The London and North Western (JD Wetherspoon), Birmingham

Fairly new branch of Wetherspoon's at Birmingham's New Street station. It's handy for the trains. I walked in here a year or so again and found the ale selection so disappointing that I walked straight back out again. On this particular visit, there were a few more interesting beers. The regular ales were the regular Greene King Abbot, Ruddles Best, Sharp's Doom Bar & Thornbridge Jaipur. 4 guest beers were Lymestone Stone Edge & Foundation Stone, Elgood's Golden Newt & Portobello APA. Ciders were Healey's Flattler & Thatcher's Stan's Cheddar Valley. Service was poor. After waiting quite a while with multiple others, some loud barmaid came along and asked if anybody else was waiting. After serving one person, she repeated the same question. Now generally if you're standing at the bar you are waiting to be served. So, she was either a bit thick or very ignorant/rude. The interior is fairly bland - an open-plan single-room with the usual local information boards on the walls. Toilets were surprisingly handy on the ground floor, which made a refreshing change. But it's only really of use if taking the train somewhere.

Located at one end of the station glass fronted with exposed ceiling ducting.

A perfectly functional new Spoons meeting the vital need of somewhere for a decent pint on New Street station (ok, there's plenty outside). Lots of glass gives a bright feel and there is usually some space, despite it always seeming busy. This visit found a pretty good selection of 6 guest ales on, from far and wide, plus the usuals of course.

Relatively new Spoons outlet within Birmingham New Street station. I always find New Street station a bit of a maze, so it took a bit of finding when I had a gap between trains. Very smart and nicely done out, lots of glass and fancy lighting, demonstrating how far design standards have come since some of their earlier establishments opened. I spotted eight ales across two banks of hand pulls, and at the time of my visit back in May these guest ales were priced at £3 a pint, which of course is more expensive than their usual outlets but certainly not a rip-off compared to other places. I went for Theakston Crowning Glory and Birmingham Brewing Co Stout Brummie. The latter was, predictably, better than the former. Service was not hostile but not friendly; there were plenty of staff behind the bar but not really sure they knew who was doing what. Of course, very convenient for the station and it's always a bonus to get somewhere like this if in unfamiliar territory.

Big shiny spoons in the big shiny new New Street station. Positioned on the edge of the site to catch those entering and leaving it has a curved glass wall round half the pub. Ceiling and lighting is in keeping with the new station while furnishing is standard spoons. Decorated with a bit of station related railway stuff plus a bit about Boulton and Watt and other Birmingham manufacturers. The counter set up is also standard spoons, 6+6 pull’s interspersed with keg founts and T-bars, three usuals doubled up plus six guests. It’s a more premium priced spoons at £3 a pint rather than the £2.46 I’m used to, location I guess, that location also makes it a busy spoons. Toilets on ground floor at least.