YoIf there’s one thing that almost every British high street still has: it’s a Wetherspoons.
The cheap, cheerful and cheap chain offers cheap pints, simple food and quirky decor, but it’s really not for everyone.
As Katie Rosseinsky pointed out in a recent article for The independent, “If you’re British and of legal drinking age, chances are you have strong feelings, one way or another, about Wetherspoons.”
That statement is probably something pub-goers on both sides of the Spoons debate can agree on. While some praise the chain for its low prices, others accuse it of squeezing out local pubs that simply cannot compete on price.
The controversy surrounding the brand is only fueled by Spoons founder Tim Martin, and for some, the low prices cannot mitigate the bitter taste left by its forays into political discourse.
A staunch Brexit supporter, in 2016 Martin donated £200,000 to the Vote Leave campaign and ultimately described the referendum result as a “new Magna Carta”. Hundreds of thousands of pro-Brexit beer coasters have been thrown in Martin’s pubs, detailing the potential benefits of leaving the EU and, later, urging politicians to rush to a deal; A few years after the vote, he banned European beers and abandoned champagne and prosecco in favor of English sparkling wines.
With Martin’s recent knighthood, the debate surrounding Spoons and its place on the high street has been reignited.
We want to know what your position is. Does Wetherspoons provide a cheap and crucial hub for social gatherings during the cost of living crisis? Or has the brand done more harm than good?
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