Wetherspoons

A NEW Wetherspoons – set to be one of the biggest in the capital – will open in a historic West End building.

The first-ever Wetherspoons in the capital’s Theatreland will open in the London Trocadero, at 30 Shaftesbury Avenue.

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Named Piccadilly Hall, the boozer will take its name from the historic 17th century Piccadilly Hall mansion, which once occupied part of the Trocadero site and gave Piccadilly Circus its name.

Inside, the pub will be inspired by the history of the Trocadero and surrounding theatre district, but an opening date is yet to be announced.

One feature will include a glass hanger, with a detailing that references the piccadill collar, which was created in the area and led to the name ‘Piccadilly’.

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It is also set to be one of the largest Wetherspoons in central London, spanning 334.5-square-metres.

It will be open seven days a week, from 7am to midnight and of course serve all you’d expect from a Spoons, including full English breakfasts and cheap pints.

The Trocadero originally opened in 1896 as a restaurant and then in the 1990s, it became the home of SegaWorld – an indoor theme park, thought to be the world’s largest, spread across seven floors.

Already in the Trocadero building is Zedwell Hotel Piccadilly Circus and the new Wetherspoons will be located directly underneath the hotel, with direct access between the two.

Those staying at the hotel will be able to join the Zedwell & More guest membership programme, which allows guests to get exclusive discounts and offers across shops, restaurants and tourist experiences across London.

Tim Martin, Founder and Chairman at JD Wetherspoon, said: “The West End is one of the world’s great hospitality destinations, attracting millions of visitors each year, and we believe this site is exceptionally well suited to the Wetherspoon model of offering good-quality food and drink at reasonable prices in well-managed and historically interesting buildings.

“The scale of Piccadilly Hall, together with its connection to the wider Zedwell hotel network, makes this one of the most significant openings for Wetherspoon in London for many years.”

PUB crawls are a favourite pastime of Brits – and there is a unique one in the UK called the ‘Spoons Safari’.

Lloyds Coaches has launched a new tour travelling 250-miles across Wales stopping in at seven Wetherspoons along the way and it’s so popular that it’s quickly selling out.

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Those who are keen to hop onboard the Wetherspoons will be pleased to know that tickets are just £20 – sadly, drinks are not included.

Teasing more about its Spoons special, Lloyds Coaches said: “Ready for a legendary day out without the ‘who’s driving?’ debate. Grab your mates and hop aboard for the Lloyds Coaches Wetherspoons Tour.

“We’re hitting some of the most iconic pubs across North Wales and the border. Whether you’re in it for the affordable ales, the legendary breakfasts, or just to check the carpet patterns, this is the trip for you!”

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The tour is so popular that the first coach has already sold-out, and spaces are filling up on the second.

Here’s how it plays out for those keen to book a seat.

On June 27 at 10:15am, the coach sets off from Dolgellau in Wales and with multiple pick-ups along the way, stops at the first Wetherspoons under four hours later at the Wilfred Owen in Oswestry.

The second Spoons stop on the list is The Castle Hotel in Ruthin.

Then onto The Picture House in Colwyn Bay which has been considered one of the most beautiful pubs by its punters.

The pub can be found inside the former Princess Cinema, which was built in 1914 and originally called the Princess Picture House.

It still has original Art Deco design features from stained glass windows and lighting fixtures, as well as artwork on the walls.

The next stop is The Palladium in Llandudno which is arguably the most impressive on the tour.

Formerly a cinema, the building first opened to the public in the 1920s, it has eye-catching decor with a ceiling with gold detailing and red carpet.

There’s seating on three floors, including stalls, dress circle and balcony, before being used as a theatre and music hall.

It opened as a Wetherspoons in 2001.

After sinking another pint or two, the tour heads to the penultimate pub; Tafarn y Porth in Caernarfon.

The pub is in the middle of the city that’s well-known for its royal 13th century castle.

Finally, the tour comes to a close at Pen Cob in Pwllheli which is just minutes from the seafront and at 9:15 PM, the tour comes to a close.

It’s not the first time there has been Wetherspoons special tours around the country.

Last year, one tour operator offered a £699 six-day outing around some of the chain’s top pubs – and it included £50 to spend on booze.

The trip took keen punters to boozers like the Standing Order in Derby, The Chief Justice and the Common Pleas in Keswick and Penrith’s The Dog Beck.

It also includes The North Western in Liverpool and The Winter Gardens in Harrogate, plus Blackpool‘s Velvet Coaster.

Beer lovers prayers have been answered as this Coach firm has just launched a 250-mile-long pub crawl starting early at 9:15am from Dolgellau and taking in many famous Spoons along the way

Nobody loves an organised pub crawl more than the Brits – but this one may have just topped them all.

While some make pilgrimages to a significant place or worship or set out on a journey to deepen their spirituality, this particular tour will have travellers doing less thinking and more drinking.

Lloyd’s Coaches has launched the ultimate ‘Spoons Pilgrimage’, a 250-mile round journey visiting a whole load of JD Wetherspoon pubs throughout North Wales, and venturing slightly beyond the border as well. The route begins and ends in Dolgellau.

It’s such a brilliant idea that other travel companies are likely kicking themselves, wondering why they didn’t come up with the scheme first. Yet the concept is pretty simple.

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For the very reasonable price of just £20, not including any drinks bought along the way, passengers can embark on a day trip like no other.

Departing nice and early from Dolgellau, Wales at 9.15am, the coach will head towards the inaugural Spoons in Oswestry, known as the Wilfred Owen. It’s expected that the coach arrives at noon, with attendees given a 45-minute stop to knock back a pint or two.

Then it’s time to get back on board and head on towards The Castle Hotel in Ruthin, under an hour’s drive away. Here they’ll have another 45-minute stop, before carrying on to The Picture House in Colwyn Bay, a further 45-minute drive.

It’s shaping up to be a long day on the road already, but fortunately, it’s a shorter drive this time around to the Palladium in Llandudno: the most impressive of all the establishments on the route. At this point, six county boundaries have been crossed, but there’s still plenty more to go.

Perhaps feeling a little bit giddy from all of the drinking thus far, punters will head to Tafarn y Porth in Caernarfon, then Pen Cob in Pwllheli for 7.30pm, for the final drinking stop.

Lloyds Coaches announced in a statement: “Ready for a legendary day out without the ‘who’s driving?’ debate. Grab your mates and hop aboard for the Lloyds Coaches Wetherspoons Tour. We’re hitting some of the most iconic pubs across North Wales and the border. Whether you’re in it for the affordable ales, the legendary breakfasts, or just to check the carpet patterns, this is the trip for you!”

The never-before-seen Wetherspoons Tour is set to be held on Saturday, June 27, and with the initial Facebook post gaining so much traction, who knows, it could go on to be a regular event.

Full of excitement, the travel firm later added: “We’re filling up faster than a pint of Ruddles on a Tuesday. At this rate, we’re seriously asking ourselves: ‘Do we need to add another coach’.”

On Wednesday afternoon, Lloyds Coaches added a second coach on the same day, after the first sold out.

THE sun is shining and it’s nearly the weekend, so why not make the most of it up by heading to the beach and topping it off with a trip to Spoons?

Here are some of our favourite seaside Wetherspoons spots around the UK with rooftop terraces and beer gardens, so you can make the most of the spring weather.

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Royal Victoria Pavilion, Kent

Going big, we have to start with the world’s biggest Wetherspoons; the Royal Victoria Pavilion.

Found in Ramsgate, the pub has an enormous outdoor rooftop terrace that wraps around the entire building, with enough tables and chairs to fit hundreds.

The best views are found at the very back, where the pub backs onto Ramsgate’s sandy beach.

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Admiral Collingwood, Devon

This boozer in Ilfracombe is a firm favourite when the sun shines thanks to its beer garden AND rooftop area.

From the rooftop of the pub, which is open between March and October, visitors can see amazing views across the coast.

One recent visitor said: “The view of the sea is amazing; the roof terrace is lovely and the drinks are true spoons quality.”

The Jolie Brise, Teignmouth

In the Devonshire seaside town of Teignmouth, and two-minutes away from the beach is The Jolie Brise.

The Wetherspoons has a pretty rooftop garden where you still get a beachy-feel thanks to its wooden slatted exterior, palm trees and chirp of seagulls overhead.

Velvet Coaster, Blackpool

Consistently called one of the most beautiful Wetherspoons, the Velvet Coaster sits next to Blackpool’s South Pier and is within walking distance from its Pleasure Beach.

Punters can enjoy the impressive views across the promenade from the comfort of a bucket chair on its rooftop garden and sip on a cool beer.

The Packet Station, Falmouth

This Wetherspoons in Falmouth stretches over three floors including its roof terrace which opened in September 2022.

The pretty rooftop sadly isn’t quite close enough to the coast for a sea view, but it still is a great suntrap and sheltered from the strong sea breeze.

The Bluff Inn, Cornwall

This Wetherspoons is unlike the others as it’s now run by Haven.

The pub sits above Bluff Beach, next to the mouth of the Hayle Estuary, where the river flows into St Ives Bay.

The garden area has lots of picnic tables and beautiful views across the water.

One visitor wrote on Tripadvisor: “Absolutely amazing views of St Ives Bay and will be amazing in the summer with their large beer garden overlooking the sea. As a local will definitely returning many times.”

Tim Martin has spoken out after Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary claimed drinking booze at UK airports, such as London Heathrow, should be banned before a certain time

The boss of JD Wetherspoons has hit back at the Ryanair CEO’s claims alcohol shouldn’t be served at UK airports in the early hours of the morning.

Tim Martin, who founded his pub chain in 1979, said Michael O’Leary’s suggestion would require passengers being breathalysed at airports. He described the plan as “an overreaction”.

But Mr O’Leary, boss of the budget airline, had claimed an average of nearly one flight every day is diverted due to disruptive passengers fuelled by booze. The 65-year-old businessman said these tourists often drink in bars at airports for hours before they board their planes, and called on a ban on serving booze at airport bars in the early hours of the morning and a two-drink limit thereafter.

Mr Martin, though, has said: “A two-drink limit would be extraordinarily difficult to implement, short of breathalysing passengers, and would, in our opinion, be an overreaction — especially since many of the problems stem from incoming flights. It is in everyone’s interests to have good behaviour at airports and on flights.”

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Mr Martin, 71, also told The Times it had “never been suggested” its customers cause disruption on flights. JD Wetherspoon told the newspaper that pubs in airports were “highly supervised” with strict policies preventing excessive alcohol consumption.

Airside bars in the UK are not required to follow restrictions on opening hours which apply to other venues selling alcohol. Being drunk on a plane is a criminal offence in the UK and can be punished by a fine of up to £5,000 and two years’ imprisonment.

But alcohol can be served on flights, including those of Ryanair, and there have been no calls on this practice. This, coupled with alcohol consumption at airports, has led to a number of incidents of disruption recently.

A man was, for instance, jailed for becoming abusive, causing widespread alarm throughout the Ryanair aircraft on which he was travelling from Poland to Bristol.

And, on Thursday, Ryanair welcomed the decision by a court in France which it said found two passengers guilty of causing disruption onboard a flight from Stansted to Ibiza that was diverted to Toulouse in May last year. The pair received a combined penalty of more than 10,000 euros (£8,640) and received suspended prison sentences of up to 10 months, according to the airline.

Speaking earlier this week, Mr O’Leary shared his plans. The father of four had said: “I fail to understand why anybody in airport bars is serving people at five or six o’clock in the morning. Who needs to be drinking beer at that time? There should be no alcohol served at airports outside [those] licensing hours.”

One Australian traveller was left stunned when she turned up to Gatwick airport at 4am and look over at the Wetherspoons pub there. Her video has now gone viral online

Most of us have bagged ourselves an early flight to try and save on fees before. However, that does involve getting up at the crack of dawn to make it to the airport on time. Luckily, most major airports usually have somewhere open to get a coffee, grab and snack or have the ‘airport beer‘ many Brits enjoy before heading on your flight – no matter what the time.

One of the most popular places for many Brits to head to before they catch their flight is Wetherspoons if there’s one there. Most of us know that airports can be expensive, so the budget pub brand is the perfect place to have a breakfast, meal or drink that isn’t going to break the bank.

However, one Australian traveller was left stunned when she turned up to Gatwick Airport and saw that the Wetherspoons there was completely packed – despite it being 4am.

The travel influencer, Kiaya, who boasts 14,900 followers online on her @kiaya.travels account, shared a video the showed people queuing to get into the pub. Another take from inside then showed the inside which was rammed with people, with some already enjoying an alcoholic beverage.

Overlay text read, ‘Every table full at 4am in the airport, oh to be British.’

The caption for the post, which was shared on the official Wetherspoon Instagram account, wrote: “Nothing like a ‘Spoons breakfast before my flight!”

People were loving the post, as it went viral and racked up more than 122,000 likes.

One person exclaimed: “Nothing slaps harder than a pre-flight ‘Spoons breakfast and a pint to be honest,” while another added: “What more could you want a 4am! I’m here for it.”

A third chimed in: “We love Wetherspoons,” while another branded it their “favourite spot”.

Wetherspoon pubs at Gatwick Airport are typically open between 3AM and 5AM and close between 9PM and 11PM daily. There is one branch in the North Terminal (after security) and two in the South Terminal (one before and one after security).

Despite a pre-flight pint being a tradition amongst many Brits, travel insiders previously shared why it might not be the best idea. Chatting with experts at global travel booking giant Omio, flight attendant Dashiell Horowitz of Air Transat gave his advice to anyone planning to board a plane.

He recommended eating a big meal to ‘make sure you’re tired and get some rest on the flight’, however, he wasn’t as keen on airport beers.

Dashiell said: “There isn’t much I would avoid if flying as a passenger except for anything that you know will upset your stomach!

“The one thing I would truly avoid is any alcohol before a flight. Most people don’t know it affects you twice as much whilst in the air, so you’re more likely to feel the effects than on the ground.”