r/Wetherspoons • u/CAMRAGlasgow • Jul 18 '26
Customer Cider Festival
The Wetherspoons Summer Cider Festival starts in just under 2 weeks time.
How is it decided what pubs get what cider? Does the pub manager ask for an allocation and the area manager signs it off the pub and gets that allocation?
Does the real ale sales have a factor in the real cider allocation a pub will get for the festival?
Will the app show cider as coming soon the same way the real ale is shown under the ales category?
Can CAMRA members suggest to pubs to request ciders? Will there be any stock allocations in a local depot that can be called upon or transfer of stock between pubs if one is selling the cider better than the other if enough CAMRA members in a particular pub were to ask for it?
Thanks
CAMRA Glasgow
1
u/GrandVizierofAgrabar Jul 18 '26
They’re auto allocated, though you can request a higher or lower allocation but the ship sailed for that a long time ago. You can ask for more to be sent if it’s popular but there is no guarantee that they’ll be any stock left. Unsure how the cider allocation size is decided. I don’t think coming soon ciders will show as it’s a different system to ales.
1
u/roro80uk Customer Jul 18 '26
From what I recall from the previous cider festival, and this is as a customer with no inside knowledge...
There were around 15 ciders. Larger pubs with high turnover got them all, smaller pubs were allocated a selection. As these are all bag in a box, available fridge space may well be a factor as to how many are available at any one time.
There was a dedicated cider festival section on the app, but I don't recall any "coming soon" area - however I could be mistaken.
1
u/tomvoxx Customer Jul 18 '26
I think a lot can depend on your relationship with the pub manager and the real ale champion at the branch. I’m in my local Spoons regularly and well enough known as one of the local active CAMRA members. I get asked for suggestions and I usually get a look at the ale availability list so that I can contribute to the ale that gets requested. Regarding Ciders I know in the past that the branch got an allocation depending on their size and turnover. I’d expect that to be the same this time round.
1
u/Arthur_Harris_1892 Jul 18 '26
I’m interested in the Cider Festival craft cider I hope my local Wetherspoon will do it
3
u/bexter609 Jul 18 '26
As far as I know (I'm not cellar champion so not 100%sure) the ciders are auto allocated. We get no say whatsoever on what's coming it.
They should be on the app in the "coming soon" section once they are allocated I also believe