Surrey to Have First University-Owned Wetherspoon’s

Published on: 25 Feb, 2026
Updated on: 25 Feb, 2026

The new Sir Ronald Wates pub

By Esme Campbell

The University of Surrey will be the envy of students across the country as it gets ready to open the UK’s first university-owned Wetherspoon’s on campus.

The Sir Ronald Wates pub will open its doors on Stag Hill campus in May, at the refurbished Wates House building, and will offer the full all-day Spoons menu.

Although Surrey will be the third university to have a Wetherspoon’s on campus, alongside Hull and Newcastle, the Sir Ronald Wates will be the first of the franchises that is owned and operated by a university.

The pub will be open to the local community as well as students and staff.

How the bar will look.

Will Davies, Chief Operating Officer at the University of Surrey, said: “We wanted to give our community a pub-style venue that could offer genuine value for money alongside quality.

“Wetherspoon’s model means students can get a full breakfast for less than five pounds. The Wetherspoon franchise gives us their pricing power and supply chain efficiency whilst allowing us to offer a great experience for our students and staff.”

Under the franchise, the university will have full control of staffing, licensing and premises management while maintaining access to Wetherspoon’s supply chain and operational systems.

The existing Wates House bar closed in December 2025 for refurbishment, and venue staff have been retained.

And places to eat.

John Hutson, Wetherspoon chief executive, said: “We are delighted that a Wetherspoon pub is to open at the University of Surrey.

“We are confident that it will prove popular with students as well as members of the public and be a great addition for the university.”

The venue takes its name from Sir Ronald Wates, whose family funded the original building, and who permitted the pub to carry his name.

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