Brits choose Wetherspoons pints over Christmas meals with pubs packed full of festive revellers
BRITS have made their choice clear this Christmas – as Wetherspoons pubs get packed with boozy blowouts.
Wetherspoons opened more than 600 of its 797 pubs across the UK punters could enjoy a liquid lunch during the opening hours of 11am-3pm.
In true festive fashion, countless numbers of Brits flocked to their nearest Wetherspoons to celebrate the holiday properly.
One of the locations that saw a lot of jolliness was Stick or Twist in Leeds, for a liquid lunch before sitting down later for the turkey.
Kenny Pilotille, 66, was meeting friends at the city centre bar, which he has done for almost twenty years.
He would then head back to his son’s for Christmas dinner, hopefully adequately merry.
The group of 10 have an annual festive catch-up at their favourite Wetherspoons, but Kenny is the only one who wears a Christmas jumper.
Over a pint of chocolate stout, he said: “We like to come into town for a few beers. We’ve been doing it for the best part of 15 or 20 years now.
“We had a gap because they closed it for a few years, so we went to another Wetherspoons but we’re back here now.
“It’s great to have a catch-up and socialise. I love the atmosphere in here.”
Graham Newton, 59, was having a couple of drinks before going home for Christmas Dinner.
Graham, who was spending Christmas on his own, said: “I like the atmosphere, it’s better than sitting at home on your own, looking at the four walls.
“I like to come out and have a few beers before going home and having my dinner.
“I’ll have an hour or two in town, then I’ll go home and my daughter will bring me over a Christmas dinner around 4pm.
“Then she’ll come over tomorrow and we all go out together for a few more beers.”
Figures predict that 300 million pints could be poured in December, boosting the economy to the tune of a cool £3.3billion.
How can I save money at Wetherspoons?
FREE refills - Buy a £1.50 tea, coffee or hot chocolate and you can get free refills. The deal is available all day, every day.
Check a map – Prices can vary from one location the next, even those close to each other.
So if you’re planning a pint at a Spoons, it’s worth popping in nearby pubs to see if you’re settling in at the cheapest.
Choose your day – Each night the pub chain runs certain food theme nights.
For instance, every Thursday night is curry club, where diners can get a main meal and a drink for a set price cheaper than usual.
Pick-up vouchers – Students can often pick up voucher books in their local near universities, which offer discounts on food and drink, so keep your eyes peeled.
Get appy – The Wetherspoons app allows you to order and pay for your drink and food from your table – but you don’t need to be in the pub to use it.
Taking full advantage of this, cheeky customers have used social media to ask their friends and family to order them drinks. The app is free to download on the App Store or Google Play.
Check the date – Every year, Spoons holds its Tax Equality Day to highlight the benefits of a permanently reduced tax bill for the pub industry.
It usually takes place in September, and last year it fell on Thursday, September 14.
As well as its 12-day Real Ale Festival every Autumn, Wetherspoons also holds a Spring Festival.
The season offers Brits plenty of opportunities to get their drink on.
The Christmas celebration at Wetherspoons comes just a few days after “Mad Friday”.
The day gets its name by being dubbed the booziest night of the year so far when packs of revellers flock to city centre bars.
It’s the official nickname given to the Friday before Christmas Eve in Great Britain.
It is the most popular night for end-of-year corporate and industrial Christmas parties.