Wetherspoons

[Dirk]

Dropped into Weatherspoons in Barnstaple today - the Watergate on the Strand - and we had 2 x excellent Fish and Chips, washed down with a couple of pints of beer, for £11.96!
We drop in quite regularly. Unlimited coffee, with a slice of very nice cake, for less than a fiver per couple always goes down well.
Service is always quick and the food is consistent at all the ones we've been to. The staff always seem to be happy as well !
Weatherspoons is rapidly becoming the only place us pensioners can afford to eat out! LOL
How do they do it?

(I must add that I have absolutely no affiliation to Weatherspoons at all - I'm just a satisfied customer)

 

[shouldbeinbed]

My son works in a Wetherspoons at the mo. @User259 is spot on about the food being pre prepped and effectively heated up on the premises, at the prices they charge what else do you expect, you get the same in places with a more upmarket image too, but the inspections and cleanliness standards they have to meet are no less than any other food prep establishment & they do invest in staff training so while they aren't cordon bleu chefs, they do know what they're doing.
They are a big chain with economies of scale, a keen management set up, lots of young temporary staff on zero hours minimum wage contracts all helping to keep costs down to keep prices down.

 

[User169]

They buy beer close to the expiry date, so get it cheap.

 

[vernon]

How do they do it?

The beer is allegedly bulk bought close to expiry date that less busy pubs won't take on and the food is essentially cooked by food factors like 3663 and are reheated/finished off on site.

 

[stephec]

The beer is allegedly bulk bought close to expiry date that less busy pubs won't take on and the food is essentially cooked by food factors like 3663 and are reheated/finished off on site.

I've seen the food being produced, it's no different to a ready meal really.

 

[Dirk]

[QUOTE 3444585, member: 259"]I don't rate the food at Wetherspoons - it's all factory pre-prep, but the beer's not bad in most of them, and not expensive.[/QUOTE]
The food is generally better than a lot of pub grub, in my opinion - the fish we had today was as good as you'd get at a decent chippy, if not better.
£3.99 for F&C and £1.99 a pint.
The same quality meal and drinks in my local would have cost about £22.

 

[surfdude]

[QUOTE 3444585, member: 259"]I don't rate the food at Wetherspoons - it's all factory pre-prep, but the beer's not bad in most of them, and not expensive.[/QUOTE]

what you have to do is drink lots of beer then order the food that way it tastes great

 

[Dirk]

The beer is allegedly bulk bought close to expiry date that less busy pubs won't take on .............

I would say that is an urban myth.
How do you explain how Weatherspoon's advertise in advance when they are holding a 'Beer event'?
Do they get all the other pubs to over order, so that the breweries over produce, so that Weatherspoon's can cheekily nip in at the last moment to buy it all up?
That really makes no sense at all.

 

[Dirk]

They buy beer close to the expiry date, so get it cheap.

And you have evidence to back up that allegation?
See post above................

 

[marknotgeorge]

I don't buy the close to expiry date business either. They've not only got the buying power, but they don't have to sell it to the pub landlords like most of the other chains do. One less layer of cost to pass onto the punter. I don't know about the food, but I do know they do a cracking breakfast.

 

[nickyboy]

And you have evidence to back up that allegation?
See post above................

I was just about to ask the same question. Of course if there is evidence that they adopt this practice then fair enough.

But I think its not true. They are a massive customer and can negotiate the lowest possible wholesale prices. But I reckon that the main reason is that they just choose to price it cheaply. Take a hit on the Gross Margin % in return for volume. Pub business is all about getting enough Gross margin (the difference between what you sell it for and what you buy it for) to cover your overheads. You can price it high and sell small volumes or price it low and sell high volumes. The result can be the same.

 

[Archie_tect]

If you say things with enough confidence people often believe you, but not on CC! Not often Vern is pulled up....

 

[raleighnut]

You ought to see some of the customers in the city centre (Leicester in my case) versions, lets just say there may be some unsavoury 'characters' in em.
(me sometimes for a start. )

 

[Pale Rider]

Incorrect to label Wetherspoon food as all pre-packed/pre-cooked.

The customer can see behind the pass at a Wetherspoon near me.

There is a proper kitchen, albeit aimed towards grill/stove top cooking.

I've had several Wetherspoon meals, all have been decent by any standard, and very, very good value.

 

[swee'pea99]

You ought to see some of the customers in the city centre (Leicester in my case) versions, lets just say there may be some unsavoury 'characters' in em.
(me sometimes for a start. )

I think it was one of the contestants on Eight out of 10 cats who said that he was regarded very much as the Class in his local Weatherspoons 'on account of I've got all my fingers'.

I have very limited experience, but I was pleasantly surprised when I met a friend there and was asked for '£2.50' for a pint, given that the going rate around here is about £3.80-£4.00. Then she came back with my change - £2.85 from a fiver. I'd misheard. It wasn't £2.50 - it was £2.15.