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When I first started writing these little reviews, several years ago, quite a few of them turned out to be pretty biting. Harsh. Cruel even. Heady with the novelty of the web's free-for-all, I let the acid prose pour out through my keyboard. Now, with scores of the things stored up in the Chester@Large archives, I take a mellower line. I understand the need for balance, fairness and heart. No matter how much I am repelled by the latest cynical licensed rip-off, I can generally find something nice to say, some silver lining to the cloud.
It's often about the staff. It's a shame how many nice, decent young people seem to end up working in places that don't deserve them. Last Orders is just such a case. The bar staff are friendly and capable. Even when challenging some obviously under-age girls - as happened on our last visit - they came across well and made a point of letting the girls down gently, without losing face.
So it's a shame to have to report that that was pretty much all there was to like. Last Orders is one of a small Lancashire-based chain, the ethos of which appears to be 'pile 'em high and sell 'em cheap'. It might be more meaningful to call it an 'outlet' rather than a pub. In the few months since Jones's closed and Last Orders replaced it, they appear to have spent next to nothing on it. A lick of paint and some WordArt posters pushing special deals are the extent of their efforts to make this an attractive place.
If I sound a little bitter, then it's because that's how I feel. Jones's wasn't the greatest venue in town, but it had its own atmosphere and there was some loyalty towards it. Last Orders, on the other hand, comes across as a cynical piece of low rent business. It has a pretty good location for passing trade and can probably make a profit by scalping those of us least able to afford it. But if you take our advice, you'd be better off getting a carry out from Bargain Booze and drinking it at home.
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