JD Wetherspoon is struggling to find buyers for 27 pubs it put up for sale in the aftermath of the government’s disastrous mini-Budget.
The pub chain announced it was selling 32 of its 800-plus venues in September, but only five have been bought. Since then it has added a further eight pubs to the list, taking the total for sale this year to 35.
Founder Tim Martin said “unfair” taxes were holding the pub sector back, as the chain declared sales for the last quarter that were 2% lower than before the pandemic.
Up until 2016, the company was climbing towards the 1,000-pub milestone. However, after reaching a peak of 951, it has now shifted into reverse.
