FIFTY full and part time jobs have been created following the opening of the new Wetherspoons pub in Whittlesey.

FIFTY full and part time jobs have been created following the opening today of the new Wetherspoons pub in Whittlesey.

Councillor Derek Stebbing, Mayor of Whittlesey, officially opened the pub at 6.45am – an early start since the pub now offers special deals on breakfast.

The company has spent �1.2 million re-developing the outlet, on the site of a former pub, The George and Star in Market Place.

The Wetherspoon pub, which will be called The George Hotel, will be managed by Andy Hewson.

A Grade II listed building, The George Hotel has been a town centre landmark for more than 200 years. Until the late 19th century this historic inn was called the George and Star and from c1880 it was listed in local trade directories as The George Inn.

The new pub will specialise in real ales, serving a wide range of beers, including those from local and regional brewers.

The new-look outlet features one bar, as well as a beer garden, to the side of the premises, where smoking will be permitted.

Manager Andy Hewson said: “I am looking forward to welcoming customers into the pub and am confident that it will be a good addition to Whittlesey’s social scene.”

Councillor Martin Curtis said he “wholeheartedly approves” of the new look George.

“Everybody will have seen the outside and how good it looks - and most importantly that the frontage retains every inch of its historic look,” he said.

“Inside is fantastic. Especially the skylight above the bar area, but also in the way the place has been opened out but used smart use of petitions to create separate areas.

“For the beer lovers one important point is that the cellar is right behind the bar, which means the real ale doesn’t have far to travel.

“Something like �1.8m has been spent buying and redeveloping the George. It is difficult to see any company other than Wetherspoons spending that sort of money to rejuvenate the place and it guarantees that it will stay open and we won’t have to suffer the dilapidated town centre building that we did before.”