Wetherspoons makes huge U-turn after shutting beloved boozer – and it’s good news for punters
WETHERSPOONS has made a huge U-turn after shutting down one of their beloved pubs, deciding to redevelop the site into a new pub instead.
The Grape and Grain, in Anerley Hill, Crystal Palace, closed in November 2017 and the site was up for sale.
In May 2019, Bromley Council approved a planning application to extend the building, including two storeys on top of the existing pub, a three-storey addition and a roof garden.
However, due to Covid, all development projects were put on hold.
Then, in August 2023, Wetherspoons decided not to go ahead with developing the pub and put the site up for sale.
A year later, in April 2024, the pub chain thought about not selling the site and redeveloping it instead but then put it back on the market a few months later.
But now it has confirmed the sale deal has not “gone ahead” and the site will finally be developed into a Wetherspoon pub.
A spokesperson said: “The company will now be developing the site itself and converting it to a Wetherspoon pub. A new planning application will be submitted.”
Wetherspoons menu changes from May 14
AXED
– Mixed grill
– Steak
– Gamon
ARRIVING
-Big Smoke Burger
– Cheese Meltdown Burger
– Buffalo Burger
– Korean-style chicken
Wetherspoons recently announced its plans to open a number of pubs across the UK this year.
The pub giant currently has 796 venues – but this number will surpass 800 by the end of the year.
This includes an opening of a new pub in Manchester Airport Terminal 2 this summer.
Also plans have been approved for a new pub in Fulham Broadway Station.
Last summer, Wetherspoons also completed their £2.2 million refurbishment of the Albany Palace in Trowbridge.
Around 10 miles from the region’s train station, another of the branch has joined this.
The pub chain will also be dropping a whole host of new menu items in just a few weeks.
Many were left disappointed following the news that the boozer will be ditching steak mixed grills and gammon from its menu from May, in a bid to cut costs.
However, the meats will be replaced with a new range of menu items, including a mouthwatering selection of Korean-style chicken meals.
Pub-goers have until May 14 to get a last taste of the three meat dishes, before their replacements arrive.
It is unclear as of yet what the new Korean-style meals will consist of, but with punters already raving about their existing Korean chicken bowl, it is sure to fly off the shelves.