The Exchange (JD Wetherspoon), Banbury

The Exchange is a Wetherspoons with carpeted seating by the entrance and raised wooden seating to the right where I ended up sitting with mainly diners because it was very busy during a recent Wednesday early evening visit. Up four steps towards the rear is the bar area where the serving counter up the right-hand wall faces high tables up the centre and booths up the left-hand wall. There are two banks of six hand pumps that were drawing London Pride, Jaipur, Old Peculiar, Pheasantry Brewery’s Dancing Dragonfly, Oakham’s JHB and Adnams Broadside alongside three cask ciders, Weston’s Old Rosie and two from Herefordshire based Celtic Marshes. I went for half a Pride which was past its best and short measured, but it was less than two quid so I made do. I’ll not be rushing back.

Official site of The Exchange (JD Wetherspoon) - www.jdwetherspoon.com

Official site of The Exchange (JD Wetherspoon) - www.jdwetherspoon.com

We left this Spoons to last on our mini tour of Banbury and having some truly excellent ales around town, our beer choice on the bar in here seemed daunted and uninspiring. Still there was an Oakham Citra as luck had it and it was in great shape. Our visit was on a late Sunday afternoon, so the pub had quietened now considerably, which made an easy an quick drink before heading back to the train station.

A fine frontage ,you enter up some stone steps into an open plan front area with a high ceiling ,all quite airy and bright.The bar is at a higher level and consequently has a low ceiling in a much more narrow space with seating booths along the left wall and mainly high tables elsewhere.The furniture and finish is identikit 'spoons and you could be anywhere in the country.At the bar were two banks of 6 handpumps offering on my trip GK Abbott,Doom Bar,Ruddles Best doubled up,a cider and guest ales Wychwood Hobgoblin,Tamar Best,Caledonian Edinburgh Castle,Butcome Original,Youngs Special and Peerless Lottie Dod (forgetable).That's one of the worst guest ale line ups I've seen a a 'spoons and I was totally underwhelmed. The manager couldn't be bothered to ask some boisterous travellers to put a sock in it,despite being the worse for wear and this led to an overall impression....nobody cares so why should I return ?

Wetherspoons were a small London pub chain last time I was in Banbury and this place doesn't do the current chain any favours. It consists of a wider area as you enter with a few steps up to the long narrow bar area. Fixtures and furnishings are all fairly typical. The place was a shambles when I arrived on a Saturday afternoon with uncleared and sticky tables everywhere. It seemed like the few staff available were just being used to take orders and deliver meals. Although there are two sets of six hand pumps the beer choice was poor with the JDW Trio Of Doom doubled up but as it transpired minus the Abbot, one available soon and a cider which left just Moorhouse Pendle Witches Brew, Phipp's Midsummer Madness, Jenning's Golden Lion and Purity Gold. These are all low ABV beers and three of them pale making for a very unbalanced choice. I went for the Purity Gold (£2.15) which was in reasonable nick. I thought this was a pretty poor Spoons and preferred the Fleur De Lis but that had virtually no customers! Laughably this one is listed in the 2017 GBG.