Wetherspoons is perhaps Britain’s best-loved pub chain. Its nearly 900 pubs are cheap, cheerful and cater to a cross-section of society. So naturally, snobs hate it. They’re missing out. Not only is Wetherspoons famously affordable, many of its pubs are nestled in architectural gems, from old opera houses to former banks. They offer genuine hubs of community on otherwise boarded-up high streets. spiked columnist Simon Evans went to his local Brighton Spoons to meet Tim Martin, the chain’s founder and chairman. What’s next for Wetherspoons, and for the pub trade? Does Tim regret wading into the Brexit debate? And how does he keep the prices so low? Here’s Simon’s conversation with the man himself.
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