Overview
- The Glasshouse on Wensum Street put up a sign stating customers must not leave food unattended and that staff are unable to refund or recook any meals taken by seagulls, a change first reported on Thursday, June 18.
- Customers have reported large gulls swooping into the pub’s beer garden and grabbing food straight from plates, with chips repeatedly singled out as a target.
- Patron reaction is split: some regulars say the pub should take stronger action to protect diners, while others say customers must guard their own food after it is served.
- A JD Wetherspoon spokesman confirmed the signage has been in place for some time and said the company is reviewing the problem to decide whether additional deterrents are necessary.
- Pubs use a range of deterrents that carry trade-offs, from nets and staff patrols to the 2024 example of falconry at an Exeter Wetherspoon site, and the company’s review will weigh cost, logistics and customer safety.