A new Channel 5 documentary has given us an inside look into Weatherspoon's operating secrets. Watch below:
The film titled Wetherspoons: How Do They Do It?! gives insight into what a profitable, well-managed operation looks like.
Advert
If you've ever been to a 'Spoons, more often than not, the service, especially with scran, is super quick.
If we take breakfast, for instance, staff are expected to have the food served up under ten minutes.
To do that, however, the documentary reveals that some of the food comes frozen and a microwave is often used to speed up cooking times when required.
Advert
Sausages, hash browns and bacon are said to come in frozen packaging.
A former kitchen manager at Wetherspoon explained how the role was like a 'military operation'.
He said: "I was a kitchen manager for three years.
"You could say it's like a military operation.
Advert
"Everybody knows what they're doing.
"They'll allocate people within the kitchen, their station, but if I was here working on mine today, we've set it up in a manner that you'd be able to cook from one side, work your way down the cook line.
"So if I can make everything without having to move too much, I'm minimising the food delivery time, which is ensuring the customers happier because the food's coming out quicker.
Advert
"They would have a computer screen up in the corner and a timer between one and 10 minutes and if it goes over 10 minutes, that ticket will turn red which means you're not hitting your target. We're always aiming for under 10 minutes.
"A lot of it comes in frozen, including the sausages, the hash browns and the bacon actually comes in pre cooked and is heated on a grill.
"Baked Beans obviously come in until it's all just warm through the microwave."
LADbible have contacted JD Wetherspoon for comment.
Advert
1,000 breakfasts are reportedly sold in each branch each week.
Some breakfasts cost as little as £3 each, so you might wonder how profit is made.
Similar to many large businesses, Wetherspoon uses the economies of scale (buying in bulk) in order to cheapen the cost of ingredients.
The documentary also reveals a practice that the chain no longer takes part in, where pub workers were originally trained to upsell its alcoholic drinks.
A former bar member claims that staff would be trained to tactically offer a 'double' first, instead of a single because the first term 'works most times'.
However, the chain said it has discouraged the upselling of spirits in the last decade.
Wetherspoons: How Do They Do It?! is available to watch on My5 now.
Topics: UK News, Food And Drink, Documentaries, Channel 5