Wetherspoons puts two of its Yorkshire pubs on market as part of national sell-off

The firm, which has around 800 pubs in the UK, has put The Silkstone Inn in Barnsley town centre and The Percy Shaw in the Broad Street Plaza scheme in Halifax on the market.

The sale of the portfolio of 32 venues, which includes nine pubs in London, is being handled by CBRE and Savills.

A statement from both companies said: “This represents a rare opportunity to acquire substantial, landmark public houses with a high standard of fit out in high profile locations.

“The properties, which are being considered for sale either as a portfolio, in small packages, or individually, are located across the UK and will appeal to existing operators, new entrants or those seeking alternative use subject to obtaining the appropriate consents.”

A brochure advertising the sales does not give a guide price for either Yorkshire venue and advises potential buyers: “Interested parties are asked to undertake discreet customer visits in the first instance.”

Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “We can confirm that Wetherspoon has put Silkstone Inn (Barnsley) and The Percy Shaw (Halifax) on the market.

“On occasion Wetherspoon does put some of its pubs up for sale. This is a commercial decision.

“We understand that customers and staff will be disappointed with it.

“The pubs will continue to operate as Wetherspoon outlets until they are sold.”

The move comes after the pub chain warned in July it was expecting annual losses of around £30m after hiking staff wages and ramping up spending on repairs and marketing amid a slow recovery in bar trade.

The group said it is now expecting losses of around £30 million for the year to the end of July after investing to attract and retain workers and on the wider business.

The group said the recovery for many pub firms had been “slower and more laborious” than expected, while the sector is also grappling with soaring costs and a pull-back in consumer spending due to rising inflation.

Chairman Tim Martin said at the time: “Wetherspoon has tried to take a long-term approach to these issues, investing heavily in the workforce, in buildings, in marketing and in contracts with landlords and suppliers, which will hopefully create a solid base for future growth. The company remains cautiously optimistic about future prospects.”