J D Wetherspoon – Bringing you the best UK pubs

J D Wetherspoon

When 24-year-old law student Tim Martin acquired his first-ever pub in north London in December 1979, he could never have envisaged how popular his style of operation would prove.

Spurred on by the lack of good-quality pubs in the area where he was living, Tim decided to take action by purchasing the outlet he drank in, which he named Wetherspoons, after one of his teachers (The "J D", added later, comes from a character in the American show "The Dukes of Hazzard" – J D "Boss" Hogg).

Tim’s first pub offered a good range of cask-conditioned beers and excellent value for money. Twenty years on, the range of beers and value for money, together with their all-day food and non-smoking areas form the cornerstones of the company’s pubs. In the formative years, Wetherspoon pubs were all located in north London. However, as the company grew, it began to open pubs across London and in the Home Counties.

Following its successful Stock Market floatation in 1992, Wetherspoon began to expand rapidly. In 1994, it opened its first pub in the Midlands (Birmingham), followed by others in major cities, including Bristol, Liverpool and Manchester.

There are now 696 Wetherspoon outlets throughout the UK. The company aims to continue opening new pubs for the foreseeable future.

“Wetherspoon has grown from a single pub to a national company. However, our commitment to comfortable, music-free pubs, offering excellent beer, all-day food and first-class service, has remained consistent, regardless of the size of the company.”

– Tim Martin