Wetherspoon to Open New Pub at Manchester Airport
Pub operator JD Wetherspoon is set to open its new pub at Manchester Airport on Tuesday 15 September – with the creation of 150 new jobs.
The pub, which will be named The Belle Vue, will open in Terminal Two (after security) – following a development project costing £3.2million.
It will be managed by Jenny Warburton, who was previously pub manager at The Mardi Gras (The Trafford Centre, Manchester).
For nearly 150 years, Belle Vue Zoological Gardens were ‘one of the most popular entertainment venues’ in the north of England.
They opened in 1836, behind the Belle Vue pub, with a wide variety of animals and thrilling fairground rides. Speedway and greyhound-racing were added later and the pub closed in the 1980s.
The name of the new Wetherspoon pub recalls this local history.
The Belle Vue pub will be open seven days a week, from the first flight to the last flight.
Food will be served throughout the day, from opening until 10pm every day.
The new pub will specialise in real ales and traditional ciders, as well as craft and world beers, serving a wide range of different draught ales, as well as bottled beers, including those from local and regional brewers.
The pub will be wheelchair accessible and have a specially adapted toilet for people with disabilities.
Historical photos and details of local history, as well as new artwork and images of local scenes and characters of the area, are also displayed in the pub.
Drawing inspiration from the city’s rich history, the new pub celebrates the heritage of sport across Manchester and the wider North West, recognising a sporting tradition that extends far beyond the region’s internationally renowned football clubs.
The new pub design seeks to showcase the breadth and diversity of sporting achievement associated with the region, celebrating the venues, personalities, teams and moments that have contributed to its enduring sporting legacy.
A dedicated area within the pub celebrates individual sporting figures and notable achievements, bringing together a carefully curated collection of sporting memorabilia, imagery and objects.
A tapestry of sporting bric-a-brac is incorporated into bespoke wall panelling, taking inspiration from the visual language of a traditional locker wall.
Pub manager Jenny Warburton said: “Myself and my team are looking forward to welcoming customers into The Belle Vue and we are confident that the pub will be a great addition to the airport hospitality venues.”