The Bankers Draft is a friendly, well run, cosmopolitan, city centre local – one of a handful of JD Wetherspoon’s branches to have previously made it into the Good Beer Guide and been Pub of the Month.
It has a lively downstairs and more cosy, sedate mezzanine bar complete with small library and a welcoming fire (winter). Food is the standard, good value Spoons fare.
Jonathan and Terrianne are the respected, long serving managers since 2011 – though both were established at the Bankers prior to their promotions. Terrianne is responsible for Wetherspoons regional training in house and Jon, in particular, has long and enthusiastically promoted Camra’s objectives. He has recently been taking a more hands on approach to the Bankers cellarmanship, with a subsequent uplift in ale quality. Jon is ably assisted by Rosalee who also produces the Bankers excellent promotional support material. Charlotte Coffey assists with ordering and availability.
There is a loyal, established Camra customer base: in fact, Jon jokes that he thinks the Bankers is Camra’s “guilty secret”! Many members are recruited directly through the regular 50p a pint card-carrying discount scheme on Mondays to Wednesdays – which is offered over and above the standard Spoons Camra vouchers. The Bankers is the biggest ale seller in the area: getting through 2,000 pints of ale a week in peak times and up to 3,000 in last year’s festival – second nationally to the Kings Cross Spoons!
Clive Alexander