Wetherspoon has revealed plans to establish a new pub at a university. The pub chain will oversee Joe’s at the University of Birmingham in a fresh collaboration. Joe’s, named after the university’s renowned clock tower, will remain under the management of the Guild of Students.
Scheduled to launch in Easter 2026 after extensive renovations, the new venue will offer the complete Wetherspoon food and beverage selection, including special weekly deals like the Thursday Curry Club. Wetherspoon, with close to 800 pubs nationwide, opened its initial university pub at Hull University back in 2022.
John Hutson, the chief executive of Wetherspoon, expressed excitement about partnering with the Guild of Students to ensure the success of Joe’s Bar. The President of the University of Birmingham Guild of Students, Antonia Listrat, added that the collaboration with Wetherspoon will not only provide students with affordable food and drinks but also create more job opportunities within the bar. Any profits generated will be reinvested in supporting student activities.
In addition to the university pub, Wetherspoon is set to inaugurate six more pubs by mid-January. This development follows the recent launch of Wetherspoon’s Christmas menu which includes the popular turkey dinner featuring turkey breast slices, stuffing, vegetables, pigs-in-blankets, cranberry sauce, and gravy.
The Christmas menu comes at an average cost of £13.99 with a soft drink or £15.52 with an alcoholic beverage, slightly higher than last year. Tim Martin, the head of Wetherspoon, aims to keep price hikes minimal despite the company’s improved financial performance. While acknowledging the impact of tax increases on pricing in the pub industry, Martin emphasized Wetherspoon’s commitment to limiting price adjustments. The Christmas menu will be available until December 31.