A man who spent over five years working in a Wetherspoon kitchen whilst at university has shared some insight to life at the pub.
Known for their cheap and cheerful meals, Wetherspoon is a popular go-to across the UK. The employee said that during his time there, he enjoyed it - especially the social aspect, according to the Mirror.
He also said staff members got a free meal if they were working seven hours or longer. Many of the food items are either deep fried or heated up in the microwave, before being served up to customers.
READ MORE - Edinburgh bar boss in side-splitting put down of diner over ‘grumpy’ staff jibe
The ex-employee took to Reddit to share his experiences in the walls of Wetherspoon, and clarified some of the behind-the-scenes processes.
He said the burgers ‘come in a packet as you’d get at Tesco’ and are ‘properly grilled’. He confirmed the bacon is also cooked fresh, not microwaved.
The former staff member, who goes by the username u/Itsdarkinhere11, said: "The pizza is decent in my opinion, and the curries aren't bad for being microwaved. I'd avoid the steaks, I never ate one but always thought they looked awful."
When asked about some of the different burger types, he continued: "The beef ones are cooked fresh, they're not the best but for the price, they're not bad. Gets a bit dicier when you start going for chicken or veggie or vegan in my opinion."
Then he discussed how some of the other food items on the menu are cooked. He alleged that eggs were "fried on a flat top grill thing", which wasn't the easiest to clean, and were then "scrambled and poached in the micro".
He claimed that "poached eggs came pre-poached", and that it was "always funny watching managers try to come up with excuses for how we could serve fried/scrambled eggs but not poached or vice versa".
Eddie Gershon, from the Wetherspoon PR team, told the Mirror that "fish is freshly battered every day", while pizzas and paninis are both "made fresh to order". He added that "curries are made to bespoke Wetherspoon recipes and are delivered frozen and then heated in the microwave".
In regards to breakfast, Eddie revealed: "For the majority of the time, breakfasts are cooked to order. During some busy periods, in order to ensure customers are served promptly, some items are pre-cooked and held for a limited time.
"Our poached eggs are pre-poached to ensure the quality of the product is consistent for the customer."
He continued: "A small percentage of our dishes, by volume sold, are microwaved. Most high-volume products such as burgers and steaks are grilled and a number of other meals such as pizzas and jacket potatoes are oven cooked.
"Wetherspoon’s top three cooking methods are (in order): 1. Grilling ('clam' or flat grill OR 'char' grill), 2. Frying, 3. Oven-cooking."
READ NEXT:
When is Mother's Day in 2023 and why does the date change every year?
Crackdown on illegal streaming as Edinburgh police raid provider and make arrest
Exact date Edinburgh could see heavy snowfall as temperatures plummet
Edinburgh shop boss caught with stash of drugs during police raid
East Lothian driver 'tried to mask smell of cannabis with air freshener'
