Horse & Guardsman

The Horse & Guardsman is a public house in Whitehall, London, operated by the British pub company J D Wetherspoon plc. It is one of the group's central London outlets and trades under the Wetherspoon name, offering the chain's standard formula of low-priced food, cask ale and drinks in a large, converted premises. The pub was previously known as the Lord Moon of the Mall, a name it carried before being rebranded as the Horse & Guardsman. Its Whitehall location places it close to government offices and the ceremonial heart of the capital, giving it a mixed trade of office workers, tourists and visitors to nearby landmarks. As a Wetherspoon house, the Horse & Guardsman follows the operating model that has made J D Wetherspoon one of the best-known pub operators in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company was founded by Tim Martin, opening its first pub in Muswell Hill, north London, in December 1979. It grew through the 1980s and 1990s, pioneered non-smoking areas and real-ale festivals, and listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1992 as J D Wetherspoon plc. Today Wetherspoon runs hundreds of pubs across the UK and Ireland, including airport and station sites, and is known for its long opening hours, no-music policy in many houses, and frequent beer festivals. The Horse & Guardsman itself is a single-site brand within that estate. It does not have its own separate corporate identity, products or management; its offer is the Wetherspoon menu and drinks range, including guest ales, craft beer, spirits, cocktails and pub food. The pub's name references the Horse Guards, the historic cavalry and ceremonial presence on Whitehall, and the building's position near Horse Guards Parade. The change of name from Lord Moon of the Mall reflects Wetherspoon's practice of giving individual pubs locally resonant names, often tied to the history or geography of the site. Because the pub is part of a large managed group, its commercial identity is inseparable from J D Wetherspoon plc. The parent company is publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker JDW and is one of the largest pub companies in the UK by number of outlets. The Horse & Guardsman therefore appears in the brand knowledge base as a Wetherspoon pub brand: a named trading location with a distinct local identity, but owned, supplied and marketed by the parent group.

The Horse & Guardsman is a Wetherspoon pub in Whitehall, London. Its earlier name, the Lord Moon of the Mall, is recorded in public data about the site; the pub was later renamed the Horse & Guardsman. The name references the Horse Guards, the historic cavalry and ceremonial buildings on Whitehall, and the pub's position near Horse Guards Parade and the government offices of Whitehall. The pub's history is bound up with that of J D Wetherspoon plc, the company that owns and operates it. Wetherspoon was founded by Tim Martin, whose first pub opened on 9 December 1979 in Colney Hatch Lane, Muswell Hill, north London. For its first month the pub was called Martin's Free House, but it was renamed Wetherspoons early in 1980. In the early years the company's pubs were all in north London, with the head office above The Dog in Archway. Wetherspoon expanded through the 1980s and 1990s and became known for a series of innovations. In 1990 its pubs hosted their first real-ale festival, a four-day event featuring six beers; the twice-yearly beer festival later became a signature of the chain, with each pub offering up to 50 beers, 10 of them from overseas. In 1991 the Tally Ho in North Finchley, London, opened with a dedicated non-smoking bar upstairs, one of several pioneering moves made before the smoking ban of July 2007. That same year the company started its CBS scheme, highlighting cleanliness, beer and service, and produced the first edition of Wetherspoon News, an eight-page black-and-white magazine offered free to customers. Also in 1991, Hamilton Hall opened at Liverpool Street station in London, the company's first pub in central London and at a train station. In 1992 Wetherspoon opened its first two airport pubs, at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 4, and the company was floated on the Stock Exchange as J D Wetherspoon plc, with shares issued at £1.60. As the estate grew, Wetherspoon acquired and converted a wide range of buildings, including banks, cinemas, post offices and other large premises, and gave many of them locally specific names. The Horse & Guardsman fits this pattern: a central London site with a name tied to its Whitehall surroundings. The pub trades under the Wetherspoon formula, offering the group's food and drinks menus, guest ales and participation in the company's beer festivals. Its parent, J D Wetherspoon plc, remains listed on the London Stock Exchange and operates pubs across the United Kingdom and Ireland, including airport and station sites.

• 1992

  First airport pubs open at Heathrow Terminal 4; the company floats on the Stock Exchange as J D Wetherspoon plc at £1.60 per share.

• 1991

  The Tally Ho opens with a dedicated non-smoking bar; the CBS scheme and Wetherspoon News are launched; Hamilton Hall opens at Liverpool Street station.

• 1990

  Wetherspoon's pubs host their first real-ale festival, lasting four days and featuring six beers.

• 1980

  The first pub is renamed Wetherspoons early in the year.

• 1979

  First Wetherspoon pub opens in Colney Hatch Lane, Muswell Hill, north London, on 9 December.

Value-focused, high-volume managed pub within the J D Wetherspoon estate, located in central London's Whitehall district.

• Cask ale and guest ales

  Wetherspoon pubs offer a rotating range of cask ales, including guest beers and twice-yearly beer festivals with up to 50 beers per pub.

• Pub food menu

  Standard Wetherspoon food offer, including festive and seasonal menus.

• Spritz cocktail range

  A choice of nine classic and fruity spritz recipes.

1. 1Award-Winning Pubs & Hotels Across The UK & Ireland - J D Wetherspoonjdwetherspoon.com
2. 2History - J D Wetherspoonjdwetherspoon.com
3. 3About us - J D Wetherspoonjdwetherspoon.com
4. 4Awards - J D Wetherspoonjdwetherspoon.com
5. 5Horse & Guardsman - Wikidatawikidata.org