Wetherspoons followers gear up for late-night boozing because it makes 1,000 pub promise
JD Wetherspoon is set to unveil its new pub, The Lion & the Unicorn, at London Waterloo Station on Tuesday, 3 September.
The company has invested £2.8 million in developing the boozer, which is located in ‘The Sidings’, the former Eurostar terminus. The opening of the pub will create seventy new jobs. The Lion & the Unicorn will operate from 6.30am until 12 midnight Monday to Thursday, from 6.30am until 1am on Friday and Saturday, and from 7.30am until 12 midnight on Sunday.
Food will be available throughout the day, from opening until 11pm. The pub will offer a variety of real ales, traditional ciders, craft and world beers, including draught ales and bottled beers from local and regional brewers.
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It will also cater to families, with children allowed in the pub until 9pm when accompanied by an adult. The pub will be wheelchair accessible and will feature a specially adapted toilet for people with disabilities.
(Image: TIM ANDERSON)
The interior design of the new pub draws inspiration from the historic architecture of The Lion and The Unicorn Pavilion, a popular attraction at the Festival of Britain. The design incorporates elements of light, colour and innovation that were characteristic of the festival, contrasting sharply with pre-1951 Britain.
Relatives of the original architects and designers from the 1951 pavilion have contributed to a new pub’s charm by sharing their ancestors’ sketches and drawings, which have been woven into the establishment’s fresh look.
(Image: Wetherspoons)
The boozer is adorned with historical snaps and details of local lore, alongside artwork and images depicting local scenes and characters, some of which are the result of collaborations with local artists and the Southbank Centre, paying homage to the icons who brought the 1951 festival to life.
The Royal Festival Hall stands as the sole survivor from the 1951 Festival of Britain, which graced the Southbank from May to September that year.
(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
Back in the day, the Festival of Britain stretched over a 27-acre site along the Thames, from Westminster Bridge to Waterloo Bridge, attracting over eight million visitors who paid to marvel at wonders like the massive Dome of Discovery, the towering Skylon, and The Lion and The Unicorn Pavilion the namesake of the new watering hole.
Wetherspoon’s regional manager, Barry Brewster, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming customers into The Lion & the Unicorn and we are confident that the pub will be a great addition to Waterloo’s social scene.”
Despite a number of Wetherspoon pubs giving up the leases on a number of pubs since November, it says it is committed to taking the number of boozers up to 1,000 as part of its longterm goal.
