A popular Essex pub banned customers from standing at the bar with their pints – customers are furious and believe it could be damaging to the British pub experience
Wetherspoons drinkers are furious after one of the chain’s popular pubs introduced a controversial new rule.
The rule has banned customers from standing at the bar with their pints. The move sees the traditional “free-for-all” replaced by queues like those in a shop. A sign posted at The Roebuck in Rayleigh, Essex, reads: “No drinking at the bar. Once served we kindly request that you move away from the bar area. Apologies for any inconvenience.” The rule, which came into force at the beginning of December, has been met with disbelief from regulars who see it as a blow to the quintessential British pub experience, The Sun reports .
Alf Spencer, a 71-year-old retired builder and long-time customer, shared his frustration: “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.” Chit-chatting at the bar is an essential part of community pub culture with many catching up with other regular customers or bar staff during the exchange.
One disgruntled drinker summed up the feeling of many: “I can’t believe they’ve introduced this. Surely being stood at the bar is one of the joys of the British pub. First ridiculous queues and now this. Standing at the bar is part of what makes the great British pub experience what it is.”
Despite the backlash, the manager of The Roebuck defended the new rule, explaining that it was purely an organisational decision. With the pub attracting up to 500 customers during the Christmas rush, the manager explained: “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.”
Although many are unhappy with the change, some customers, like 64-year-old scaffolder Micky Graham, can see the reasoning behind it. He said: “The issue is it gets confusing for people. It gets very busy here. And if there is a group of people just standing there at the bar. It’s a problem.” Micky said he understood things could get confused quickly so he was able to accept the rule for this pub but for more local pubs he wasn’t sure it would be a good idea.
This new rule, which isn’t universal across all Wetherspoons pubs, has been explained as part of a wider trend in high-traffic venues. A spokesperson for the company, Eddie Gershon, said: “We leave it up to individual managers whether to do this or not. We have no issue with it.”
