"There's no two people in the UK who agree what a medium steak is so they were getting sent back a lot and it was causing us a lot of aggravation. We struggled overall to do it well. So, do what you do, do well, we simplified the menu....it's still a pretty big menu."
"Cost increases in the last couple of years have been very high...enormous... he said on Times Radio. In the first Budget, a year or so ago, it was 1.2 million increases per week for Wetherspoon, 60 million a year, all the different things that have been done amount to even more in the current year. So, it's a very challenging cost environment for pubs."
"We need all the money that we can get and they are quite well paid, he said, adding that he would even buy Holborn and St Pancras MP Sir Keir Starmer a pint."
Wetherspoon removed the mixed grill from menus in May 2025 after frequent steak returns created operational difficulties and customer dissatisfaction due to inconsistent definitions of 'medium'. The chain simplified its menu to focus on dishes it can deliver consistently and to reduce aggravation. Significant cost increases, including higher wages, bills and business rates, hit the business in the first 25 weeks of the financial year and earlier periods, raising weekly costs by about £1.2m at one point. The chain responded by trying to sell more beer. Pub trade has also been affected by more people staying home for dinner parties.
Read at www.standard.co.uk
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