The Beefeater brand has been part of many families’ lives for generations but will now disappear from British life – so I tried one last meal at the Swindon site before it closed.
I strongly associate the chain with fond memories of family gatherings because my hometown one (shoutout to The Coldra in Newport) was our go-to destination for special occasions as a child.
Many years had passed since my last visit to a Beefeater, but as its last day of trading approached, I wanted to stop by for old times’ sake while I still had the chance.
The Lydiard is tucked away next to a Premier Inn in Lydiard Fields business park, with a small sign pointing drivers in the right direction as they need to go into the Costa drive-thru lane to reach it.
I remembered the interior décor being full of wood panelling and glass partitions, but its modern look focused on a brighter and more spacious layout with a combo of grey-blue and orange-yellow covering the walls and furniture as lightly upbeat pop and acoustic guitar melodies played through the speakers.
Some of the tables were scratched and the plusher seating was marked, but overall it seemed to be in a good condition, a pleasant place to spend time.
At Wednesday lunchtime, there were few other customers – a couple with a young child, two workmen who seemed to be on a lunch break, and elderly friends having a catch-up.
A member of staff noted that it was usually busier but had quietened down since the last of the vouchers expired last week.
Fillet steaks, lasagna, and haddock were no longer available, and a lot of the options seemed a bit pricey, so I browsed the £7.99 mains which were offered on weekday afternoons, choosing to add £2 for a medium-well rump steak with chips, peas and peppercorn sauce.
That and a refillable Diet Coke (£3.95) proved to be plenty for a filling and fairly satisfying lunch at a bargain price.
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It seemed to take a while for the food to arrive, though I couldn’t blame them for not being in much of a hurry hours before closure, and it may have just seemed longer as - unlike during previous visits - there was no-one else on my table to talk to.
The meal was fine – nothing amazing but it did the job, and was good value for money.
Staff noted that they had many regulars, some of whom popped in as often as three times a week for these budget mains, and I could see why.
The employees added: “Everyone was really shocked and sad to hear we were closing, it’s a shame.
“We knew it was coming but not this quick – we found out from the news.
“It has been busy, people have been coming in for the last time, wondering where else they can go and what’s going to happen to us.
“They can’t believe it because they’ve been coming here for years.
“I think the whole industry is struggling because pre-Covid, it was booming in here but it hasn’t recovered since then.
“It was rammed every Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, you couldn’t get a seat – one family came here five Christmases in a row, they loved it.
“There’s nowhere else that offers kids eating free with a buffet breakfast – that was really popular on the weekends.
“It was a good company to work for but I don’t get why they’re getting rid of all of them at once, even the ones that were doing well.”
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