Remarkable Pubs takes 'cheeky swipe' at Wetherspoon
Remarkable Pubs has renamed a former JDW pub as The European.
A London pub operator says the name of its latest venue is a "cheeky sideswipe" at Brexit and the previous owner of the site, J D Wetherspoon.
Remarkable Pubs has renamed its Leyton pub The European, as the venue was previously owned by J D Wetherspoon, whose chairman Sir Tim Martin, is a passionate Brexiteer.
The European, formerly The Drum, now displays the European Union’s circle of 12 gold stars on a blue background. The rebranded pub officially opened its doors on Thursday 27 February .
Robert Thomas, chairman of Remarkable Pubs, who oversaw a £350,000 refurbishment over several months, has run the Euro theme throughout. A largely French dining menu features dishes such as cassoulet, coq-au-vin pie, confit duck leg, and steak frites.
The pub’s walls are adorned with European-flavoured pictures, including Monet and Matisse. The snug also features a portrait of Lorenzo de'Medici, ruler of the Florentine Republic, the home of the Italian Renaissance.
Horrified?
Remarkable Pubs states: "Sir Tim would no doubt be horrified. In 2016, he donated £200,000 of his reported £400m fortune to the Vote Leave campaign. In 2018, Martin also announced that Wetherspoon’s would stop selling products from other EU countries, such as prosecco and champagne, as part of a 24-month plan to introduce New World wines from Australia."
Thomas is a former history teacher and national swimming champion. In recent years, he has redeveloped a collection of freehold London pubs under the banner of Remarkable Pubs.
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