Wetherspoon’s returns to profit for first time since Covid pandemic

Cost of living crisis drives consumers to low-cost pub chain but company remains cautious

JD Wetherspoon has bounced back to profit for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic three years ago, as budget-conscious consumers flocked to the low-cost pub chain amid the cost of living crisis.

Wetherspoon's, which runs about 830 pubs across the UK and Ireland, reported a pre-tax profit of almost 43m in the year to 30 July.