The airport will welcome its first-ever JD Wetherspoon pub to Terminal 2 later this year
Manchester Airport has announced that its first-ever JD Wetherspoon pub will open this September, making it the final major food and drink venue to open its doors as part of the airport’s decade-long £1.3bn transformation plan of Terminal 2.
The pub will be located within the Terminal 2 Departures lounge and will have more than 300 covers, with an area of 338 square metres. It will be named The Belle Vue, after the city’s historic showground that housed a pub, zoological gardens, greyhound racing and speedway track.
The Belle Vue stadium was a focal point of social life in the city from the Victorian period right until 2020, when it hosted its final event. Now it will lend its name to the airport’s first Wetherspoons pub.
Click here for the latest on Manchester’s food & drink scene, gigs and more in our CityLife newsletter
Stephen Turner, Chief Commercial Officer at Manchester Airport, said: “We’re very excited to be able to reveal more detail about Terminal 2’s new JD Wetherspoon pub The Belle Vue, which will encapsulate the spirit and traditions of sporting entertainment in Manchester. This will be the first JD Wetherspoon pub at Manchester Airport and it is fantastic to have yet another household name taking its place among those opening units in the terminal, as part of its £1.3bn transformation.”
A specific opening date is yet to be announced but airport bosses confirm that it will be open in September. The airport has released artistic impressions of the space show a clubhouse style design with a blend of classic and modern features, complete with sports memorabilia adorning the walls, taking inspiration from the sporting culture of the North West.
Richard Jackson, Retail Director at the airport, said: “From the outset of the transformation programme, we were keen to ensure we had a varied food and drink offering in the terminal with a strong sense of place and the Belle Vue will complement the existing bars and pubs in Terminal 2, expanding the choice on offer to passengers, with something to suit all tastes and budgets. Our new Boutique Mall in Terminal 2, featuring a number of fashion’s big names, will open this summer too – so it is shaping up to be an exciting few months.”
JD Wetherspoon Chief Executive, John Hutson, added: “We are looking forward to opening at Manchester Airport. “We believe our new pub will prove popular with travellers of all ages and be an asset to the new terminal.”
The opening of The Belle Vue will be one of the final stages of the airport’s transformation plan, which has seen Terminal 2 double in size and become the beating heart of the airport. In recent months new features have opened up, including the Great Northern Market and the Boutique Mall, home to the Fever Tree bar and luxury retailers.
The extension of Terminal 2, which opened in 2021, was even recognised by the prestigious Prix Versailles architecture award. As well as the expansion of Terminal 2, the transformation project has also seen Terminal 1 close, while Terminal 3 is undergoing a multi-million pound revamp which has included the opening of a new 470-seat sports bar, Sporting Chance.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login