Wetherspoons reveals opening date for The Round Coppice pub in Whiteley
Wetherspoons has revealed the opening date of its new pub in Whiteley.
The Round Coppice, which is being built in the former Jurassic Grill restaurant at the shopping centre in a £1.3m project, will see 35 jobs created when it opens on April 7.
The pub will be managed by Lucy Dempsey, previously ran The Crown in Fareham’s West Street.
Lucy said: “I and my team are looking forward to welcoming customers into The Round Coppice and we are confident that the pub will be a great addition to the local social scene.”
Whiteley was built on what was historically farmland and coppices. The trees planted in its open spaces connect it with the copses in the surrounding landscape – which have long been coppiced for timber and firewood.
Sawpit Copse incorporates the once-separate Round Copse, just north of the pub. To the south are 16 acres of ancient woodland, called Round Coppice, now a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation.
The Round Coppice will be open from 8am until 11pm Sunday to Thursday and 8am until 11.30pm Friday and Saturday. Food will be served throughout the day.
Wetherspoons says the new pub will specialise in real ales and traditional ciders, as well as craft and world beers, serving a wide range of different draught ales, as well as bottled beers, including those from local and regional brewers.
It will have a 10m-long bar, new furniture and lighting, as well as a bespoke carpet throughout, as all Wetherspoon puibs do. There is also a beer garden.
Historical photos and details of local history, as well as artwork and images of local scenes and characters of the area, are also displayed in the pub.
Mia Gordon, centre director at Whiteley, added: “ Wetherspoon will be a fantastic addition to Whiteley, with The Round Coppice giving visitors even more choice when it comes to dining and socialising at the centre.”
The Round Coppice will be the first pub to open in Whiteley. There is a bat called the Parson’s Collar which is part of the Solen Hotel on the edge of the town, but previously while there have been plenty of bars and restaurants in the shopping centre, there has been no pub.