‘Another nail in the coffin’ moan punters as Wetherspoons to close ‘glorious’ branch within weeks

WETHERSPOONS fans may soon have to find a new local as yet more sites are set to close for good.

Punters could lose as many as 20 Wetherspoons drinking spots as another location prepares to shut its doors.

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The Sir Norman Rae in Market Street, Shipley, West Yorkshire, will call last orders on March 24 after finding a buyer.

It was among 11 additional pubs Wetherspoons put up for sale in September last year – a year after it initially put 32 pubs up for sale.

Reacting to the news online, one punter said: “So disappointed that this Wetherspoons is to close. It will be missed.”

Another wrote: “Another nail, in the coffin for Shipley town centre. Very sad.”

A third added: “Bang goes our regular dinner, a few pints for me and a couple of wines for the wife, on a Thursday night.”

And a fourth cried: “Shame. Good value breakfast there. Cheaper than the Bingley and Bradford ones.

“Shipley hasn’t got much left going for it anymore.”

Writing on Google reviews, one regular describe the branch as “gloriously presented”.

A Wetherspoons spokesperson said: “The final trading day for The Sir Norman Rae is March 24.

“It is a pub that Wetherspoon put on the market a while back and it has now exchanged to sell it.

“We won’t disclose who it has been sold to.

“Wetherspoon does, on occasion, sell some pubs and this is the case here.”

The pub will remain open and trading as a Wetherspoons until its closure date.

Dozens of other Wetherspoons locations remain listed for sale.

The Foot of the Walk bar in Edinburgh’s Leith is on the market following a sewer pipe bursting underneath the premises.

Plus The Sun exclusively revealed that The Quay in Poole, Dorset and The White Hart in Todmorden would be going on the market.

The chain – which has 827 pubs across the UK – warned in September 2023 it was putting dozens of its pubs up for sale.

As many as 20 pubs remain up for sale, while 15 sites are currently under offer.

This means that a buyer has presented an offer that is being considered by the seller.

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

15 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 Sir Norman Rae, Shipley
• 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

It comes as several UK pubs have closed their doors for good amid a turbulent economic backdrop.

Increased energy and wage costs are piling further pressure on businesses.

But, Wetherspoons continues to run sales and excite its loyal fanbase.

From March 6 punters will get the chance to sample a range of 30 different real ales including five from overseas brewers. 

The festival will run for 12 days from Wednesday 6 March to Sunday 17 March.

Wetherspoons fans will get the opportunity to sample beers from Belgium, Germany, Italy, Taiwan and the USA.

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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk