The long awaited new Wetherspoons pub The Swan & Angel opened in St Ives on April 4th. The £2m conversion of the Market Square site previously occupied by the Discount Warehouse opened its doors to invited guests in the week before the official opening. The pub is named after two pubs The Swan and The Angel that supposedly stood near the site in the 18th century.

The pub is typical of others operated by Wetherspoons with an open plan layout and several alcoves. At the rear is a small outside patio area that is open until 9pm. It is fully accessible for the disabled and there is a disabled toilet on the ground floor. The size of the pub is immediately noticeable when you pass through the doors. Photographs of St Ives provided by the Norris Museum and paintings by local artists are displayed throughout the pub.

The long bar features a large selection of real ales including national brands Greene King Abbot, Ruddles Best Bitter (also from Greene King), Sharps Doombar and Adnams Broadside. These are augmented by up to eight rotating beers. Local breweries are featured with Oakham Citra, Elgoods Greyhound Bitter, B&T Dragonslayer and Wells Bombardier being available in their first week. Two traditional ciders are from Gwynt y' Ddraig and Thistly Cross.

A range of craft beers include bottled and canned beers from around the world are available. The bottles include several from Meantime and Brewdog, as well as a selection of Belgian beers.

Two beer festivals will be held annually in March and October, with a cider festival in July.

It offers good value food, opening at 8am when their breakfast menu is served until midday. The extensive main menu is available from midday until 11pm. This includes pizza which is unusual for Wetherspoons.

An interesting feature of Wetherspoons pubs is their app which allows you to order and pay from your table and your food and drinks are then delivered to you. This accounted for 10% of their sales in the first week.

Manager Mike Loveridge has moved to the St Ives area with his fiance. He has worked for Wetherspoons for over 10 years and was previously at another of Wetherspoons pubs in Norwich. Before that he has worked at their pubs in Thetford and Bedford. He hopes to work with local landlords and has been spotted drinking in other St Ives pubs. His choice of Oakham Citra was so as not to duplicate beers already available in local pubs (JHB and Inferno being regular beers offered by other town centre pubs).

Some local landlords are reticent about the arrival of Wetherspoons. However in my opinion they attract new customers who don't frequently visit pubs and who may then also visit other local pubs. Most pubs concentrate on things that are not provided by Wetherspoons (locally sourced food, sports TV, live music, quiz nights etc) and can continue to thrive. In nearby St Neots only one town centre pub has closed since the opening of the Weeping Ash over six years ago.

The Huntingdon branch of CAMRA would like to take this opportunity to welcome Mike and his fiance to St Ives and hope they enjoy their time on our lovely town.