Samuel Smith's versus JD Wetherspoons

[DarkieBoy]

Samuel Smith's seems to get a lot of flack for ping ping food, a "pie menu", universal pre-made food, etc.  But is there much difference between our beloved Samuel Smith's and JD Wetherspoons?

DB.

[BlackDog]

Yes, our ale is cheaper and better!

[centurion]

Samuel Smith's seems to get a lot of flack for ping ping food, a "pie menu", universal pre-made food, etc.  But is there much difference between our beloved Samuel Smith's and JD Wetherspoons?

DB.

Do I smell fish? 

However, just to compare. Thursday night at JD is curry night at all sites. Just take a seat with a good view of the food pass and see how fast they can serve curry ding. My local JD delights in actually transferring the curry from micro tray to serving dish on top of the pass. Just to save time.
Post Merge: Feb 17 - 2011

Yes, our ale is cheaper and better!

Not all. 7 Manchester city center JDW sites serve cask for ?1.36 every Sunday night.

[centurion]

Samuel Smith's seems to get a lot of flack for ping ping food, a "pie menu", universal pre-made food, etc.  But is there much difference between our beloved Samuel Smith's and JD Wetherspoons?

DB.

Just having my daily shufftie and was wondering. Is there a JDW Forum to compare with this one?

[bigjim]

Surely comparing Sam Smith with JDW is like chalk with cheese? Sams pubs are 'proper' pubs not converted banks or cinema's, typically small and only sell own brands. Many were reknowned for their proper home cooking and that was part of their unique selling point. Due to the mega size of a typical JDW they can afford to price and market the curry club and steak nights at levels Sams can only ever dream of. The two just don't bare comparison in my view.

[ademapearl]

Is the difference that Wetherspoons actually listen to their customers and give them what they want? As a public company they have to make a profit and they have found a particular niche in the market with their cheap food and drink. their pubs are imaginitively designed, often from old banks etc and are always full. Service is  quick, and staff well motivated - perhaps because the managers are on a realistic incentive scheme! Nothing wrong with a niche market - after all Sams is definitely one, but the competition shows how it can be a real success. Maybe when the current regime goes, they will hire somebody from Wetherspoons to turn the business round?

[blueboy]

I like your post ademapearl, and in the main agree with you. Regarding Bigjims post, home cooked food is (rightly or wrongly) a thing of the past in many pubs / pub chains nowadays simply because customers want food in front of them at a snap of their fingers. Everyone nowadays is in such a rush.
My missus did genuine home cooked food to order before the ping food came along, and strangers to the pub were getting impatient after 10 minutes or so. I used to tell them if they wanted food on the table in 5 minutes then a MacDonalds was just down the road. My regular diners used to tell them that the food was well worth waiting for, and they were right.
Blackdog says the ale is cheaper and better. Again on Friday evening just gone I called in Weatherspoons and ale wise was spoilt for choice. I paid ?1.60 for John Smiths smooth. It was a really good pint and was accompanied by music and sky tv for those that wanted it. For those that didn't want it there was a Sams a short walk away with just the one beer, Old Brewery, like it or lump it.
Regardless of where you sup, the beer is only as good as the manager/licensee looks after it.
I worked for Sams for 14yrs but at age 61yrs I still prefer to pay a little more for some sort of atmosphere when out and about. Then again its to each individuals choice.

[sovsuppa]

Not all JDW are quick with the service and many are understaffed.  They always seem to employ younger people who are, many times, ignorant and are preoccupied with there conversations.  There seems to be many times when people can't get served because of understaffing when food is being ordered and coffees' are being made and served.  In our local JDW the food is very often returned cold.  It is slowly getting a bad name.  Not all Wetherspoons are good believe me.

[BlackDog]

Blueboy, Kronenberg is ?2.60 in my local Wetherspoons - Alpine (much better in my opinion) is ?1.80 in my local. That is where I was coming from.

[centurion]

Not all JDW are quick with the service and many are understaffed.  They always seem to employ younger people who are, many times, ignorant and are preoccupied with there conversations.  There seems to be many times when people can't get served because of understaffing when food is being ordered and coffees' are being made and served.  In our local JDW the food is very often returned cold.  It is slowly getting a bad name.  Not all Wetherspoons are good believe me.

Just thought I'd ask Because that is my experience exactly. But at least i know i can get a pint and a full fry at 9 o' clock or earlier if i should want one.
Post Merge: [time]Feb 21 - 2011[/time]

I like your post ademapearl, and in the main agree with you. Regarding Bigjims post, home cooked food is (rightly or wrongly) a thing of the past in many pubs / pub chains nowadays simply because customers want food in front of them at a snap of their fingers. Everyone nowadays is in such a rush.
My missus did genuine home cooked food to order before the ping food came along, and strangers to the pub were getting impatient after 10 minutes or so. I used to tell them if they wanted food on the table in 5 minutes then a MacDonald's was just down the road. My regular diners used to tell them that the food was well worth waiting for, and they were right.
Blackdog says the ale is cheaper and better. Again on Friday evening just gone I called in Weatherspoons and ale wise was spoilt for choice. I paid ?1.60 for John Smiths smooth. It was a really good pint and was accompanied by music and sky TV for those that wanted it. For those that didn't want it there was a Sam's a short walk away with just the one beer, Old Brewery, like it or lump it.
Regardless of where you sup, the beer is only as good as the manager/licensee looks after it.
I worked for Sam's for 14yrs but at age 61yrs I still prefer to pay a little more for some sort of atmosphere when out and about. Then again its to each individuals choice.

Was it  a JD's or one of their Lloyd's No 1 branded outlets? ::)No music in our local JD's.

[DarkieBoy]

I personally regard JD Wetherspoons as the McDonalds of the pub trade.  They are more or less the same wherever in the country you are.  My topic was aimed at food more than anything, with the removal of home cooking by Samuel Smith's Brewery.

Generlly, Samuel Smith's have proper traditional pubs, while JD Wetherspoons has cavernous old cinemas, churches, etc.  They are in the "pile it high and sell it cheap" bracket, in my opinion.  The three JD Wetherspoons in Lincoln are looking very tired, due to their popularity.

DB.

[ian]

In all 3 of the Wetherspoons in Hull city centre the service can be very slow at times. The bar staff tend to be too busy talking about what they did the night before then wanting to serve.  I have walked out a few times because of it.

ian.

[DarkieBoy]

I've experienced two of them in Hull.  The first one was really bad, and the barman was of no help with the menu and what was suitable for my diet and was "rude".  Upped sticks and left without buying anything.

The other one I went to was better, but not a pub and not somewhere I'd like to socialise in on a regular basis.

The only JD Wetherspoons which I've known people to hold in high regard is the Brocket Arms in Wigan, which is also a "Wetherlodge" (very McDonalds sounding).  The Brocket Arms was a successful real ale pub before JD Wetherspoons took over.

DB.

[BlackDog]

As far as I am aware it has always been a Wetherspoons, definitely no music and muted TV's showingv the news channel though.

[DarkieBoy]

As far as I am aware it has always been a Wetherspoons, definitely no music and muted TV's showingv the news channel though.

I'm originally from Wigan and I've always known it as a pub, but not always a JD Wetherspoons.  JD Wetherspoons took over in 1998:

http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/pubs/the-brocket-arms

DB.
Post Merge: Feb 21 - 2011Some more history:

The Brocket Arms was built by brewers Peter Walker Ltd, and was officially opened by the brewery's chairman, Lord Brocket, on 10 October 1957.

Walker's brewed in Warrington, Lancashire and Burton on Trent.

DB.