed decisions when presented with the opportunity to purchase a craft beer at an inflated price. We can objectively decide whether it's worth it to us or not and decline to give our business to such a publican if we feel we aren't getting good value for money. Others who make assumptions or assume craft = expensive and part easily with their hard earned cash have no one but themselves to blame for making poor purchasing decisions.

I love my beer but not to the extent that I'll allow myself to be ripped off.

Having said that I recently gave €7.50 a pint (several times) for a pint of Brew Dog Punk IPA but then I was in Tampere, Finland and the alternatives were pretty limited so for me, at that moment in time in that place, €7.50 was acceptable given the alternative options. Would I pay the same in my local pub when there are several alternatives nearby? No way Jose

listermint wrote: »

Its that type of ****whittery that would make me not bother popping into town for a pint and head to off license instead.

What ****whittery is that? Talking about how commercial decisions are actually made instead of sitting on the sidelines droning on about how "they shouldn't be allowed to do that" or "something should be done about that" and making similarly meaningless statements which won't effect any change or inform anyone in any way whatsoever? :rolleyes:

Ben

Tube · 14-11-2013 05:27PM

BenThere wrote: »

And how exactly do they do that? I've never seen such statements made by any publican.

I've heard "it's a premium product so it has a price premium" from people in and around the industry, while I know that at times the beer in question wholesales at the same price as Carlsberg.

The Hill Billy · 14-11-2013 07:30PM

Lads - This is going waaaaay off-topic. If you want to debate Micro v Macro - start a new thread. This is about Wetherspoons entering the Irish market.

Thanks,

tHB

BenEadir · 14-11-2013 10:24PM

Hi tHB,

Apologies, not trying to derail the thread.

One of the big issues raised by the entry of Weatherspoons into the market is pricing. They are renowned for offering 'cheap' pricing and one of the early discussion points was in relation to how they were going to bring in beer from the UK including Guinness and how it could be sold here for less than locally sourced Guinness.

The other issue Weatherspoons are also 'famous' for, which many of us are looking forward to, is the fact they always promote real/craft/micro ales in their UK pubs and how that might give some of our local micro brewers new channels to market for their products.

The aforementioned Weatherspoon specific issues evolved into a discussion around macro Vs micro pricing which I feel is still in the context of the general Weatherspoon discussion but if we've strayed too far off topic I'm happy to draw a line under my contribution here and move the discussion on pricing to another thread where (for example) the assumption that just because products have the same wholesale price they should have the same selling price (thus ignoring the volumes they sell in, wastage of one product Vs the other etc) can be debated further.

Ben

The Hill Billy · 15-11-2013 11:15AM

Hi Ben:

Thanks for the explanation. Unfortunately, that discussion became generalised & is no longer on-topic. Feel free to start a new thread. There are a few posters in the 'Tom Crean's Lager on Aer Lingus' thread that I will direct towards it too.

tHB

BenEadir · 15-11-2013 11:27AM

Thanks tHB, I'll stick to more Weatherspoon specific comments here from now on.

So I hear Weatherspoons are going to charge a premium for locally produced craft beers Vs the macro beers :P

Joking joking!!!

Have a good weekend and hopefully a few (reasonably priced) pints of high quality craft beer.

Cheers,

Ben

oblivious · 15-11-2013 11:31AM

BenThere wrote: »

So I hear Weatherspoons are going to charge a premium for locally produced craft beers Vs the macro beers :P

What ever they do, they have a very good reputation for handling cask ale, you can still get from time to time cloudy (poor stillage) or past prime pint that their presence may help improve

BenEadir · 15-11-2013 12:32PM

oblivious wrote: »

What ever they do, they have a very good reputation for handling cask ale, you can still get from time to time cloudy (poor stillage) or past prime pint that their presence may help improve

I was only being tongue in cheek Oblivious as I was one of the culprits who took the discussion off-topic.

I am a fan of Weatherspoons in general and do hope they raise the standard of cellar management here. I lived in London in the 90's and witnessed their rise. They buy more product from micro breweries in the UK than anyone else so hopefully we'll see both an increase in the variety of beer available here and that they support the Irish micro's as much as they have the UK ones.

Ben

Geuze · 17-11-2013 04:29PM

Report from Enniskillen JDW, Nov-13.

Sat afternoon, 3pm, pub busy, nearly every seat taken, more like a restaurant.

Four guest ales, 1.90stg each.

Hilden range available, listed on a blackboard.

Coffee = 75p, with unlimited refills until 2pm.

Other coffees, e.g. latte, mocha, etc. are 75p also with large versions for 1.05

Draught beer

Carlsberg 3.8% = 2.05
Abbott ale = 2.09
Coors = 2.59
Guinness = 2.59

Spirits

Bushmills = 215
Gordon's G&T = 215
Bell's = 245
Jameson = 320

Free mixer with every spirit, I'd say that's from the gun.......

So the tonic in G&T is free.

Double spirit = 1.00 extra

So 71ml of Jameson for 4.20stg, which is about 5 euro.

Seaneh · 17-11-2013 04:34PM

Geuze wrote: »

Report from Enniskillen JDW, Nov-13.

Sat afternoon, 3pm, pub busy, nearly every seat taken, more like a restaurant.

Four guest ales, 1.90stg each.

Hilden range available, listed on a blackboard.

Coffee = 75p, with unlimited refills until 2pm.

Other coffees, e.g. latte, mocha, etc. are 75p also with large versions for 1.05

Draught beer

Carlsberg 3.8% = 2.05
Abbott ale = 2.09
Coors = 2.59
Guinness = 2.59

Spirits

Bushmills = 215
Gordon's G&T = 215
Bell's = 245
Jameson = 320

Free mixer with every spirit, I'd say that's from the gun.......

So the tonic in G&T is free.

Double spirit = 1.00 extra

So 71ml of Jameson for 4.20stg, which is about 5 euro.

It was 50 ml of Jameson, UK measures are 25ml not 31.5.

jack presley · 17-11-2013 04:59PM

I don't know why this appeared on the RTE website today as there's nothing new in it.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/1117/487204-uk-pub-chains-ireland/

Geuze · 17-11-2013 05:00PM

Seaneh wrote: »

It was 50 ml of Jameson, UK measures are 25ml not 31.5.

I have been accused of having OCD, as I check things so much!!!!

Yes, indeed, in Britain, the spirit measure is 25ml.

But in Northern Ireland, it's 35ml.

I even read the tiny small print on the bottom of the JDW menu.

There are internal mgt codes on the menus, to differentiate them from other menu sheets.

So it'a 70-71ml in NI for a double.

irish_goat · 17-11-2013 05:33PM

Geuze wrote: »

Hilden range available, listed on a blackboard.

Was this cask or bottles? The Derry one's never have it in anymore (and I've tried asking for it).

NWPat · 18-11-2013 02:08PM

Mangans and the Newport in Cork have been aquired by Weatherspoons.

munchkin_utd · 18-11-2013 02:53PM

any updates on the progress and possible opening dates of the various pubs?

Tabnabs · 18-11-2013 02:55PM

No progress on the Dun Laoghaire bar AFAIK

BeerNut · 18-11-2013 03:13PM

munchkin_utd wrote: »

any updates on the progress and possible opening dates of the various pubs?

The manager of the JDW in Belfast told me that June/July is the projected opening date for Dublin.

Tube · 18-11-2013 04:53PM

Geuze wrote: »

I have been accused of having OCD, as I check things so much!!!!

Yes, indeed, in Britain, the spirit measure is 25ml.

Usually 25ml, but the pub can use any size between 25ml and 35.5ml.

Sofiztikated · 18-11-2013 09:17PM

Seaneh wrote: »

It was 50 ml of Jameson, UK measures are 25ml not 31.5.

Not always. NI can use 35.5ml, and when I was in Edinburgh a couple of years ago, they used 35.5ml.

When I was in Manchester last year, I can't remember much about any spirits except tequila, and what I do remember is hazy. But I seem to recall 35.5ml being the standard.

munchkin_utd · 25-11-2013 11:29AM

Article today in the Indo.

Budget UK pub chain Wetherspoon comes to Blackrock
The JD Wetherspoon bar group has announced its plans to purchase its first bar in Ireland.
The Watford-based firm has exchanged contracts to acquire the Tonic Bar in Carysfort Avenue, Blackrock.
Deal completion is expected in the next ten days but, according to Wetherspoon, the new-look pub won’t open its doors until April next year.
Wetherspoon founder and chairman Tim Martin said that the €3m investment is only the beginning.
“Our aim is to invest up to €50m million in the Republic of Ireland over the next five to ten years, opening between 10 and 20 pubs,” he said.
“Each pub will create approximately 50 jobs.”

http://www.independent.ie/business/budget-uk-pub-chain-wetherspoon-comes-to-blackrock-29781809.html

is it really their first purchase though? I thought they already had done some deals, or was that a case of just being in negotiation and this really is the first one with contracts (almost) signed?

Geuze · 25-11-2013 11:42AM

Other than their purchase and subsequent disposal of a property on Capel street several years ago, yes, this is the first deal to get to the contract signing.

Of course, all we know is what's in the media.

A lot more could be happening behind the scenes.

coylemj · 25-11-2013 02:04PM

munchkin_utd wrote: »

is it really their first purchase though? I thought they already had done some deals, or was that a case of just being in negotiation and this really is the first one with contracts (almost) signed?

Irish Times says that JDW have 'agreed' to buy the 40 Foot in Dun Laoghaire which doesn't sound like a final contract has been signed but I suspect it will go ahead given that they have deep pockets and the only other pub activity in Dun Laoghaire in the past few years has involved closures.

The chain already runs nine pubs in Northern Ireland, and earlier this year agreed to purchase another Dublin pub, the 40 Foot, in Dún Laoghaire.

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/retail-and-services/jd-wetherspoon-to-open-in-blackrock-in-april-1.1606651

Mr Simpson · 02-12-2013 03:00PM

coylemj wrote: »

Irish Times says that JDW have 'agreed' to buy the 40 Foot in Dun Laoghaire which doesn't sound like a final contract has been signed but I suspect it will go ahead given that they have deep pockets and the only other pub activity in Dun Laoghaire in the past few years has involved closures.

The chain already runs nine pubs in Northern Ireland, and earlier this year agreed to purchase another Dublin pub, the 40 Foot, in Dún Laoghaire.

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/retail-and-services/jd-wetherspoon-to-open-in-blackrock-in-april-1.1606651

It's gone Sale Agreed on the auctioneers website anyway

http://www.morrisseys.ie/current-properties

coylemj · 02-12-2013 03:53PM

Mr Simpson wrote: »

It's gone Sale Agreed on the auctioneers website anyway

As I said in my earlier post, it will probably go ahead but 'Sale Agreed'..... http://www.morrisseys.ie/current-properties

is not the same as 'Sold'....... http://www.morrisseys.ie/recent-sales

The ability to gazump is what separates 'sale agreed' from 'sold'.

Heroditas · 09-12-2013 10:52PM

Interview with Tim Martin on "Who's Buying Ireland" on RTE just there.
He said he expects "all going well" that Wetherspoons will be 10-20% cheaper than other pubs when they open here!

Geuze · 10-12-2013 01:18AM

Yes, I saw that.

How much is Guinness in a typical Dublin pub, not Temple Bar?

4.50 I guess? More?

I'm told it's 4.90 in Anseo on Camden street.

In the Taphouse it's 4.80:

http://www.taphouse.ie/download/TapHouse_Beers.pdf

15% off a 4.50 pint means a price of 3.825.

15% off a 4.80 pint is 4.08

So can I predict a 4.00 pint of Guinness in JD Wetherspoon Dublin??

Ravelleman · 10-12-2013 11:32AM

Geuze wrote: »

So can I predict a 4.00 pint of Guinness in JD Wetherspoon Dublin??

Brave new world.

ciaran76 · 12-12-2013 05:17PM

Discount pub chain acquires Cork premises, will invest €1.5m and create 40 jobs
The company has signed a deal to purchase the former Newport Café site in Cork’s Paul Street.

http://www.thejournal.ie/wetherspoons-acquires-second-irish-premises-1219018-Dec2013/

THE BRITISH PUB operator JD Wetherspoon has announced it is to move into Cork, just weeks after signing contracts on a first Irish premises.
The no-frills pub chain, which is known for cheap drinks and eschewing entertainment or live sports, has signed a contract to buy a site in Cork’s city centre.

bennyineire · 13-12-2013 12:06AM

I heard a ridiculous rumor that they are looking at 'Loughreys Pub' in Tullamore, it would be a perfect premises mind, its with the receivers at the moment, its quite big, has a kitchen and the building is less than 10 years old. I just can't see them taking a punt in a town like Tullamore, I hope I'm wrong but as I'm from here , a news article on it closing down last march http://www.offalyindependent.ie/news/roundup/articles/2013/03/28/4015128-loughreys-of-tullamore-calls-time/
Another link with some pics of the joint http://www.lonelyplanet.com/ireland/county-offaly/tullamore/hotels/loughreys-hostel

irish_goat · 20-02-2014 03:51PM

Any updates folks?

They just announced they're going to start stocking Sixpoint Cans now too. Bengali Tiger is amazing stuff.

Man your pumps, Wetherspoons are coming

Comments