J D Wetherspoon plc (branded variously as Wetherspoon or Wetherspoons, and colloquially known as Spoons) is a pub company operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Founded in 1979 by Tim Martin and based in Watford, the company operates 925 pubs as of June 2021. This includes the sub-brand of Lloyds No.1 bars and around 50 Wetherspoon hotels. Wetherspoon is known for converting unconventional premises into pubs, such as former cinemas and banks. The company is publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
On 16 April 2018, Wetherspoons deleted all of its social media profiles. Chairman Tim Martin cited the “current bad publicity surrounding social media, including the trolling of MPs and others” as a reason for the decision.
Wetherspoon targets a mass-market offering of low-price food and drink. A large standardised menu is available all day in every pub, cultivating a perception of “unpretentious good value”. Wetherspoons claims to be “the only large pub firm which opens all its pubs early in the morning”, serving breakfast and coffee. The food menu has continually added healthier and allergen-friendly options, including a calorie rating next to every item.
Wetherspoons hosts two Ale Festivals in March/April and October each year when a larger range of guest ales is available in each pub and a Cider Festival in the summer. The company is the biggest investor in craft beer in the country