The George closed its doors as a Wetherspoons pub on 13 October – the day after a successful second Wanstead Beer Festival. The appetite for reasonably priced food and drink remains strong, says Paul Donovan
Wetherspoons called time in Wanstead for the last time on 13 October, amidst many emotional farewells and memories recalled of time spent in The George. The new owners, Urban Pubs and Bars, are to restore the pub’s original 18th-century name. So, it’s goodbye to The George but hello to The George and Dragon.
The Urban Pubs and Bars group run a number of successful pubs across London. The main concern, though, with the loss of The George under Wetherspoons’ stewardship, is price. In these difficult financial times, The George has always offered reasonably priced food and drink. It has been a place anyone can go to, across the generations. Sometimes, just a place to keep warm, have a drink and a bit of company. It is the loss of this community asset that has concerned people most.
Wanstead has to be a place catering for all tastes. The worry over recent times is that a lot of people are being priced off the high street, due to escalating costs. At the same time, many businesses, especially in the hospitality sector, are struggling to survive. These concerns were reflected in the campaign to save The George. Many people working hard over the months, collecting signatures on the petition and contacting Wetherspoons directly. So, thank you to all those people for their great work. Leyton and Wanstead MP, Calvin Bailey, has also been very supportive.
Wetherspoons, for their part, could have engaged more. The staff at The George have been brilliant, but getting information out of Wetherspoons’ head office has, at times, been a bit like getting blood from stones. Though it did markedly improve over the last couple of months. To be fair, though, Wetherspoons are a business, not a social service, and their main concern must be the bottom line.
Moving forward, it has to be hoped that Urban Pubs and Bars take the venue forward in the true spirit of The George, a pub of the people for the people. Other options should also be considered, like a micro or pop-up pub?
The appetite for reasonably priced drinks was very much on display at the Wanstead Beer Festival. Organisers promised bigger and better and that is exactly what people got last month. A variety of beers all for less than £5 a pint. By the end of the day, almost everything had sold out, with only the dregs left. An excellent day, well supported by local businesses. The funds raised will go to two nominated charities, CHAOS and Reach Out.
So, now it is onto the 2025 beer festival. The bar is rising but the appetite is clearly there for reasonably priced food and drink. Let’s hope the next festival and other local pubs – including The George and Dragon – continue to deliver.
For more information on the Wanstead Beer Festival, visit wnstd.com/beer
