The Auld Brig (JD Wetherspoon), Irvine

Shopping centre Spoons tend to be poor and while this one isn't exactly brilliant it's better than usual. It's a modern place with a lot of glass and an upstairs area that I didn't venture into. Although the bar has two sets of six hand pumps the choice wasn't great. I just noted Broughton Dark Dunter & Old Jock, 2 ciders and Doom Bore. Although the standard guest ale price here was £2.15, the two Broughton beers were being sold at £1.29 so I went for the Old Jock which was perfectly OK. According to the GBG this is a 6.7% beer so if minimum pricing comes to Scotland as seems likely they would not be allowed to sell it at that price. The Fish Friday here was expensive at £8.99. Despite the give-away beer I didn't think this was a very good Spoons.

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

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

A 'spoons in Irvine's Rivergate shopping centre doesn't sound very promising, but the bright modern interior comes as a pleasant surprise. Triangular in shape, it has a fully glazed frontage and also has glass on the sloping part of the roof. Mix of furniture around the bar and on a mezzanine, and with a nautical theme to the decor. Extra covered seating outside the entrance too. The only let-down comes from the limited choice from the two banks of six handpumps: not a single Scottish ale in sight, just Doom Bar, Bombardier, Hobgoblin, Sneck Lifter and Exmoor Gold (£2.15) plus Old Rosie cider.