Statement re Press Comment
J D Wetherspoon PLC has released a correction regarding an online article that negatively reviewed their Scribbling Mill pub in Leeds. The pub has a TripAdvisor rating of 3.2 out of 5 based on 26 customer reviews, with 9 rating it as excellent, while Google Reviews give it a 4.2 out of 5 based on 874 visits. In the financial year to July 27, 2025, mystery visits scored the Scribbling Mill an average of 97.6%, above the company average of 93.2%, with twelve visitors giving a 100% rating. The pub also holds a 5 out of 5 rating for food hygiene from Leeds City Council. Wetherspoon pubs have an average food hygiene rating of 4.99 out of 5, with 732 out of 741 pubs assessed achieving a maximum 5-star rating.
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In an article ("I dared to dine at Yorkshire's 'total garbage' JD Wetherspoon pub", 4th October), Leeds Live, an on-line publication, referred to a visit made to Wetherspoon's Scribbling Mill pub at the White Rose Centre, Leeds by one of their journalists in the context of a very small number of negative reviews on the TripAdvisor website.
The Scribbling Mill has a TripAdvisor rating of 3.2 out of 5 based on 26 customer reviews, 9 of which rate the pub as excellent.
This compares to the far more widely used Google Reviews, which gave a rating of 4.2 out of 5 based on 874 visits.
Every Wetherspoon pub is subject to regular mystery visits to monitor and assess standards of quality, cleanliness, service, maintenance ,atmosphere and delivery times.
In Wetherspoon's financial year to 27th July 2025, The Scribbling Mill scored an average of 97.6% for visits conducted by independent external mystery visitors which is above the company average of 93.2%. Twelve visitors gave the pub a 100% rating.
The Scribbling Mill is also currently rated 5 out of 5 for the "scores on the doors" scheme operated by Environmental Heath officers at Leeds City Council, in respect of food and other hygiene standards.
Wetherspoon pubs have an average food hygiene rating of 4.99% (out of 5). Out of 741 Wetherspoon pubs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that have been assessed under the scheme, 732 have been awarded a maximum 5-star rating.
Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin said:
"Reviews on TripAdvisor are based on a very small sample- 26 in this case. The Google Review rating, based on a sample of 874 has been ignored.
"Describing the Scribbling Mill as 'total garbage' in a headline, by taking one unverified negative review is irresponsible and malicious journalism - and is also unfair to the very hard-working team at the pub."
- Visit our website: www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk
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