JDW bars Somerset licensee over price list
A Somerset licensee has been barred from his local Wetherspoon pub after displaying a price comparison list in his pub window.
John Bowles, licensee at the Weston-Super-Mare pub the New Red Admiral, said his aim was to encourage locals to support community pubs and show that the price differential between his and Wetherspoon outlets is "not as great some people believe".
According to Bowles, when he visited his local Wetherspoon Dragon a day or two later, the manager called him over to inform him he was barred because of the price check display. Bowles said he was "shocked" because it is a practice favoured by Wetherspoon itself.
"It was a light-hearted thing, and I think this has been an over-reaction in the extreme. It's a little embarrassing for a local landlord to be barred from there."
He said the news had created a lot of interest with his regulars, and some laughter too. But he said there had also been some serious comment: "Apart from nationally-known lagers, there's not as much difference as they thought."
A spokesman for Wetherspoon said: "Obviously when it comes to a manager barring someone from the pub we back his or her decision. But the gentleman in question can take up his query with our head office, where it will be investigated by an independent regional manager."
Price check, Weston-super-mare, 8 December 2008
Pint real ale: JDW - £1.79, Red Admiral, £1.99Pint Fosters: JDW £2.49, RA - £2.80175 ml house wine: JDW - £2.20, RA - £2.00Btl Magners: JDW £3.20, RA £3.20Btl Becks: JDW £1.99, RA £1.79Dbl Baileys: JDW £2.99, RA £2.00Bacardi & Cola: JDW £2.25, RA £2.00Coffee: JDW £0.99, RA £0.90
