A WETHERSPOONS pub had made the shortlist for the UK’s best pubs.
The Savoy in Swindon has been shortlisted in The Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA’s) Good Beer Guide 2025.
The Savoy has been named one of the UK’s best pubs[/caption]
CAMRA praised the Wetherspoons for its long bar[/caption]
The pub converted the ground floor of an old cinema[/caption]
The annual guide looks at thousands of pubs across the UK, with hundreds making the shortlist.
And the Swindon Wetherspoons has made the shortlist.
Also the oldest Wetherspoons in Swindon, The Savoy is in a former cinema built in the mid 1930s.
The ‘super cinema’ seated as many as 2,000 people, with showings including the “best films across Britain and America” as well as stage shows and cinema clubs.
The Art Deco cinema sadly closed in 1991, before being converted to the Wetherspoons under the same name in 1996.
Not many of the original cinema features have remained in tact.
The pretty exterior has been restored, with the large billboards and double doors on the front.
Only the ground floor remains, although the pub has beautiful curved bookcases lining the main drinking area as well as vintage movie posters on the walls.
And like most Wetherspoons, it also has arcade machines and the classic Spoons carpet.
According to CAMRA: “The long bar has a very large selection of well-kept beers.
“The atmosphere is friendly and it is close to theatre, cinema, restaurants and shopping.”
It’s ranked highly with previous punters too, with many giving it five stars for great service as well as being cosy and spacious.
One said: “The food was excellent one of the best Wetherspoons I have been to.”
A second wrote: “One of the better Wetherspoon spots! The staff are exceptional and truly deserve 5 stars for their service.”
Someone else agreed: “This is a great Wetherspoons, it’s in an old cinema and has loads of character.”
Another simply said it was their “favourite Swindon pub”.
Inside is the classic Wetherspoons carpet as well as vintage movie posters and bookcases[/caption]
It’s not the only amazing Wetherspoons pub to visit in the UK.
The Samuel Peto in Folkestone is one of the prettier Spoons pubs, built in a former church.
Harrogate’s The Winter Gardens , built in the former Royal Baths, has been named one of the most beautiful in the country.
We also went down to the biggest Wetherspoons in the world.
How can I save money at Wetherspoons?
FREE refills – Buy a £1.50 tea, coffee or hot chocolate and you can get free refills. The deal is available all day, every day.
Check a map – Prices can vary from one location the next, even those close to each other.
So if you’re planning a pint at a Spoons, it’s worth popping in nearby pubs to see if you’re settling in at the cheapest.
Choose your day – Each night the pub chain runs certain food theme nights.
For instance, every Thursday night is curry club, where diners can get a main meal and a drink for a set price cheaper than usual.
Pick-up vouchers – Students can often pick up voucher books in their local near universities, which offer discounts on food and drink, so keep your eyes peeled.
Get appy – The Wetherspoons app allows you to order and pay for your drink and food from your table – but you don’t need to be in the pub to use it.
Taking full advantage of this, cheeky customers have used social media to ask their friends and family to order them drinks. The app is free to download on the App Store or Google Play.
Check the date – Every year, Spoons holds its Tax Equality Day to highlight the benefits of a permanently reduced tax bill for the pub industry.
It usually takes place in September, and last year it fell on Thursday, September 14.
As well as its 12-day Real Ale Festival every Autumn, Wetherspoons also holds a Spring Festival.
Victoria Pavilion is found in the seaside town of Ramsgate – and its right on the beach.
And a new Wetherspoons hotel with a “tower suite” is set to open in an English seaside town soon.
Previous drinkers have praised the Swindon pub for great service and cosiness[/caption]
