With more locations added to the sale programme since the initial announcement in 2023, the existing Wetherspoon pub portfolio could be reduced by three more as buyers are sought for a selection of properties across England and Wales.
However, some previously listed establishments have been saved and will continue to operate as Wetherspoons pubs.
In September 2024, seven branches of the popular budget pub chain had either been exchanged, were under offer or listed for sale on the market.
The list detailed pubs expected to close by the end of 2024, though some remain open.
According to the London Economic, three pubs, the Sir Daniel Arms, Swindon, The George, Wanstead, and Hain Line, St Ives, had exchanged by September.
Two have ceased trading since then, but one remains open for business as usual.
The Hain Line in Cornwall closed on October 7, 2024, almost one year after JD Wetherspoon earmarked it for sale as one of 32 pubs in its portfolio to be put on the market. At the time, the pub chain said the forthcoming closure was a “commercial decision” brought on by higher food and energy costs.
Meanwhile, The George in Wanstead called last orders for the final time on Sunday, October 13, in what one local punter said “felt like a true end of an era”.
Since its closure, the former Wetherspoons site, which was well-loved by Wanstead residents, has been transformed into an upmarket site known as The George & Dragon, owned by the Urban Pubs and Bars chain.
Sharing his insight on the closure just before it occurred, Wanstead-based writer and film marker John Rodgers shared on his blog: “The pub will re-open under new ownership it will be as part of a more upmarket chain which will price out many of the regulars who had a second home at The George, particularly the older people who could sit there for a few hours with unlimited tea refills for a pound, or enjoy a cheap meal.”
Pub-goers in Swindon are still able to visit their local Wetherspoons, The Sir Daniel Arms, after several attempts to sell the freehouse. The Sir Daniel Arms in Fleet Street was first put on the market in July 2021, before being taken off in December of that year. In September 2023, the pub was listed again with Savills and a Wetherspoons spokesperson confirmed it would remain open pending the sale.
Wetherspoon spokesperson Eddie Gershon told the Swindon Advertiser: “It is for sale and has exchanged but not yet completed. It will continue to operate as a Wetherspoon pub until sold.”
Pubs owned by the iconic British chain sold at the end of 2024 include the Linen Weaver in Cork, which shut just before Christmas, and Foot of the Walk, Leith, which called last orders on Sunday, November 3.
Two Wetherspoons pubs remain on the market, including the Ivor Davies in Cardiff, which has been listed by Savills. The listing states: “The Ivor Davies occupies a prominent position on Cowbridge Road East in the popular suburb of Canton, approximately one mile to the west of Cardiff City Centre.”
JD Wetherspoon also lists The Quay in Poole for sale, and the pub chain is “inviting offers”.
According to its last trading update, the company sold or gave up the lease on 30 pubs in 2024, following the closure of 41 locations in 2023.
Express.co.uk has contacted JD Wetherspoon for further comments.
