‘I’m hoping the irony will hit the spot.’
In a mischievous dig at Brexiteers, the new owner of a former Wetherspoons in Leyton, East London, has rebranded the pub The European. Previously known as The Drum, the pub was part of the Wetherspoons empire, owned by the arch-Brexiteer Tim Martin, who donated over £200,000 to the Leave campaign in 2016.
The new name is hard to miss, with the iconic EU flag of twelve gold stars on a bright blue background, proudly displayed on the pub’s sign.
The EU theme extends into the pub’s interior and is decorated with European-themed pictures, including copies of works by Monet and Matisse, and a portrait of Lorenzo de’Medici, ruler of the Florentine Republic.
The European serves continental beer, wines and spirits, and mostly French cuisine. The pub opened on February 27.
Owner Robert Thomas spent £350,000 refurbishing the former Wetherspoons venue.
“I’m hoping the irony will hit the spot,” he said.
And sure enough, it did. The Daily Express couldn’t resist the bait, running a headline:
“New boss spends £350k turning Wetherspoons into perfect pub for Brexit haters.”
“Before you even step inside the Leyton pub, the frontage warns you of its ironic interior, with a hanging blue sign emblazoned with the gold-starred European Union flag which sits proudly below the pub’s new name, The European,” the article continues, clearly irritated at the pub’s unashamedly pro-EU message.
The article drew plenty of mockery, with one commenter on Facebook noting: “Anything that winds up Express readers is fine with me.”
Another asked: “Where is it? I’ll make sure to visit,” prompting a detailed response from a fellow user:
“Been! About 10 minutes walk from where I used to live in Walthamstow. Nearest station is Leyton Midland Road. Walthamstow Queens Road and Walthamstow Central stations aren’t too far away.”
Leeds for Europe joined in the fun, posting:
“The Daily Express cannot bear to name the pub, which is…The European. It’s in East London and sounds like it is well worth a visit if you are in the area.”
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