Cheers! Delight as Stafford Wetherspoons pub saved
Jubilant regulars are raising a glass to their favourite Stafford pub which has been taken off the market in a U-turn by bosses.
Wetherspoon pub The Butler’s Bell in Gaolgate Street is no longer up for sale, and bosses have said it will stay in the town for “many more years to come”.
The pub was put up for sale in March with 45 jobs at risk.
Residents launched a petition against it closing, which gathered more than 1,000 signatures.
They were worried it could be lost to development or become more expensive if taken over by a new owner.
But pub-goers can breathe a sigh of relief as Wetherspoon bosses have decided it will remain open under Wetherspoon ownership.
Josh Dando, one of the managers at the pub, said: “ I am delighted that the pub is to remain as a Wetherspoon.
“This is wonderful news for pub manager Mhari Farmer, myself, all of the staff here as well as our loyal customers.
“The Butler’s Bell is extremely popular and an important part of Stafford’s social scene.We look forward to welcoming customers into the pub for many more years to come.”
Wetherspoon bosses said back in March that they made the decision to sell after “long consideration”.
The 45 employees at risk were promised that the pub would stay open until a buyer was found.
Eddie Gershon, spokesman for Wetherspoon, said originally it was a “commercial” move to sell but bosses decided the pub was doing well, so they took it off the market.
He said: There was definite interest when it was for sale. But there was a petition launched and Wetherspoon looked at how the pub was doing over a number of weeks and decided it was doing quite well.”
Stafford local Greta Banks launched a petition to save the pub from being sold – and gathered hundreds of signatures, 1,013 in total.
She originally wanted to get 600 signatures but said the number kept growing.
