The Red Well (JD Wetherspoon), Wellingborough

The Red Well is a small Wetherspoons with a bar along the rear wall that faces a mix a high and standard tables that run across the pubs length. In the centre is a gaming machine area. The bar supports standard and premium keg as well as two banks of six hand pumps. Ruddles, GK Abbot Ale, Sharp’s Doom Bar, Inveralmond Ossian, Oakham’s Citra, Harviestoun’s Bitter & Twisted, Gwynt y Ddraig’s Black Dragon, Cairngorm’s Wildcat and Moonshine Cider were all available on cask. The service was polite, but this wasn’t the best example of a Spoons, although it was quite busy during my recent Tuesday evening visit.

Probably the smallest Spoons I have been in, looks are deceiving from the outside as the frontage is quite long. Once inside however the pub doesn't extend back very far. The usual decor was present of a Wetherspoons. Was also disappointed that it was the usual drab options of Doom Bar, Abbot etc. Only new one for me was Black Drop (£1.99). A very small courtyard at the back for smokers. Not much to recommend here.

As Wetherspoon's go, this was one of the worst, if not the worst I've ever been in. I was greeted by a female employee, who was immediately confrontational and was only interested in telling everybody that orders need to be made using the Wetherspoons app. On enquiring if the app now accepted CAMRA vouchers, I was told no it didn't. I asked how I could use the CAMRA voucher and she repeated that ordering was table service only and through the app. So, I asked if the vouchers were no longer being accepted. She said that they were, but not via the app. On stating that I'd placed orders and the vouchers had been accepted in other branches, she said that the government laws had changed. On telling her that I had used vouchers since the law change, she said they could not be accepted today, as they were too busy (most tables were unoccupied). In all likelihood, they would be accepted tomorrow! That wasn't much good for me, as my train ticket was only valid for that particular day. After being convinced that the girl was intent on being obstructive and that there was no reasoning with her, I decided to venture in and have a half instead. As above, finding a table was easy, as the pub was quiet. The interior was typical Wetherspoon's and there were plenty of (all female) staff on hand to pour and serve drinks. After downloading the app and seemingly ordering a drink, I waited and waited and waited. After 20 minutes, I grabbed one member of staff to double-check if my half of Arundel Black Stallion was in their system. It wasn't. This member of staff was much more helpful and watched as I tried to order the drink again. It seemingly failed again. So, she proposed that I paid directly with a card, something which the other member of staff said I couldn't do. So, I ended up upgrading my half to a pint and using my CAMRA voucher!! In hindsight, I wish that I hadn't. The Black Stallion was almost undrinkable. It had clearly been around for far too long. But after 30 minutes of waiting for a drink and with a table booked (the perils of Covid drinking) in another pub, I drank as much as I could before swiftly heading to the exit. An utterly terrible experience. I was wondering why this establishment has never made the Good Beer Guide. Now, I know why. Other ales on were Greene King Abbot, Ruddles Best, Sharp's Doom Bar, Ringwood Forty Niner, Hook Norton Old Hooky & Shepherd Neame Spitfire. The real cider was Gwynt y Ddraig Black Dragon.

I thought the interior of this Spoons was very drab and tired looking. The walls were all painted in a cream colour, which had darkened over time and the main feature around the pub was dark framing around the walls and pillars. The entrance to the pub was small and narrow considering the length of the pub, this area also had a semi circle of two steps leading into the main room. The bar had a good choice of ciders, just a pity their ale selection was dire.

Large-looking 'spoons conversion, externally a rather strange amalgamation of two different buildings but all the same inside. Standard-issue furniture, but there are quite a few historical display panels about the place. Rather disappointing selection of real ales from six of ten handpumps, and my pint of Tring Side Pocket (£2.40) was a bit hazy too.