If you've been to a Wetherspoons before you know what to expect. A no frills, you-get-what-you-pay-for kinda atmosphere.
In Gala you can get yourself a beer and a burger for £6 something, and the majority of pints are still around the £2 mark. It's a spacious pub, on all but the busiest weekend night's you'll not struggle to find somewhere to sit, even if you're a group of 10. And it does seem to have a bit of buzz about it virtually the whole time.
And I'm afraid for Hunters Hall the pros stop there. The interior is starting to feel depressingly shabby, there hasn't been any sofas for a couple of years and most of the wooden chairs are coming loose and the fabric on the booth seats is worn thin. The walls are marked and chipped and most of the pictures have been picked at or have a fossilised drip of vodka coke on them, and as an aside its often pretty cold if you're near the doors.
However, despite all its flaws its cheapness; largeness; and let's face it, lack of competition mean it is still the go-to pub for the under 30s, and a virtually mandatory stop off for anyone in the town set on a heavy Saturday night.
The staff turnover is high, save for a few stalwarts and the vast majority of encounters are courteous. There is one long term duty manager however who seems to have a short fuse and an appalling customer service approach, should you open your mouth with anything other than an order. Last night's conversation across the bar started something like:
"Excuse me, my friend's just bought me this bottle of beer and it's really warm..."
"What do you want ME to do about it?!"
Guess you get what you pay for. read more