SHORT MEASURES IN SAM SMITHS PUBS!

[geordie205gti]

I know that Sam Smiths pubs sell cheap beer, but in the pubs in London that I go to, namely the LYCEUM TAVERN on The Strand and THE CHANDOS near Trafalgar Square, there is increasingly no effort to pour a full pint, especially if you order a pint of Old Brewery Bitter on the hand pumps.  I have started making a bit of fun about it by suggesting that I'm English and therefore don't want an "American head" on my beer.  Seriously though, these two establishments, the Chandos in particular, are serving "pints" that are about 15 fl. ozs!  So it's not quite as cheap as it seems is it?!  They are really being quite fraudulent if you ask me.  They pull the pint as fast as they can and present you with a swirling foaming pint, and when you have paid your money and it's settled down with a 2-3 cm head on it, it's up to you to get their attention to get it topped up, and the surprise on their faces is ridiculous, as if they have poured the right amount.

I ordered a pint and a half of OBB in The Chandos and was given two "swirling glasses".  When the "half pint" had settled, the head was about 4cms high, so I reckon they served about 6 fl ozs at best.  I held it up to show the young man just what he had poured me.  He came back and said, "All you have to do is ask for a top up".  I yelled back at him over the noise level, "You should try pouring a proper glass in the first place and we wouldn't have to bother"! 

I'm new to this Forum, but I hope the Sam Smiths management read these pages, and maybe think about a "mystery shopper" visit to your London Pubs because they are routinely serving short measures, at least the Lyceum and Chandos are!         

[ian]

Hi geordie205gti, welcome to the forum.

Re short measures in the Chandos.  I would think the main reason for this is because seeing it's next the St Martin's in the Field it is always full of tourists so they can get away with it most of the time. The last time I was in, it was so full that I turned around and went elsewhere.  As long as they top it up when asked I don't know what else can be done.

Re mystery shopper.  If Sam's what one can I apply for it please. Just pay my expenses and I tour all the pubs for nowt 

ian.

[yorkie]

I don't think Sams will pay for a mystery shopper when it's their 5% surplus policy that is a large part of the problem!

[whizz]

Up to now all of the Sams pubs that I've been stop the pour about half way to let it settle then finnish it off.

[Pub]

Hi Geordie,
Perhaps read some more of this forum before yelling at barstaff who are paid minimum wage for hard labour. The brewery puts extreme pressure on managers to achieve 5% stock surplus on everything, not just draught products so of course any intelligent person can work out that the heads on draught have to be way more than 5% to make up for the 0% you can gain on spirits and bottled drinks.
If you enjoy smiths beers then perhaps get used to the idea that a large head on a pint comes with the territory of Humphrey Smith's 5% policy and therefore cheap pints. If not, then i suggest you go elsewhere. Yelling at barstaff is absolutely ignorant as they are only trying to help keep their managers in a job.

[geordie205gti]

Hi Pub,
I yelled at the bar person because he had just poured me a half pint with a two inch head on it. and walked away like they do!  And I only did that because it was a noisy pub at the time and it's the only way my voice would carry.  I'm certainly not ignorant.  All this 5% business is a bit too technical for me.  I'm a bit more simplistic.  They sell drinks by the pint, so bizarrely enough that's what I expect to receive, more or less, pretty much irrespective of what the price is, not the 0.4 litre servings in those pubs! 

You seem to be suggesting that the poor barstaff are being taught to serve short measures like it's company policy?  I doubt very much Sam Smiths would like to be associated with that concept.  Maybe they are, which explains why their website has no email address to contact them to bring such poor service to their attention.  The previous post to yours (whizz) is also not used to getting a large head on his beers by the look of it, so I think it's down to the ignorance of the bar staff in those locations, where they think they can get away with shodddy service relying on the fact that a lot of their customers are probably unaware of what a pint should actually be, and if they are, they seldom complain about it. 

         

[antthe2nd]

so geordie? How do you do this perfect pint? Bearing in mind 9/10 cask/kegs ares way too lively to start with,they produce a lively dispense and have to settled and topped up.try using a nice tone to people and have patience,and get your head out of your arse. Got i detest whingers

[antthe2nd]

like all yorkshire people, we take big heads with a pinch of salt,and big mouths

[ian]

like all yorkshire people, we take big heads with a pinch of salt,and big mouths

You crack me up at times ant.

ian.

[antthe2nd]

 :Plol ian you couldnt be a mystery drinker .we all know you.wont be long before your on the obb barfonts with backpack on,compass in hand and obb in other

[DarkieBoy]

geordie205gti, I usually ask for a top-up when the pint is put on the bar before I've handed over my cash...

"when it's settled can you top it up if needed, thank you."

Simples.

DB.

[Stoutman]

Geordie,
You must of picked a bad day at the office, I love the Lyceum and the Chandos and have never had a problem with big heads ( I am a Northerner though and do like a head on my Stout and OBB)
As for the 5% most pub chains are starting to do this from what I can see, my Local Up North (not a Sams I'm afraid) serves Both Bitter and Guinness with the same size head I get Down South.
As I said previously the staff in both these pubs have always been welcoming and friendly and when asked for a top up have always done so with no problems (although I never ask I have heard others asking occasionally)

[geordie205gti]

I'll try keeping the moral high ground here, which is quite difficult with people who don't know me from Adam and are commenting on my "tone" and taking my head out of my ar*e!  You'll be telling me to be polite next ant!  Pot kettle and black spring to mind. 
I can assure you I am always polite and make a point of it in the Lyceum in order to develop a rapport so that they know that they will have to top it up for me.  The Chandos however is about 4 times as busy and they take no care whatsoever in pouring their drinks, hence a 2 inch head on a half pint! 
I'm happy to have a big head on my beer if it's served in the north because the beers are usually metered and the glasses are big enough to accommodate it, but I don't like getting ripped off which these two pubs seem happy to do to most people. 
Stoutman, I really don't have a problem with the staff in the Lyceum as they are approachable and friendly and are capable of a bit of banter.  I'm not sure the Chandos is that sort of place.

[DarkieBoy]

As a Northerner, I am not aware of any pubs that sell metered beer nor serve beer in over-sized glasses (north of the Mersey and Humber).

DB.

[pintplease]

Nobody wants to be ripped off, if you buy a dozen eggs you expect a dozen not 9. If you buy a pint of bitter you don't want a short measure. Most people would accept a head of around a centimetre but some pubs just take liberties and there's no excuse for that.

I dont like to see the insulting posts on this site, grow up !