please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Went to the famous pub quiz when the price money had rolled over for a couple of weeks. Was very busy and lively, drinks expensive, but this is Weybridge after all!
The menu made me chuckle as it says that they make their own sauces, even though you can see the boxed sauces on the shelves via the service window into the kitchen.
Quiz was very hard and it was strange that the bar staff won the £100 jackpot. With such in-depth of musical knowledge I'd of thought they'd be better off working for a record company or writing quiz questions.
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The first thing that should be mentioned is the way that the staff are over worked for the money they earn. This seems to be quite common place these days. That doesn't excuse minimum wages for such an establishment and or company. They say it's as good as fine dining yet the wages don't reflect on this at all. This is just not acceptable in Surrey, it's so expensive to live hear. When good money is being handed over for allegedly good food then one would expect that has some reflection on the staff earnings. This is not the case and there for the staff are being taken advantage of. As mentioned by others it also serves up very small portions, so they have many questions to answer. I for one look forward to hearing the explanations by this massive company.....
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Mixed views on this place. Beer was reasonable and the service was good. However, while most of the food I had was very good, it was very expensive and, for the money, ridiculously small portions. A three course meal left me pretty hungry! Not such an attractive place to hang out either.
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The problem with this pub on the food location is the chef, a friend of the now two sacked company head chefs, is well above his station. As well as being paid �6000 more than the other Youngs (chefs) for the same position, he also has the opinion that he should not work every Friday, Saturday or Sunday night.
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Used this a few yrs ago and it was pretty dire , youngs ales lifeless , called in on the youngs birthday celebration to see what the fuss was all about and it was nice to see a genuine change in the place . It was pretty busy and the party seemed to be in full swing with trays of nibbles going round , asked the barman ( could have been manager) for a test of the 1831 and was gives a clean cold glass of well kept ale , although it was pretty good I was swayed by his " yorkshireness" into a pint of black sheep !
Stayed for another and left happy knowing that a good old boozer appears to be back on the map .
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Have been a local to Weybridge pubs since a young lad...used to frequent this pub many years ago and enjoyed the atmosphere very much. Decided to take family members for lunch today and was extremely disappointed with the service. We enjoyed our first drinks and having taken the food orders I went to the bar to order more drinks and lunch. The balding over-weight bar manager was extremely rude and facetious when asked questions about his menu and if that wasn't enough other members of the bar staff seemed to join in with the sarcasm. It came as no surprise to me that the place was very quiet and as a result we left it emptier choosing the Minnow by the river as a very welcome and busier alternative. I will not be going back...
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Met a man here last night to buy series 2 boon box set, tried to barta with him; swap for my own show - series 1. He told me to "do one" before he snatched the money from me.
Whilst here I could not but help to notice how delightful this place is.
Well done youngs
Three cheers for the bar keep!
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Visited this pub 08/01/2010 which was a Saturday night and left feeling let down......this used to be a great place in the early 90's but despite Young's efforts and great expense remains a shadow of it's former glory......!
Service was slow and indifferent......bar prices are high and atmosphere was distinctly edgy with a complete drunk talking S*** at the bar and two utterly laughable meatheads parading around supposedly offering security....it somehow displays a arrogance about itself, no welcome or friendliness @ all.......this is not a one off as a lunchtime visit before Christmas evidenced.....shame really as the pub should be something special.
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Well impressed with the newest format of the Tuesday night quiz. With a guaranteed pot every week of �50.00 its more achievable than before as there is 40 questions 20 on music and 20 on general knowledge so seems to give all who enter a better chance of winning a few quid ! a very entertaining couple of hours for an early week night. very well put together and presented very professionally too. Why not try it out ?
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Popped in last night as they are having a beer festival.We were delighted to see that one of the beers was Black Sheep-I believe it was �3.45 a pint-it was disgusting-the head disappeared as soon as you took a sip and it became as flat as dishwater.
I suspect that the staff don't know how to keep or pull beer.
Shan't be back.
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Typical open plan Youngs pub. Not obvious from the road unless you know where it is. Ordinary, Special, Waggledance and Bombardier when we visited. Waggledance was pretty good, certainly the wasps in the beer garden liked it. You know what you are going to get.
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A little upmarket if you ask me. It is not too bad overall.
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The days of �Quid�s In� when you could merrily drink a pitcher for �4 or nuggets as pikey�s would call it whilst smoking a crack pipe have long gone. Now you could walk in this pub and feel like you were in any other young�s pub in the UK, not for its warmth and familiarity but for its common unimaginative interior design and clinical expensive service. 2nd best pub in Weybridge though after Sully�s
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Exspensive and poor range of beers.
Food is supposedly fresh and own sauces made, even though you can see boxes of processed sauces through servery window into kitchen....
Went during one the ultra hard quiz nights and bar staff won the Quiz! �400 to the bar staff?
Then popped in on Saturday afternoon for a pint and barman too busy to serve as was playing on the fruit machine.
Nice work if you can get it! I'd avoid this place and go to the Percy or Slug.
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Trade is really picking up in this place. Only problem is that word is out that the place is a mecca for kids. Children running around screaming, darting under tables, running into Xmas Trees whilst their parents ignore them. This is not a one off and something needs to happen before the place goes into decline again as it has so many times in the past.
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While doing a stretch in the Black Beach prison with Simon Mann in Equatorial Guinea, I contracted dysentry. A few weeks ago, I had a few beers in the Hand and Spear with some old Eton chums, and the next morning I thought I had once again contracted dysentry. Dirty tables, fruit flies, dirty glasses and dirty beer, a big let down considering the usual high standards of Young's pubs.
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They've done a good job on this place, compared to what it used to be. Good food, drinks' are a little pricey... But then again, this is Weybridge and this is a very trendy place to both eat and drink. Nice seating area outside with heating. When in the area, I stop in as much as I can. When I'm not completely pissed out of my face and my nose isn't dripping, I really do absorb the detail of the building. It was built by a Lord... Lord King, given the title 'Baron of Ockham', origianly built for him and his family. I mean, seriously... Look at the building!!
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Great stuff ! Ongoing music quiz every tuesday night from 8.30pm. Called the 10/10 music challenge you can win up to �400 by getting ten questions correct out of ten. And have a real laugh trying too ! Compiled and presented by radio dj Terry Peters from Brooklands fm its a real fun evening not to be taken too seriously. Also doing a new disco night every Friday too til midnight. Kickstart your weekend at the H&S !! We did and had a great night too.
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Well trained and friendly staff.
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A good night out...beer great, ambiance great, over priced, food ok
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Just a little bit on the pricey side these days. Having said that I do quite like it but would not choose to visit on a Saturday evening as the crowd can be a bit 'posh' shall we say. Then again posh people are surely better than 'Chav' people. I am none of these things obviously.
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A large and modern accommodating Young's pub. Clean and well run with a very warm welcome from the keen an enthusiastic staff. Masses of room for big groups and cosy seating in places for smaller occasions. There's a plush dining room out the back too; ideal for a birthday party
�3.05 a pint for Young's Bitter which is well kept, as are the other beers. Excellent service and the staff have a good sense of humour. Right next to Weybridge railway station so easy to get to. The only bad word I can find to say about this place is like most Young's pubs, there's little adventure to be had in the guest ales other than Young's.
The food we had was pretty darn good too. I'll be visiting with my workmates again soon!
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Huge pub very impressivley refurbished - staff are good, beer is good although standard Youngs fare with only Deuchars or Tribute making guest appearances. Service in the Restaurant is fantastic and you should order from the specials that are offered separately from the standard card menu.
Well worth a visit although possibly worth keeping mind that the pub is frequented mainly by 20-30 year olds...........not that there is anything wrong with that!
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The old Hand and Spear has very much gone to be replaced by an ultra modern styled gastro pub.
Its not the sort of place to go for a good drinks sessions really.
I'd suggest it attracts an upper class of people in general.
Very busy for Saturday night, perhaps that was something to do with a private party that was going on.
Strikes me as a type of place someone would take their other half to for a romantic evening meal, rather than a place someone would go out with their mates.
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Very intimidating door staff.
jac77 - 19 Mar 2008 10:02 |
Went there early Monday evening so fairly quite. Good looking place in a wooded location a stone's throw from the station. Inflated Weybridge prices apply: �3.95 for a pint of Peroni and �3.05 for a pint of St Austell. Also serving Young's Special and Ordinary. Menu looked inviting but didn't eat.
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A major improvement on the pre Youngs days. Expensive? About average for the area. The ale is always well kept and you get a full pint, not the more usual half litre (in a pint glass). Service generally pretty quick.
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A favourite of mine, great atmoshere, very trendy and quite noisy in the bar but a great restaurant area with no music. I would like the menu to change more regularly and my husband bemoans the uninspiring ales however they are perfectly well kept
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Myself and 5 friends went here this afternoon for lunch,& a leisurly chat, What a spectacular pub! Last time I was here (about 15yrs ago) you could stick to the floor & it was just another grotty student pub. I didn't even recognise the inside, it was elegantly set, but not OTT, & as clean as a whistle. The hygine in most british eateries leaves a lot to be desired, so this was a refreshing change. Good menu, well priced, the only thing I'd change was the strange coating on the tuna steak (nicoise) it just didn't need it, not with salad!! drinks a bit on the pricey side, but the staff were warm & welcoming & the service was great. Well DEone!
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Found this by chance the other day and popped in for lunch. Good menu and the food we chose was excellent with huge helpings! Pricing is average for a Youngs pub but good atmosphere and would most certainly be going back. Clean, enjoyable and welcoming.
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went a few months back, ok yeah, quite pricey, pleasant enough
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I've been in a couple of times now, and every time the staff have been very friendly (even on a busy Friday night) and there's been an amazing atmosphere. I've yet to try out the restaurant properly, but the home-made chips and the garlic bread with cheese are Really good! Have recommended it to friends and will definately be back!
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Youngs should be proud of themselves for recreating the H & S in a very similar fashion to it's early '90's incarnation(something they conveniently forget to mention in their "History" framed for all to see as you walk thru the front door!).....nice food and ambience....Only goes to prove how much ahead of it's time it was when it was originally developed in 1990!
anonymous - 24 Jul 2007 12:42 |
From the reviews I'd read, I expected somewhere quiet, and only patronised by older clientele. How wrong could I be. The place was absolutely heaving with a very young crowd on a Friday night. It took a long time to get to the bar and if it hadn't been a warm night, so that we could go outside, I've no idea what corner we'd have found to stand in and 'enjoy' our drinks! The beer was good (Youngs Ordinary, Bombadier, etc.), the whole place was clean and the toilets were immaculate, so I guess one can hardly blame the pub for being just too successful!
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A lot better than the grungy place I knew from a couple of years ago. Obviously now a lot more food orientated, but a nice cold bottle of London Special Ale went down nicely on a hot evening.
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Very expensive beer, I did not sample the food.
Staff were friendly, but under employed, as there were very few customers. Probably put off by the prices!!
In this location, this could be a very good pub, but what a missed oportunity.
anonymous - 6 Jun 2007 10:12 |
This pub has been redecorated and redesigned recently and looks very good for it!
The selection of Beers/lager is also very good.
DO NOT eat here - the food is shocking - the only thing they can cook are chips. I have eaten 3 times here (each time thinking it couldn't be worse than the last) but it just gets worse - SORT IT OUT
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Horrible staff!!! so rude and really clueless
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AWFULL food and surly staff, what a ripoff
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I went to this pub on my birthday and I won't be going back next year. This is a pity because it's a beautifully appointed (and vast) premises in a lovely secluded location set back from the car park alongside the station. I regretfully agree with the anonymous previous poster: I encountered staff who were surly and unhelpful to a point verging on Little Britain's "Computer Says No" character. Less than a quid change from a tenner for a pint of lager and glass of (decent but not spectacular) wine; and a tenner for a deli board containing food that can only be described as bonsai. Seriously. Bread and oil were fine though. Must do better !
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I visited this pub over one month ago,it was new and they were obviously trying to iron out new staff and teething problems. The food on that occasion was ok. However,last weekend,the food was very poor,with very unfriendly and surly waiting staff.
anonymous - 31 Mar 2007 21:17 |
An impressive edifice from the outside, the inside isn�t too bad either with a new and modern look, although a bit dark on sunny days.
Lacking a little on the handpull front, but the Winter Warner I had was excellent, best of the season.
Worth a visit if waiting for train.
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�2.85, that's allright then isn't it, miles away from being a rip off 3 squid.
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Y0ungs Bitter is �2.85 a pint:-)
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Recently refurbished to amazingly high standards. The question now is, is this a pub or a restaurant with a bar area. I would say the latter. Beer is over �3.00 a pint (youngs bitter) and you have to wait an age, even at less busy times due to the newly hired staff. This place is more aimed at corporate market than the serious pub heads, food is thus very good. All that glitters is not gold!
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Not the best experience I have had in Weybridge - but the vodka was quite alright!
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Cool pub! check out The New Assassins who are playing there on 9th June 06. They kick ass!
anonymous - 27 Apr 2006 16:34 |
It has always been a student pub, it IS right next to Brooklands College after all! In the 90's they had some great bands play there Lush / Super Furry Animals / Catatonia etc. That was before the re-fit and change of owners. Being totally bored in the disaster that is "that" bar next to the station I popped in one evening for a drink. Wow, a rocking band on stage and a great atmosphere. If you are a 30 something who can't remember what it was like to be 18 then avoid. I however still love to see a live band and don't feel intimidated at all by sharing drinking space with "the kids".
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Live Music this Saturday night, a rather lively place it seems. Certainly seems to be more of a young persons place, didnt stay long enough to get a real feel of what this place is like. I'd say its worth a visit, did cost 3 quid to get in for the live music however
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This pub is definately run into the ground and looks like it could fall down at any second. Its also full of students. But this pub also has a fantastic atmosphere and the locals and bar staff are incredibly friendly. I havent seen trouble in here for over a year now, its so easy going. Yeah if you dont like students or want a roaring fire and leather sofa to sit on this certainly isnt for you, but for a good atmosphere and a reasonably priced pint in Weybridge then give it a go. Its also a good place to check out local bands. For those that are interested the company who own it are supposed to be giving it a refit early next year, if it hasnt collapsed by then
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In the early 90's the Hand and Spear was a great pub to go to.When the bar used to be in the middle of the pub and the bands used to play on the left of the pub as you walked in.Saw Stan Webb,Otis Grand,Larry Garner,The Hoax and The Hamsters and many other great bands.Today however it is a shadow of what it used to be.it's dirty and in need of repair.As for the punters....students....say no more!Change of management is due,as is a bloody good clean up.If that doesn't happen then cherish your memories as they put up more flats in its place.
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I agree with Steph, this pub used to be THE place to go in Weybridge through the 90's. I am really upset to hear it is going to be pulled down. We CAN'T let it happen. Lets start a petition! Firkin have ruined it...whoever owned it before...the tall spiky grey haired man with hippy hat...please come back!!
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The hand and spear pub may again be turning into the premier venue for live music. A rumour has it a group of promoters called fuzzy logic are looking to bring the best live acts around on a saturday night.
chris morris - 24 Apr 2004 13:48 |
My dad used to drink at the Hand and Spear too. I spent many heady summer nights there, had my first date with my (still) boyfriend 11 yrs ago there and now live just opposite. It was such a great pub and Firkin should be sued for ruining it. Apparently it is going to be knocked down which is an absolute tragedy and if I had the money I would buy it. Please, someone with some money, save it!
Steph - 13 Apr 2004 09:18 |
I drank here from 1977(my dad drank here since 1970 ).It was a great local pub,we had a crap footie team,used to have a function room out the back.The lager was always a bit dodgy,not sure if they ever cleaned the pipes.I used to love this pub,went back a year ago and it was awful! Sad really...it was a great pub
dave - 5 Mar 2004 23:29 |
my father-in-law is Tony Deller.His Aunty Madge bought this Pub in 1936.I will try to find out more details.
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It was a Firkin pub which is being changed back to the Hand and Spear. It has had a lot of hard work put into it with the reintrodution of live bands. Many great bands have played there in the past. It was also an old coach house then a hotel where Robert Lewis Stevenson stayed and proof read Traesure Island. We are having a Treasure Island party on bank holiday Monday to selebrate this.
Kelly Jackson - 1 Apr 2003 00:59 |
