The Ivory Peg (JD Wetherspoon), Chelmsford

Our final stop in Chelmsford before a curry and the train journey home was the town's branch of Wetherspoon's. Hoping to use a CAMRA voucher and not being able to use their app, we were seated in an area where table service was being offered, which I thought was quite a good idea. In line with other branches, ordering is at the table, payment is then taken at the bar and drinks are served to the table. The usual suspects were on - Greene King Abbot, Ruddles Best & Sharp's Doom Bar. A guest beer was Bishop Nick Devine. Ciders were Weston's Old Rosie & Gwynt y Ddraig Black Dragon. It's the usual 'spoon's open-plan layout with benign furnishings. Toilets are a trek upstairs and I managed to get reprimanded by a young member of staff for forgetting my face covering on my trip to the facilities. Not the best end to a Chelmsford crawl. But the town certainly has plenty to offer.

Another day, another 'spoons. The service here was like every other 'spoons; the furnishings and decor are like every other 'spoons; etc, etc. But the guest beers here were £1.99 a pint, which struck me as a bit cheaper than London 'spoons. I had pints of Sambrook London Porter and Mauldon's Black Adder, and both were in good condition. I was in here for a Sunday lunch (although of course not the long lamented Sunday roast) with Mrs R's family, so will probably end up in here again. No problem with that of course.

This is a Spoons set in a depressing modern building. Inside it's one big room with a slightly raised area at the front and all the usual Spoons furnishings. There were two banks of five pumps which were put to reasonably good use. Adnam's Gunhill and London Pride were available soon, there was a cider, Ruddles, GK George and Flagon, Growler Suffolk County, Bath Gem, Shalford Levelly Gold and Nelson Trafalgar. I went for the Levelly Gold (£2.20) which was in good nick.

This Wetherspoons was the 5th of the 6 pubs we chose to visit from the 2011 Good Beer Guide on 23.12.10. It was formerly a department store and has the usual Wetherspoons ales and guests. We chose Nethergate Essex Border and Hydes Yule Be Back. We did go back on 29.12.10 for breakfast. Service was prompt and staff friendly.