Is Wetherspoons the best or worst thing that happened to the pub scene? Join The Independent Debate

With founder Tim Martin receiving a knighthood in the King’s New Year honours we want to know whether you think Spoons is a blessing or a curse to our high streets

Wetherspoon founder and chairman Tim Martin has been knighted in the King’s New Year honours (Jonathan Brady/PA) (PA Archive)

If there’s one thing that almost every British high street still has - it’s a Wetherspoons.

The cheap-and-and-cheerful chain boasts inexpensive pints, straightforward food and quirky decor - but it really isn’t for everyone.

As Katie Rosseinsky pointed out in a recent piece for The Independent, “if you’re British and of legal drinking age, the chances are that you have strong feelings, one way or another, about Wetherspoons”.

That statement is probably one thing pub-goers on either side of the Spoons debate can agree upon. While some praise the chain for its low prices, others accuse it of squeezing out local pubs that simply can’t compete on price.

The controvsery around the brand is only fueled by Spoons founder Tim Martin - and for some, cheap prices can’t mitigate the sour taste left by his forays into political discourse.

A staunch brexiteer, in 2016, Martin donated £200,000 to the Vote Leave campaign, and eventually described the result of the referendum as a “new Magna Carta”. Hundreds of thousands of pro-Brexit beer mats have been launched throughout Martin’s pubs, detailing potential benefits of leaving the EU and, later, urging politicians to hurry along with a deal; a few years after the vote, he banned European beers and sacked off champagne and prosecco in favour of English sparkling wines.

With Martin recently granted a knighthood, the debate around Spoons and its place on the high street has reignited.

We want to know where you stand. Does Wetherspoons provide a crucial cheap hub for social gatherings during the cost of living crisis? Or has the brand done more damage than good?

If you want to share your opinion then add it in the comments and we’ll highlight the most insightful ones as they come in.

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