The first Wetherspoon pub opened in 1979 in a converted bookies in Muswell Hill, north London, with the popular chain growing to a peak of around 955 hostelries a decade ago – and settling at 799 today.
The recent dip is down to the cost-of-living crisis, higher rents, employer National Insurance contributions and energy price rises.
But with so many still to choose from in the famously good-value pub chain, which are the cream of the crop?
We asked two of the country’s greatest Wetherspoon aficionados: Mags Thomson, a retired personal assistant aged 76 from Livingston, West Lothian, who’s been to more than 1,000 Wetherspoons (including many since shut), and Peter Dobson, 48, a health and fire safety adviser from Eastbourne, East Sussex, who’s been to 602. Between them, they’ve been to every Wetherspoons in the country.
So how did they fall in love with ‘Spoons?
For Thomson it all began while she was accompanying her late husband, Ian, on his trainspotting trips, during which she would drop into Wetherspoon pubs to indulge her hobby-on-the-side. Her first discovery was in Reading in 1994, while Ian was busy at the station.
Peter Dobson, 48, a health and fire safety adviser from Eastbourne, East Sussex, has been to 602 Wetherspoons
Mags Thomson, a retired personal assistant aged 76 from Livingston, West Lothian, who’s been to more than 1,000 Wetherspoons
‘I was sick of carrying his blinkin’ tripod and thought I’d take a look around and came across this pub,’ she said.
She called him and they arranged to meet there later in the day, and so her passion began – their enthusiasms for train travel and Wetherspoons dovetailing.
Thomson almost stopped collecting new pubs after Ian passed away in 2010, but friends encouraged her to continue her quest – and she soon regained her Wetherspoon wanderlust.
Meanwhile, Dobson simply enjoyed the ‘extremely reasonable prices’ and ‘liked the architecture’ of the buildings. The idea to visit them all came in a eureka moment while at the Eight Bells pub in Dover and since then he’s travelled the length and breadth of the country.
‘I’ve travelled from Penzance to Wick in the north of Scotland, thousands of miles, I’ve never got round to tallying up the full distance,’ he said.
Here’s their pick…
Opera House, Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Opened as an opera house in 1902, this striking, Grade II-listed building in the centre of Tunbridge Wells is topped with a copper dome and decorated inside in Edwardian baroque style featuring chandeliers and golden/burgundy stucco. After surviving a Second World War bomb strike, it became a bingo hall in the 1960s, before turning into a Wetherspoon pub in 1996.
‘I like the high, ornate ceilings. It’s in keeping with how it was originally,’ says Dobson, who says it’s his favourite Wetherspoon. Operas are still held on the stage at the pub once a year.
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £9.74
Price of fry-up: £4.99
Best bite: Steak and kidney pudding, including alcoholic drink, £10.15
Cheapest pint: £1.79 for Greene King IPA
Waterend Barn, St Albans, Hertfordshire
Comprising two historic barns dating from the 16th and 17th centuries that were relocated to St Albans in the 1930s, Waterend Barn, which opened in 2005, is ‘absolutely fantastic’, says Thomson, who rates it as her favourite Wetherspoon. Inside, rafters stretch high above with a textile work by the artist Barbara Weeks in pride of place on one wall. There’s also a church pew in the style of the ones found at St Albans Cathedral.
‘I love the layout and the lighting,’ says Thomson. ‘There’s something cosy about it. I just feel completely at home.’
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £9.74
Price of fry-up: £4.99
Best bite: BBQ chicken melt, including alcoholic drink, £11.91
Cheapest pint: £1.79 for Greene King Ruddles Best
The Palladium, Llandudno, Conwy
This former cinema/theatre dates from 1920 and is a grand, Grade II-listed building with pillars, cupolas and a central oriel window. It stopped showing films and live shows in the early 1970s and became a bingo hall before being converted into a huge Wetherspoon in 2001.
‘It’s a pretty impressive old theatre, with all the boxes still there on the sides above the bar,’ says Dobson, who enjoyed his visit – and a pint or two of Doom Bar ale, his top tipple.
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £10.32
Price of fry-up: £5.75
Best bite: Tennessee beef burger, including alcoholic drink, £12.34
Cheapest pint: £1.79 for Greene King Ruddles Best
The Winter Gardens, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Part of the old Royal Baths at Harrogate, the Winter Gardens used to be where visitors went to stroll amid potted plants and palm trees beneath a curving glass roof while listening to the tinkle of a grand piano. Now, the imposing central staircase leads to the bar and it’s a popular Wetherspoon pub, opened in the early 2000s.
‘I like the big stone staircase and the arch of the roof – the layout is fantastic,’ says Thomson. ‘The first time I went in, I just thought: Oh my God. It’s got wow factor.’
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £9.74
Price of fry-up: £4.99
Best bite: Bangers and mash, including alcoholic drink, £10.15.
Cheapest pint: £1.79 for Greene King Ruddles Best
The West Kirk, Ayr
Dating from 1845, this former Free Church was re-made as a Wetherspoon after services ended in the 1980s. Its stark, eye-catching exterior features high stained-glass windows and a grand doorway. Inside is an open-plan space with a raised wooden pulpit (toilets are accessed past the pulpit), a statue of the poet and lyricist Robert Burns, a first-floor balcony and vaulted ceiling.
‘This was the 600th Wetherspoon I visited,’ says Dobson. ‘I like the architecture, although I admit it’s a bit Marmite: either you love it or hate it.’
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £9.74
Price of fry-up: £3.69
Best bite: Margherita pizza, including alcoholic drink, £9.31
Cheapest pint: £1.79 for Belhaven 80 Shilling
The Caley Picture House, Edinburgh
Built in 1923 for silent films, the Caley became a nightclub in the 1980s and a music venue where the likes of Pink Floyd, Queen, The Smiths, AC/DC and New Order played. The transformation into a Wetherspoon pub was in 2016, and the glittery gold interior retains the original picture house’s delightful Art Deco designs.
‘It’s so different, with all the little rooms,’ says Thomson, referring to the drinking booths. ‘I like to sit in the upper circle and look down at where the old stage was. It’s so atmospheric,’ says Dobson.
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £11.73
Price of fry-up: £5.75
Best bite: Chicken bites basket, including alcoholic drink, £12.49
Cheapest pint: £1.99 for Belhaven 80 Shilling
The Velvet Coaster, Blackpool, Lancashire
More than £7 million was poured into the construction of this giant, new-build Wetherspoon pub. It opened in 2015 featuring a wavy-shaped building designed to mirror both the sea and the curves of the famous historic rollercoaster, a pleasure ride dating from 1909 after which the pub was named. There are three floors with balconies facing the promenade and the Irish Sea.
A wicker sculpture of an old-fashioned weightlifter is by the slick, modern bar. ‘There’s a nice theme park feel in fitting with the pleasure beach,’ says Dobson.
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £11.73
Price of fry-up: £5.99
Best bite: Ramen noodle bowl, including alcoholic drink, £11.05
Cheapest pint: £1.79 for Greene King Ruddles Best
Royal Victoria Pavilion, Ramsgate, Kent
This is the biggest Wetherspoon pub, a monster of a drinking hole in a long 1903 building, originally an assembly hall and concert venue, with a sleek curved roof. The interior features a large atrium and a bar that seems to go on forever. Before the pavilion, which had been a casino and a nightclub for a while, was converted into a Wetherspoon pub in 2018 it had been in a dilapidated state.
‘It’s so impressive by the seafront,’ says Thomson, who is partial to brandy and ginger ale as well as ‘a half of Abbot ale’ on her Wetherspoon travels.
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £11.73
Price of fry-up: £5.75
Best bite: Spicy chicken pizza, including alcoholic drink, £13.66
Cheapest pint: £1.79 for Greene King Ruddles Best
The North Western, Liverpool
Originally the North Western Hotel, built in 1871 for the London and North Western Railway, this is a favourite of rail enthusiasts, adjacent to Liverpool Lime Street station. Walls feature pictures of steam trains as well as old posters. The lower floor became a Wetherspoon in 2015 after a £2 million redevelopment.
‘This was a favourite of my late husband’s,’ says Thomson. ‘When I go, I can get emotional.’ Dobson is a fan of the North Western too – it’s in his Wetherspoon top five.
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £11.50
Price of fry-up: £5.75
Best bite: Double American burger, including alcoholic drink, £11.29
Cheapest pint: £1.99 for Greene King Ruddles Best
The Figure of Eight, Birmingham
So named for being near canals that twist into this shape, the Figure of Eight was originally a car showroom opened in 1932. It was later a clothing warehouse before becoming a Wetherspoon pub in 1996, timed to coincide with Euro 96. Inside, it’s like an alternative local history museum (one serving beer), with the lives of prominent Victorian figures such as Joseph Chamberlain and Thomas Atwood explained.
‘There’s a very impressive, long bar and a traditional atmosphere,’ says Thomson. ‘It’s got a lovely relaxing feel, like you’re at home.’
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £10.90
Price of fry-up: £5.75
Best bite: Classic 8oz sirloin steak, including alcoholic drink, £14.25
Cheapest pint: £1.99 for Greene King Ruddles Best
The Tremenheere, Penzance, Cornwall
Not much to look at with its squat, grey exterior, but the Tremenheere – named after a prominent local family – is well-regarded by Wetherspoon aficionados due to being at the end of the Cornish railway line, and many Wetherspoons junkies travel round the country by train. Learn all about the local Bronte connection here: the Bronte sisters’ mother, Maria Branwell, was brought up nearby.
‘I went from Penzance on a 26-hour journey to Wick in Scotland by train once,’ says Dobson, who visited a Wetherspoon pub (now closed) in Wick named the Alexander Bain on an epic Wetherspoon-inspired journey.
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £12.09
Price of fry-up: £3.69
Best bite: Peri-peri grilled half chicken, including alcoholic drink, £15.02
Cheapest pint: £1.79 for Greene King IPA
The Ice Wharf, Camden, London
Formerly the Lloyds No 1 bar, opened in 2002, the Ice Wharf is located in a curving canal-side building, by Camden Lock and facing a wharf dating from 1837 to which ice used to be imported from Norway. This can be choc-a-bloc on a sunny summer’s day, although there’s plenty of outdoor seating plus the welcome cooling shade of weeping willow trees. Camden Market is a short stroll away.
‘It’s beautiful, sitting outside,’ says Thomson, who on a hot day sometimes opts for a Strong Bow cider, accompanied by a chicken basket or pepperoni pizza if she’s feeling peckish.
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £11.37
Price of fry-up: £5.99
Best bite: Fried buttermilk chicken burger, including alcoholic drink, £11.26
Cheapest pint: £1.99 for Greene King IPA
The Liberty Bounds, Tower Hill, London
On a corner facing the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, the Liberty Bounds was converted into a Wetherspoon in 1998. The pub, housed in a solid grey stone building from around the turn of the 20th century, was formerly the headquarters of the General Steam Navigation Company, which operated services to north-west Europe. History of executions and prisoners held in the Tower is recorded on wall panels.
‘It’s full of quirky stuff,’ says Dobson of his favourite London Wetherspoon. ‘Great location.’
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £11.37
Price of fry-up: £5.99
Best bite: Large mixed grill, with alcoholic drink, £15.04
Cheapest pint: £2.79 for Greene King IPA
The London and North-Western, Birmingham
This sleek newbuild Wetherspoon within Birmingham New Street station opened in 2022 at the cost of £2.4 million – with glass walls, neon bar signs and exposed air-conditioning tubes providing an industrial chic style. The seating is at barstools facing the platforms, and at tables and chairs in a section with a carpet featuring a pattern celebrating the Scottish engineer James Watt, who lived locally in the 18th century.
‘I went soon after it opened and I like it as you’ve got a view of the concourse,’ says Thomson.
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £11.26
Price of fry-up: £5.75
Best bite: Crunchy chicken strip burger, including alcoholic drink, £8.78
Cheapest pint: £1.99 for Greene King Ruddles Best
Sir Norman Wisdom, Deal, Kent
In a former furniture shop that was later a job centre, this Wetherspoon is in the heart of the Channel-side town and is dedicated to the comedian, who was brought up locally. Originally Wetherspoons was going to call the pub, which opened in 2013, the Five Bells in memory of a long-gone 17th-century inn, but locals expressed a desire for it to be named after their local hero and the pub chain backtracked.
‘I love it as it’s really themed around Sir Norman Wisdom’s character: the fixtures, fittings and even the carpet,’ says Dobson.
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £9.74
Price of fry-up: £3.69
Best bite: Fish and chips, including alcoholic drink, £11.91
Cheapest pint: £1.79 for Greene King Ruddles Best
The Mossy Well, Muswell Hill, London
‘Muswell Hill’ comes from ‘mossy well’, which once existed locally – to which this pub name refers. Opened in 2015, it’s not far from the original Wetherspoon pub started by the chain’s founder Sir Tim Martin in 1979 (but closed now). The Mossy Well is in a former Express Dairy Company depot fitted with skylights and a long bar.
‘You learn about Wetherspoon history at this one,’ says Dobson, explaining that the ‘JD’ of the corporate name JD Wetherspoon is from the character JD Hogg from The Dukes of Hazzard TV show, while ‘Wetherspoon’ was Sir Tim’s boyhood teacher.
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £9.74
Price of fry-up: £3.69
Best bite: Ultimate burger, including alcoholic drink, £11.23
Cheapest pint: £1.79 for Greene King IPA
Jolly’s Hotel, Broughty Ferry, near Dundee
Four miles east of Dundee, Jolly’s Hotel is a Wetherspoon pub with 25 rooms at the location of a former hotel of the same name that closed in 2011, close to the River Tay and 15th-century Broughty Castle. It re-opened as a Wetherspoon in 2014 after a refit, introducing a cosy interior with red-coloured booths and clusters of armchairs. Rooms are smartly decorated in shades of grey with good little shower rooms.
‘There’s an impressive beer garden at the back,’ says Thomson of her favourite Wetherspoon pub with rooms – the chain has 56 pubs that double as hotels in all.
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £9.74
Price of fry-up: £4.99
Best bite: Pepperoni pizza, including alcoholic drink, £11.67
Cheapest pint: £1.79 for Belhaven 80 Shilling
The George, Brecon, Powys
Opened in 2017 on a site where records of a George inn go back to at least the early 19th-century. It’s got four comfortable little rooms upstairs, while downstairs there’s a long straight bar and a fireplace. Opened in 2017 after a £2 million refurb, this is an unpretentious pub with a few nooks and crannies and US diner-style tables – it’s the first Wetherspoons in the region and a good base for Brecon Beacons National Park.
‘Fantastic beer garden and terrace,’ says Thomson. ‘You’re in the Brecon hills. It’s peaceful, not the hustle and bustle of the city.’
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £10.74
Price of fry-up: £4.99
Best bite: Sausage, beans and chips, including alcoholic drink, £10.25
Cheapest pint: £1.79 for Greene King Ruddles Best
Wye Bridge House, Buxton, Derbyshire
This is in the former Midland Railway Hotel, a stone building on a hill that was originally a private residence. The interior has low ceilings, a mixture of barstools and tables around the bar, plus a distinctive purple carpet with a swirly flower pattern. ‘Collecting’ such Wetherspoon carpets has become a hobby among some as each pub has a different design. There’s even a book entitled Spoon’s Carpets: An Appreciation by Kit Caless, for those really taking it seriously.
‘Wye Bridge has a nice country feel and beautiful views of the Peak District,’ says Dobson.
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £9.74
Price of fry-up: £4.99
Best bite: Gourmet 8oz sirloin steak, including alcoholic drink, £15.42
Cheapest pint: £1.79 for Greene King Ruddles Best
Eva Hart, Chadwell Heath, Redbridge
This former police station, in a building from 1892, has been a pub since 1998. Inside, expect exposed wooden beams and wooden balustrades leading to a mezzanine level. The pub is named after one of the longest-living survivors of the Titanic disaster, Eva Hart, who lived locally and died aged 91 in 1996. There are pictures of her, plus an information on the early women’s rights campaigner, Mary Wollstonecraft, who also lived in Chadwell Heath.
‘I found it particularly interesting talking to locals who remember how it was when it was still a police station,’ says Dobson. ‘It’s a good one.’
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £9.74
Price of fry-up: £4.99
Best bite: 5oz gammon and egg, including alcoholic drink, £10.56
Cheapest pint: £1.79 for Greene King Ruddles Best
The King’s Head Inn, Salisbury, Wiltshire
A Wetherspoon pub since 2002, the King’s Head has history as a hostelry stretching back to the 15th century (when it was known as The Ram), which makes it one of the oldest pubs in the chain. The switch to ‘King’s Head’ came in honour of Henry VIII. There are 33 smart rooms, and Agatha Christie happened to be staying at the outbreak of World War II – in pre-Wetherspoon days, obviously.
Inside is an atrium with a staircase leading to a mezzanine level with high, mullioned windows. ‘I like it because it’s right by the river and close to the station too,’ says Thomson. ‘Inside it’s nice and light and airy.’
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): not available
Price of fry-up: £5.75
Best bite: Sticky Korean fried chicken bowl, including alcoholic drink, £10.32
Cheapest pint: £1.79 for Greene King Ruddles Best
The Fire Station, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear
Headquarters of the local fire brigade for many years until 1991, this is now a popular boozer. The entrance is through a red archway off the street into a courtyard, with the aquamarine-front of the pub ahead, where the old fire station was. There was once onsite accommodation for a dozen firemen and their families.
Modern art depicting stormy seas and bacchanalian scenes in drinking holes feature inside, but it’s the history that Dobson enjoys: ‘It’s fascinating to see the inside of the old station, where the firemen lived and the horses were stabled.’
Price of Curry Club (includes alcoholic drink): £9.74
Price of fry-up: £4.99
Best bite: Classic beef burger, including alcoholic drink, £7.27
Cheapest pint: £1.79 for Greene King Ruddles Best
- For Peter Dobson’s guide to Wetherspoons pubs, see @visitingeverywetherspoon on You Tube.
- Do you agree? Email us under the subject heading ‘WETHERSPOONS’ at holidayplanner@dailymail.co.uk