The Tremenheere (JD Wetherspoon), Penzance

This Spoons consists of a single square room with the bar on the left and a slightly raised area to the right. The furnishings are fairly typical. While I was here on a late Friday afternoon it seemed that it was fairly well run. The bar has ten hand pumps which had one unused, the JDW Trio Of Doom with Abbot doubled up, One Is 90, Cornish Crown One Hop Grain doubled up, Hook Norton Nerdherder, a cider and Tintagel Poldark. They also had a Cornish Crown Red IPA on keg (£3.29) which I tried and I also had some food which included a pint of Tintagel Poldark that would have been £2.45. Both of these were fine. Although the beer choice here could be improved I thought it was a good Spoons.

Pub has been well described below, but I found a couple of guests worth having when we went in yesterday. Naylors Draymans Delight was a new beer for me, but was a pale beer that felt as if it needed a bit of a push to get it worth it's 4.8% ABV, but the Hook Norton Haymaker was full of flavour and very drinkable at 5.0%. Tables appeared clean and tidy with new magazines around. Service was prompt and staff seemed to be paying attention to the order of customers to be served which was quite refreshing for "spoons".

What is going on with Spoons pubs. This like so many was busy but staff not bothering to clear tables and when someone did walk around they only took the glassess away. Small patio at the rear. A number of beers as you would expect at usual low prices and food offering but not really worth visiting. No Car park.

Not one of 'Spoon's better efforts. The place inside is on a par with the ugliness of the minging 60's building which houses it - just like the outside, the interior is bland, dark and slightly foreboding; apparently it used to be Gas Board showroom in a previous life and I suspect it looked better then. The choice of guest beers was pretty weak and the quality was distinctly average; the usual Spoons fayre plus two pumps off and another serving a Cornish beer I could find at 25% of the other bars in town. There's a beer garden out back that looks no more appealing than the interior. The place was rammed, so I doubt it'll be going out of business any time soon.

Named after a 17th century mayor of Penzance, the Tremenheere is one of Wetherspoons typically uninspiring modern outlets with the formulaic, pub by numbers characteristics that the chain seems to think we love. On a Saturday night the charmless atmosphere turns the pub into a bit of a no-go area as Penzance's finest come out for a cheap alcohol fix and are herded in like cattle. During the day and midweek, things thankfully appear a tad more peaceful and respectable but the bland, open interior and layout gives it all the atmosphere of drinking in a cinema foyer. I paid a couple of visits during my week's stay and the first time the choice of guest ales was particularly poor – all local Cornish ales that I could easily find elsewhere. Things improved later in the week with a guest Ale all the way from Devon! I know Penzance is half way to America and some beers don't like travelling but something a bit less local would have been nice. That said, I experienced the same problems with the ‘Spoons in Truro and must assume that are some practical reasons behind it. Nevertheless, all things taken into consideration, not exactly one the better Wetherspoons experiences but there are worse places in town. Just.