5 ms·

They're facing some backlash over campaigning for Brexit too which might have something to do with this.

bengale 9y ago
Yeah this is a huge part of it, also the public nature of complaints on social media wasn't helping them. They were referred to as the mcdonalds of pubs elsewhere here but the food quality is much worse; its all microwaved packets from filthy 'kitchens'.
- north_east_dev 9y ago
  > filthy 'kitchens' Where are you getting that from? I know lots of people who've worked there and the stories of the over-the-top cleaning were constant from all.
  - isostatic 9y ago
    93% of weatherspoons have a 5/5 food hygiene rating
    - tim333 9y ago
      Also having eaten there I'd say mostly not microwaved.
      - timrichard 9y ago
        I used to know people working at their branches, and it's mostly microwaved. The exceptions are a few items like steak, of course.
  - setquk 9y ago
    At Trowbridge, a rat stole someone's food off a table a couple of years back.
    - letsgetphysITal 9y ago
      Meanwhile, in the other just under 1000 locations across the UK, nothing untoward of merit occurred. One sample does not data make.
      - setquk 9y ago
        Not so sure. Check the lowest bidding suppliers as well https://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2018/16850/action-taken-at-meat-business https://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2018/16850/action-... They pulled half the menu at 900 locations due to that. Also it’s pretty easy to get a 5 food hygiene rating with a static menu. It’s mostly procedural stuff which is easy on large scale places.
  - matthewmacleod 9y ago
    Yeah – I mean, the food is generally _awful_, but that's because it's bargain-basement stuff, not because of any inadequacy in food safety.
michaeljbishop 9y ago
Indeed: https://twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/985793231295311872?s=20 https://twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/985793231295311872...
mseebach 9y ago
That seems unlikely. The Brexit vote is almost two years away now, and if anything, the negotiations have never looked better (not that that's a high bar). Why only now, and why in a so weirdly unrelated way? If they were sorry about Brexit support, just, uh, say it? Perhaps do some Europe-themed promotions? It seems much more likely that social media simply isn't a very high ROI marketing channel for them, and they're capitalising on general unease following the CA debacle.
- Chestofdraw 9y ago
  There are ongoing investigations into the leave campaigns (which Wetherspoons was a part of), new evidence was published last week and a few people are appearing in front of a HoC committee this week. So the timing isn't really odd and I don't think they're doing it because they're sorry about supporting Brexit. There's a reasonable chance that they've shared data or spent funds in a way that would find them on the wrong side of the investigation.
  - dazc 9y ago
    It's equally possible that every story in the news isn't always a Brexit conspiracy?
    - threeseed 9y ago
      And equally possible it is. We are all just speculating since there isn't any concrete facts.
- matthewrudy 9y ago
  A couple of months ago they were still using beermats pushing for a harder Brexit.
- pjc50 9y ago
  > negotiations have never looked better In the sense that we're going for "no substantial change but lose our vote" Brexit, rather than one of the various flavours of "disaster Brexit"? At least the UK has conceded that there must be no border in Ireland and that EU residents have a right to remain. It's the non-EU immigrants that are getting it in the neck this week, including the "Windrush generation".
guilhas 9y ago
Every quarter in their magazine they publish very good articles 5 pro and 5 against brexit.

Yeah this is a huge part of it, also the public nature of complaints on social media wasn't helping them. They were referred to as the mcdonalds of pubs elsewhere here but the food quality is much worse; its all microwaved packets from filthy 'kitchens'.

north_east_dev 9y ago
> filthy 'kitchens' Where are you getting that from? I know lots of people who've worked there and the stories of the over-the-top cleaning were constant from all.
- isostatic 9y ago
  93% of weatherspoons have a 5/5 food hygiene rating
  - tim333 9y ago
    Also having eaten there I'd say mostly not microwaved.
    - timrichard 9y ago
      I used to know people working at their branches, and it's mostly microwaved. The exceptions are a few items like steak, of course.
- setquk 9y ago
  At Trowbridge, a rat stole someone's food off a table a couple of years back.
  - letsgetphysITal 9y ago
    Meanwhile, in the other just under 1000 locations across the UK, nothing untoward of merit occurred. One sample does not data make.
    - setquk 9y ago
      Not so sure. Check the lowest bidding suppliers as well https://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2018/16850/action-taken-at-meat-business https://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2018/16850/action-... They pulled half the menu at 900 locations due to that. Also it’s pretty easy to get a 5 food hygiene rating with a static menu. It’s mostly procedural stuff which is easy on large scale places.
- matthewmacleod 9y ago
  Yeah – I mean, the food is generally _awful_, but that's because it's bargain-basement stuff, not because of any inadequacy in food safety.

michaeljbishop 9y ago

Indeed: https://twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/985793231295311872?s=20 https://twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/985793231295311872...

mseebach 9y ago

That seems unlikely. The Brexit vote is almost two years away now, and if anything, the negotiations have never looked better (not that that's a high bar). Why only now, and why in a so weirdly unrelated way? If they were sorry about Brexit support, just, uh, say it? Perhaps do some Europe-themed promotions? It seems much more likely that social media simply isn't a very high ROI marketing channel for them, and they're capitalising on general unease following the CA debacle.

Chestofdraw 9y ago
There are ongoing investigations into the leave campaigns (which Wetherspoons was a part of), new evidence was published last week and a few people are appearing in front of a HoC committee this week. So the timing isn't really odd and I don't think they're doing it because they're sorry about supporting Brexit. There's a reasonable chance that they've shared data or spent funds in a way that would find them on the wrong side of the investigation.
- dazc 9y ago
  It's equally possible that every story in the news isn't always a Brexit conspiracy?
  - threeseed 9y ago
    And equally possible it is. We are all just speculating since there isn't any concrete facts.
matthewrudy 9y ago
A couple of months ago they were still using beermats pushing for a harder Brexit.
pjc50 9y ago
> negotiations have never looked better In the sense that we're going for "no substantial change but lose our vote" Brexit, rather than one of the various flavours of "disaster Brexit"? At least the UK has conceded that there must be no border in Ireland and that EU residents have a right to remain. It's the non-EU immigrants that are getting it in the neck this week, including the "Windrush generation".

guilhas 9y ago

Every quarter in their magazine they publish very good articles 5 pro and 5 against brexit.