JD Wetherspoon is to open its first-ever pub outside the UK, with English fry-ups and other British classics all part of the menu. The pub will be called the Castell de Santa Barbera and is set to open in Alicante airport in Spain.
Alicante is a popular destination for British tourists and the pub will be based in the departures area of the airport, allowing UK holidaymakers to have a taste of Britain before they fly back home. Wetherspoon founder and chairman Sir Tim Martin said the pub giant is “very much looking forward” to opening its first overseas ‘Spoons’.
“We believe it will be popular with people travelling home from Alicante airport,” he added.
Sir Tim also confirmed the pub marks the start of Wetherspoon’s expansion abroad.
He said Wetherspoon hopes to open “a number” of pubs overseas in the coming months and years, including at airports.
The Castell de Santa Barbera will trade seven days a week from 6am to 9pm and is scheduled to open by the end of January.
It will offer traditional pub food, including English fry-ups and burgers, alongside some popular local dishes such as garlic prawns and Spanish omelette.
Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernandez Airport is becoming increasingly popular among Brits for flights, offering access to the Costa Blanca region on Spain’s south-eastern coast and destinations such as Benidorm.
The new Spanish Wetherspoon site will offer almost 1,000 square foot of customer space on one level, alongside an external terrace with customer seating.
It forms part of plans by the chain to open 30 new pubs in its current financial year — 15 managed pubs and 15 franchises.
Wetherspoon already operates nearly 800 pubs across the UK.
Recent figures showed the group notched up a 3.7% rise in like-for-like sales over the first 14 weeks of its financial year, to November 2.
But Sir Tim said at the time the firm was “mindful of the Chancellor’s Budget statement later this month and, as a result, is slightly more cautious in its outlook for the remainder of the year”.
