Welcome to ‘Weatherspains!’ Britons flock to Costa del Sol bargain boozer where lager costs £2.50 a pint – and ‘business is booming’
British holidaymakers gave the Costa del Sol copy of the UK’s most popular pub chain their approval today as they washed down £7.30 homemade chicken curries with £2.50 pints of lager.
Tourists packed onto the terrace of the cleverly-named Weatherspains at lunchtime in shorts and T-shirts as they took advantage of blue skies and near-eighty degree heat.
And the home away from home for Wetherspoon fans came with the added advantage of a picture-postcard sea view for midday customers at the pub across the road from the beach in the sunshine resort of Benalmadena.
Construction worker Robert Costello, 54, enjoying a lasagna and salad as his finance worker wife Angelina, 53, tucked into a jacket potato and salad they washed down with two small lager shandies, said: ‘We’re on the last day of a five-day holiday and I’ve got to drive to the airport later otherwise I’d definitely be having a pint of lager right now.
‘We were just passing and the name caught our eye. We’ve been pretty impressed with the quality and the prices.’
Weatherspains business partners Andy Inman from Newcastle and Mayka Sanchez
Tourists packed onto the terrace of the cleverly-named Weatherspains at lunchtime in shorts and T-shirts as they took advantage of blue skies and near-eighty degree heat
Geraint Howells, 51 and his partner Tammy Wickens, 50, from Merthyr Tydfil near Cardiff, ordered pints of lager each to quench their thirst from their front-row seats overlooking the sea before a chicken curry arrived
Mr Costello, who comes from Glasgow, added as he pointed towards the calm blue sea: ‘We don’t get this amazing view at our nearest Wetherspoons. It looks out onto a church. And we certainly don’t get this weather either.
Geraint Howells, 51 and his partner Tammy Wickens, 50, from Merthyr Tydfil near Cardiff, ordered pints of lager each to quench their thirst from their front-row seats overlooking the sea before a chicken curry arrived.
Medical secretary Tammy said: ‘This is the second time we’ve been here.
‘We immediately clocked it was a Wetherspoons spoof the first time when we came across it by chance and when I sent a picture of the place on my phone to my friends back home they responded with laughing emojis.
‘It’s obviously getting famous because someone on the plane out here this time round asked us if we’d ever heard of Weatherspains and I was able to tell them, ”Actually, yes I had and I’ve been there too.”
‘I just hope they understood our explanation of how to get here because we had a few drinks at Bristol Airport before boarding, although not as many as we might have if it hadn’t cost us £13.55 for two pints.’
Construction worker Geraint added: ‘We’re here until next Wednesday so I’m sure we’ll be back.
‘It’s cheap and cheerful here and the curry and rice is excellent.
‘The Wetherspoons we go to back home is opposite the library and town hall so being able to sit here in shorts and a T-shirt looking out at the sea between sips of lagers is wonderful.’
The home away from home for Wetherspoon fans came with the added advantage of a picture-postcard sea view for midday customers at the pub across the road from the beach in the sunshine resort of Benalmadena
The Weatherspains Menu. British holidaymakers gave the Costa del Sol copy of the UK’s most popular pub chain their approval today as they washed down £7.30 homemade chicken curries with £2.50 pints of lager
Co-owner Andy Inman, busy in the kitchen preparing £7.30 Chile con carne and his famous Weatherspains burgers consisting of two burgers, two bacon rashers, cheese and trimmings, has already copyrighted the name since opening
Construction worker Robert Costello, 54, enjoying a lasagna and salad as his finance worker wife Angelina, 53, tucked into a jacket potato and salad they washed down with two small lager shandies, said: ‘We’re on the last day of a five-day holiday and I’ve got to drive to the airport later otherwise I’d definitely be having a pint of lager right now
A chalkboard outside Weatherspains was enticing in punters with offers of lasagne, chips and salad at €8.50 – around £7.30 at the current exchange rate. Chicken wings were priced from €7.50 (£6.50)
Co-owner Andy Inman, busy in the kitchen preparing £7.30 Chile con carne and his famous Weatherspains burgers consisting of two burgers, two bacon, two cheese and trimmings, has already copyrighted the name since opening.
He and Mayka Sanchez are now planning to franchise the brand after seeing business boom following the Covid pandemic.
Newcastle-born Andy, 58, who ran an asbestos business in the UK before starting to run and work in pubs after moving to Spain 15 years ago, said: ‘I started Weatherspains with Wetherspoons in mind so it was obviously a play on that and my intention was to base the business more or less along those lines.
‘But on top of that our name actually means something and reflects something which is great about this coast which is the climate of Spain.
‘We do good British food like burgers and curries and sausages and mash and it goes down a treat. Business is booming.
‘Our pricing is competitive for the area and our customers go away telling us they’re happy.
‘People sometimes come in wrongly thinking this place is some part of Wetherspoons and I’ve even had customers ask me if they can use their pub discount cards here.
‘I used to visit Wetherspoons often when I was still living in the UK because I was away from work a lot of the time and it was a good place to get a cheap drink.
‘But I never got the view I get here being so close to the beach and the sea. Let’s just say it’s not a bad office to work from.’
Malaga-born co-owner Mayka added: ‘We’ve copyrighted the name and are talking to a company in Madrid about franchising the brand.
‘The idea is we’ll get a payment for each Weatherspains that opens and a percentage of their earnings.
‘But whatever happens we’ll keep things here at what we call our baby just the way they are for our customers to continue enjoying.’
A chalkboard outside Weatherspains was enticing in punters with offers of lasagne, chips and salad at €8.50 – around £7.30 at the current exchange rate. Chicken wings were priced from €7.50 (£6.50) and a Hawaiian Burger – presumably with the ‘A’ missing from Hawaiian – with salad and fries coming in at seven euros or around six pounds.
Construction worker Robert Costello, 54, enjoying a lasagna and salad as his finance worker wife Angelina, 53, tucked into a jacket potato and salad they washed down with two small lager shandies, said: ‘We’re on the last day of a five-day holiday and I’ve got to drive to the airport later otherwise I’d definitely be having a pint of lager right now
Steven McDonald, 42, enjoying food and drinks with his wife Jenna, 40, and two children Keiran, 14, and Callie, 10, said: ‘We saw the name Weatherspains on the corner first and then the menu which suited us down to the ground’
Steven McDonald, 42, enjoying food and drinks with his wife Jenna, 40, and two children Keiran, 14, and Callie, 10, said: ‘We saw the name Weatherspains on the corner first and then the menu which suited us down to the ground.
‘I hadn’t asked to be honest but I thought immediately it might be a spoof on the UK pub chain and a wee smile did cross my face as we walked in.’
Asked whether he’d gone as far as some Weatherspains customers by copying the Wetherspoon Paltry Chip Count challenge, he joked: ‘No, but if other customers say the owner puts 47 chips on peoples’ plates which I’ve heard mentioned, I’ll take their word for it.
‘Our four meals and four drinks came to £30 which is very reasonable.
‘And the staff said it was no problem when Callie wanted to get a mix of food which wasn’t on the menu and opt for chips, sausage and lettuce instead.
‘We’re staying here for a few more days so I’m sure we’ll be back.’
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