The Swan With Two Nicks, Worcester

When we first moved to Worcester 10 years ago I fell in love with this pub, it's great atmosphere and brilliant jukebox - oh how things change. We went in on Saturday for the first time in six months and ordered a Hoegaarden and a vodka and coke. I was then stunned when the barman informed me that would be over �8! Incredulous I asked why and he shrugged and said, well the Hoegaarden is over �4 as it's "specialist". Not wanting to cause a scene we went and sat down and after a couple of minutes realised of course that that meant a bog standard vodka and coke must also be ridiculously expensive. I went back and checked with the barman and yes, it was a mental �3.80. I said pleasantly to him that it seemed a very high price and he shrugged again....We sat stunned and drank slowly, it just felt like we had been ripped off in what was a well loved pub. My partner finished her drink so I said, come on, let's give them another chance and she went for a Smirnoff ice and you guessed it �3.80 :(

Having drunk similar rounds with a specialist beer (Schneider Weise or Erdinger) plus a vodka and coke in two other pubs in the same street and being charged around the �6 mark on that night I just don't know what's going on at the Swan, but this experience doesn't make me want to go back.

27 Jul 2010 22:24