'I paid £15 for turkey and pint at worst Wetherspoons - and even saw a fight'

17 November 2023 , 20:14

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Nathan Clarke at The Square Peg in Birmingham (Image: BirminghamLive)

A customer who visited a Wetherspoons dubbed the "worst pub in Birmingham" said he spent £15 on a festive dinner and even witnessed a fight after just a couple of minutes.

Birmingham Live reporter Nathan Clarke went to The Square Peg at lunchtime on Wednesday to check out the pub's Christmas menu. After being in the pub for just a couple of minutes, he said a man was dragged out by his collar and throwing aimless punches at a member of staff.

However, despite a tense atmosphere, he then sat down to check out the festive menu options. Mr Clarke said: "As part of the new Christmas Menu, customers can get their hands on traditional turkey dinners, festive burgers, paninis, seasonal pizzas and a traditional mince tart to finish."

Nathan enjoyed his turkey dinner (BirminghamLive)

He said that despite The Square Peg once being dubbed the worst pub in the city, he actually had a positive experience, spending £14.67 on a turkey dinner and a pint through the Wetherspoon app. The reporter praised the speed of service which meant his food arrived just 10 minutes after he ordered it.

Mr Clarke said: "The festive fist-fight I’d witnessed hadn’t quite put me in the best of moods for my first Christmas dinner of the year, but the swift arrival of my pint made me feel a lot more at ease. My food arrived about 10 or so minutes later."

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Describing his turkey dinner, he said: "On my plate was five slices of turkey, a healthy dollop of mashed potato, two pigs in blankets, a healthy serving of peas, some stuffing, seasonal veg and a bowl of cranberry sauce. On the food, I can’t say I was blown away, but I won’t say I was left disappointed either.

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"What really impressed me was the quality of the turkey. Often quite a dry meat, this turkey was succulent and juicy - and tasted great with a dollop of that rich and sweet cranberry sauce.

"Another highlight was the gravy, just the right consistency, nicely seasoned and generously poured over the meat and vegetables. On the vegetables, they were okay, the carrots did the job, as did the peas.

"After sampling a honey-roasted carrot at a gastro-pub earlier this year, it’s fair to say any carrot now feels a bit underwhelming in comparison - but you won’t find anything to dislike here. The stuffing, likewise, was decent - nothing life-changing but a nice accompaniment to the meal."

The Square Peg was once dubbed the 'worst pub in Birmingham' (Birmingham Mail/BPM MEDIA)

However, Mr Clarke was not impressed by the mash potatoes which he described as "lumpy and rather dry". He added: "As controversial as this may be, I don’t think mash belongs anywhere near a Christmas dinner - ditch the mash and bring in some roasties and this meal would have been elevated to another level."

He also said the pigs in blankets were "very small and slightly overdone", adding: "They weren’t awful, don’t get me wrong, but it felt like a missed opportunity." Mr Clarke said he enjoyed his food overall and thought it was good value for money after spending less than £15.

He added: "If you’re looking to get the most out of your money this Christmas, the Wetherspoon festive menu won’t let you down. At a time when people around the country are struggling to make ends meet, a nice, cost-friendly dinner at Wetherspoon makes for a lovely, and lively, day out."

Nathan Clarke