‘Always sad to see’ sob fans as Wetherspoons closes ‘beautiful’ pub – but a replacement has been revealed

WETHERSPOONS has shut down one of its most “beautiful” pubs but it’s not all bad news.

The Asparagus was among four other Wetherspoons in south London which were put up for sale last September but now it has officially closed.

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The Asparagus opened on Falcon Road in 1998 and holds two floors, a garden patio and a basement. 

The pub got its famous name from the Aparagus plant which Battersea is famous for producing alongside cabbage, beans and lavender. 

A spokesperson for Wetherspoons confirmed the Asparagus pub closed its doors for good but declined to comment. 

Locals took to social media to explain how essential the pub was to the community. 

One user on X formerly known as Twitter said: “The pubs provide a very important service to local communities, so to have any shutting down is bad news.”

“The Asparagus in Battersea is the most affordable boozer for miles around and contains the truest cross-section of Battersea society of any establishment in the area,” said someone else. 

Another fan said: You had it all: families feeding their kids on the cheap, old boys slipping into a Ruddle’s coma, tradesmen who’d clocked off for the day, students getting waved on woo woos.”

Someone online said: “Devastating stuff!”

While a Facebook user commented: “Always sad to see a ‘spoons, or any pub, shut as drinking pals tend to lose contact with each other.”

However, it doesn’t look like this is the end of the road for the Asparagus.

Rumours on social media suggest another chain will take over the recently closed pub.

One Facebook user said: “Pub will reopen under the management of Portobello Brewery.”

Spoons fans will also be pleased to hear the chain has been doing its best to keep pubs open.

Wetherspoons has saved one pub from permanent closure.

The Spa Lane Vaults, located on St Mary’s Gate, has been pulled from the market and will now remain open for good, according to Wetherspoons.

It comes as Wetherspoon reported a surge in sales in its half-year results, with revenue hitting almost £1billion.

For the 26 weeks ended 28 January 2024, like-for-like sales increased 9.9%, while revenue increased 8.2% to £991million.

Operating profit increased 81% £67.7m, while profit before tax surged 682% from £4.6million in the first half of 2023 to £36million.

It is common for pub chains and retailers to open and close sites to rebalance their books and ensure they’re trading in areas where there is demand.

This may involve putting branches up for sale or reducing hours.

There are currently more than a dozen Wetherspoons branches under offer and five pubs for sale.

This means that a buyer has presented an offer that the seller is considering.

It doesn’t mean that the sale is guaranteed, and it could remain open if it doesn’t complete.

The five pubs that are up for sale are:

• The Pontlottyn, Abertillery
• The Ivor Davies, Cardiff
• The Market Cross, Holywell
• The Rochester Castle, London
• Foot of the Walk, Edinburgh

14 Wetherspoons branches are currently under offer:

• Asparagus, Battersea, London
• Wrong ‘Un, Bexleyheath
• The Gate House, Doncaster
• Jolly Sailor, Bristol
• The Mockbeggar Hall, Moreton
• The Alfred Herring, Palmers Green
• The Cross Keys, Pebbles
• The White Heart, Todmorden
• Spa Lane Vaults, Chesterfield
• Lord Arthur Lee, Fareham
• The Regent, Kirkby in Ashfield
• The Sir Daniel Arms, Swindon
• The Hain Line, St Ives
• The Quay, Poole
• Thomas Drummond, Fleetwood

How can I save money at Wetherspoons?

FREE refills – Buy a £1.50 tea, coffee or hot chocolate and you can get free refills. The deal is available all day, every day.

Check a map – Prices can vary from one location the next, even those close to each other. So if you’re planning a pint at a Spons, it’s worth popping in nearby pubs to see if you’re settling in at the cheapest.

Choose your day – Each night the pub chain runs certain food theme nights. For instance, every Thursday night is curry club, where diners can get a main meal and a drink for a set price cheaper than usual.

Pick-up vouchers – Students can often pick up voucher books in their local near universities, which offer discounts on food and drink, so keep your eyes peeled.

Get appy – The Wetherspoons app allows you to order and pay for your drink and food from your table – but you don’t need to be in the pub to use it. Taking full advantage of this, cheeky customers have used social media to ask their friends and family to order them drinks. The app is free to download on the App Store or Google Play.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk