‘Impressive’ Wetherspoons pub SAVED from closure as another ‘run down’ branch shuts for good

WETHERSPOONS has saved an “impressive” pub from closure, but another site has closed its doors for good.

It comes after a Chesterfield-based pub, owned by the pub giant, was put on the market in September last year.

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However, 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.

Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “We can confirm that The Spa Lane Vaults pub in Chesterfield is no longer for sale.

“It will continue to run as a Wetherspoon pub. We are sure that this news will be welcomed by the pub’s staff and customers.”

Reacting to the news on Facebook, one local punter said: “This is great news. I was worried I wouldn’t have anywhere to take the wife to for a meal.”

Another said: “Was a bizarre decision to ever put it up for sale.”

“I hope this is true. The place is never empty,” said a third punter.

However, it’s not all good news for Wetherspoon fans.

Another pub placed up for sale last year has officially closed its doors for good.

The Mockbeggar Hall JD Wetherspoon on Hoylake Road in Moreton, Wirral, has now shut its doors to punters.

Wetherspoon’s spokesperson, Eddie Gershon, said: “We can confirm that The Mockbeggar Hall has now closed.

“We would like to thank our staff and customers for their loyalty over the years.

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

The venue is rumoured to be reopening in May but what will be in its place is yet to be confirmed.

However, some local punters aren’t surprised about this closure as many dubbed the venue “run down”.

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.

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.

Commenting on the results, Tim Martin, the chairman of JD Wetherspoon plc, said: “Sales continue to improve. In the last 7 weeks, to 17 March 2024, like-for-like sales increased by 5.8%.For the 26 weeks ended 28 January 2024, like-for-like sales increased 9.9%, while revenue increased 8.2% to £991m.

“The company continues to be concerned about the possibility of further lockdowns and about the efficacy of the government enquiry into the pandemic, which will not be concluded for several years.

“The company currently anticipates a reasonable outcome for the financial year, subject to our future sales performance.”

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk