A Wetherspoons enthusiast has been left put off one breakfast item after eating the same meal at five different branches across Cardiff for a week. Taite Johnson visited five pubs over five days, ordering the traditional breakfast each time, but found the experience varied widely depending on the location.
Ms Johnson, who swapped bacon for an extra sausage, noted that prices differed significantly even within the same city. At The Ivor Davies in Canton, the breakfast cost just £3.14 with a refillable tea at £1.04, while at The Gatekeeper and The Prince of Wales in the city centre, the same meal cost £5.75 and tea £1.56. The Canton branch was the cheapest of the week.
Despite requesting a hard yolk on her fried eggs, only one branch—The Gatekeeper—delivered on that request. At the other locations, the eggs were runny, leading Ms Johnson to leave them uneaten. She described the eggs as the only part of the meal she consistently disliked, and the experience has put her off runny eggs for life.
Other items also drew criticism: the toast was often under-toasted, though the hash browns were praised for being crispy, and the sausages were described as herby and flavourful. The portion sizes of beans varied, but were generally adequate. Ms Johnson also noted that after three days, she began to feel sluggish after the breakfast, but continued with the same order due to limited menu variety.
Service was generally quick and staff friendly across all branches, though at The Gatekeeper, she was seated near the toilets, which affected her experience when a customer used them without closing the door. Overall, the experiment highlighted inconsistencies in quality and pricing, even within the same pub chain.
