Wetherspoons pub bans clients ingesting on the bar as punters fume it is a ‘pleasure of Britain’
Pub-goers are dismayed after a new rule in an Essex pub owned by Wetherspoons means that drinkers can’t stand by the bar and enjoy a pint, leaving locals devastated
Wetherspoons’ patrons are heartbroken after being banned from standing by the bar to properly enjoy their pints.
The drinkers cannot stand how the pub tradition of a free-for-all is now turning into orderly shop-like queues. Signs, such as one at the popular Roebuck in Rayleigh, Essex, tells punters: “No drinking at the bar. Once served we kindly request that you move away from the bar area. Apologies for any inconvenience.”
Locals are devastated by the rule. One man, 71-year-old Alf Spencer said: “I used to stand up at the bar but we’re told not to now. It’s always been a nice way to enjoy a pint and chat to the bar staff and the other locals. But I can see why they do it.”
However, explaining the controversial rule which was rule, brought in at the start of December, the manager of the Roebuck said: “At Christmas there were 500 people here. We need people to move from the bar when it’s that busy. It’s not health and safety. This is for service. It is an organisational thing.”
When asked if there was backlash to the rule, the manager replied: “Oh yeah, of course, It doesn’t really matter if some people are unhappy about it. We have a zero tolerance policy for abuse in our pub.”
However, some revellers think its a good idea. Scaffolder Micky Graham, 64, told The Sun : “The real problem is, like any good English person, they see people in front of a bar and they get in line patiently.”
Meanwhile, spokesman for Wetherspoons, Eddie Gershon, told The Sun: “We leave it up to individual managers whether to do this or not. We have no issue with it.”
Previously, the Daily Star reported that pub enthusiasts can look forward to a January Sale at 770 Wetherspoon pubs from Thursday, January 2 until Thursday, January 16 inclusive (Friday, January 3 until Thursday, January 16 inclusive in Scotland). A whopping 750 of these pubs will be serving pints of beer priced between 99p and £1.49.
The sale includes real ale (Worthington’s, Ruddles, Greene King and Doom Bar), Coldwater Creek wine (250ml glass of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Rose, Merlot), a variety of low and alcohol-free drinks (Guinness 0/0%, 0% cocktails, Gordon’s pink gin 0.0% (served with a mixer), Corona Cero, Brewdog Punk AF, Stella Artois Alcohol Free, Heineken 0.0, Erdinger, Thatchers zero, Koppaberg Alcohol Free, Adnams Ghost Ship, Beck’s Blue) and a selection of soft drinks including Pepsi Max, Pepsi Max Cherry, R. Whites Lemonade.
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