The number of Wetherspoons pubs up for sale is far fewer than reports claim but two are set to bite the dust imminently, The Daily Star can reveal. This outlet has learned that despite reports of between 13 and 16 of the budget chain’s boozers being on the line, that number is in fact only four.
Company spokesperson Eddie Gershon rubbished claims that 16 were on the market, and instead revealed to us those that were currently on the chopping block. “There are four pubs up for sale not 13,” he said, but had bad news for two pubs in particular.
As locals of the Foot of the Walk in Leith will already know, the pub shut down on November 3 ahead of its expected departure from Wetherspoons’ portfolio in a matter of days. Meanwhile, Mr Gershon told us the the Linen Weaver in Cork’s, “last day open as a Wetherspoon is November 10”.
(Image: Getty Images)
That means locals have just two days left to get down and enjoy a pint.
Beyond these two pubs, the fates of which sound all but sealed, just two more pubs in the company’s portfolio remain up for sale, Mr Gershon confirmed.
He said, “The Quay (Poole) and The Ivor Davies (Cardiff) are up for sale.”
The news comes following the chain’s October statement, where it confirmed that 27 pubs had recently been offloaded. Among them, some with freeholds had been sold while others had been returned to their landlords.
The company reports the sales helped it raise some £8.9million. It comes after what has been a good year for JD Wetherspoon, which reported its pre-tax profits jumped 73.5% to £73.9 million with operating profits up 30% to £139.5 million.