What it means if you get mysterious rare red plate at Wetherspoons

There are some things in life which feel like nailed on eventualities in a world full of uncertainty.

Death, taxes and receiving your dinner on a plate which is royal blue, floral and hotter than the surface of the sun at your local Wetherspoons.

Amongst the elaborately patterned carpets and darkly varnished furniture the plates provide a rare pop of colour to the establishment which is known for cheap food, cheap drinks and unlimited refills of instant coffee.

Well forget everything you know, because there's a chance you could sit down at your local 'Spoons and receive your dinner on a red plate.

What does it mean if you get a red plate at Wetherspoons?

The phenomena of the red plate made its way onto the internet last year when a Reddit user took to r/AskUK and posted: "Have any of you ever experienced this freak phenomenon? I had no special dietary requirements and everyone else got a standard issue blue plate."

A former Wetherspoons employee also revealed that she'd never seen the fabled red plate until her boyfriend received his breakfast on one.

So what does the red plate actually mean? Dietary requirements, promise of a free drink or evidence you've jumped into an alternate dimension?

Turns out it's something a lot more mundane, as the mystery was solved when a spokesperson for the budget pub chain explained to the Daily Star that red plates were part of a now-defunct strategy to distinguish between kids' plates and the regular menu.

"Wetherspoons did trial a red plate in a small number of pubs for use for children’s meals, to ensure all children’s meals were served on a cold plate, the spokesperson told the outlet.

‌"The company has moved on since then and just launched a melamine plate for the whole children’s menu which is in line with the design of the children’s menu. But there will be stock of the old red plate in circulation, until they break."

The statement also suggested there were no plans to switch from the iconic blue-and-white china either, adding: ‌"No plan to change from the standard blue patterned plate any time soon."

What are you chances of seeing a red plate at Wetherspoons?

As the baffled responses above suggest, coming across a red plate in your local pub is a rare occasion, however one which is not totally unavoidable.

According to a thread dated as recently as three months ago, the plates are still floating around and remain an item of absolute marvel.

"It's like a shiny Pokémon," commented one person in response to the post, as a second added: "This is how they choose the new Pope. Congratulations!"

What a time to be alive.